Guest Post: Spanish Property Terms Explained9th June 2016

Here at Charles Marlow, we will do everything we can make the process of buying your dream home on this wonderful island as smooth and as pain free as possible.  From utilising our own experience and expertise, and from the fact that we only align ourselves with the best partner agencies and legal professionals, you can rest assured that you will be in safe hands from start to finish.  That said, it’s always useful for you know and understand the main Spanish property terms that you are likely to come across.  For this reason, we have pulled together a collection of the most prominent ones which we hope will make the whole buying experience even more pleasurable for you.  Enjoy!

Abogado – Lawyer/Solicitor

Cadastral Reference – The number that refers to the position/coordinates/boundaries of a property in the land register

Cargas – Charges and encumbrances (mortgages, rights of way etc)

Cédula de Habitabilidad – A certificate that proves a property is licensed to be lived in

Contrato de arras – The private contract between the buyer and seller. If the seller pulls out they have to refund twice the deposit paid

Denuncia – Legal statement/formal complaint

Empadronamiento – Residency

Escritura de compraventa – The deed of purchase – shows the details of an acquisition including buyers and sellers information as well as price and terms

Final ‘d’obra – Final sign off on a construction project to approve it was as it was set out in the plans

Finca – Farmhouse

Hacienda – Spanish tax office (inland revenue)

Hipoteca – Mortgage

IBI – Impuestos de Bienes Inmuebles – local authority rates

Impuesto de sucesiones – Inheritance tax

NIE – Individual fiscal number for non-Spaniard. A foreigner needs one to buy a property

Nota Simple – A record from the Land Registry, it details the owner of the property and any mortgages outstanding or charges

Notario – Professional who certifies documents as legal in the eyes of the law

Obras menor – Small refurbishment works (minor). Includes more basic aesthetic repair work – rather than structural

Parcela – Plot of land

Piso – Flat or apartment

Registro de la Propiedad – The Spanish property register

Rústico – Agricultural land

Servidumbre – Right of way

Unidad de actuación – An area/group of plots whereby a right to further develop is reserved

Usufructo – A right to use/live in a given property

Valor Catatral – Value of property/land as calculated by the town hall