Documentation needed to sell a country property in Spain

Setting the price is only one of the requirements. You will also need some documentation to sell a country property in Spain. In this article, we will talk about all the necessary papers for the sale of a country property. This list may seem long but they are all indispensable. You will need to have your identity document (ID, CIF or NIE), the deed of the house, a current land registry note, the energy efficiency certificate, the receipts for the latest rates and utility bills and receipts for any community fees. In addition, you should know after signing the sale, you will have to pay your legal fees. The documentation represents a very important part in the sale of a house and that is why you have to know everything about the necessary documentation to sell a country property in Spain.

01 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE IN SPAIN: TITLE DEED

The title deed is the public document that justifies ownership of the house that is for sale. In this it states how the property was acquired, by purchase, by inheritance etc. the location, the size of the property and many other details.

A Title Deeds.

    • Where to obtain them The deed is issued by the notary and you must take care of it as it represents the ownership of your property.

    • How and what does it cost. There is no expiry date on a title deed but it is necessary to update it if any changes have been made as it has to represent the exact state of the property at point of sale and must be registered correctly in the Property Register. The price is not fixed and can vary but one must remember that one must pay the notary fees as although the owner can ask for the changes to be made in the Property Register it can also be done via the notary , in which case there is a charge for this service, as well as the corresponding Patrimonial Transfer Tax.

      The notary's fees are between 300€ and 600€ and the scale depends on the type of deed that has been done , as a deed of inheritance does not cost the same as a declaration of new additions to the building.

02 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY PROPERTY IN SPAIN: IDENTIFICATION

You must be able to provide proof of your identity, whether the property belongs to a company, in which case it is necessary to have their company number, a private owner in which case it is necessary to have the DNI if the owner is Spanish or NIE if they are of another nationality.

This is a very important part of the necessary documentation for selling your country house in Spain.

A Identification of the vendor.

    • If a Spanish National : DNI. The Document National of Identity is the card in which appears a photograph of the card holder, their name and surname, date of birth and the identity number.

    • If not a Spanish National: NIE. The number of identity of foreigners ( numero de identificación extranjero) is a document with the identity number given to people of other nationalities.

    • If the representative of a company the CIF/ NIF number. Previously known as the Tax Identification Code and now Tax Identification number this is the number that identifies the.

03 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SPAIN: CERTIFICATE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

The energy certificate has been mandatory since 2013 . It is a document that specifies the annual consumption of energy in a property and this is marked by a letter with A signifying that is very energy efficient down to G which signifies it is not energy efficient.

A Obligatory since 2013.

    • How to obtain it. The energy certificate is authorised by a technical architect who makes an inspection of the property to obtain the necessary information to write the report and also will register it with the relevant authority of the Autonomous Community in which the property is located.

    • How much does it cost. Not all technical architects have the same price but it is between 100€ and 300€ depending on the size of the property.

04 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SPAIN: MORTGAGE

If the property that you are going to sell has a mortgage you must contact your bank to organise with them the liquidation of the mortgage on the day of completion of the sale in front of the notary. Si la propiedad que vas a vender tiene una hipoteca, tienes que ponerte en contacto con tu banco para organizar con ellos la liquidación en el mismo momento de la firma en notaría. They will be responsible for issueing the certificate of outstanding debt.

A Mortgages.

    • Certificate of outstanding debt or registration of cancellation. Before the day of completion and signing over the title deed at the Notary, ,you must show that your are up to date with your payments and give the legal representative of the purchasers the contact details of the bank which holds the mortgage. On the day of completion the bank must provide the certificate of outstanding debt. This document certifies the exact amount of money outstanding that must be paid.

      In the case there is no mortgage on the property the Nota Simple - Land registry document will state that there are no charges on the property.

05 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SPAIN. NOTA SIMPLE - LAND REGISTRY DOCUMENT.

The nota simple - land registry document is a document that shows that the property is inscribed in the Registry of Properties , in which you find a resumé of the most important facts about the property. For example the address, the identity of the owner, the description of the property and if there are any charges against it or restrictions on it.

A Nota simple.

    • Where do you obtain it. You can obtain the Nota simple by requesting it in the Registry of Properties, or making a request online, but if you do not wish to or cannot do it you can use the services of a gestor or your estate agent .

    • How and what is the cost. For to request a Nota Simple you have to have the registry number of the property, which will be found in your original nota simple. If you cannot find this you can also request it using the name and identification of the owner.

      If you go directly to the land registry office the cost will be app. 10€ . If applying online or using a gestor costs will vary but you can reckon on between 20 and 30 Euros.

    • Things that we should look at in the nota simple. There is little list of important points that can be found in the Nota Simple. The first point is the square metres which should be as they exist at present, Also the details about the owner and how they obtained the property, which can be by purchase or by inheritance. The Nota simple also will note, if the property is part of an urbanisation. And, the last , very important point it will state if there are any debts on the property.

06 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SPAIN. IBI - RATES.

A Last receipts.

The acronym IBI means Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles which translates as Rates. This tax is paid by the owner of the house on a yearly basis and the amount can vary according to various things , the type of property , the square metres, the location, the catastral value and the age of the property.

Proof of payment of rates.

You must provide the buyers or their legal representative the receiptof payment of the rates , as properties must be sold free of charges and debts.

07 7. DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SPAIN: COMMUNITY.

A Certificate.

From the adminstrator or president of the community. What does this certificate relate to. This document certifies that the property forms part of a community of property holder and that there are no outstanding debts payable to the community. It must be filled in correctly and signed by the administrator/ secretary or President of the community.

08 DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO SELL A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SPAIN: OTHER DOCUMENTS

At the time of selling your house, the person who is going to buy or the real estate agent can ask for other documents, such as the Occupation Certificate, the Plans, a electricity and water bill ... They can be obligatory in some cases and you have to keep that in mind to be sure you have all the necessary documentation to sell a country house in Spain.

A Habitation certificates or first occupation licences.

    • What is it and how do you obtain it. This is a document which certifies that the property meets the minimum requirements for residence. It is obtained by presenting an application at the Town Hall of the town to which the property belongs, together with a technical report certifying that the property is habitable.

    • Plans of the house, land and building project. In the case of newly built houses , you must have plans of house and land and the end of work certificate.

    • Installations and supplies. You may also be asked for plans of the installations and supplies ( water tubes, electricity tubes etc) but if you do not have them don't worry , they are not essential to complete the sale.

    • The DAFO. This is one of the most important documents needed to sell a house in Spain. Time is need to have it done and you must take this into account when putting your property on the market. We have an article which explains this which you can find.

09 PLUSVALÍA.

¡¡¡Congratulations s!!! ¡Your house is sold !... but there is still some paperwork to be done and some taxes to pay. If the vendor is tax resident in Spain they have to pay tax on the profit of the sale and if not tax resident they must pay the Non resident taxes. In both case they have to pay Plus valia.

A Qué es la plusvalía.

    • Who pays and why. The sellers have to pay the plus valia on the house when they sell. It is a tax calculated on the basis of value at purchase and value when sold.

    • How much do you have to pay. This changes according to different areas but in general it is a percentage of the catastral value but also takes into account the number of years the property has been owned by the vendor.

    • Deadlines and where to pay. The payment form can be applied for in the Office of the Patronato or in the Town Hall within 30 days of selling the property. When you have this it will state a deadline for payment.

Obtaining all the documentation to sell a country house in Spain can be an arduous task. Do you agree with us? Do you think it is easier than it seems. ? Comment on our facebook page or on social network.

Above all if you know anyone who is selling their property do not forget to share with them as it can be of assistance.