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Plain-language explanations of the issues that most concern anyone buying, selling or inheriting a property in Spain.

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New Build
Before selling in Spain: why your property must match the Catastro, the Registro and reality
If you are selling a property in Spain, the floor area recorded at the Registro de la Propiedad and the Catastro must match what actually exists. I explain what declaring a new build means, the difference between doing so with a licence or on the basis of prescription, and how to regularise everything before you put up the for-sale sign.
8 min readRead article →
Property Purchase
Start early: how administrative timelines can derail your property transaction
The most invisible risk of buying or selling in Spain is not a tax or a clause — it is time. A licence or certificate that takes longer than expected can bring an entire deal down. I explain which timelines we are talking about, why they matter, and how to protect the contract so that the clock works in your favour.
8 min readRead article →
Property Purchase
Your allies in a property purchase: condición suspensiva and condición resolutoria explained
They sound like lawyer jargon, but these are two of the best tools for not losing money in a property purchase. I explain, with simple examples, what a condición suspensiva (condition precedent) and a condición resolutoria (condition subsequent) are, how they differ from arras (deposit), and what you can request from the Registro de la Propiedad to give yourself peace of mind.
9 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Inheriting in Spain from abroad: the minimum documentation to start a European Certificate of Succession
If you have lost a family member who had assets in Spain and you live in another European country, the European Certificate of Succession (Certificado Sucesorio Europeo) is the document that establishes your status as heir throughout the EU. I explain what it is, what minimum documentation you need to get started, and how the most common cases are handled.
9 min readRead article →
Taxes
Plusvalía municipal and IRNR: how your property taxes are calculated in Spain as a non-resident
When you own or sell a property in Spain without living here, two taxes come into play that people often confuse: the plusvalía municipal and the IRNR. I explain, without impenetrable formulas, what each one covers and how they are calculated today — the plusvalía changed completely in 2021.
10 min readRead article →
Taxes
The Catastro's valor de referencia: why the tax authorities ignore your price, and how to challenge it
Since 2022, the tax you pay when you buy a second-hand property or inherit is not calculated on what you actually pay, but on the "valor de referencia" set by the Catastro (the land registry's reference value). If it is higher than the real value, you pay too much. I explain what it is and, above all, how to fight it.
8 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Inheriting as a non-resident: you file the Impuesto de Sucesiones with the State, but you apply the 99 % Valencian relief
The most expensive misunderstanding when inheriting from abroad: many non-residents believe they have to pay the Impuesto de Sucesiones (Inheritance Tax) "in full" because they live in another country. That is not the case. You file Modelo 650 with the AEAT, but you are entitled to the 99 % relief of the Comunitat Valenciana.
9 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Going to sell what you inherit? The value you declare in the inheritance decides your tax when you sell
Before accepting an inheritance there is a question almost no one asks, and it changes the outcome: are you planning to keep the house or sell it? Because the value you declare today in the inheritance will be your cost tomorrow, when you sell. And declaring carelessly can prove very expensive.
8 min readRead article →
Taxes
Plusvalía municipal: why the real percentage is decided by the Town Hall, not by national law
You search online for "how much is the plusvalía municipal" and you get national tables and percentages. Be careful: that is only the framework. The rate you actually pay and the coefficients are approved by each town hall in its fiscal ordinance. I explain what national law sets and what the municipality decides.
7 min readRead article →
Taxes
The 3 % the buyer withholds when you sell: what it is and how to recover the surplus
When a non-resident sells their home in Spain, the buyer is required to withhold 3 % of the price. Many people believe it is lost tax, and it is not: it is an advance payment, and often a good part of it is recovered. I explain what it is, why it exists and how to claim back what is yours.
7 min readRead article →
Taxes
Keep every invoice: how renovations and improvements reduce your tax when you sell
That renovation invoice sitting in a drawer can be worth a lot of money the day you sell. Investments and improvements increase your home's acquisition value and, with it, lower the gain you are taxed on. But there is one nuance that decides everything: an improvement is not the same as a repair.
7 min readRead article →
Taxes
If you are not from the EU: why you pay more tax and cannot deduct expenses
The same house, the same rent, but a different tax bill depending on where you live. If you reside in the European Union or the European Economic Area, you pay less and can deduct expenses. If you live outside — and that includes the British after Brexit — the rate goes up and the deductions disappear. I explain why.
