English-Speaking Conveyancing Solicitors in Spain

Buying or selling a home in Spain? From our office in Jávea, Avenida del Pla 126, and our associate office in Dénia, our English-speaking conveyancing solicitors act for expats across the Costa Blanca: we check the property, negotiate the contract and complete the purchase or sale for you, in person or entirely by power of attorney.

Before you pay a reservation deposit. You will often be asked for a small sum to take a property off the market. Let us check the property and the terms before you pay or sign anything. And if you already have, call us anyway: there is often still time to protect you.

ConveyancingWhat a Spanish conveyancing solicitor does

Conveyancing in Spain works very differently from the UK. The notary authenticates the deed, checks identities and makes sure the formalities are correct, but he does not investigate the property for you and he does not act for the buyer. That is your lawyer’s job.

The state of the building, the boundaries and the surface area are a technical matter. For a villa we always advise an inspection by an architect. We can put you in touch with Sergio Tomás Arquitectos in Jávea, an architect we usually work with, or you can instruct one of your own choice.

Before you signWhat we check before you commit

• Title and registered owner at the Land Registry
• Mortgages, embargoes and other registered charges
• Cadastre description compared with the deed
• Building licences and occupancy licence at the town hall
• Any planning infringement on record
• IBI, rubbish rate and community fees paid up to date
• Coastal Law position for sea-front properties
• Energy certificate and, where relevant, the tourist licence

Step by stepFrom reservation to completion

• Checks before any significant payment
• Negotiation of the private contract (arras)
• Safe payment of the price
• Signing of the deed before the notary
• Registration in your name at the Land Registry
• Post-completion formalities

SellingSelling your property in Spain

We prepare the paperwork before your home goes on the market, so that no missing document delays the sale: title, Cadastre, licences and certificates. We then negotiate the contract with the buyer, represent you before the notary and deal with the non-resident seller’s formalities that form part of the sale.

From abroadBuying without travelling to Spain

With a power of attorney signed before a notary in your country and legalised with the Hague Apostille, we can complete the whole purchase or sale on your behalf. The only step that must be done in person is the NIE, the Spanish tax number every buyer needs, at a Spanish consulate in your country or at a police station in Spain.

ExamplesWhat this looks like in practice

Illustrations of situations we see regularly, not accounts of particular transactions.

• A sea-view villa in Jávea, €2.9 millionAn expat couple from Surrey buy a villa above the Portitxol. The checks show a pool terrace that is not in the deed; after their architect’s inspection, the arras contract makes completion conditional on the seller declaring it first. They sign by power of attorney.
• A new-build villa in Benitachell, €3.8 millionBuyers from Dublin purchase off-plan in Cumbre del Sol. Each payment on account is covered by the bank guarantee or insurance required by Spanish law, and completion takes place once the developer has the occupancy licence.
• A sale in Moraira, €1.8 millionA British owner sells his villa. The paperwork is ready before the house goes on the market, the contract with the buyer is negotiated and the sale is signed by power of attorney.
• An apartment in Dénia, €300,000A retired Belgian couple buy a two-bedroom apartment near the marina. The Nota Simple still shows an old mortgage; the contract requires the seller’s bank to cancel it at the notary on completion day, and the community confirms in writing that the fees are paid up to date.
• A townhouse in Jávea, €600,000A British family buy a townhouse in the Arenal area for the holidays. The listing says it can be let to tourists, but no tourist licence is registered. They decide to go ahead knowing it, and the price is adjusted before the arras contract.
• A resale villa in Moraira, €800,000A Dutch couple buy a villa whose garden casita is not in the deed or the Cadastre. Their architect reviews it; the contract fixes who regularises it and holds back part of the price until it is done. They sign everything by power of attorney.

Where we workAreas we serve

From our office in Jávea and our associate office in Dénia, we act for clients across the Marina Alta and beyond: Jávea (Xàbia), Dénia, Moraira, Teulada, Benitachell, Benissa, Calpe, Altea, Pedreguer, Jalón, Pego and Oliva.

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

Is a lawyer compulsory when buying in Spain? No, but it is strongly recommended. The notary does not check the property for you; your lawyer does.

How long does conveyancing take? Usually six to ten weeks between the arras contract and completion, longer with a Spanish mortgage.

Can you act for me if I am not in Spain? Yes. With a power of attorney we complete the purchase or sale on your behalf. Only the NIE must be obtained in person.

Should I make a Spanish will after buying? It is strongly recommended. It makes the inheritance of your Spanish property much simpler for your heirs.

See also

• Buying property in Spain: legal guide
• Property lawyers in the Costa Blanca
• Selling property in Spain as a non-resident
• First-line property and the Coastal Law
• Inheritance and wills in Spain

Our lawyers

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

Juan Poch

Property, Inheritance and Donations · Alicante Bar no. 3607

Manuel Lopez de Andujar

Property, Inheritance and Donations · Valencia Bar no. 7773

María Salvá

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

Antonio Rodríguez de Sola

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

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 case 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.