Property Legal Services - Buy Safely in Valencia
Buying property in Spain without proper legal support is a significant risk. Our property legal service protects your investment from due diligence to completion.
Why legal support is essential
Spain's property law is complex and buyer protections, while improving, remain weaker than in the UK or US. Issues that can affect a purchase: outstanding mortgages not cleared by the seller, planning violations (especially for rural properties or those with extensions), unpaid IBI or community fees that transfer to the new owner, and cedula de habitabilidad (habitability certificate) problems. An unpaid IBI bill follows the property, not the seller, so it lands on you. A qualified property lawyer catches all of these before you commit. Independence matters too: instruct your own lawyer, not the one the estate agent recommends, because their loyalty should be to you.
What our property legal service covers
Nota Simple
Ordering and interpreting the Land Registry document confirming ownership, mortgages and encumbrances. This is the first thing to check on any property.
Due diligence
IBI payment status (the annual property tax runs roughly 300 to 800 EUR/year for a standard Valencia city apartment), community fee arrears, building permits, and habitability certificate verification. We confirm every construction on the plot has a valid licencia de obras.
NIE coordination
Your NIE number is mandatory before any purchase can complete, and a Spanish bank account is required to move the funds. We make sure both are in place before signing day.
Arras contract review
The deposit contract is legally binding. Our lawyers ensure the terms protect you, not just the seller.
Notary coordination
Attending the Escritura signing, ensuring all parties comply, and facilitating Land Registry inscription.
Tax calculation
Precise figures before you commit. On a resale in the Comunitat Valenciana the ITP transfer tax is 10 percent of the purchase price - though buyers under 35 pay a reduced 8 percent and large families just 4 percent. New builds are charged 10 percent IVA plus 1.5 percent AJD stamp duty instead.
Investment structure check
If you are buying as an investor, we make sure the purchase structure (personal name vs. SL, joint ownership, foreign-account funding) is set up correctly from the start.
The typical legal timeline
Offer accepted to reservation contract (arras): 1-2 weeks. Due diligence and Nota Simple checks: 2-4 weeks. Mortgage approval, if you need one: 3-6 weeks running in parallel. Notary completion of the Escritura publica: usually 45-90 days from the accepted offer. Land Registry inscription afterwards: a further 4-8 weeks. Full process from offer to keys: typically 8-16 weeks.
Budget 15 percent on top of the price
The headline price is never the real price. On a Valencia purchase, plan for an extra 12 to 16 percent in taxes and fees - 15 percent is the safe rule of thumb. Here is where it goes.
ITP transfer tax (resale)
8% for buyers under 35, 4% for large families
IVA + AJD (new build)
IVA on the price plus stamp duty, instead of ITP
Notary fees
Set by a regulated scale, scales with property value
Land Registry fees
Also regulated by scale
Lawyer fees
Fixed and quoted upfront, minimum around 1,500 EUR
Mortgage arrangement
Only if you are financing the purchase
Our property lawyer network
We work exclusively with bilingual (English/Spanish) property lawyers who specialise in conveyancing for international buyers. Our lawyers have handled transactions for hundreds of expat buyers in Valencia and have direct relationships with the key notaries, the Valencia Land Registry, and major real estate agencies. They charge fixed fees, typically 1 to 1.5 percent of the purchase price with a minimum of around 1,500 EUR, clearly quoted upfront - no surprise billing.