A step-by-step guide to the Spanish property buying process — from first research to completed purchase — written by a UK buyer who did it remotely in 2025.
Buying property in Spain as a UK buyer is entirely achievable. Thousands of British people do it every year. But the process is different enough from buying in the UK that going in without preparation can be expensive, stressful, or both.
This guide covers the full journey in the order you’ll actually encounter it — from deciding whether Spain is right for you, through to completing at the notary and managing your new asset. Where I have personal experience of a stage, I’ve linked to a more detailed article. Where the process is straightforward, I’ve covered it here.
I bought a flat in Elche, Alicante province, in July 2025. I did it remotely, through a Spanish limited company, without ever being physically present at the notary. Everything in this guide is drawn from that real experience.
Step 1: Decide Whether Spain — And Which Part — Is Right For You
Spain is a large and varied country. The Alicante province — the Costa Blanca — is one of the most popular areas for UK buyers, offering a combination of year-round sunshine, good transport links, relatively affordable property, and an established expat community.
Before you start viewing properties, get clear on your purpose. Are you buying to use personally, to rent out, or both? Your answer affects everything that follows — the location, the type of property, the ownership structure, and the tax implications.
If you’re buying as an investment, rental yield and occupancy rates matter as much as the property itself.Why I Chose Elche Over the Alicante Coast covers my thinking on location in more detail.
Step 2: Understand the True Cost of Buying
The purchase price is only part of what you’ll pay. In Spain, buying costs are significant — typically 10–13% on top of the purchase price — and need to be budgeted for from the start.
The main additional costs are:
- Transfer tax (ITP) — 10% of the purchase price in Valencia region for resale properties
- Notary fees — around €900–€1,100 for a standard residential purchase
- Land registry fees — around €200–€300
- Gestor fees — a few hundred euros for the purchase, plus ongoing annual costs
- Sourcing agent fee — if applicable, typically a percentage of the purchase price
The Real Costs of Buying Property in Alicante breaks down every expense with actual figures from my purchase.
Step 3: Get Your NIE Number
Before you can buy property in Spain you need a NIE — Número de Identidad de Extranjero. This is your Spanish tax identification number and is required for virtually every official transaction, including the property purchase itself.
You can apply for a NIE at a Spanish consulate in the UK or in person in Spain. The process takes time so start early — ideally before you’ve found a property you want to offer on.
How to Get a NIE Number as a UK Buyer covers the full process.
Step 4: Decide on Your Ownership Structure
One of the most important decisions you’ll make before buying is whether to purchase in your personal name or through a Spanish company (Sociedad Limitada — SL). This decision has significant tax, liability, and cost implications and is much harder to change after the fact.
For investment buyers intending to rent the property, a Spanish SL can offer meaningful advantages — particularly around the proposed 100% tax on non-resident property buyers that was under serious discussion at the time of my purchase.
Spanish Property: Company vs Personal Ownership covers the key considerations, andThe 100% Non-Resident Property Tax Rule UK Buyers Need to Know explains the specific tax trap that influenced my decision.
Step 5: Open a Spanish Bank Account or Set Up Revolut Business
You’ll need a way to make payments in euros in Spain — for the deposit, completion payments, ongoing costs like community fees and utilities. The options are a traditional Spanish bank account or a Revolut Business account.
Why I Ditched My Spanish Bank Account and Use Revolut Business Instead explains my experience with both, andWhy I Closed My Spanish Bank Account covers the cost of getting it wrong with a traditional bank.
Step 6: Find Your Property
This is where most guides start — but by this point you should already have your NIE, your ownership structure decided, and your finances in order.
You can search independently on portals like Idealista or Fotocasa, work with a local estate agent, or use a sourcing agent whose job is to find, vet, and manage the purchase on your behalf.
If you use a sourcing agent, choose carefully. How to Avoid Being Scammed When Buying Property in Spain covers the due diligence checks I did and the red flags I encountered during my search — including an agent who wanted a deposit before any searches had been done.
Step 7: Check the Property’s Legal Status
Before making any offer or paying any deposit, your gestor should pull a nota simple — an official extract from the land registry showing who owns the property, what rights are attached to it, and whether there are any charges or debts registered against it.
In Spain, property debts follow the property not the owner. A clean nota simple is non-negotiable before proceeding.
What is a Nota Simple? explains what to look for and what red flags to watch out for.
Step 8: Sign the Arras Contract and Pay the Deposit
Once you’ve agreed a price and basic due diligence is complete, you’ll sign an arras contract — a binding preliminary agreement committing both parties to the transaction. The buyer pays a deposit, typically 10% of the purchase price.
The protection is reciprocal: if you pull out you lose the deposit; if the seller pulls out they must return double. This double-deposit penalty is one of the strongest protections available to a remote buyer.
What is an Arras Contract? covers the full mechanics, including what should be in the contract and what to avoid.
Step 9: Assemble Your Professional Team
You don’t need a lawyer for a standard Spanish residential purchase — but you do need independent professional oversight that isn’t financially incentivised to push the sale through.
At minimum you need:
- A gestor — to handle registry checks, tax filings, title verification and post-completion review
- A notary — state-appointed, mandatory for completion
- An independent sourcing agent or buyer’s representative if you’re not using a lawyer
Do I Need a Lawyer to Buy Property in Spain? covers when a full abogado is and isn’t necessary, andWhat is a Gestor in Spain? explains the role in full.
Step 10: Transfer Your Money
Moving a large sum from GBP to EUR is one of the most consequential — and most overlooked — decisions in the process. Your high street bank will do it, but at a significant cost. Specialist services are considerably cheaper.
How I Transferred Money to Spain to Buy a Property — And Paid Zero in Fees covers the full comparison between Wise, Revolut Business, and Revolut Metal personal, with real figures from my purchase.
Step 11: Complete at the Notary
Completion in Spain takes place at a notary’s office. The notary reads the escritura aloud, all parties sign, and ownership transfers. If you can’t attend in person — as I couldn’t — you can grant power of attorney to a representative to sign on your behalf.
Completing a Spanish Property Purchase Remotely covers the full completion day experience.
Step 12: Post-Completion
After completion, your gestor registers the property in your name at the land registry and handles any outstanding tax filings. This takes weeks, sometimes months — don’t be alarmed if you don’t receive your final registered title deed immediately.
Check the registry entry carefully when it arrives. My gestor spotted a title error in the post-completion paperwork — a previous owner still showing on the title — which was corrected before it caused any problems.
Step 13: Manage Your Asset
Once you own the property, ongoing obligations include community fees, IBI (the Spanish equivalent of council tax), utility contracts, and if you’re renting — rental registration, tax declarations, and property management.
Spain has introduced new rental registration requirements that affect all landlords.Spain’s New Rental Registration Law: What Alicante Property Owners Need to Know covers what’s required and when.
The Bottom Line
Buying property in Spain as a UK buyer is a process, not an event. Each step has its own requirements, costs, and potential pitfalls. The buyers who get into trouble are usually the ones who skip steps, rely on the selling agent for advice, or underestimate the costs.
Done properly — with the right professional team, the right ownership structure, and a clear understanding of the costs — it’s entirely manageable. Even remotely. Even with a toddler.
Ready to start?The Start Here Guidemaps the full journey in the order you’ll need it.