Brief and search
We agree on area, budget and what matters to you. Then we search — including properties circulating within our agency network that never reach the public portals.
Buying property in Valencia, Spain
What the process actually looks like, what it really costs, and where foreign buyers most often get caught out. Written by the agent who will be sitting next to you at the notary.
Before anything else
You will need a NIE number
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is your Spanish tax identification number. Without it you cannot sign a deed, open a bank account, pay the taxes on the purchase or put the utilities in your name.
You can apply at a Spanish consulate in your own country or at a police station here. It takes time, so it is the first thing to start — not the last. We will tell you which route suits your situation and what to bring.
The process
From first viewing to keys
Viewings
In person if you're here, on video if you're not. We film what an agent wouldn't normally film: the noise, the neighbours' facade, the state of the stairwell, what the light does in the afternoon.
Checks before you commit
Nota simple from the property register: who really owns it, what charges or mortgages it carries, whether the built surface matches reality. This is where problems appear, and it's cheap to look.
Offer and deposit contract
The contrato de arras fixes the price and the date, usually with 10 % down. We negotiate the terms and explain exactly what you lose — and what the seller loses — if either side pulls out.
Notary and completion
You can attend, or grant a power of attorney and let us complete for you. The deed is signed, the money moves and the keys change hands the same day.
After the keys
Registration of the deed, taxes paid on time, utilities and community fees transferred to your name. This is the part that gets forgotten and causes problems years later.
The honest number
Budget around 10–13 % on top of the price
The price on the listing is not what you will pay. This is what sits on top of it.
| Cost | Roughly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax (ITP) resale property |
10 % in the Valencia region | Varies by region: from around 6 % in Madrid up to 13 % in parts of the Balearics |
| VAT (IVA) new build |
10 % | Plus stamp duty (AJD) on new builds |
| Notary | Set by official scale | Depends on the price and the length of the deed |
| Property register | Set by official scale | To register the deed in your name |
| Legal / gestoría | Varies | Optional, and we tell you honestly when it is worth it |
| Mortgage costs | If you finance | Valuation and the bank's own fees |
We prepare this breakdown with real figures for your specific property before you sign anything. No surprises at the notary is not a slogan: it is the whole point.
The most common mistake we see: budgeting only for the price and the mortgage, and discovering the taxes three weeks before completion.
Questions we get every week
Straight answers
Yes. There is no restriction on foreigners buying property in Spain, resident or not. You will need a NIE number and a Spanish bank account, and your tax situation afterwards differs depending on whether you become resident.
No. You can grant a power of attorney so that someone completes on your behalf. Several of our buyers have never set foot in the property until after the keys were theirs — that is exactly what our turnkey service is for.
Usually yes, though the conditions are tighter than for residents: expect to finance a smaller share of the price and to provide more documentation about your income. Start the conversation with the bank early, because it is often the slowest part of the process.
It is the extract from the property register that shows who owns the property, its registered surface and any charges against it — an outstanding mortgage, an embargo, a right of way. It costs very little and it is the single most important document to read before you commit.
Then you have two options: manage it yourself from abroad, which is difficult, or let us handle it. We coordinate the builders, the licences and the timeline and hand you a finished home. See how turnkey works.
Spanish, English and Italian. You will be dealing with Charo directly, not with a translator relaying messages.
Next step
Send us your brief and we'll tell you what's realistic
Area, budget, when you'd like to move. That's enough to start.