We accompany you from the earnest money (arras) to the public deed, reviewing every legal and technical detail so you buy with complete security and no surprises.
Buying a property in Barcelona involves dozens of legal risks that are not visible at first sight. Our job as lawyers specialising in property transactions is to detect them before your money is committed.
Barcelona's property market is one of the most competitive and expensive in Spain, with strong demand in districts such as the Eixample, Gràcia and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. In that context, many buyers sign the earnest money (arras) contract under the pressure of urgency, without having checked the registry, urban planning, tax and technical situation of the flat or house. A single overlooked detail —an uncancelled mortgage charge, a special levy approved by the community, works without a licence or a tenant with a current contract— can turn the purchase of your life into years of problems.
Our firm acts from before the earnest money contract until the registration at the Land Registry, defending exclusively your interests as a buyer. We do not sell properties or get paid by the seller: we only work for you.
We check mortgages, seizures, easements, attachment notes, tax encumbrances, the administration's pre-emption and redemption rights and the property's urban planning status so you don't inherit anyone else's debts or restrictions. We verify that the seller is really the registered owner.
We analyse the legal and technical condition of the property (aluminosis, damp, structural pathologies, works without a licence or undeclared extensions) and include warranty and seller-liability clauses that protect you after signing.
We guide you through every stage of the purchase so you always know what you sign, what you pay and what risks you take.
We request the Land Registry extract, charges certificate, urban planning and cadastral information and community debts. For high-value deals we extend it to a full real estate due diligence.
We draft or review the arras to protect your deposit, with a condition precedent for non-granting of the mortgage. More detail in earnest money review.
We coordinate the valuation and the bank's binding offer. If you need it, we help you get the best conditions with our mortgage broker.
We control the amounts, the retention to cancel charges and the allocation of costs and taxes between buyer and seller.
We accompany you to the notary and review the purchase deed so no unexpected clauses or costs appear.
We settle the ITP, Stamp Duty or VAT and the capital gains tax and register the property in your name. See property taxation.
The estate agency works to close the sale and is usually paid by the seller. A real estate lawyer in Barcelona works exclusively to protect your interests as a buyer. That difference in incentives can save you tens of thousands of euros and a lot of trouble.
I want to buy with securityA single firm coordinates all the legal, tax and financial aspects of your purchase.
Penitential or confirmatory arras, private purchase contract and tailored clauses.
Earnest money contractCalculation and planning of ITP, Stamp Duty, VAT and capital gains tax so you pay the fair amount.
Property taxesRegistry, urban planning, cadastral and community due diligence before you commit.
Due diligenceSome transactions concentrate more risk and require specialist advice:
We advise on purchases and sales of flats, houses, penthouses and premises in all districts of Barcelona: Eixample, Ciutat Vella, Gràcia, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Sant Martí (including Poblenou), Les Corts, Sants-Montjuïc, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris and Sant Andreu. We also operate in the metropolitan area —L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Esplugues and Castelldefels— and throughout Catalonia.
Knowing the market and the urban planning regulations of each area of the city lets us anticipate particularities —protected buildings in Ciutat Vella, officially protected housing, properties under rent-control regulations— that directly affect your purchase.
Send us the property details and we'll make a first legal risk assessment before you sign the earnest money contract.
Before signing we review the updated Land Registry extract (nota simple), the previous title deed, the charges certificate, the bylaws and the community-of-owners debt certificate, the latest property tax (IBI) receipt, the habitability certificate, the energy performance certificate, the urban planning and cadastral status of the property and the existence of occupants or current tenancy agreements. Any of these points can stop the purchase or renegotiate the price.
Hidden defects are serious faults not visible at the time of purchase (structural damp, aluminosis, structural pathologies, unauthorised installations). The seller is liable for them during the legal period of the Civil Code; we draft warranty clauses and, if they appear, we claim the repair, a price reduction or the termination of the contract.
Yes. The notary certifies the act but does not defend your interests, and the estate agency is normally paid by the seller. Only a real estate lawyer reviews the property in your exclusive interest as a buyer and before you sign anything binding, especially the earnest money (arras) contract.
On second-hand homes you pay Transfer Tax (ITP), 10% to 11% in Catalonia, plus notary, Land Registry and conveyancing-management costs. On new builds you pay VAT (10%) and Stamp Duty (1.5%). We calculate the total cost and apply any allowances you are entitled to; see the detail on our property taxes page.
Yes. We handle purchases for non-residents and foreign buyers: obtaining the NIE, a power of attorney to sign on your behalf, opening a bank account, controlling the funds and coordinating your mortgage. You can buy without being present at the signing.
Yes, but it must be managed correctly: we check the real amount of the charge, agree its cancellation in the deed itself or a retention from the price to settle it, and verify the subsequent Land Registry cancellation. It is one of the points where the buyer is most protected.
From signing the earnest money contract to the public deed it usually takes between 1 and 3 months, depending on the mortgage financing and the property's documentation. A prior legal review avoids last-minute delays at the notary.
We work with fixed fees that you will know at the first meeting, depending on the complexity of the transaction. The investment is minimal compared with the risk of buying a property with charges, community debts or hidden defects.