Buying a property in Spain is normally a smooth process. We at Lemon Tree can help this process run smoothly by offering advice, supported by full legal advice in English via our links with independent English-speaking lawyers.

If you need a mortgage we can help to arrange it for you, and can also offer a full range of insurance services and open a Spanish bank account if you do not already have one.

Remember that all legal documents in Spain are in Spanish, and only documents in Spanish are legally recognised in Spanish courts. It is usual that the preliminary purchase contract (contrato privado de compraventa) is the only document offered in both Spanish and English. The Public Notary Office, where you will sign the final deed of purchase on the date of completion, should arrange for a translator to ensure that you understand fully what you are signing.

As a prospective purchaser you will usually have funds in place in your home country ready to buy a property in Spain, and you may arrive without having enough funds to draw on in your Spanish bank account. At Lemon Tree we can arrange for a smaller deposit to be accepted as part payment towards the non-refundable payment of 10% to the vendor when signing the contract of sale. This helps to secure the property, effectively taking it off the market, as well as allowing you up to two weeks to arrange the balance of the deposit to be transferred from your home country.

You should also consider the annual running costs and outgoings to maintain the property, such as the annual Real Estate Tax (IBI), community fees (where applicable), rubbish collection and water rates, along with Property Income Tax and Wealth Tax. Select a link on the left for more information on the procedures and costs involved.