Buying property in Spain

Hi Christine
A foreigner can buy property in Spain and very many people do, as investment, second home, etc. It can be complicated, depending on where you are buying and from whom. The worst problem is if the deeds to the property aren't properly up to date. If it's an old property, for instance and it belonged to deceased parents, the heirs haven't registered it in their joint names, or one brother wants to sell and the other doesn't.
You have probably heard horror tales of foreigners being conned into buying illegally-built houses, which they then lose without compensation. This does, unfortunately, sometimes happen with new  houses at the coast, but is seldom the case with older properties inland.
When you have found a property you like, you have to pay a 10%  deposit, which is non-refundable if you later pull out of the deal, and the paper work is done by a "gestor"  (accountant/conveyancer) and the final transfer deeds drawn up by a notary, both of whom charge a percentage of the purchase price for their services - probably around 15% in total, so you will need about 25% to start. These figures are only approximate, though!
There is a very good book by David Hampshire, Buying a home in Spain which explains everything very well.The copy I have is dated 2005, but I'm sure there's a newer version.
I run a small agency in north-western Andalucia, so the rules I know about are for southern Spain and they may be somewhat different  in other parts, but I think in general they are similar throughout the country.
I hope this helps you. If you have other questions, I'd be glad to try and answer them.
Good luck!
Best wishes
Valerie

Hi Valerie!

Thanks for your help

Armand