Spanish NIE’s – The Basics NIE’s cause a lot of confusion. No wonder with the blizzard of conflicting information tossed around. The key to remember is that there are two types. This post covers the basics.  NIE Defined and Basic Requirement 1) It’s a Spanish tax identification number for foreigners. It’s how the Spanish government keeps track of non-Spaniards. It’s … Read More

How to Buy Property in Barcelona A Guide for Foreigners It’s exciting to buy property in Barcelona, but proceed with caution. Doing business in a foreign country is not easy. Below is an nine-step guide to buying property in Barcelona for non-Spaniards. We’re now in the midst of a property boom and nice properties at good prices don’t last long. It’s best … Read More

Looking to Buy Property in Barcelona? Start Here Barcelona is spread over about 100 sq kilometers. This will introduce to the neighborhoods and some towns nearby. Prices. There’s no standard or ‘market price’ as the buildings and flats differ too much in condition and layout. The comments here are only a guide. Transportation. No car needed! You can walk almost … Read More

What is an Apostille? In a Nutshell: When you sign a document before a Notary Public, the Notary confirms your identity to be sure you are really the person signing. Easy. But what if the Notary Public is a fraud? That’s where the Apostille comes in. It confirms that the Notary’s identity. The Notary confirms the Signer, the Apostille confirms … Read More

What is the Total Cost for Property in Barcelona? This post outlines the Buyer’s TOTAL COST for buying and owning property (a house, flat or apartment) in Barcelona, including taxes and fees. It’s divided into three sections: A. The TOTAL COST when paying in Cash B. The TOTAL COST when paying with a Mortgage C. The COSTS related to Owning Property  … Read More

How to Buy Property in Barcelona This post provides a brief summary of the basic concepts to understand when buying property in Barcelona. It will cover the following four areas: I. The Property’s Total Cost II. Evaluating the Listed Price III. Making an Offer IV. Negotiating the Price I. The Property’s Total Cost In the Barcelona area, a Buyer must … Read More

Buying Property in Barcelona? Understand the ‘Arras’ Contract An Arras contract contains the important, and normally the final, terms of a property-purchase agreement. When the Buyer signs, they must pay a deposit. Thus, only sign if you are absolutely sure you’re ready to buy. Note. An Arras contract is not mandatory. If the two parties trust each other, they can … Read More

Prepare a Will for Each Country Where You Own Assets WHY? It will make things a lot easier for your heirs. For your assets located in Spain, only a Spanish judge can transfer title of these assets to your heirs. The Spanish judge cannot dispose of your assets located in another country. This is true world wide. Judges can only touch … Read More

Basic Information about Spanish NIE’s The NIE is a number that identifies foreigners in Spain. It’s used to register them with the federal, regional and city governments. In English it means ‘Foreigner’s Identification Number’ and in Spanish ‘Numero de Identificación de Extranjero’. It’s needed to hire utilities, internet service, accept employment, attend school, pay taxes, buy property, etc.  Two Types. There … Read More

Buying Property in Barcelona: The ‘Reserve’ The ‘reserve’ is a document prepared by a real estate agent. Each one has their own. It’s normally the first document the agent will show you. Despite its name, it does NOT reserve the property in your name. The ‘reserve’ is incorrectly titled and terribly misleading. Purpose. To put your offer for the property in writing. … Read More