Buying property in Spain

Almost everyone looking for a home in Spain starts with an agency’s listings. We turn that around. We don’t sell homes ourselves, so we have no reason to talk you into something that happens to be on our books. We start with your wishes for how you want to live, then determine the region, and then compare the whole market — from resale homes to new-build projects — to see what genuinely fits.

Why that difference matters so much in Spain

You may be used to a system with one property, one agent and everything in a single register. Spain works differently. It is common for the same home to be offered by several agents at once, with different photos and sometimes at different prices. Agencies share each other’s listings and split the commission. Visit three agencies and you will often see three parts of the same market — while believing you have had a good look around.

On top of that, in many transactions the selling agent is paid by the selling party. That doesn’t make the agent unreliable, but it is worth knowing whose client they are when it comes to negotiating. We sit on the other side of that table. Read more in property finder or estate agent: what is the difference? and on our page about our independent Property Finder service in Spain.

How do you buy a property in Spain?

In short: in seven steps, in this order. The first two take the most time and are the ones buyers skip most often — with the result that people view homes in a region that later turns out not to suit them.

1. Your wishes on the table. How you will use the home, how often you will come, with whom, and what you want to do with it in ten years’ time. Renting out or not. Walking distance or car. Lively or quiet in winter.
2. Choosing the region. Only once it is clear how you want to live do we choose the coast and the town. This is the step that determines both the return and the enjoyment of the home.
3. Comparing the whole market. Not one set of listings, but the homes offered by several agencies and developers in the chosen region, plus new-build projects that are not yet widely on the market.
4. A shortlist for you. You receive a short list of homes that meet your criteria — including the drawbacks we see.
5. Viewings. We go and look ourselves first and film what the sales photos don’t show. You then only view on site the candidates that deserve it.
6. Negotiating and checking. We negotiate on your behalf and have the home legally checked for debts, easements, unlawful building work or missing permits. That happens before the deposit, not after.
7. Purchase and completion. Private purchase contract, NIE, bank account, and the signing at the notary — with someone beside you who understands what is being read out.

Step 1: where in Spain do you actually want to be?

Which coast suits you depends on how you will use the home. We work on three neighbouring coasts, from Benidorm to beyond Mojácar. They lie close together but differ in price, atmosphere, how busy they are and even in tax rate.

That difference in transfer tax is no detail: on a €300,000 home, the Costa Almería saves around €6,000 in tax alone compared with the Costa Blanca. The full comparison, with price levels, climate figures and travel times, is in Costa Blanca, Costa Cálida or Costa Almería?

Not sure yet which coast, town or type of home suits you best? Answer 8 short questions in AnaCosta Spain Match and immediately see which homes match your wishes, with a personal match score for each property.

What does buying a house in Spain cost?

On top of the asking price, allow roughly 10 to 14 percent in taxes and costs. Most of that is the transfer tax on resale homes, which differs by region. Note: the Comunitat Valenciana — which includes the Costa Blanca — lowered that rate from 10 to 9 percent on 1 June 2026 for homes up to one million euros.

On a new build you pay no transfer tax, but 10 percent VAT plus stamp duty (AJD) — what else matters when buying new is covered in our guide to new-build property in Spain. On top of that come the notary, registration in the land registry, the gestoría and your own legal checks. The full breakdown, with a €250,000 worked example per region, is in what does buying a house in Spain really cost?

If you finance part of the purchase, the mortgage comes on top: allow two to three percent of the loan amount, and 60 to 70 percent financing as a non-resident. See mortgages and financing in Spain. Want to know whether the numbers add up as an investment? Use the Investment Check.

How long does buying a property in Spain take?

For a resale home, there are usually six to twelve weeks between an accepted offer and the keys. With a Spanish mortgage it takes longer, because the bank application alone takes four to eight weeks. With a new build you usually buy off-plan: completion one to three years later, with payment in instalments during construction. The full timeline is in from offer to keys, and what comes afterwards in five things that only become clear after the notary.

Which town do you want to look at?

For each town we describe what you buy there: price level, type of homes, amenities in winter, and who it does and doesn’t suit.

Which page do you need?

This page is the starting point. If you are looking for something specific, the table below takes you straight to the right place.

Our selection pages are currently available in Dutch only.

What is your next step?

Two routes, both without obligation. Choose the one that fits where you are now.

Prefer to ask a quick question straight away? You can via WhatsApp.