Guide to buying your property in Spain Archives - How to buy in Spain https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/tag/guide-to-buying-your-property-in-spain/ The Expert Guide to Buying in Spain Wed, 25 Sep 2024 08:15:56 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6 https://howtobuyinspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Guide to buying your property in Spain Archives - How to buy in Spain https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/tag/guide-to-buying-your-property-in-spain/ 32 32 The best search tips for buying your Spanish property https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/buying-spanish-property/ https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/buying-spanish-property/#respond Mon, 24 Jun 2024 15:02:23 +0000 https://howtobuyinspain.com/?p=20956   Click on any flag to get an automatic translation from Google translate. Some news could have an original translation here: News Nouvelles Nieuws Noticias Nachrichten   How to find the ideal Spanish property? Discover our exhaustive and exclusive steps to find the perfect property matching your expectations.   Since

Read More

The post The best search tips for buying your Spanish property appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

]]>  

Click on any flag to get an automatic translation from Google translate. Some news could have an original translation here: News Nouvelles Nieuws Noticias Nachrichten

 

How to find the ideal Spanish property?

Discover our exhaustive and exclusive steps to find the perfect property matching your expectations.

 

Since we started to invest in the Spanish real estate market in 2012, we have built a network of local real estate experts in Spain and became the one-stop-shop solution for foreigners looking for help to buy a property in Spain. We launched this new series of four articles so that you get all your answers and all our tips before going after your dream property.

With our first article: How should you start your Spanish property search? we gave you answers on many specific issues related to the purchase of a property in Spain: Why would you buy a property in Spain? What are your objectives? The perfect criteria for your future dream home?

With our second article, we helped you to find the perfect location for your property in Spain: Sea view or countryside? When will you visit Spain? Is the cost of life important? Will you relocate or retire in Spain? Will you look for a second home or an investment property? What are your ideal location criteria? We concluded that article with an overview of the different Spanish Costas.

Now, that you know why you want to buy a property in Spain, how you should do it and in which part of Spain, it is time to move on and search for your Spanish dream property. Finding a cheap property in Spain is easy, finding your property that will match your expectations is another step.

Our customers have different objectives when they buy a property in Spain: finding a holiday home, relocate, retire or invest in real estate. All those objectives mean different expectations about an ideal property.

With our help, we want you to make this property acquisition a success.

 

Here is how we will help you out with this property search:

The best searching tips for your Spanish property

As you learned in our previous articles, it is not difficult to buy a property in Spain. It is even quite cheap if you compare it to other European countries. How can you find your ideal Spanish property?

There are two main avenues: either you go on your own for your property search or you enjoy the precious help of a Spanish-based property finder who knows his market and will negotiate the price for you. Worst case, he will tell you: “You should pay the requested price because this is a bargain and it won’t stay on the market for too long”. Of course, as you will read, the main advantage of a local property hunter is that he is on the ground and you are abroad. So, he will speed up the process.

Whatever the avenue you take, that is why we recommend searching for legal advice and hire a real estate lawyer. Why? It is well known that, in Spain, issues could arise from a property sale. Actually, notaries duties are lighter than in other European countries. So you can make it without a lawyer but it is a safety net we think is a must as we talk of big investments.

The best place for your future dream property is always the place that you will love. So, take time, visit properties, discover neighbourhoods and nice villages and enjoy yourself first. All the steps we will describe here are the same with or without a property hunter apart from the first two steps that describe why you should take a property hunter and how he works. If you want to search for your Spanish holiday home on your own, you can skip the first two points.

 

  1. The six reasons why a local property hunter is a nice-to-have

    He knows the market, He will save your money and make this property a savvy investment, He will save your time, He will protect your interests, He speaks Spanish and your language, He will find solutions after your purchase. So, of course, you can search the property by yourself but as you live abroad, it is not easy, it is time consuming and last but not least you don’t have a clue about the real property market price, that’s why usually he will save a lot of money by working for you. To summarize, working with a local property hunter speaking your language will speed up the process, make it much more smooth and will save you time and money as you won’t need to travel for visiting the 10 properties not corresponding to your taste. Follow this link to read our detailed article on the subject.

    Check the accomplished missions of our property hunters everywhere in Spain

 

  1. How does a Spanish property finder work?

    There are six main steps: 1.Interview with the customer, 2. The contract, 3.The property search and visit of properties, 4.Feedback and exchange of views with the customer, 5.Purchase of the property, 6.The real estate personal shopper will assist his customer with formalities. Follow this link if you want to read more about what a Spanish-based property finder will do for you. With the same link, you can have a look at some property searches realised by our property hunters in different Spanish Costas and of course, you can search for your local property hunter in your favourite Spanish region.

 

  1. A real estate lawyer is your must-have AND the first step to your Spanish home

    You can search for your property alone, but in Spain, a Spanish property lawyer is a clear must. For many reasons:

    Buying real estate in Spain is very easy: what is not, is knowing what you buy. As one of our legal partners summarize:

    “ it is in this context that the role of the lawyer is essential, not only to collect the documents that will allow you to sign and obtain the registration of the property at your name in the property registry (management procedures) but especially to obtain the documents to which the law does not give you obligatorily access before the sale but whose study is essential to know the ins and outs of your purchase (audit procedures).”

    Have a quick look at our two articles on the subject if you want to read more:
    Why do you need a property lawyer for buying real estate in Spain?
    What is the legal due diligence for your Spanish property?
     If you want to find a good local Spanish property lawyer, you should follow the link and take one from our network.

