Buying a property in Spain is safe when it is done properly — and risky when it is not. A property lawyer in Spain protects you from hidden debts, planning problems and unfair contract terms, and makes sure the home you pay for is really yours and legally built. At FRB Abogados, with more than 40 years’ experience, we guide English-speaking buyers through the whole purchase, independently of the estate agent and the seller.
Independent due diligence before you buy
This is where a lawyer earns their fee. Before you commit, we run a full set of checks:
- Land Registry check (nota simple) to confirm who really owns the property and whether there are mortgages, charges or embargoes
- Verification that community fees and local taxes (IBI) are paid
- Review of the planning situation — that the property is legal, has its licence of first occupation and is not affected by urban or coastal restrictions
On rural properties we pay special attention to whether the build is fully legalised.
NIE and the practical steps
You need a NIE (foreigner identification number) to buy, and we obtain it for you, from abroad or in Spain. We also help with the practical steps around completion so nothing holds up the purchase.
Contracts: reservation and arras
We review or draft the reservation agreement and the private purchase contract (contrato de arras), so you are not tied to unfair penalties or vague completion terms, and so your deposit is protected.
Taxes and costs — no surprises
We tell you in advance exactly what you will pay. On a resale you pay transfer tax (ITP), a regional rate that in Andalusia is applied to the price; on a new build you pay VAT plus stamp duty (AJD). Add notary, Land Registry and our fees. We give you the full figure before you sign [please verify current tax rates].
Completion and registration
We attend the signing of the title deed (escritura) before the notary, check the final figures and payments, and register the property in your name at the Land Registry — the step that makes your ownership fully effective against third parties.
Buying remotely with a power of attorney
You do not have to be in Spain for every step. With a power of attorney we can carry out the purchase on your behalf, which is convenient if you live abroad or cannot travel for completion.
Selling, letting and inheriting
We also act when you sell a Spanish property (including the non-resident taxes involved), when you let it out, or when you inherit real estate in Spain.
A Granada firm attending in English and French
We are a genuine Andalusian firm — not a national chain cloning the same page for every city — so we know the local Land Registry, town halls and notaries where your property is, in Granada, Málaga and the Costa Tropical. We deal with you in English or French, in person or by video call, with a fixed quote from the start. Your purchase is handled by Isabel Romero Contreras (Granada Bar No. 5572) and Mercedes López Cantón (No. 2783), who speak English.
Contact
Granada, Plaza de los Campos 4. Call +34 958 22 14 30 — we speak English and French.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to buy in Spain?
What taxes will I pay?
Do I need a NIE to buy?
Can you help after completion?
Do you speak English?
Do you work independently from the estate agent?
What checks do you make before I buy?
Can I buy remotely through a power of attorney?
Shall we talk about your case?
First consultation with a fixed quote. We assist you in English, French and Spanish.
Book your first consultation +34 958 22 14 30Tell us about your case and we’ll call you
Shall we talk about your case?
Over 40 years of experience · Members of the Granada Bar Association (ICAGR) · We reply within 24 h · Service in English, French and Spanish
The first consultation includes a full study of your case and has a cost; if we take on the matter, it is deducted from the final fee.