Why should a lawyer be used when you buy a property in Spain?

27 Sep Why should a lawyer be used when you buy a property in Spain?

• In the task of buying a property in Spain the lawyer is your most important team member.
• It is sensible to ensure that they are on your side and have no financial connection with the estate agent or developer. This can be easier said than done in the excited flush of making an offer on a home.
• What will you do when the agent tells you about the brilliant lawyer they always work with?
• Many agents will indeed be able to recommend a good, fair and reasonably priced lawyer who specialises in property, so why not use them? If you do, however, do ask for more than one recommendation and ask to see qualifications and references. One way around the issue is to engage the lawyer in advance.
• Fees vary depending on the services provided, but are unlikely to be less than 1–1.5% of the property value, plus VAT. You normally only start paying when they start working for you, perhaps on getting your identity number (NIE) and opening a bank account (which should also be done before finding a property).
• You would typically pay up to €1,000 at this point; the rest by stages.

Extracted from the official website of Property Registrar’s of Spain (http://www.registradores.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Guide-AIPP-RICS-RDE.pdf)