Ownership and Land Registry
We establish who owns the property, who must sign and what registered charges or limitations need attention.
Independent Spanish legal advice · International clients
Buying, Selling or Inheriting Property in Spain?
Have an Independent Lawyer on Your Side.
Clodovea advises and represents international clients across Spain, with clear legal guidance before you commit.
Buying a property? Speak to us before signing a reservation agreement, paying a deposit or committing to a purchase.
Lawyer with 30 years’ experience
Colegiada nº 2455, ICA Málaga
Fixed fees agreed upfront
English, Spanish, Dutch & Norwegian
Why Clodovea
Your interests. Independently represented.
Buying a property in Spain involves decisions that can bind you before the notarial signing. The estate agent is involved in the transaction, and the notary provides impartial advice and legal checks. Your own lawyer has a separate role: advising and negotiating specifically for you.
At Clodovea, we examine the property documents, investigate its legal and planning position, review the proposed contract and explain the taxes and costs. Where we identify an issue, we explain its significance and advise on the protections or further checks needed before you proceed.
We negotiate the legal terms on your behalf and coordinate the purchase through completion and registration. You receive clear advice on the decisions you need to make, wherever you are based.
Before you sign or pay a deposit, let us review the proposed purchase.
- In your purchase, we act exclusively for you
- Advice before you commit, not after
- Contracts reviewed and negotiated
- English, Spanish, Dutch and Norwegian
- Head office in Vélez-Málaga
- Representation by power of attorney
Before you commit
What We Investigate Before You Sign
These are the checks behind a purchase. Which of them apply depends on the property and the transaction, and we tell you what yours needs before we start.
Cadastre and property description
We compare the available descriptions and investigate discrepancies that may affect your purchase.
Planning and licences
We examine the relevant planning information and permissions, including works or intended uses that need further investigation.
Debts and charges
We identify relevant debts and charges and advise how they should be addressed in the transaction.
Contract and deposit
We review deadlines, payment terms, conditions and the consequences of withdrawing, and negotiate appropriate protections.
Taxes and costs
We explain the taxes and transaction costs relevant to the purchase so you can plan the total budget.
We then coordinate the notarial signing, relevant tax filings and registration. You can read what a Spanish lawyer checks before you sign in more detail.
- A deposit can create commitments before completion. We review the proposed agreement and explain your obligations before you pay.
- An extension can look finished while its legal status remains unclear. We investigate the relevant documents and advise on the next steps.
- A registered charge needs a clear plan. We advise how it should be dealt with as part of the purchase.
From abroad
Buying From Abroad? We Can Represent You in Spain.
With a suitable power of attorney, we can carry out the agreed legal steps and sign on your behalf where authorised. We explain how to arrange the necessary documents and keep you informed as the purchase progresses. Before we start, we confirm whether anything in your particular case requires your attendance.
Step 1
Agree the scope
We discuss what you are planning, what needs to be done in Spain and which steps we will handle for you.
Step 2
Arrange authority and documents
We explain how the power of attorney is granted in your own country, what it must cover and which documents you need to prepare.
Step 3
Advice and updates through completion
We carry out the agreed steps, report on what we find and keep you informed through the signing and registration.
Our Legal Services
Legal Services for Foreign Property Owners in Spain
Independent legal services for foreign buyers, sellers, heirs and non-residents, in your own language, including English, Spanish, Dutch and Norwegian, with fixed fees agreed before we start.
Buying and Selling Property
Legal investigation, contract negotiation and representation through completion and registration, for buyers and sellers.
Inheritance and Wills
Advice on the applicable succession rules, the documents required and the steps to transfer or register assets in Spain.
Company Formation (Spanish SL)
Advice on the legal decisions behind your company, preparation of the agreed documentation and coordination of the incorporation.
NIE Assistance
Help obtaining the Spanish identification number you need for a purchase. Background reading: our NIE guide.
Powers of Attorney
We advise on the authority needed for us to act for you in Spain, and how to arrange it from your own country.
Ongoing Tax Assistance
Assistance with the Spanish tax obligations that follow from owning property, agreed as a separate service.
Lead lawyer
Encarnación R. González Hierrezuelo
Abogada · Colegiada nº 2455, Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Málaga (ICA Málaga)
Encarnación brings 30 years of legal experience and leads the legal work on property purchases, sales and inheritances for international clients. As a registered member of the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Málaga, she is bound by the Spanish Bar's professional and ethical standards. Clients are advised in English, Spanish, Dutch and Norwegian, so nothing gets lost in translation at any stage of the matter.
Fixed fees
What a Property Purchase Costs
Our fee for handling a property purchase is fixed and agreed before we start. It depends only on the purchase price.
| Purchase price | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Up to €200,000 | €1,850including VAT |
| €200,001 to €350,000 | €2,485including VAT |
| €350,001 to €500,000 | €3,485including VAT |
| €500,001 to €1,000,000 | €4,485including VAT |
| Above €1,000,000 | On requestfixed fee, agreed before we start |
After the signing we register the property in your name and file the purchase taxes, for a fixed €285 including VAT. The taxes themselves, and the notary and Land Registry charges, are set by them and not by us. These are purchase fees; sales, inheritance and company formation are quoted separately. See the fees and what happens after you sign.
Where We Work
On the Costa del Sol and Across Spain
Our head office is in Vélez-Málaga, with a second office in Torre del Mar. We assist international clients with property purchases, inheritance and legal matters throughout Axarquía, Málaga, Marbella, Ibiza and across Spain, handling matters remotely or meeting you at the office.
Head office
Vélez-Málaga
C. Cam. Viejo de Malaga, 28, 29700. Our head office, where the legal work on property purchases, sales and inheritances is handled.
Office
Torre del Mar
C. Azucarera, 1, Conjunto Europa, 29740. Our office on the Axarquía coast, for client meetings and day-to-day matters in the region.
Practical guides
Before You Start, Read This
What a Spanish lawyer checks before you sign
The documents and registers behind a purchase, and what each of them can reveal.
The NIE number for property buyers
What the Spanish identification number is for, and what you need to prepare.
Get in Touch
Tell Us What You Are Planning
Send us the basic details of your situation and we will identify the advice and checks your matter may require. The first assessment is free and without obligation, and we explain the proposed scope and fees before starting any legal work. You can also see all our contact details and office addresses.
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