 

  1. Each person involved with this project should list his objectives

    Remember that, as you saw in our past articles from this series: your objectives will differ depending on the function of the property: Second home, first home, home to retire or investment property.
    Here is a quick example of objective: I want a second home for living there 3 months per year (summer months + 3 holiday weeks), I want it close to the airport, within walking distance of the beach and allowing me to receive all my family (4 bedrooms). As I am a golfer, I want it close to golf courses. My wife wants it close to shopping areas as she does not drive.
    Don’t hesitate to go further into details, the more you go into details, the easier it will be to know if you found the perfect property.
    Don’t worry if you can’t find too many ideas, our criteria lists available in this article will make sure that you have the main criteria.

 

  1. Looking for a Resale in Spain

    The Spanish real estate market is very interesting for either a resale or a new build property. Of course, you can buy an existing property with its past or you can go for the comfort of a new build property. Both are possible in Spain. Both are very competitive in terms of price, of course, the price of your property will be driven mainly by its location and its size. It will be less dependent on the fact that it is a resale or a new build. Of course, resale could even be more expensive if you take into account the renovation works that will come with it, 90% of the time. Buying a resale in Spain could have a lot of charm and with some renovation works you can give it as much modern touch as you want. Even if renovation works are not expensive in Spain, it could come more expensive than a new build property when you check it at the end of the project.

 

  1. Looking for a new build property in Spain?

    Buying a new build property in Spain has many advantages:

    1. Impressive standards specifications: designed for modern living:
    2. Personalize your property to your taste
    3. New build prices in Spain are very competitive vs resale + renovation costs
    4. Fewer uncertainties:
      • 3-year warranty on the building works
      • 10-year warranty on design faults by the architect
      • 10-year warranty on structural defects by the builder

    Read more on that: What are the advantages of buying a new build property in Spain?

     

    Discover the best new build projects in Spain, direct from our partners with a €5,000 discount!
    € 320,000
    2 beds 1 bath 61.3 m²
    € 313,000
    2 beds 2 baths 61.3 m²
    € 540,000
    3 beds 3 baths 191 m²
    € 520,000
    3 beds 2 baths 109 m²
    € 345,000
    2 beds 2 baths 97 m²
    € 435,000
    3 beds 2 baths 114 m²
    € 350,000
    3 beds 2 baths 106 m²
    € 273,000
    2 beds 2 baths 83 m²
    € 368,000
    3 beds 2 baths 103 m²
    € 315,000
    2 beds 2 baths 90 m²
    € 245,000
    2 beds 2 baths 83 m²
    € 335,000
    3 beds 2 baths 98 m²
    € 250,000
    2 beds 2 baths 90 m²
    € 420,000
    2 beds 2 baths 81.7 m²
    € 475,000
    3 beds 2 baths 101.9 m²
    € 490,000
    3 beds 2 baths 119.8 m²
    € 540,000
    3 beds 2 baths 129.2 m²
    € 530,000
    3 beds 2 baths 106.9 m²
    € 370,000
    2 beds 2 baths 88.9 m²
    € 440,000
    3 beds 2 baths 106.9 m²
    € 367,000
    3 beds 3 baths 177 m²
    € 262,000
    3 beds 2 baths 84 m²
    € 242,000
    2 beds 2 baths 72 m²
    € 277,000
    2 beds 2 baths 73 m²
    € 255,000
    3 beds 2 baths 85 m²
    € 220,000
    2 beds 2 baths 71 m²
    € 240,000
    2 beds 2 baths 80 m²
    € 280,000
    3 beds 2 baths 88 m²
    € 585,000
    3 beds 3 baths 162 m²
    € 348,000
    3 beds 2 baths 220 m²
    € 355,000
    3 beds 2 baths 100 m²
    € 385,000
    2 beds 2 baths 76 m²
    € 325,000
    3 beds 2 baths 97 m²
    € 269,000
    2 beds 2 baths 81 m²
    € 631,000
    3 beds 2 baths 123 m²
    € 345,000
    2 beds 2 baths 154 m²
    € 430,000
    3 beds 2 baths 116 m²
    € 730,000
    3 beds 2 baths 149 m²
    € 529,000
    3 beds 2 baths 133 m²
    € 319,000
    2 beds 2 baths 87 m²

 

  1. List your location criteria

    Get back to our second article ” Where are the best places for your Spanish property? ” and make sure all your location criteria are listed

 

  1. List your property criteria

    Of course, you will have the usual suspects as the size of the property, the number of bedrooms, sea view or not, pool or no pool, terrace or garden?… Here are some other useful property criteria: Position of the property vs its environment, Quality of the property, access to amenities, Layout of the property, Neighbours, Outdoor Spaces (Garden, Terrace, Pools,…), Natural light, Eco friendly?, Community fees, Yearly maintenance costs, taxes

 

  1. Use our ranking system for comparing your future Spanish homes

    Ranking your property according to criteria will allow you three main objectives

    1. remove emotions
    2. help you to compare properties
    3. allow you to discuss and compare properties with your partner

    It is quite useful and easy to make.

    In this chapter, you will learn how to do the ranking, so we will explain the general method here while in the next 4 chapters, you will get specific data related to each specific Spanish property purchase: a second home, a first home to relocate, a home to retire in Spain, an investment property.
    Whenever you understand how our ranking system works, you can switch directly to the specific chapter corresponding to your situation, they will have quick guides as well. In those chapters, you will find a downloadable form with an example of how to rank your next property. You will just need to adjust it with your own criteria list and give them weights and ratings.

