Useful Spanish property tools for buyers and sellers are just a click away

IF you’re thinking about buying or selling property in Spain, one of the first, and best, places to start is online. Here are some of the most useful sites on the Internet…

One really valuable resource, that “helps international users leap the language and legal terminology barriers that sometimes make [it] difficult for non-residents interested in investing in real estate in Spain,” can be found on the website of Registradores de España (Spanish Land Registrars) here.

This page, in excellent English, lets users register, request a nota simple (Information Extract) from the relevant Property Registry office, and receive, within just 48 hours, a translation into English, detailing the legal status of the property in question as it appears in the Registry. There’s even a series of YouTube videos explaining how it all works.

The site of the Directorate General for Cadastre (Land Registry) provides data about properties across Spain and is available in English here. On it, you’ll also find a comprehensive guide, again in English, about how to start a range of cadastral procedures electronically, such as buying, selling, inheriting, and changing the use of a property.

You can also calculate fiscal property values anywhere in Andalucia online; all you need is the cadastral value, the date it was completed, where it is located, and some basic Spanish. Simply enter the details into the application in the Virtual Office of the Junta de Andalucía’s website here. There’s much more on the Junta’s website about all kinds of property-related questions, but it’s all only available in Spanish.

Tinsa, one of Spain’s leading property valuation firms, offers online valuations via their website (in Spanish) here. From as little as 8€ and with just the address, basic details, and a credit card or PayPal account, they will provide a PDF Stima report that gives buyers an idea of what the asking price of their dream home should be, and vendors a realistic selling price, based on statistical data from recent valuations.

For vendors, Malaga’s Patronato de Recaudación (Revenue Management Authority) has a new website – available in English via Google Translate – that lets you work out how much plusvalía municipal (local capital gains tax) you will have to pay when selling a property in any of the province’s municipalities.

Worried about what could be built on that empty plot next door to the villa you’re thinking of buying? You can check its planning status with your local town hall online. In the case of Marbella, for example, you can look here. The site is in Spanish and takes a while to master, but it’s worth the effort. For example, with ‘Gestion de Capas’ you can even explore Marbella’s planning dating back to 1956, as well as confirm urban and non-urban land classifications.

Finally, if you’re uncertain about which taxes you may be liable for, Hacienda (Spain’s Tax Agency) has a very comprehensive guide to non-resident taxation, in English, on their website here, covering income tax, value-added tax, special taxes on property, and a whole host of other FAQs.