Some good advice on buying and selling

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:00 pm.

You might have made the decision to buy or sell your property but where do you begin? Whether you are a seasoned Spanish property owner or just setting out, it can be confusing with many people competing for your attention and your money. In this article we explain how we can help.

Solicitors, estate agents and the local bar room expert will all have advice to give when it comes to conveyancing in Spain. Who should you trust? How should you proceed?

Most transactions go through smoothly but there are occasions when they don’t. One of the main pieces of advice that we offer to anyone who asks us, is not to sign any contract before having it checked by an expert.

In Spain, it is usual to sign a preliminary contract on payment of a deposit. This is before the final transaction goes through. Unfortunately, we have seen many cases where this has happened without buyers and sellers being clear about what they have signed up for.

Usually there isn’t a problem. But we have also encountered situations where people have committed themselves to a sale or a purchase that is not in their best interests. Even the preliminary contract is legally binding with both buyer and seller facing sanctions if they should pull out. It is important that people are aware of this and other legalities around buying and selling in Spain.

So, if you are thinking about making a move then here is how we can help you.

Take some free advice

It’s likely that you have a few questions and you probably aren’t sure who the best people are to answer them. Should you consult a solicitor, an estate agent or a gestor? There may be many people prepared to share their opinions but are they really people you can trust?

Ábaco’s free conveyancing consultation is one way in which you can be sure of getting good and objective advice. There is no obligation to use our service but we are happy to talk with you and answer any questions you have for no charge. There are four different types of appointment:

• Telephone meeting
• Skype meeting
• Torrevieja office meeting
• Alicante office meeting

If you want you can make the appointment in the conventional way by calling our offices or requesting a call back. However, if you prefer, you can use our online scheduling service. You can choose your option, select a date and a time that suits you.

Online chat

If you don’t want to go as far, just yet, as booking an appointment, you can ask us questions through LiveChat. This service is also delivered to you free and places you in direct contact with one of seven people in our customer care department.

All you have to do is enter our website www.abacoadvisers.com where you will see the message ‘Buying or Selling? Click here’. You click on the window submit your name and email address and you can ask your question. It’s a quick, responsive service that is available to you when you need it and before you’ve forgotten that question that is currently bugging you.

LiveChat is also available on a mobile or tablet so you don’t need to wait until you get home and get your computer out to use it.

If you prefer to browse

Whether your preferred medium is the internet or you’d like to download, our articles and conveyancing handbook mean you can look at your leisure at  information and advice we have written for you. For example, you can read our ‘Guide to buying property in Spain’ article which is on Spain Explained. This is the section of our website that is dedicated to providing objective and clearly expressed information on a range of subjects, not just conveyancing.

If you prefer a slightly longer read then you can download our ‘Ultimate Guide to Buying a Property in Spain’. This takes you through every step of the purchasing process.

Don’t worry if you are selling your property there’s also plenty of advice on Spain Explained for you too. For example, ´What you need to sell your house in Spain’, or ‘Tips for selling your home in Spain.’ We know that capital gains tax is a worry for you too so ‘Calculating capital gains tax in Spain’ could be one article to take a look at.

Our service

Of course, we are more than happy to give free advice and many times this leads to people using our services. Our experts speak your native language and our wealth of experience and professional expertise has stood the test of time. If you do select our conveyancing service then you can be sure that we will make you a priority and always represent your interests.

If you don’t live in Spain or are finding it difficult to make appointments for signing, then we can also represent you with a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney or Poder Notarial is a written authorisation that allows someone you trust to represent you in legal matters or transactions on your behalf. It can make the process a lot easier and is one of the possibilities that we can discuss with you.

Buying or selling is one of the biggest decisions that you are likely to take. With the money involved it really is not worth the risk of taking short cuts. However you prefer, we are here to give you the advice you need, answer your questions and make sure that your purchase or sale goes as smoothly as possible.

More information

Calculating capital gains tax in Spain

Tips for selling your home in Spain

Power of attorney: The easy way to your Spanish property

Guide to buying property in Spain