Necessary documentation to sell your property in Spain

For most procedures, it is necessary to follow some steps and deliver certain documents. The documentation necessary to sell your property is not difficult to obtain and can help the buyer perceive the transaction as secure.

How to sell a property in Spain?

When selling your house or apartment, a good option would be to follow these steps to streamline the process:

Choose a fair price. If you set an appropriate price, the sale will happen faster.
Study the demand. Find out if there are interested parties and if your home is in an area with regulated prices.
Analyze the competition. Get to know other houses for sale in your area and the prices at which they are sold.
Promote your house. Create an advertisement that stands out and include it in the best real estate portals.
Gather the documents. Collect all the documentation that we are going to see in the next point.
Organize the visits. Plan the visits to show the property’s full potential.
Calculate your expenses (Housing Law). Keep in mind that real estate brokerage fees usually fall on the seller; knowing this net amount, including the estimate of the municipal capital gains tax, will allow you to negotiate the final price with greater security.
Negotiate the price. You can negotiate the price to sell faster.

Although the sale is not guaranteed, following these recommendations can help give visibility to a good advertisement of a property with a competitive price and the documents available to the buyer, and help the sale take place in a shorter period of time.

Necessary documentation to sell a property

As we have seen in the previous section, to sell a home, it is necessary to have updated documents related to it and its owners.

Identity Document (DNI/NIE)

The identity document serves to identify you as the owner and seller of the property. You will have to include this number in all the documents that are going to be signed during the sale process.

Property title or deed of the Housing

When a flat or house is going to be sold, it is necessary to have documentation that proves that the house is yours. With this document, real estate operations that affect this situation can be carried out.

Energy Efficiency Certificate

The Energy Efficiency Certificate has been mandatory since 2013 for any residential real estate operation, both for sales and rentals. A technician comes to the home to carry out a study and assesses the energy information of the property, as well as issuing a report on it.

Certificate of Occupancy

This document confirms that the property meets the technical and sanitary requirements that allow minimum habitability conditions. There are three types:

First occupation. It is the one intended for newly built homes.
Second occupation. It is the renewal of the previous one.
First rehabilitation occupation. The one obtained after a restoration in the property.

Having this document is essential for registering water, electricity, and gas supplies.

Building Technical Inspection Certificate (ITE)

In this document, the state of the house is specified. An inspection is carried out in which aspects such as the roof, walls, floors, and other elements are assessed. It is mandatory in houses between 30 and 50 years old, depending on the municipality in which they are located.

Real Estate Tax (IBI)

This local tax is paid every year by the owner of the property, as long as it is not an exception. When selling the home, it is important that the buyer can check, with a document, that the IBI has been paid every year to show that the tax is up-to-date. Thus, the next receipt will be the responsibility of the new owner.

Certificate of being up-to-date with the Community of Owners

When the property is part of a community of neighbors, the owners have to pay a monthly fee to meet the various expenses of the common areas. Before proceeding with the sale, the property must be up-to-date with payments, that is, without outstanding debts. The secretary or property manager can issue a certificate to deliver to the buyer.

Pending debt certificate and Registry cancellation

If the property is mortgaged, it will be necessary to go to the bank to get a pending debt certificate. In this document, the financial entity indicates the amount that remains to be paid at the moment of the sale. This amount can be paid before transferring the flat or house, or it can be assumed by the buyer, deducting it from the total agreed price. If there is no pending amount, the debt cancellation deed must be registered so that the mortgage no longer appears in the Property Registry.

Bank account in Spain

It is indispensable to have an active bank account in Spain for the management of payments and, above all, for the settlement of taxes and the change of direct debit of supplies after the sale. In the case of non-resident sellers, this step is critical to avoid blockages in the receipt of funds due to anti-money laundering regulations.

Nota simple

Last but not least, it is highly recommended to include the nota simple provided by the Property Registry. It contains all the information related to the property: who the owners are, where it is located, the characteristics of the property, and if it has any mortgage or other type of charge. Including this document provides maximum transparency from the first contact with the buyer. In Firmalex, we take care of requesting and reviewing your Nota Simple to guarantee that the sale is legally viable from minute one.

Conclusion

Gathering the necessary documentation to sell your home is one of the fundamental steps. The DNI/NIE, the deed, the Energy Efficiency Certificate, the certificate of occupancy, and other similar documents are among those to be delivered to potential buyers. Presenting them proactively helps them perceive the transaction as secure and transparent, reducing closing times.

Further information

This article is part of our service Real Estate Lawyer in Spain. Visit this section where you will find all the useful information on this topic, including a complete guide on How to buy a house in Spain.

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