Buying
The contrato de arras in Spain: penitenciales, confirmatorias, and why the timing matters
The arras is the moment your offer becomes binding. The type of arras decides what it costs you to walk away, and the deadline decides whether the mortgage process still fits. The mechanics, where it goes wrong, and one concrete timing detail from our own file.
A lawyer when buying property in Spain: what they do, what it costs, and who watches what
A lawyer guards the legal part of your purchase. But no one is tasked with overseeing the whole process on the buyer's side. What a lawyer does and does not catch, what it cost us, and what fills the gap.
Cost of buying property in Spain: what money you need, and when
A buyer can have €200,000 sitting in their account and still run short of cash during a property purchase in Spain. The five financial moments between offer and ownership, with what each one costs and how far in advance you need to plan.
ITP tax in Catalonia: how the new progressive rates work
Catalonia no longer has a flat 10% ITP rate. Since 27 June 2025, a progressive band system applies. How it works, what you pay at different purchase prices, and why many online calculations are out of date.
The Spanish escritura explained: what you sign at the notary
The escritura is the official property deed in a Spanish real estate transaction. What the document contains, who is present, and why the notary appointment is not the moment to solve problems.
Closing costs buying property in Spain: the total picture
What does buying property in Spain actually cost beyond the purchase price? We paid €55,488 in taxes and costs on our own purchase in Baix Empordà — here's what surprised us.
How to apply for a Spanish NIE number as a non-resident
No NIE, no bank account. No bank account, no mortgage. What looks like one administrative task sits at the start of a chain. Start too late, and delays spread across the whole process.