7 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Your foreign inheritance documents are not valid in Spain as they are: apostille and sworn translation
The British probate, the German Erbschein, the French acte de notoriété… each country has its equivalent of our inheritance deed. But for them to work in Spain they must be apostilled and properly translated. I explain who issues the apostille, who may translate, and how to keep the notary or the Registry from rejecting them.
8 min readRead article →
Property Purchase
The complications that most often stall a non-resident's matter (and how to anticipate them)
Buying, selling or inheriting in Spain while living abroad is not difficult, but it is full of small snags that, together, can bring a transaction down. I share the ones I see every week at the firm and, above all, how to anticipate them so that time works in your favour.
8 min readRead article →
Property Purchase
NIE and a bank account for non-residents: where to start before you buy
If you are buying a home in Spain and live abroad, two formalities will set the pace: the NIE and a bank account with its certificado de no residencia (certificate of non-residency). I explain, without jargon, what each one is, why the bank insists on it, and why it pays to start them before signing the arras (deposit), not after.
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Property Purchase
Buying a home in Spain without travelling: the poder notarial and the apostille explained
You live abroad and would rather not get on a plane just to sign before a notary. You can avoid it: you grant a power of attorney and someone signs the purchase for you. I explain how to do it properly, why within the European Union the apostille is STILL required for the power (yes, even if you are told otherwise) and what the Spanish notary checks before accepting it.
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Property Purchase
What buying a home in Spain really costs as a non-resident: taxes and fees
The price you agree with the seller is not what you end up paying. I explain, jargon-free and with the rates in force in 2026 on the Costa Blanca, which taxes and fees are added to a purchase — ITP or VAT, AJD, notary, registry and gestoría — and why the tax is calculated not on the price but on the reference value (valor de referencia) of the Catastro.
8 min readRead article →
Taxes
The Modelo 210 year by year: the tax you pay for owning a home in Spain as a non-resident
You own a home on the Costa Blanca, you do not rent it out, you do not live here… and yet the Spanish Tax Agency still expects a return from you every year. It is the Modelo 210 and the so-called renta imputada (imputed income). I explain what you pay, how much, and the 2026 change of deadline worth keeping on your radar so you never receive a letter from the Hacienda.
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Taxes
The tax residence certificate: how to be taxed at 19 % instead of 24 %
Two neighbours with identical flats on the Costa Blanca can pay different rates on their non-resident tax: one 19 % and the other 24 %. Often the difference comes down to a single piece of paper. I explain what the certificado de residencia fiscal (tax residence certificate) is, who issues it, when it lowers your rate, and why it is not the same certificate the police asked you for to open your bank account.
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Property Purchase
Buying to let: tourist rentals in the Comunitat Valenciana and their licences
Many people buy on the Costa Blanca planning to let to tourists, but the right order is the other way round: first check whether that flat, in that municipality, can be a vivienda de uso turístico (tourist-use dwelling). I explain the layers of registration (regional and national, after the Supreme Court's recent about-turn), why the town hall has the final say, and how the rental income is taxed when you are a non-resident. No jargon, before you sign.
8 min readRead article →
Taxes
Brexit and your home in Spain: what really changed for British owners
If you are British and own a home on the Costa Blanca, you will have heard all sorts of things about Brexit. Here is the clear version, without the scaremongering: buying and keeping your property is still perfectly possible; what changed is how you are taxed as a non-resident (24 % and no deductible expenses) and how many days you can spend here. The golden visa for buying, moreover, no longer exists.
8 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Two deaths, two estates: why the order matters (and so does the tax)
When both parents or both spouses die at different times, there is not one estate: there are TWO. And that means paying Spanish Inheritance Tax twice. I explain, without jargon, why this happens, which law governs each succession and how the Valencia relief changes the outcome for non-residents.
8 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Professio iuris: choosing your national law in your will (and why it does NOT lower the tax)
If you are a foreigner who owns a home in Spain, you can choose for your estate to be governed by the law of your own country rather than by Spanish forced heirship. This is called professio iuris. I explain how it is done, what it really achieves, and a point almost no one tells you: it changes who inherits and how much, but it does NOT change the Inheritance Tax payable in Spain.