    The idea is simple: to create a weighted matrix containing the physical characteristics (pragmatic, rational) of the house, we will call them the Criteria and you will give each of them an importance level (personal, irrational) or Weights. Each person involved with the project should do the same.

     

    By listing those location and property CRITERIA in a table, it will help you for comparing the different properties visited by giving them a global score.

    The CRITERIA are rational and shouldn’t take into account your personal feelings (unless for one – see pdf for example). They are listed beforehand by all the parties involved in the form of an exhaustive list of each of their criteria.

    For each of those criteria, you will give them

    • WEIGHTS, indicating the importance of the criteria for the persons involved in the property search. – ranging from 1 to 10 (best). They are specified on the worksheet before visiting the property and are the same for all your potential properties.
    • RATINGS, which is your view on whether the criteria are fully met or not by this specific property – ranging from 1 to 10 (best). The ratings will be completed after visiting each property. The ratings are specific to each property.

    By multiplying WEIGHTS (1) and RATINGS (2), CRITERIA will get a personal score. By adding all these values, we will get an overall score for the property. This score has two subscores: a location score and a property score.

    To sum it up, here is the step by step guide to your ideal Spanish property:

    1. List criteria for the ideal Spanish holiday home with all the persons involved
    2. Give a WEIGHT for each criterion between 1 and 10. (10= important, 1= not important)
    3. Visit the potential properties and each person involved give RATINGS between 1 and 10 for all the criteria. (10= criteria met perfectly, 1 = bad)
    4. Compare the total scores for each property, rank them and compare with results of other persons involved in the project.

    This process will help you to rationalise your property purchase and will remove some of the emotions involved. This is important as buying a second home in Spain is a big investment.
    For further reading on this subject, read the very interesting article written by our B&B expert, Patrick: How to compare and select the perfect B&B in Spain?

 

  1. Compare your Spanish holiday homes – download pdf form

    Now that you know how to proceed, we did the work and created a downloadable pdf easy to use allowing you to compare your different Spanish holiday homes. Once you have visited potential second homes, you can compare your ranking with the ranking of your partner. Start discussing your top three properties with your partner and make a choice. If you can’t, that’s because you are not convinced up to now, so, continue searching.

    The top 6 location criteria for your Spanish second home

    1. Within 45 minutes of the Airport by car
    2. Is the weather as you want when you will go (winter months?)? Check our monthly weather statistics for the top 20 Spanish cities
    3. Is the beach close to the property?
    4. If you play golf, are golf courses within 20 minutes by car?
    5. Discover the best new build projects located on a golf resort
      € 350,000
      3 beds 2 baths 106 m²
      € 273,000
      2 beds 2 baths 83 m²
      € 368,000
      3 beds 2 baths 103 m²
      € 315,000
      2 beds 2 baths 90 m²
      € 245,000
      2 beds 2 baths 83 m²
      € 335,000
      3 beds 2 baths 98 m²
      € 250,000
      2 beds 2 baths 90 m²
      € 420,000
      2 beds 2 baths 81.7 m²
      € 475,000
      3 beds 2 baths 101.9 m²
      € 490,000
      3 beds 2 baths 119.8 m²
      € 540,000
      3 beds 2 baths 129.2 m²
      € 530,000
      3 beds 2 baths 106.9 m²
      € 370,000
      2 beds 2 baths 88.9 m²
      € 440,000
      3 beds 2 baths 106.9 m²
      € 585,000
      3 beds 3 baths 162 m²
      € 348,000
      3 beds 2 baths 220 m²
      € 631,000
      3 beds 2 baths 123 m²
      € 345,000
      2 beds 2 baths 154 m²
      € 430,000
      3 beds 2 baths 116 m²
    6. Are restaurants close to the property?
    7. Most of the time you want to relax with your family, so recreational and family activities should be available in the region.

    You will need to adjust this list with your location criteria for your ideal Spanish holiday home. Have a look at our downloadable pdf available at the end of this section for an exhaustive list of criteria and our ranking system for your future holiday homes.

    The top 7 property criteria for your ideal Spanish second home

    1. Your personal feeling
    2. Is the number of sleeping rooms & bathrooms corresponding to your expectations? Take it big enough as you will always have friends visiting ;).
    3. Are the outdoor spaces corresponding to what you want? Garden, Terrace,… You will be 90% of your time outside.
    4. If you want a pool, yes the pool is important to refresh during hot summers.
    5. Are the quality of construction and the layout of the property fine?
    6. Is the size of the property as you want?
    7. May I rent the property short term? Is it legal?

    Have a look at our detailed ranking form in pdf and start now the ranking of all your potential holiday homes.

    Our downloadable pdf form for ranking your different Spanish holiday homes.Compare two different Spanish holiday propertiesHow to compare two Spanish second homes?

    Read our complete article on that subject: How to find the perfect holiday home in Spain?

    1. Compare investment properties in Spain – download pdf form

      Now that you know how to rank properties (see bullet 9), here are our top criteria for finding the perfect investment property in Spain. You will find the downloadable pdf easy to use allowing you to compare your different Spanish investment properties. Once you have visited potential investments properties, you can compare the ranking of each property. To compare investment properties, we have added a series of criteria: “investment criteria”.

      The top 7 investment criteria for investing in real estate in Spain:

      1. Own funds needed to invest
      2. Rental Yield
      3. Potential for value-adding creation
      4. Renovation costs
      5. Easiness to sell in the future
      6. The uniqueness of the property
      7. Property Management costs

       

      The top 7 location criteria for your Spanish investment property

       

      1. Close to economic activities: city centre, companies,…
      2. Good public transport network, surely within 10 min on foot
      3. Close to universities and research centres
      4. A lot of restaurants in the neighbourhood
      5. Shops in the neighbourhood
      6. Close to tourist places (important if tourist rental)
      7. Strong demand for short term rentals (if legal)

      You will need to adjust this list with your location criteria for your ideal Spanish investment property. Have a look at our downloadable pdf available at the end of this section for an exhaustive list of criteria and our ranking system for your future Spanish investment properties.

