You may have heard from friends or acquaintances who bought a property in Mallorca in good faith, only to later discover that parts of the building were not legally constructed or, worse yet, that the entire building is illegal. Some buyers only find out about certain easements after completing the purchase, as in a recent case we handled. The buyers realised after signing that the neighbor had the right to use the client’s well water to irrigate their orange groves once a week.

 

There are many cases of trusting buyers and unscrupulous sellers, and unfortunately, often poorly informed real estate agents as well. That’s why we want to offer you a list of points to consider when verifying your ideal property before purchase.

 

• Sale contract or inheritance deed (Escritura de herencia) from the seller.
• Property Registry extract, known as „Nota simple.“ This document records, for example, loans and easements. Does any usufruct right exist? Are there charges for mortgages?
• Cadastral certificate. The cadastral number of your property should also appear on the deed.
• Building applications and plans with the town hall’s approval.
• Certificate indicating if there are pending urban planning sanctions (Certificate of the existence or non-existence of urban planning violations).
• If you plan to build, a topographic plan indicating any slope. With a slope of more than 20%, construction is not allowed (except for land in the process of reclassification to expand the urban core).
• Request a plan showing possible easements of passage.
• Energy certificate.
• Coastline certificate for properties near the coast.
• Habitation certificate.
• Electricity, water, and gas contracts with the latest paid bills.
• Updated and paid receipt of the property tax (IBI).
• Electrical installation certificate.

How much does the document review cost?
We charge one percentage point of the purchase price for our work (plus 21% VAT).

 

Shouldn’t I hire a lawyer for this?
Of course, you can. However, the review of purchase documents doesn’t require legal knowledge, but rather extensive experience, reliability, meticulous work, and a solid understanding of Spanish… and that’s where we come in.

 

How does the process with the notary work?
We handle hiring the notary and accompany you to appointments, including the signing of the purchase agreement. We translate the deed and act as interpreters for you.

 

Who manages the change of ownership with electricity, water, and gas suppliers?
We take care of everything. We also handle the name changes with the official authorities.