From first orientation to keys: the steps, all the costs with the correct rates since June 2026, and the legal checks you do before you sign. I have just been through this process myself.
Still deciding: Calpe or Benissa?
Calpe is the coastal town: beaches, the Peñón, shops open all year round. Mainly an apartment market: over the past year the average notarial price was €2,845 per m², and the average purchase came to €327,000.
Benissa is two things in one: an authentic old town centre plus its own stretch of coast (Benissa Costa) with generous plots. On average €2,696 per m² notarial, but with much larger homes: the average purchase there was €508,000 for 188 m².
Torn between the two? Then we simply spend a day driving around together. That tells you more than 10 portal pages.
Calpe town guide · Benissa town guide · Or take the location test
How a purchase works, step by step
1Set your budget, costs included
Allow 10 to 12% on top of the price. If you can spend €400,000, you search up to around €360,000.
2Apply for your NIE
Needed for almost everything. Possible via the consulate or in Spain; start early, this takes weeks.
3Open a Spanish bank account
Acceptance varies from branch to branch. I point you to offices where it goes smoothly.
4View with a shortlist
I search the full market with you and plan everything efficiently, even in 1 day if you fly over.
5Test the price, and bid on facts
The asking price next to the notarial figures: that tells you what a fair offer is, and where the room is.
6Have the property legally checked
By an independent lawyer, before the arras. A few thousand euros in checks can save tens of thousands in remediation.
7Reserva and arras
First a reservation, then the arras contract with usually a 10% deposit. From then on the purchase is binding.
8Arrange the financing
Non-residents typically borrow 60 to 70%. Allow for 30 to 40% of your own funds, plus the costs.
9The notary
Escritura, balance, keys. Then the registry and the utilities; I help arrange that too.
All the costs at a glance (rates since June 2026)
Watch the valor de referencia. The tax is calculated on the higher of 2 amounts: your purchase price or the property's official reference value. We check that reference value beforehand, otherwise you pay tax on an amount you never paid.
Many online calculators still use 10% ITP. The rate in the Valencia region has been 9% since 1 June 2026. A small difference on paper, thousands of euros in practice.
Want this calculated for a specific property? Send it to me
The legal checks before you sign
- Registry entry does not prove legal construction. The most expensive misconception on this coast: check the permits separately.
- Licencia de ocupación. Without this document you will run into problems with utility connections and rentals.
- Unpermitted extensions and pools. Have them legalised before the purchase, or factor them into the price.
- Rustic land. Rule of thumb in the Valencia region: a minimum of 10,000 m² to be allowed to build. Do not buy on promises.
- Debts travel with the property. Overdue IBI and community fees follow the home. Check the nota simple, always.
Buying as a non-resident
NIE, bank account, mortgage up to 60 to 70%, and a power of attorney if you do not want to fly over for every signature: very doable, as long as someone shows you the right order. I have just been through it myself.
And the "100% tax for non-EU buyers" from the newspapers? Never passed. As a Belgian or Dutch buyer you simply pay the rates above.
Questions I often get
How much comes on top of the purchase price?
Allow 10 to 12% in total. The biggest block is the 9% transfer tax (since June 2026); the rest is notary, registry and lawyer.
Do I really need a lawyer?
It is not mandatory. My advice: always, and one who is independent of the seller. The legal skeletons on this coast are not in the escritura but in what was never permitted.
Can I buy without coming to Spain every time?
Yes. With a power of attorney the purchase can go through entirely while you stay at home. We bundle the viewings, in 1 day if needed.
How long from offer to keys?
Usually 6 to 10 weeks after the arras contract, mostly depending on the mortgage. Without financing it can be quicker.
Is an offer binding?
An offer on its own is not. It becomes binding with the arras contract: from then on there is a deposit of usually 10% behind it, for both parties.
Further reading
Costs of buying a house in Spain (2026): budget for 10 to 12%
Every cost on top of the price, calculated with the rates that apply after June 2026. Many calculators still get it wrong.
Guide · BuyingIs this Spanish house legally sound? 5 checks before you sign
Licencia de ocupación, unpermitted extensions, debts on the property. What to check before the contract, not after.
Tell me what you are looking for: town, budget, type of home. I will tell you honestly what is realistic, even if the answer is "wait a little longer". You will hear from me within 24 hours.
Tell me what you are looking for Or look at the market figures first