Useful Spanish Phrases for Buying Property

Spanish term

English term

Abogado

Spanish Lawyer

Administrador de Fincas

Licensed property administrator

Agente de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria (API)

Property agent (although most agents that you encounter will be unregistered in Spain )

Amortización

Depreciation. Redemption. The process of your mortgage in Spain reducing over time as you repay it.

Arras

Down payment, deposit

Aval

Guarantee requested by the bank to approve a mortgage application

Caja de ahorros

Savings bank. Translates to "Box of Saving". Similar in operation and aims as traditional UK building societies.

Cargas

Charges. Burden. Such as an existing mortgage or other loan or charge.

Certificado registral

Certificate informing about debts of a specific property. The debts will be registered at the land registry. There may be a mortgage debt, but it could also include such debts as personal loans, income tax owed, fines etc etc

Chalet

Villa

Comunidad de propietarios

Community of property owners, such as on an apartment development.

Contrato de Compraventa

Private property sales contract. The buyer pays a 10% deposit and the contract is signed by buyer and vendor. You will need to supply a copy of this when applying for your mortgage in Spain

Documento privado

Private document

Documento público

Public document

Escritura

Deeds

Escritura pública de compraventa

Title Deed

Euribor

Euro Interbank Offered Rate

Finca

Estate or farm. May refer to a large area that has been used for a large development, or a smaller individual property.

Gestoría

Firm specialised in obtaining official authorisations, permits, licences etc. Often employed by banks to handle the paperwork pertaining to a mortgage in Spain .

Hipoteca

Mortgage

Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles

Yearly property tax

Impuesto sobre el Incremento del Valor de los Terrenos

Tax on the increase of land value

Inmobiliaria

Estate agent

IBI: Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles

Annual real estate tax

Impuesto sobre el patrimonio

Capital gains tax

Incremento de patrimonio

Capital gain

Libre de cargas

Free of debts

Libro del edificio

Documents which must be handed over by the promoter when building is finished.

Licencia de obra

Building permission

N.I.E.

Identity Number for Foreigners. This will be needed before you complete on your property and mortgage in Spain .

Notario

Notary. You must go to the Notary office in order to sign for your property and mortgage in Spain .

Nota simple

Certificate from Property Registry. This is the extract of the title deeds of a property, which has all the basic relevant information, such as size of plot and buildings, existing mortgages and other charges etc etc

Obra nueva

Document certifying a brand new building

Oferta vinculante

Bank document certifying the exact mortgage conditions

Pago en efectivo

Cash payment

Parcela

Plot of land

Piso

Flat or apartment

Poder

Power of attorney. If you are not able to come to Spain to complete your property purchase or mortgage, you may give power of attorney to your lawyer, or another trusted party, to act on your behalf.

Préstamo con techo

Loan with variable interests with fixed minimum and maximum

Préstamo hipotecario

Mortgage loan

Plusvalía Municipal

Capital gains tax on the sale of property

Registro de la Propiedad

Property ownership Register

Representante fiscal

Official tax representative of foreigner

Residencia (permiso)

Residency (permit)

Residente

Resident

Se vende

For sale

Seguro de amortización de préstamos

Loan repayment insurance

Seguro Multirriesgo Hogar

House insurance

Señal

Deposit, down payment

Tasación

Independent valuation of property. With a Spanish Mortgage the bank will normally appoint their own valuer from a panel. This will provide the basis on which they will approve your mortgage in Spain .

Terreno

Plot of land

Tipo de interés

Rate of interest

Título de propiedad

Deeds stating the ownership of property, date of sale etc.

Valor Catastral

Assessed value of property for tax purposes