What buying costs — on top of the price

The most common surprise in a Spanish purchase is not the property. It is the items around it.

Updated 8 September 2026

One-off costs at purchase

ItemApplies toPaid by
ITP — transfer taxResale propertyBuyer
IVA — VATNew build from the developerBuyer
AJD — stamp dutyNew builds, and on a mortgageBuyer
NotaryAll purchasesBuyer (by agreement)
Registration at the land registryAll purchasesBuyer
LawyerAlways recommendedBuyer
Agent’s feeAll purchasesNormally the seller

We put figures in your calculation, not on a web page. Tax rates in Andalusia change, and several of them depend on the value of the property, your age and whether it becomes your main home. We work out the amounts for the specific property and show where each figure comes from.

Running costs once you own

  • IBI — the municipal property tax, paid annually.
  • Basura — the refuse collection charge, to the town hall.
  • Comunidad — community fees in an apartment block or urbanisation. Covers pool, gardens, lift and maintenance. Varies enormously between properties: always ask for the exact amount and whether any special levies have been approved.
  • Electricity, water and internet — contract in your own name after the purchase.
  • Insurance — always required with a mortgage, wise without one.
  • Modelo 210 — the annual return for owners who are not resident in Spain. Read the guide.

Four things to check before you make an offer

  1. Debts follow the property, not the seller. Unpaid community fees and IBI can land on you. Checked at the registry and with the community.
  2. That what has been built was built legally. Glazed terraces, pool houses and extensions are not always registered.
  3. Works approved by the community. An approved façade renovation can mean a special levy of thousands of euros.
  4. That the registry matches reality — square metres, layout and boundaries.

This is the review that we and your lawyer carry out before you commit. Book a call and we will go through your situation.

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