      The top 7 property criteria for your Spanish investment property

       

      1. Property price is aggressive vs market
      2. The size of the property is standard (not too big), i.e. +/-80m², which means that it will be easy to resell and rent
      3. Outdoor Spaces: Garden, Terrace,… As the weather is nice 320 days per year in Spain, people are living outside
      4. Quality of construction / Layout of the property
      5. Personal feeling
      6. Yearly maintenance costs and taxes
      7. May I rent my property short term? It is not always legal to rent a property short term in Spain

      Have a look at our detailed ranking form in pdf and start now the ranking of all your potential investment properties.

      Read our complete article on that subject: How to find the perfect investment property in Spain?

      Our downloadable pdf form for ranking your different Spanish investment properties.Compare two Spanish investment propertiesHow to compare two Spanish investment properties?

      1. Compare homes to relocate to Spain – download pdf form

        Now that you know how to rank and compare properties (see bullet 9), here are our top criteria for finding the perfect home to relocate to Spain. You will find the downloadable pdf easy to use allowing you to compare your different homes. Once you have visited potential investments properties, you can compare the ranking of each property.

        The top 7 location criteria for your Spanish first home

         

        1. A lively neighbourhood 12 months per year. It should be active during the winter months.
        2. Commuting time to work and Schools is less than 40 minutes
        3. Plenty of shops within 10 minutes on foot
        4. Close to a good public transport network
        5. Is the cost of life of your Spanish city fitting with your desires?
        6. Is the weather as you want 320 days per year? We all know why we want to live in Spain!
        7. Beach within 20 minutes reach by car. Let’s enjoy the weekends.

        You will need to adjust this list with your location criteria for your ideal first home. Have a look at our downloadable pdf available at the end of this section for an exhaustive list of criteria and our ranking system for your future Spanish first home.

        The top 7 property criteria for your Spanish first home

         

        1. Your personal feeling
        2. Is the number of sleeping rooms & bathrooms corresponding to your expectations? Take it big enough as you will always have friends visiting ;).
        3. If you want a pool, yes the pool is important to refresh during hot summers.
        4. Are the outdoor spaces corresponding to what you want? Garden, Terrace,… You will be 90% of your time outside.
        5. Is the size of the property as you want?
        6. Are the quality of construction and the layout of the property fine?
        7. Property price in line with the market

        Have a look at our detailed ranking form in pdf and start now the ranking of all your potential first homes in Spain.

        Our downloadable pdf form for ranking your new Spanish first home

        Criteria to compare two different homes to relocate to SpainHow to compare two Spanish First homes- relocate to Spain

        Read our complete articles on that subject: Why and how to relocate to Spain? How to find the perfect home to relocate to Spain?

        1. Compare homes to retire to Spain – download pdf form

          Now that you know how to rank properties (see bullet 9), here are our top criteria for finding the perfect home to retire to Spain. You will find the downloadable pdf easy to use allowing you to compare your different Spanish homes. Once you have visited potential properties, you can compare the ranking of each property with other ones.

          The top 7 location criteria for your home to retire to Spain

          1. A secure Neighbourhood
          2. Close to family members
          3. A lively neighbourhood 12 months per year
          4. Shops are close and less than 10 minutes on foot
          5. Proximity to excellent Hospital & care facilities
          6. Is the cost of life of the city fitting with your desires?
          7. Recreational and social activities around?

          You will need to adjust this list with your location criteria for your ideal home to retire to Spain. Have a look at our downloadable pdf available at the end of this section for an exhaustive list of criteria and our ranking system for your future Spanish home.

          The top 7 property criteria for your home to retire to Spain

          1. Personal feeling, it is time to think about yourself no?
          2. Security: fence and/or entrance gate, advanced technologies, fire alarm
          3. Outdoor Spaces: Garden, Terrace,… You are living more at home, so, get it as you want it!
          4. Swimming pool (size,…) Sport, social life and good eating habits are the best way to keep good health.
          5. Size of the property corresponding to your taste. You got it, not too small, not too big.
          6. Natural light
          7. Size of Sleeping rooms

          Have a look at our detailed ranking form in pdf and start now the ranking of all your potential homes for retiring to Spain.

          Read our complete article on that subject: How to find the perfect home to retire to Spain?

          Our downloadable pdf form for ranking your home to retire to Spain

          Compare homes to retire to Spain

          How to compare two homes to retire to Spain

        2. Is it legal to rent your property on short term leases?

          Most of the times, if you bought your Spanish holiday home, you buy it for yourself. But yes, we have to admit it, there are costs associated with a second home. That’s why many of our customers, after a few years rent their properties. The regulation is different in each region of Spain, that is why it is strongly advised to check it with a local legal adviser. Don’t hesitate to check our network for real estate lawyers in Spain.
          Another point is that if you want to rent your property, you need a property management company to assist you. We will cover this subject in detail in our next article.
          Have a quick look at the different articles we wrote on that subject:
          Tourist rental in Spain: What is it? Is it legal?
          An update on the short term rental regulation in Andalusia

         

        1. Visit properties at different time of day

          Ideally at different times of the year as well but this one is more difficult. What we mean by that is that some villages are active only during the summer months and are dead in the winter months. That’s why, if you want to retire there, it’s better that you know in advance that you won’t find an open restaurant in November.
          The same idea is to visit your property at different times of the day and the week. We all know those calm pedestrian streets in the old city centres. In the morning, it’s calm… From time to time it’s calm even in the afternoon and in the evening. But, for the same price, you get a lot of activity in the evening as bars open their doors for the evening.
          So, check it, it doesn’t cost a lot.