8 min readRead article →
Taxes
Double taxation: how your country's treaty stops you from paying twice for your home in Spain
If you own a home in Spain but live in another country, the million-dollar question is: will I be taxed here and there too? I explain, without jargon, what a double taxation treaty is, why your property is taxed in Spain, and how your country of residence stops you from paying twice for the same thing.
9 min readRead article →
Property Purchase
Cédula de habitabilidad in the Comunitat Valenciana: what you actually need to sell or rent out
A lot of people ask me about the 'cédula de habitabilidad' for their home on the Costa Blanca. I'll explain why, in the Comunitat Valenciana, that piece of paper doesn't exist as such, what the declaración responsable de segunda ocupación (responsible declaration of second occupancy) actually is, and when you truly need it: to sell, to rent out and, above all, to connect the electricity, water or gas.
8 min readRead article →
Buying & Selling
Buying off-plan in Spain: guarantees, deadlines and protection for your money
If you buy an off-plan home in Spain, you hand over money before the house even exists. The law obliges the developer to guarantee or insure every euro you advance, plus taxes and interest. I explain how that guarantee works, what happens if the build is delayed or never delivered, and why the bank can be liable too.
9 min readRead article →
Property Purchase
Before buying in Spain: how to check for charges, liens and community debts
Before buying a house in Spain you need to see what the property 'carries with it': mortgages, liens, easements and debts to the residents' association. I explain what the nota simple shows and what it does not guarantee, how far the Land Registry protects you, and why a house 'free of charges' can still come with unpaid bills that end up on your desk.
9 min readRead article →
Taxes
Do I need a fiscal representative in Spain as a non-resident? When it is mandatory and when it just makes sense
Many people believe that simply owning a home in Spain without living here obliges them to appoint a fiscal representative. It almost never does. I explain what a fiscal representative really is, the few cases where the law requires one, what changed for EU residents, and when — without being obliged — it makes sense to have someone in Spain who deals with the tax authorities on your behalf.
7 min readRead article →
Taxes
IBI, waste collection and community fees: the annual bills that surprise buyers in Spain
Buying the house is only the beginning: every year the IBI, the waste collection charge and the community fee land on your doormat. I explain, without jargon, what each one is, why living outside Spain does not exempt you from any of them, and how to organise yourself from abroad so no bill ever catches you off guard.
8 min readRead article →
Taxes
Sold at a loss as a non-resident: how to recover the 3% withheld from you
If you've sold your home in Spain for less than it cost you, the buyer still withheld 3% of the price for Hacienda. I explain, without the jargon, why this happens, how to work out whether there really was a loss, and how to recover that money using the modelo 210.
8 min readRead article →
Inheritance
The surviving spouse's usufruct in an international estate: how it is valued and how much tax it carries in Spain
When one spouse dies, the one who remains does not always end up with the whole house: often they inherit the «usufruct», the right to use it for life. I explain what that right is, how the tax authority values it with a very specific rule, what happens when the usufruct comes to an end, and why, in an international estate, the law that decides how much the surviving spouse receives can be foreign even though the tax is paid in Spain.
9 min readRead article →
New Build
Buying a house in Spain with an undeclared pool or extension: what you're taking on and how it gets fixed
You fall in love with a villa on the Costa Blanca, it has a beautiful pool… and it turns out that pool appears on no paperwork at all. Without the jargon, I explain what undeclared building work actually means, why there are four very different situations, and why registering by prescription is NOT the same as legalising. So you know exactly what you are buying before you sign.
9 min readRead article →
Inheritance
Unblocking a deceased person's account at a Spanish bank: what documents are required and how long it takes
A family member dies leaving an account in Spain and, suddenly, the bank blocks it: no withdrawals, no bill payments, no online banking. I explain why the bank does this, what you can still pay for in the meantime, which documents the bank requires to release the balance, why it will not hand over the money until Inheritance Tax has been paid, and what changes when the estate is international.
10 min readRead article →
Inheritance
What if the heirs cannot agree? Dividing an estate with assets in Spain
Three siblings, a house on the Costa Blanca, and not one single way to agree. It is one of the conflicts I see most often, and the good news is that the law always has a way out: no one is forced to stay trapped in an estate. I explain what the comunidad hereditaria (joint estate) is, the routes for dividing it from the friendliest to the toughest, what happens when the house cannot be split, and what changes when the family lives across several countries.
10 min readRead article →

