We are all familiar with the old saying ‘buyer beware’. Certainly, many prospective purchasers of property in the UK know to proceed with their transaction with extreme caution. By enlisting the services of surveyors and solicitors a buyer can avoid spending money on a defective property or one without good title.
Buying a property in Spain is really no different. Although, it may seem comforting to take advice from an estate agent or the seller when you are unfamiliar with Spanish property law, you should not rely on their guidance too heavily. This is because an agent’s and seller’s objectives are rarely aligned with your own. It is, therefore, imperative that you seek specialist independent legal advice to ensure that you are not entering into a bad bargain.
David was interested in purchasing a property in Spain but was unsure how to proceed in a foreign jurisdiction.
“I had been considering buying property in Spain for some time,” says David. “In preparation, I read a number of books and articles on the subject. All the advice I had come across said I should treat buying abroad exactly the same as I would buying in the UK and mentioned to use a solicitor in the buying process. I knew nothing about the Spanish legal process for purchasing a property so needed to engage with experts to help with the transaction.”
After being introduced to E&G Solicitors in Spain at the A Place in the Sun Live exhibition in London, David asked the firm to help him proceed with his Spanish property purchase and other related legal matters.
The first step was to investigate and report on the title of the property. In this case all was found to be in order and so the next step was to negotiate the terms of the deposit agreement and to arrange for the completion to take place. During the course of the purchase E&G Solicitors in Spain also applied for David's NIE and opened a bank account for David in Spain.
“I was eager to have someone acting on my behalf and taking care of my interests,” says David. “E&G looked after all the legal aspects of my purchase and also confirmed they could assist me with other matters such as drafting a Spanish will, connecting me to utilities and organising my Spanish tax return.”
With the assistance of E&G Solicitors in Spain David was guided through the purchase process in Spain and kept up to date with his case, giving him the confidence he needed to proceed with the transaction. David's purchase was completed in July 2014 and he has since enjoyed many happy holidays at his place in the sun.
“Buying property can be a stressful experience especially when buying in a foreign country,” says David, “but I felt E&G were looking after my interests the whole time.”
If you are considering purchasing a property in Spain and you would like to seek independent advice, please do be in contact with us.
