Property due diligence in Spain
We check the documents, charges, planning status and debts on the property in Spain in 3 days. You sign only if everything is clear. Fee 1% of the value (minimum €2,500), discounted when combined with the mortgage, report signed by a qualified lawyer.
Which is why falling in love with the property is not enough: before you sign you need to know whether there are charges, debts, irregularities or planning limits.
Undischarged mortgages, seizures, easements, contested inheritances. Documents the seller "forgets" to show you. In Spain the Registro de la Propiedad needs an expert eye: the nota simple is not enough on its own.
Undeclared extensions, pools without a licence, unauthorised changes of use. In many regions (Andalusia, the Balearics, Comunidad Valenciana) planning penalties travel with the property: you pay them, after buying.
Unpaid IBI, outstanding comunidad charges, waste taxes. In Spain some debts follow the property, not the debtor. If you do not find them beforehand, after the notary they are your problem.
These cases are never advertised by agencies, but they exist.
Professional due diligence costs a fraction of the damage it prevents, and pays for itself the first time it avoids a surprise.
We check the property in 3 working days. You get a readable report (no legalese), with a green / amber / red light on every item. You decide whether to sign.
Due diligence is added to the mortgage package with a 15% discount. One advisor, one contract, one invoice.
See the mortgage + DD packageDue diligence works standalone too. You do not need to be a mortgage client. Same process, same timing, same guarantee.
Go to the priceNine documentary checks on the property and on the seller. All before you put a binding signature anywhere.
Actual ownership, active mortgages, seizures, easements, pre-emption rights. It is the starting point, but not enough on its own.
Actual versus registered floor area, rateable value, references. Discrepancies can cost you in IBI and in capital gains.
Licencia de obra, expediente urbanístico, recorded breaches. We distinguish a lawful property from one fuera de ordenación or fuera de ordenanza — the difference is worth tens of thousands of euros.
Habitability check where required — it varies by autonomous community. Without it the property cannot be let, and sometimes cannot be sold.
Compulsory for a sale. We check it is valid and consistent with the declared floor area.
Unpaid IBI, comunidad de propietarios arrears, waste taxes. Some pass to the new owner, some do not: we tell you which.
NIE/CIF, capacity to sell, active litigation. If it is an SL, we check the state of the company.
We read the deposit clauses before you sign: penalties, deadlines, withdrawal conditions. It is the contract that actually binds you — it needs understanding beforehand, not afterwards.
Ongoing tenancies, derecho de tanteo/retracto, usufructs, occupiers. Constraints you will not see on a viewing but that limit what you can do with the house.
Due diligence costs a fraction of the first mistake it avoids.
1% of the property value (minimum €2,500): the fee is proportionate to what you are risking on that purchase. One complete due diligence, no hidden costs.
Everything you need to sign knowing what you are buying
of the property · minimum €2,500
e.g. €250k → €2,500 · €400k → €4,000 · €600k → €6,000 · above €1M: bespoke quote
Together with the mortgage it costs 15% less — e.g. on €400,000: €4,000 → €3,400.
Delivery time
3 working days
The fee is finalised at quotation stage based on the property value, the region and how complex the paperwork is. Together with a realdream mortgage: 15% less.
Changing property? If the due diligence rules the property out, from the second one onwards every check is at 50% (standard properties, within 6 months). Checking with us is safe even if you change property.
An additional service that is NOT part of the full due diligence, because it only applies in specific cases. Quoted separately.
Estimates for IRNR, wealth tax and capital gains on a future sale. Assessment of ownership structures (Spanish SL, holding company) for tax and succession planning.
When it is needed: investments above €700k, several properties in a portfolio, cross-border planning (tax resident abroad, assets in Spain).
Cost: on quotation, depending on complexity.
The due diligence is carried out by partner lawyers qualified in Spain, each with their own active professional indemnity policy.
If the report misses a legal or planning defect that was recorded in the public registers at the time of the check — an undetected mortgage, an already-registered planning breach, an outstanding comunidad debt — any resulting loss falls within the professional indemnity cover of the lawyer who signed the report, on the terms and within the limits of that policy.
This is not our own insurance: it is the professional cover every Spanish lawyer must hold in order to practise. What sets us apart is that we put in the service contract, in writing, who signs the report and what their policy is.
