Buying in Spain is a formal, front-loaded process, and once you understand the order of events it stops being intimidating. It starts simply. You find the property, agree the basic terms verbally with the seller, and then the paperwork begins.
First comes the reservation contract, with a fee usually between €3,000 and €10,000. This takes the property off the market for a few weeks while your lawyer runs the legal checks. Then comes the arras contract, the real commitment, where you pay a deposit of typically 10%. From that moment the deal is binding. If you walk away without cause, you lose the deposit. If the seller walks away, they owe you double.
If you need a mortgage, the work runs in parallel. Non-resident buyers should count on a down payment of at least 30% from their own savings, and more if the property is an investment. The bank commissions its own valuation and lends against that figure, not the sale price, so if the valuation comes in low, you cover the difference. The binding loan offer arrives only after the valuation and full documentation.
The finish line is the notary. You sign the deed, pay the remaining balance, and the property is registered in your name at the land registry. It is a formal hour of reading and signing, but by then all the real work has already been done.
Or at least it should have been. As your buyer's agent we run this entire sequence for you, for a flat fee, from the first viewing to the notary table. One contact, no gaps, nothing forgotten. Write to info@nerjawithsanna.com when you are ready to start.
