What to check before buying a villa in Spain

The nota simple is a summary extract from the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) showing who owns the property, its registered size and description, and any charges against it — mortgages, liens, embargoes or easements. Your lawyer should obtain and review a current nota simple before you sign anything or transfer a deposit.

A key check is whether the registered description of the property (built area, number of structures) matches what actually exists on site. Discrepancies are common with older villas that have been extended over the years without always updating the registry, which is a separate issue from the catastro mismatch discussed below but often related to it.

The cédula de habitabilidad (habitation certificate, terminology and exact requirements vary somewhat by region) certifies that a dwelling meets minimum conditions to be legally inhabited. It is typically required to connect utilities and, in many cases, to complete a sale. For newer builds, the equivalent document is often the licencia de primera ocupación.

If a seller cannot produce a valid, current habitation certificate, ask why — it may be a simple renewal issue, or it may signal a more fundamental problem with the property's legal status. Either way, get a clear answer before proceeding, since obtaining one after purchase can be more complicated if the underlying works were never properly licensed.

Many villas on Costa Blanca have had additions over the years — an extra room, an enclosed terrace, a garage conversion, an extended pool area. The question that matters is whether each of these had the correct building licence (licencia de obra) at the time, and whether they are correctly reflected in the property registry and catastro records.

Unlicensed extensions are not automatically fatal to a purchase, but they carry real consequences: potential fines, complications selling in future, difficulty getting certain extensions legalised retroactively (especially near protected land or close to boundaries), and possible issues with insurance or mortgage valuation. Ask specifically, in writing, whether any part of the build was constructed without a licence, and have your lawyer verify this independently rather than relying on the seller's word.

Spain has two separate official records that should, but do not always, agree: the Land Registry (legal ownership and charges) and the Catastro (a tax and cadastral record used partly to calculate IBI, the local property tax). It is not unusual to find a mismatch between the built area recorded at the Catastro, the built area recorded at the Registry, and what is physically on the plot.

Your lawyer or a local surveyor (arquitecto técnico) can check all three against each other. Sorting out a mismatch before you buy is generally far easier than doing it afterward, since as the new owner you would inherit responsibility for reconciling the records.

If the villa sits within a private urbanisation or community with shared services (private roads, communal pool, security, gardens), it will typically have community fees (cuotas de comunidad). Ask for the last statutes and recent minutes, the current fee amount, and — importantly — a certificate confirming there are no outstanding debts on the property, since in some circumstances unpaid community debts can transfer with the property.

It is also worth asking about any planned special levies (derramas) for upcoming works, such as road resurfacing or pool renovation within the urbanisation, which could mean a lump-sum cost shortly after you move in.

IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) is the annual local property tax, set by the town hall and based on the catastral value; ask to see recent IBI receipts both to confirm the amount and to verify there is no unpaid balance, since this too is a charge that can attach to the property rather than purely the individual owner.

For villas specifically, also budget realistically for ongoing running costs beyond IBI: pool maintenance, garden upkeep, well or borehole costs if not on mains water, alarm/security monitoring, and generally higher utility bills than an equivalent apartment given the larger footprint and typically higher energy demands for heating and cooling standalone structures.

Beyond the legal documents, it is sensible to have an independent professional inspect the roof, damp-proofing, electrical installation, plumbing and, if present, the pool's structure and filtration system, particularly for older villas. Spain does not have a universal, standardised home-inspection culture in the way some other countries do, so this is usually something you need to actively arrange rather than something that happens automatically.

Pay particular attention to anything that suggests water ingress, structural cracking, or ad hoc electrical work, and get quotes for remediation before finalising your offer if you find issues you are willing to live with but want reflected in the price.