Every DD report includes
You tell us which property you are considering, in which region, and the indicative price. We give you a first read and a precise quote.
⏱ 30 minutes
You receive the detailed quote by email plus the service contract. You sign, pay the 50% deposit, and we start.
⏱ 24 hours from the call
A qualified partner lawyer runs the checks across all the public registers. You are copied in — no black boxes.
⏱ 3 working days
A PDF report with a green/amber/red light on every item. A 30-minute briefing call. The remaining 50% on delivery of the report.
⏱ 24h after the checks close
We do not sell houses and have no interest in the transaction. If you want a buyer’s agent, we refer you to one from our partner network.
If the DD turns up a problem that needs litigation, we hand you over to a partner lawyer. We document, we do not litigate.
A valuation report (memoria valorativa) is the work of the arquitecto técnico as an add-on, not part of the base legal DD.
The notary does their job at completion. Due diligence comes BEFORE the notary, not instead of them.
For standard properties we deliver the full report within 3 working days, counted from signature of the contract and receipt of all the necessary documentation. If more complex planning, municipal or documentary checks come up, we tell you straight away, before going any further.
Technically yes, but we advise against it. The ideal moment is before the arras — at most with a purchase offer conditional on the property being in order — because once signed you may already be bound and, depending on the type of contract and its clauses, risk the deposit if you pull out. Before you sign we can flag which clauses protect you (conditions tied to the mortgage, the paperwork, planning, or the outcome of the due diligence) and have them reviewed by a partner lawyer.
Catalonia has a specific protection where the contract makes the purchase conditional on bank financing. In those cases, unless agreed otherwise, you can withdraw by evidencing the bank’s refusal within the stated deadline, without losing the sums paid, provided the refusal is not down to your own negligence. It is a significant advantage, but it depends on the clauses you sign: before signing we have them checked by a partner lawyer in Catalonia.
Legal DD: we work with a network of partner lawyers qualified in the main autonomous communities and can cover transactions anywhere in Spain. Arquitecto técnico as an add-on: available in the main tourist areas (Catalonia, Comunidad Valenciana, Andalusia, the Balearics, Madrid, Costa del Sol). For other regions we check availability and quote case by case.
The notary carries out important checks at completion and informs both parties impartially. Due diligence, by contrast, happens before signing the arras or completing, and in the buyer’s specific interest. Our aim is to help you understand in advance whether the property carries legal, planning, land-registry, debt or documentary risks, so you can decide whether to proceed, renegotiate, ask for guarantees or stop before taking on significant financial commitments. We do not replace the notary: we bring the checks forward and go deeper, while you can still choose.
We tell you straight away (we do not wait for the final report). You have 3 options: renegotiate the price with the seller in light of the problem, ask the seller to put it right before completion, or walk away if it is serious. We help you weigh up the next steps and, if needed, put you in touch with the right professional from our partner network.
Yes. On obra nueva we check the building licence, the developer’s documentation, whether the property matches the approved plans, the applicable guarantees, the ten-year insurance where required, the seller’s legal standing and the documents needed for handover. We cannot predict future events, such as the developer later going under, but we can check the documentary signals available before you sign or pay significant sums.
No. Due diligence is handled remotely: documents by email, electronic signature of the service contract, payment by transfer or card, a digital report and a closing call. For completion you normally have to sign before the notary or grant a power of attorney.
The final report is in English. The original documents stay in Spanish, but the report explains them item by item. If you need sworn translations for legal, banking or notarial use, we can arrange them with a partner sworn translator: the cost is quoted separately before going ahead (roughly €30-60 per document, except long or technical ones).
No. If the report shows serious issues and you decide not to proceed, the due diligence has done its job: it has saved you from the wrong purchase. That is why, from the second check onwards, we apply a 50% discount on due diligence for the same client, within 6 months, on standard properties of comparable documentary complexity. In short: we save you from one house, and check the next at half price.
The report is signed by a partner lawyer qualified in Spain and covered by an active professional indemnity policy. The service contract states the name of the signing lawyer, the policy details and the insurer. In the event of professional error or omission on public or verifiable documentation at the time of instruction, liability is assessed under the service contract, the applicable law and the limits of the professional policy.
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Everything you need to buy and run a home in Spain, with a single advisor.
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Report in 3 days, signed by a lawyer
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