Selling a Spanish property without flying out
A sale in Spain happens in one room, in front of a notary, on a fixed day. A power of attorney means the person in that room is us, and you do not have to book a flight around a completion date that keeps moving.
The 3% you may not get back
When a non-resident sells Spanish property, the buyer is obliged to withhold 3% of the price and pay it over to the Spanish tax authorities on account of the seller's tax. If your actual liability is lower than that — and on a property that has not risen much in value, it very often is — the difference is yours to reclaim.
A great many sellers never do. There is a deadline, and once it passes the money is gone. Reclaiming it is included in our fee when we handle the sale. If you have already sold and nobody did it for you, we will, for £450.
Paid securely by card. You have the right to cancel within 14 days; if you ask us to start work sooner, you will be charged only for the work done up to the point you cancel.
The thing that delays British sales
Unfiled annual tax returns. Every non-resident owner owes a Spanish return each year whether or not the property is let, and a great many British owners have never filed one. The buyer's lawyer checks, it surfaces mid-sale, and the completion sits still while it is untangled.
If you are thinking of selling within the next year, clear the back years now, at £110 per year owed. It is a great deal cheaper and calmer than doing it with a buyer waiting.
What else has to be in place
- Registered title in your name. If you inherited the property, the estate has to have been completed and registered before you can sell. That is a separate job and it takes months, so start it early.
- The municipal land-value tax, payable by the seller on completion.
- Community fees and utilities up to date, with certificates to prove it.
- An energy performance certificate, and in most regions a licence of occupation.
What it costs
1% of the price, minimum £1,500. That covers the power of attorney, the private contract, the deed, the taxes, the deregistration and the 3% reclaim. The municipal land-value tax and the notary and registry fees are separate and are paid by you directly.