         

        1. A technical survey of your Spanish property could be a nice-to-have

          This is surely the case if you work on your own, without a property hunter. You don’t have a technical background, you don’t know anything about renovation, this could be a very wise decision before pouring all your savings into that dream property. Our partner developed a network of Surveyors covering all Spain, don’t hesitate to ask for a survey.

         

        1. How do our partners help you with those first steps?

        We have a local mortgage broker dedicated to getting mortgages for foreigners. Ask for a free mortgage quote.

        Our property hunters are there to assist you to find the perfect property more on that in the 3rd article: “How should you search for your dream property?”
        With our team of more than +100 local real estate partners, HowtobuyinSpain helps foreigners to buy real estate in Spain.The experts from our network are active in all the fields you need:

        1. Property finders
        2. B&B
        3. Lawyers
        4. Tax
        5. Architects
        6. Money Transfer
        7. Mortgage
        8. Holiday rental management
        9. Insure your Spanish property
        10. Property survey
        11. Renovation

        Would you like to read further?Last year we wrote detailed property buyers guides custom made for any nationality. Here are our FREE pdf property buyers’ guides written for all the foreign nationalities looking to buy in Spain: Click on your country flag, you will find your pdf report at the end of each article.

        This was the third article of our new series “Our complete guide to buying your property in Spain” in the final article, we will cover what you need to know as a real estate owner in Spain.Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!Stéphane Senior analyst and strategist at HTBISCheck the full HTBIS team here

The post The best search tips for buying your Spanish property appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

]]> https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/buying-spanish-property/feed/ 0 How to compare different Spanish holiday homes How to compare different Spanish investment properties How to compare different homes to relocate to Spain How to compare different homes to retire to Spain Find your real estate partner in Spain Our ultimate 2024 guide to buying your property in Spain https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/guide-to-buying-your-property-in-spain-2023/ https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/guide-to-buying-your-property-in-spain-2023/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:41:32 +0000 https://howtobuyinspain.com/?p=20715   Click on any flag to get an automatic translation from Google translate. Some news could have an original translation here: News Nouvelles Nieuws Noticias Nachrichten   Our ultimate 2024 guide to buying your property in Spain   Since we started to invest in the Spanish real estate market in

Read More

The post Our ultimate 2024 guide to buying your property in Spain appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

]]>  

Click on any flag to get an automatic translation from Google translate. Some news could have an original translation here: News Nouvelles Nieuws Noticias Nachrichten

 

Our ultimate 2024 guide to buying your property in Spain

 

Since we started to invest in the Spanish real estate market in 2012, we have built a network of local real estate experts in Spain and become the one-stop-shop solution for foreigners looking for help to buy a property in Spain.

Foreigners, we have built this network first to find the solution for ourselves… then we wanted to share our network and our experience with other foreigners.

In six years, our readership grew to more than 460,000 from around the world!

To assist you even better, we launched this new series of four articles so that you get all your answers and all our tips before going after your dream property. We will cover the subject with 4 main articles:

 

Too busy? Here is our quick-read summary:

 

The ultimate guide to buying your Spanish property – Our key insights.

  1. The article is the introduction guide for foreigners buying property in Spain, leveraging the authors’ expertise and network.
  2. It outlines the process for starting a property search, including setting objectives, budget, and home criteria.
  3. It lists the different criteria you should use to compare the different potential properties and avoid an emotional decision.
  4. Criteria are different for a first home, a second home or an investment property.
  5. Don’t miss our dedicated pdfs with our exhaustive lists of criteria for each case in our third article: The best search tips for buying your Spanish property
  6. It recommends working with local experts as property hunters, and technical advisors, and obtaining an NIE (local tax number).
  7. To avoid pitfalls, the guide suggests hiring a real estate lawyer for legal aspects.

 

 

Our ultimate guide to buying your Spanish property, our 2 minutes video

Would you like to watch this video in your own language? Click at the bottom right of the video on “cc” to get subtitles in your language.

 

But before going into more details about your own property search in Spain, let’s answer some typical questions asked by our readers:

Is buying property in Spain a good idea?

Spain is one of the top destinations for property investment, for three main reasons: 320 days of sun per year, its quality of life and the property prices are not too expensive compared to other European countries. Here we have listed more than 10 reasons for buying a property in Spain.

 

 

Is it a good time to buy property in Spain in 2023?

Property prices were very strong before the financial crisis in 2008, they fell up to 2013-2014 and since 2014 we saw a nice rebound in terms of prices and activity. Have a look at our Spanish real estate outlook for 2023 and don’t miss our Spanish real estate prices quarterly report for more on that.

 

What do I need to know about buying a property in Spain?

With good experts, you can even buy a property without being physically in Spain. We strongly advise you to work with a property hunter and a technical survey of the property could be interesting as well. Apart from that, you need an NIE (local tax number) and a bank account to be able to buy your Spanish property. Read more on the NIE here: Your ultimate guide to your Spanish NIE number.

 

What are the pitfalls of buying property in Spain?

