Property Lawyer in Jávea

Most of our clients in Jávea are not buying a villa on the cliffs. They are buying an apartment in the Arenal, a townhouse in the old town or a resale villa in an established urbanisation, often from abroad and often for the first time in Spain. The legal checks are the same whatever the price: who owns the property, what is registered, what is licensed and what is owed.

Our office is in Jávea itself, in the Centro Comercial Arenal. We are independent of the sale: we do not act for estate agents, developers or sellers, and we are not paid by them. Our clients come from the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia, Germany, the United States and beyond, and we work with all of them in English, or in French or Spanish if they prefer.

BuyingHow a purchase in Jávea works

Each step happens in this order, and each one is easier to get right than to put right afterwards.

• ReservationThe agent’s reservation document takes the property off the market. We read it before you pay anything, because it often commits you to more than a reservation should.
• Legal checksTitle, licences, planning, charges and debts, checked before the private contract and not after.
• Private contractThe deposit contract (contrato de arras) binds both sides. We draft or negotiate it so that whatever the checks found is dealt with in writing.
• NIE and bankEvery buyer needs a NIE, which has to be applied for in person, in Spain or at a Spanish consulate. We tell you exactly how, as part of the purchase.
• CompletionThe deed is signed before the notary, in person or by power of attorney, and the price is paid.
• Taxes and registrationWe file the purchase taxes, register the property in your name and send you the registered deed.

Legal due diligenceWhat we check before you sign

This is our work as lawyers: documents, registries and public administrations.

• TitleThe Land Registry of Jávea and the Cadastre against the deed: who owns the property, what surface is registered and whether the two descriptions match.
• Licences and infringementsThe building licences on file at the town hall, the certificate that no planning infringement is pending, and whether a declaration of new build is needed for anything added later.
• Planning statusThe classification of the land and what it allows, and whether the plot is affected by protected natural areas or by plans still pending.
• Coastal positionOn first-line plots, the demarcation line and the protection easement, with a certificate from the Coastal Authority where the position of the house requires it.
• Charges and debtsMortgages, embargoes, community debts, IBI and utilities, so that nothing is inherited with the house.
• Who is sellingIdentity and capacity of the seller, marital regime, company representation and powers of attorney.

On a villa, and on any house that has been extended, we also advise an inspection by an architect, because some things are in no registry: what really stands on the plot, the boundaries and the age of each part of the building. You choose and instruct the architect directly: your own or, if you do not have one, Sergio Tomás Arquitectos in Jávea, an independent practice. We then read the report alongside the deed and the Land Registry.

SellingIf you are selling in Jávea

Before the property goes on the market we check that what is built matches the deed and the licences, and gather the documents the buyer’s lawyer will ask for, so that the sale does not stall a week before completion. We also tell you what the sale means for you in tax: the municipal plusvalía, capital gains and, if you do not live in Spain, the amount the buyer must withhold from the price and how it is recovered. We act only for you, never for the buyer as well. More on selling a property in Jávea.

ExamplesWhat this looks like in practice

Situations of the kind we deal with regularly in Jávea, described in general terms.

1. An apartment in the Arenal, €300,000. A retired couple buys a two-bedroom apartment. The Land Registry extract still shows an old mortgage taken out by the seller. The private contract obliges the seller’s bank to cancel it at the notary on completion day. The couple signs everything by power of attorney.
2. A townhouse in the old town, €600,000. A family buys a townhouse whose roof terrace and extra bedroom were added without a licence. Their architect reviews it, the town hall confirms there is no open infringement file, and the price is adjusted before the private contract.
3. A resale villa in Tosalet, €800,000. The guest house in the garden appears neither in the deed nor in the Cadastre. The buyers’ architect assesses it. The contract sets out who will regularise it and holds back part of the price until that is done.
4. A villa on the Montgó slopes with a guest house, €2.4 million. The main house had its licence; the guest house and the garage had been built years later and never declared. We obtained the town hall certificate, the architect confirmed the age of each part, and the missing declaration of new build was signed in a separate deed before the sale.

They guided me expertly through a property purchase, showing deep knowledge of Spanish law, attention to detail, and clear communication throughout. Reliable, efficient, and trustworthy.★★★★★Lisa Damen · Google review

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

Do I need a lawyer to buy property in Spain?

It is not compulsory, but the notary does not act for you: the notary acts for neither side and does not check the licences, the planning position or whether what is built matches the deed. An independent lawyer does, before you are committed.

Can I buy or sell without travelling to Spain?

Yes. With a power of attorney we sign on your behalf at the notary. Only the NIE has to be applied for in person, in Spain or at a Spanish consulate.

Do you act for sellers as well as buyers?

Yes, but never for both sides of the same sale.

Do you only work with British clients?

No. We work in English with clients of every nationality, and also in French and Spanish.

How we work

We are independent lawyers. We do not act for estate agents, developers or sellers, and we are not paid by them. Most of our purchases are completed without the buyer travelling to Spain: with a power of attorney, we handle the process through to signature at the notary. We reply the same day.

Buying a high-value villa? See luxury villa purchase in Jávea; for first-line property, our guide to buying under the Coastal Law.

The lawyers who will handle your purchase or sale

José Manuel Tomas

Property, Inheritance and Donations · Admitted to the Valencia Bar in 1992 (no. 6407) · Alicante Bar no. 9382

José Rico

Family Law · Valencia Bar no. 12075

Mariano Ortuño

Valencia Bar no. 6041

Manuel Lopez de Andujar

Property, Inheritance and Donations · Valencia Bar no. 7773

Juan Poch

Property, Inheritance and Donations · Alicante Bar no. 3607

María Salvá

Property, Inheritance and Donations – Dénia · Alicante Bar no. 3699

Antonio Rodríguez de Sola

Property, Inheritance and Donations – Dénia · Alicante Bar no. 3374

Inherited a property in Jávea? See our inheritance lawyers in Jávea.

How we meetIn person in Jávea, or 100% remote

In person in JáveaMeet us at our office in the Centro Comercial Arenal, Avenida del Pla 126. Meetings in English, French or Spanish.

100% remote, from homeMost of our clients never need to travel. We work by email, phone, WhatsApp and video call, and you sign through a power of attorney. Only the NIE has to be applied for in person, in Spain or at a Spanish consulate.

How much do you charge?

Every purchase or sale is different, so before any work starts we send you a written quote. You know our fee from the beginning, with no surprises at the end.

Next stepWhat happens when you contact us

1. You send your enquiryThrough the form below, by phone, WhatsApp or email. A few lines are enough.
2. A lawyer reads itNot an assistant: one of our lawyers reviews your situation and replies personally, the same day.
3. We tell you the next stepWhat needs to be checked first, and which documents would help.
4. We confirm scope and feeIn writing, before any work starts.
5. You decideNothing is commissioned until you say yes.

Disclaimer. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Every property and every transaction is different, and the applicable rules may change. No decision should be taken on the basis of this page alone without obtaining advice on your specific case. Tomas Ballestero Lawyers accepts no liability for actions taken in reliance on this general information.