Articles

Before selling in Spain: why your property must match the Catastro, the Registro and reality

Start early: how administrative timelines can derail your property transaction

Your allies in a property purchase: condición suspensiva and condición resolutoria explained

Inheriting in Spain from abroad: the minimum documentation to start a European Certificate of Succession

Plusvalía municipal and IRNR: how your property taxes are calculated in Spain as a non-resident

The Catastro's valor de referencia: why the tax authorities ignore your price, and how to challenge it

Inheriting as a non-resident: you file the Impuesto de Sucesiones with the State, but you apply the 99 % Valencian relief

Going to sell what you inherit? The value you declare in the inheritance decides your tax when you sell

Plusvalía municipal: why the real percentage is decided by the Town Hall, not by national law

The 3 % the buyer withholds when you sell: what it is and how to recover the surplus

Keep every invoice: how renovations and improvements reduce your tax when you sell

If you are not from the EU: why you pay more tax and cannot deduct expenses

Your foreign inheritance documents are not valid in Spain as they are: apostille and sworn translation

The complications that most often stall a non-resident's matter (and how to anticipate them)

NIE and a bank account for non-residents: where to start before you buy

Buying a home in Spain without travelling: the poder notarial and the apostille explained

What buying a home in Spain really costs as a non-resident: taxes and fees

The Modelo 210 year by year: the tax you pay for owning a home in Spain as a non-resident

The tax residence certificate: how to be taxed at 19 % instead of 24 %

Buying to let: tourist rentals in the Comunitat Valenciana and their licences

Brexit and your home in Spain: what really changed for British owners

Two deaths, two estates: why the order matters (and so does the tax)

Professio iuris: choosing your national law in your will (and why it does NOT lower the tax)

Double taxation: how your country's treaty stops you from paying twice for your home in Spain

Cédula de habitabilidad in the Comunitat Valenciana: what you actually need to sell or rent out

Buying off-plan in Spain: guarantees, deadlines and protection for your money

Before buying in Spain: how to check for charges, liens and community debts

Do I need a fiscal representative in Spain as a non-resident? When it is mandatory and when it just makes sense

IBI, waste collection and community fees: the annual bills that surprise buyers in Spain

Sold at a loss as a non-resident: how to recover the 3% withheld from you

The surviving spouse's usufruct in an international estate: how it is valued and how much tax it carries in Spain

Buying a house in Spain with an undeclared pool or extension: what you're taking on and how it gets fixed

Unblocking a deceased person's account at a Spanish bank: what documents are required and how long it takes

What if the heirs cannot agree? Dividing an estate with assets in Spain