It is cheap and easy to buy a property in Spain if you are assisted by local experts speaking your language. To avoid any legal or technical risks, we strongly advise you to hire a real estate lawyer to ensure that all the legal aspects of the property are fine. If you have doubts about the structure or technical aspects of the property, you can ask for a technical survey of the property. Last but not least, a property hunter will help you as well to avoid pitfalls and to make the process easier, quicker and even less expensive.

If you want to read more on that subject: Why do you need independent legal and tax partners for your property acquisition in Spain? and The 7 pitfalls of buying a property in Spain.

 

Now that the introduction is done, let’s start with our first article on your Spanish property search.

Here is the content we will cover:

How should you start your Spanish property search?

    1. Why would you buy a property in Spain?

      Buying a property abroad most of the time starts with one of those two objectives: either enjoy a better quality of life (buying for yourself) or diversify assets (investment). People looking to enjoy the Spanish lifestyle will either buy a second home, relocate or retire in Spain. Don’t miss our article on working remotely from Spain.
      We will first take the view that you purchase your property to enjoy a better quality of life. We will review later the pure investment case to diversify assets.

    2. What are your objectives?

      To be efficient in your property search, don’t hesitate to list your objectives: most of the time, you are not alone to share this new dream and listing your objectives is important to find the property fitting most criteria of all persons involved in the project. Is it a second home? Is it a first home? Is it a house or an apartment? Do you want it close to the beach? Do you want a pool? Do you want a garden? Do you want a terrace?… Each person involved in this project should list his own objectives so you will be able to draw a list common of all the people involved in this project.

    3. What is your budget?

      Of course, your budget will be the first thing to consider before searching for a property: how much can you spend? So, the first step before searching is valuing your assets. After that, you will check with your local banker if they can give you a mortgage for a property in Spain and you will check if you can get a mortgage from a Spanish bank. Read our guide for more on this: Your ultimate guide to your Spanish mortgage. Most of the time, you don’t need a mortgage but it could be wise for two reasons: better diversifications of your assets and it could diminish your taxes if you rent your property.

       

    4. The perfect criteria for your future dream home

       

      Buying for yourself?

      Second home or First home?

      Foreigners looking to buy a property in Spain are usually buying a Spanish second home to enjoy the sun 320 days per year, for the quality of life and for the beaches. For sure, Spain has a lot to offer. Spain is for instance ranked as the healthiest country in the world, in front of Italy and Iceland. There are many reasons for this, to give a few: higher life expectancy at birth, better health care system, Mediterranean diet, and better work-life balance,…

       

      Property criteria

      Criteria important for second-home buyers could be split into two main categories: location criteria and property criteria.

       

      Location criteria
      Property criteria
      • Number of sleeping rooms
      • Pool
      • Terrace
      • Specifics about the property
      • …

       

      First home Criteria

      If it is a first home, of course, your criteria will be different than if it is a second home.

      • Proximity to shopping is more important
      • Access to public transportation
      • An active neighbourhood 12 months per year and not only in the summer
      • School proximity could be important for families
      • Proximity to hospitals and other medical facilities could be important for people retiring

      Even if you buy your Spanish property as a second or first home and not as an investment property (to rent it), we would advise you to read the next section as a lot of foreigners forget that one day, they will need to sell their property. So, it is important to understand if the property would fit the local market or not.

      Buying as a real estate investment?

      If you buy your property as an investment, your criteria will be different than if you buy the property for yourself: your goal will be to secure a net return on your investment over your holding period.

       

      Investment criteria

      • Amount to invest: make fair estimates of the cost to be invested in the property: the property itself, renovation costs, furniture (if any),…
      • Mortgage costs. Read more on that in our detailed article: Find the best Spanish mortgage rates
      • Yearly costs related to the property: maintenance costs,
      • Costs related to the management of your property: many third parties involved: access, cleaning,…
      • Fees related to the rental of your property: rental websites, local partners,…
      • Regulations: rental regulations vary depending on the local regulations for local Spanish authorities: short-term rentals are not allowed all the time. Read more on that: Tourist rental in Spain: What is it? Is it legal?
      • Taxes related to your property: most of the time you have to pay taxes locally and in your home country. Read more on that: What taxes do you have to pay on your Spanish property?
      • Don’t forget that you will need to sell your property later on: try to buy a property that is in demand on the market where you buy: Not too big, not too small, 2 bedrooms, with outside space like a garden or a terrace (even more since Corona), in a not too bad neighbourhood,…

      Have a look at one of our earlier articles on that subject: What return will you make on your Spanish property?

      The criteria for searching your investment property in Spain won’t be the same as if it was your own property: if you buy a property for yourself, you will look for a property with specific characteristics: sea view, pool,… When you look for an investment property other location and property criteria could come to mind.

       

      Location criteria

      As your goal will be either to rent your property to people living in the city or to tourists some specific criteria will be important

      • Close to local transportation
      • Close to economic activities (Companies, universities, research centres,…)
      • Close to tourist activities in the case of tourist rental

       

      Property criteria

      • Go for a standard size
      • Try to buy a sound property

       

    5. How much does it cost to buy a property in Spain?

      Depending on the fact that you are buying a resale or a new build, the cost will be different but a good rule of thumb is 14%. Read more on that in our detailed article: The cost of buying a Spanish property.

       

    6. How much does it cost to own a property in Spain?

      A good estimate is 0.7% as we wrote in our detailed article: The cost of owning a Spanish property.

       

    7. How do our partners help you with those first steps?

      • We have a local mortgage broker dedicated to getting mortgages for foreigners. Ask for a free mortgage quote.
      • Our property hunters are there to assist you to find the perfect property more on that in the 3rd article: “How should you search for your dream property?”

