Preparation for the purchase of real estate

If you spend more than half the year in Spain (183 days +) you will be considered a Spanish resident, and therefore a Spanish tax payer. Although there are exceptions depending on your personal circumstances, such as family and work.

The Golden Visa allows expats to come to Spain and stay in the country without time limitations, and also includes the right to work, start a business(es) or manage companies in Spain under the same conditions as Spaniards or EU-citizens.

The Golden Visa programme was introduced in Spain at the end of 2013 and is becoming increasingly popular among non-EU nationals who want to move to Spain due to the great advantages it offers. According to the latest data, the nationalities that most apply for it are Russian and Chinese, but now that the UK is no longer in the EU, it’s sure to become popular with Brits too.

So, you bought or are planning to buy a property in Spain. We will inform you about property taxes and utility bills in this article.
Any owner of real estate, being a resident or non-resident, must frequently pay property maintenance taxes, such as:
The annual municipal tax on real estate property "Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles"
This tax is paid by private individuals, regardless of whether they are tax residents or not. The amount of this taxation in Spain is 1% of the cadastral value of the property, although it may vary slightly, depending on the province in which the property is located.

It all started with an idea. To buy a house by the sea, and live in a warm climate for an afordable price - this has been my dream for a long time. I began to compare European countries close to the Mediterranean sea with beautiful warm currents and almost ideal conditions for yachting, after all, when I as a child, I was admiring Captain Vrungel, I decided to try this sport. I was reading reviews about the regions of Italy, the coast of France, the traditions of Greece and the holidays of Spain, along the way trying to learn about the different options for real estate acquisition in Europe. This process was very long, tormenting, and most importantly, did not lead to anything succesful at the end, because the information represented on the websites was very different. Two websites were giving completely different information about real estate in France. I realised that I did not have the experience or the understanding to independently choose and buy the real estate abroad.

Buying a property abroad is a substancial and difficult step for everyone. Entrepreneurs see buying a property in Spain as a good investment, because property prices are rising in cities like Barcelona. However the majority of people want to buy a house in Spain for a pleasant overseas holiday at any time of the year, where the small resort towns, like Denia and Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca will be appropriate. But if you would like to live in a big city by the sea, then look for your new home in Valencia and Barcelona. Do you prefer smaller cities? Then your preference would be Alicante and Malaga. But if you are looking for a property on the beach, then you would love to settle in one of the small resort towns: Denia, Calpe, Altea or Javea.

If you are planning on buying a property on the Costa Blanca, but during your stay, as a tourist, did not have chance get fully acquainted with the region, then it would be advisable to go to Costa Blanca once again! And your visiting trip to Costa Blanca will allow you to fully experience the entire colours and beauty of the "white shore". Such a visit can be useful for you if you are going to buy real estate for vacation abroad or permanent residence in Spain, also if you are planning to rent out the purchased property for short or permanent periods. Another reason could be to find out whether you feel comfortable on this coast or not, if you have not been to the Costa Blanca in Spain before. And also, if you have already been to our region and such resort towns as Denia, Benidorm, Moraira and Torrevieja, may be just want to combine a pleasant holiday with a useful viewing of properties on the sea.

So, you made a choice. You have found a dream house on the coast of Spain or you’ve found a nice apartment in Calpe that you want to be yours. What to do next? Property registration is a complicated and long process; however, Spain is the most loyal country regarding the property acquisition and registration by foreigners. In Spain, when you buy a property, you can even receive a residency permit for you and your family. Here we will talk about the most important steps in this process. Follow them and you can be the proud owner of a house on the coast of Spain.

The rules for obtaining the residence permit for British citizens are regulated by the "Royal Decree 240/07" from March 28th, 2007 and requires that all EU citizens, British nationals included, who are planning to live in Spain for more than 3 month should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros (Immigration Office) in the province, where they wish to live or in the relevant Police Station. After registration, you will receive credit card size Residence Certificate stating the name, address, nationality, NIE number (Numero de Identificacion Extranjero) and also your date of registration as a resident.

​The coast of Costa Blanca annually attracts 5 million tourists. These are some of the reasons why so many people are interested in investing in real estate on the Costa Blanca: a mild climate, developed infrastructure, beaches and beautiful old towns, delicacies of Mediterranean cuisine and a great variety of holiday activities which Costa Blanca can offer. Yachting, golf, hiking routes in the mountains, diving and gastronomic tours - anyone can find something to love here!