      With our team of more than +100 local real estate partners, HowtobuyinSpain helps foreigners to buy real estate in Spain.

      The experts from our network are active in all the fields you need:

      1. Property finders
      2. B&B
      3. Spanish property lawyers
      4. Spanish tax advisors
      5. Architects
      6. Money Transfer
      7. Mortgage
      8. Holiday rental management
      9. Insure your Spanish property
      10. Property survey
      11. Renovation

       

 

Are you looking for a property lawyer in Spain? Follow the link and get one of our local lawyers. Looking for another real estate expert in Spain: Mortgage, Insurance, Survey of property, Property hunting, …? Get in contact with one of our 100+ local partners!

 

Stéphane Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

Stéphane, with over 20 years of experience in real estate, finance and entrepreneurship, is the co-founder of www.howtobuyinspain.com. With an extensive network of local partners in Spain, his deep commitment to the real estate sector combined with strong analytical skills and a problem-solving mentality have fueled his success. Constantly eager to learn and passionate about teaching, Stéphane believes in the power of knowledge sharing to master any subject.

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Our ultimate 2024 guide to buying your property in Spain appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

]]> https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/guide-to-buying-your-property-in-spain-2023/feed/ 0 Why should you buy a second home in Spain? Infographic Mallorca 02 Mallorca 01 Find your real estate partner in Spain Stéphane co-founder of HTBIS Where are the best places to buy a property in Spain? https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/best-places-to-buy-property-spain/ https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/best-places-to-buy-property-spain/#respond Sat, 03 Apr 2021 08:02:20 +0000 https://howtobuyinspain.com/?p=20827   Click on any flag to get an automatic translation from Google translate. Some news could have an original translation here: News Nouvelles Nieuws Noticias Nachrichten   Where are the best places to buy a property in Spain?   Since we started to invest in the Spanish real estate market

Read More

The post Where are the best places to buy a property in Spain? appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

]]>  

Click on any flag to get an automatic translation from Google translate. Some news could have an original translation here: News Nouvelles Nieuws Noticias Nachrichten

 

Where are the best places to buy a property in Spain?

 

Since we started to invest in the Spanish real estate market in 2012, we have built a network of local real estate experts in Spain and became the one-stop-shop solution for foreigners looking for help to buy a property in Spain.

Foreigners, we have built this network first to find the solution for ourselves… then we wanted to share our network and our experience with other foreigners.

In three years, our readership grew to more than 260,000 from around the world!

To assist you even better, we launched this new series of four articles so that you get all your answers and all our tips before going after your dream property. We will cover the subject with 4 main articles:

Now that the introduction is done, let’s start with the second article.

Here is the content we will cover:

Ideal location criteria for your future property in Spain?

 

The best place is always the place that you will love. So, spend time and enjoy yourself first. Compare places, you will quickly find out. How to start searching in the good direction? Here are our tips to help you out.

 

        1. Sea view or countryside?

          Do you like the countryside or do you prefer a sea view?

          As you may know, 90% of foreigners buying a property in Spain are looking to buy a property close to the beaches. As you can see on our infographic: foreigners love to buy properties in Andalusia, in the Valencian Community, in Catalonia and of course in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Let’s enjoy the tapas on the beach.

          Where are foreigners buying in spain? Infograhic

          So a good tip to remember for later, if you don’t have a big budget, or if you want to buy a big property for less, looking at the countryside is always a good idea. Of course, don’t forget that when you will want to sell, this property will be more difficult to sell (even more if it is not nearby a big city). If you want to read more on that subject, have a quick look at our article covering the real estate activity of foreigners in Spain.

          Before looking at the top criteria for your Spanish property location, let’s check the weather statistics of your future Spanish property.

           

        2. The weather

          This is of course the first reason why people buy a property in Spain. Checking weather statistics for the full year is important. Another good piece of advice is to check the weather statistics for the months when you intend to go there. Yes, it is obvious but many think “It is warm in the winter” but in fact, that is not the case everywhere in Spain. If you really want a warm winter, you have only one perfect place in Spain: Canary Islands.

          Have a quick look at the infographics with the monthly weather statistics for all the top 20 Spanish cities. For all the biggest Spanish cities, you will find detailled available for each month:

          • Average, Minimum and Maximum daily temperatures (°C),
          • Sea temperatures (°C),
          • Daily and monthly average rainfall (mm),
          • Average relative humidity (%),
          • number of rainfall days equal or greater to 1mm, number of Snow days,
          • number of Stormy days,
          • number of Foggy days,
          • number of Frosty days,
          • The monthly average number of cloudless days,
          • Hours of sunshine per day and month

          These are the cities available: Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Castellon, Girona, Ibiza, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Madrid, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Murcia, Santa Cruz Tenerife, Sevilla, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza.

           

        3. Your budget

          Of course, we all dream of this beautiful villa with a private garden, pool and sea view. Even if the Spanish property market is cheap, this villa will have its price. So, depending on your budget there are certain places you will choose rather than others in Spain.

           

          Looking for a high-end city?

          The 3 most expensive Spanish cities as of June 2020 are:

          1. Bilbao
          2. Barcelona
          3. Madrid

           

          Looking for a low cost of life?

          The 3 cheapest cities Spanish cities as of June 2020 are:

          1. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
          2. Malaga
          3. Seville

          We wrote a detailed article on the cost of living in Spain. In this article, you can compare the cost of living in any Spanish city with your current city or with any other Spanish city. This is very helpful.

          Another place to find interesting information is our quarterly report on Spanish property prices.
          Before looking at the different Spanish Costas, let’s try to help you by analyzing the different uses of your Spanish property. Depending on the uses of your property, the criteria for picking the perfect Spanish home will be different.

           

        4. Which property use?

          The first question you should have in mind is what will be the function of your property? We can differentiate between three main functions:

          • A Holiday home or second home
          • First home if you want to relocate or retire in Spain
          • Investment property

          Each of those functions will mean very different objectives which correspond as well to specific search criteria. Let’s have a closer look at those and you will split those between “must-have” and “nice-to-have”.

          Location criteria for your Spanish Second home

          Holiday home capacity (number of beds) is always one of the first ways to start. At the same time, with the world we are living in and depending on your family structure and how old are its members, the uses of the property could be very different and change over the years. Of course, it always starts with a relaxing place to enjoy the sun.

          The length of your stays is as well important to determine the location of your future property: if you go on holidays once per year between July and August or 10 times per year for three days is not the same even if you go there in both cases 30 days per year. In the first case, the proximity to the airport is not that important, in the second case, it is very important. Another important issue is the travel time from your home country.

          Rent your Spanish property for some extra income or to cover the costs?

          Most of the time, you will relax at your second home but yes… as it is a second home, it means that you won’t be there all the time. At the same time, owning your property will have a cost: maintenance, insurance, community fees,… That is why many of us will either rent it short term to at least cover the yearly costs. This will generate situations to manage:

           

          Here is our list of search criteria important for your second home:

           

          Location criteria for your Spanish first home

          This means that you plan to either relocate or retire in Spain.

          If it is the first home, of course, your criteria will be different than if it is a second home:

          • Proximity to shopping is more important
          • Access to public transportation is more important
          • The quality of the neighbourhood is more important
          • An active neighbourhood 12 months per year and not only in the summer
          • School proximity could be important for families
          • Proximity to hospital and other medical facilities could be important for people retiring

          Of course, as you are foreigners, you will have friends and relatives visiting so we think that proximity to the airport will remain a plus. Should you rent your property to get some extra income, either in the summer or for a Bed and Breakfast, this will be important as well.

          Don’t miss our article on working remotely from Spain if you are looking to relocate to Spain. If you plan to work remotely from Spain and take a few flights per month, the proximity of the airport will be a factor in this case.

           

          Location criteria for your investment property

          As your goal will be either to rent your property to people living in the city or to tourists some specific criteria will be important. Most of the time you will either go for one of the top 10 Spanish cities or one of the top 10 tourist cities. Buying outside those two lists could mean lower investment but it should mean lower income and a lower return long term.

          • Close to local transportation
          • Close to economic activities (Companies, universities, research centres,…)
          • Close to tourist activities in the case of tourist rental
          • The city is active the full year (not only during July / August / the summer months)

           

          Which Spanish regions have the most Second homes vs first homes?

           

          Infographic Spanish Regions and Cities with the most second homes

           

        5. List your location objectives

          To be efficient for your property search, don’t hesitate to list your objectives: most of the time, you are not alone to share this new dream and listing your objectives is important to find the property fitting most criteria of all persons involved in the project. Do you want it close to the beach? Do you want it in the city centre?…

           

        6. Discover the beautiful Spanish Costas

          We did the work for you. To assist you with your property search and for picking the perfect region and city, we wrote extensive reports on all the Spanish Costas.

          For each Spanish Costa, we wrote a full article and designed beautiful infographics with all the must-know and must see-places:

          • Where are the main transportation facilities: Airport and Ave stations
          • Which are the biggest cities, and how many inhabitants?
          • Where are the Unesco sites?
          • Where are the top places to spend your holidays? Top beaches, Shopping Malls & Outlets, Traditional & Flea markets, Top golf courses, Natural Parks:
          • If you are looking to study there, you will find the top Universities
          • Last but not least, always good to know where are the Hospitals

           

          Please find the direct links to all our regions:

          Here are the direct links to all our Costas articles:

          Interesting to read as well, we wrote an article for people looking to start a B&B in Spain and compared all the Spanish regions.

           

        7. How do our partners help you with those first steps?

          • We have a local mortgage broker dedicated to getting mortgages for foreigners. Ask for a free mortgage quote.
          • Our property hunters are there to assist you to find the perfect property more on that in the 3rd article: “How should you search for your dream property?”

           

          With our team of more than +100 local real estate partners, HowtobuyinSpain helps foreigners to buy real estate in Spain.

          The experts from our network are active in all the fields you need:

          1. Property finders
          2. B&B
          3. Lawyers
          4. Tax
          5. Architects
          6. Money Transfer
          7. Mortgage
          8. Holiday rental management
          9. Insure your Spanish property
          10. Property survey
          11. Renovation

           

          Would you like to read further?

          Last year we wrote detailed property buyers guides custom made for any nationality. Here are our FREE pdf property buyers’ guides written for all the foreign nationalities looking to buy in Spain: Click on your country flag, you will find your pdf report at the end of each article.

           

          This was the second article of our new series “Our complete guide to buying your property in Spain” in the next articles, we will cover:

           

          Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!

          Stéphane

          Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

          Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Where are the best places to buy a property in Spain? appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

]]> https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/buy-property-in-spain/best-places-to-buy-property-spain/feed/ 0 Where are foreigners buying in spain? Infograhic Monthly weather statistics for top 20 cities in Spain Infographic Spanish Regions and Cities with the most second homes The Spanish Costas Infographics maps Find all our best Spanish Costas infographics: Costa Brava, Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Costa Barcelona, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands,... Find your real estate partner in Spain Stéphane co-founder of HTBIS