Property Search in Spain: Buying and Renting Support

What to know before you open the listings

The asking price is not what you pay

On top come the regional transfer tax, the notary, the land registry and the lawyer. The spread is wide: 6% of the price in one region, 13% in another. Below we work out what a €300,000 flat actually costs and how the regions differ.

Buying property no longer grants residence

The golden visa was abolished on 3 April 2025. Offers of “residence for buying property” are selling a route that does not exist. Housing and status are still linked, but the other way round — see below.

The agent showing you the flat is paid by the seller

This is not a scam, it is how the market works: an agent serves whoever pays the commission. Which means someone else has to check the property and negotiate. We take no percentage of the price and no money from the seller — it makes no difference to us whether you pay €300,000 or €260,000.

Estate agent, seller’s agent and buyer’s agent are three different jobs

The profession is not licensed at national level in Spain: anyone may call themselves an agente inmobiliario. Registers are run by the regions and the rules differ — in Catalonia registration in the AICAT register is compulsory, while most other regions have no register at all.

The agent showing you a property almost always works for the seller: the fee is a percentage of the sale price and the owner pays it. That does not make the agent dishonest, but their job is to sell that particular property, not to find you the best one on the market. Which is why the documents should be checked, and the price negotiated, by someone who is not paid out of the same deal.

A buyer’s agent — in Spain, a personal shopper inmobiliario — works the other way round: they search the whole market rather than their own listings, and they are paid by you. We do that work together with the legal side: registry extract, contract, taxes and the link to residence, which a personal shopper does not cover.

If you only need someone to show you flats in one district, an agency is enough and it costs you nothing. If you need someone to verify the property and stand on your side in the negotiation and the contract, that is us.

What housing costs: rent and purchase by city

Two different figures that are constantly confused. Rent is the asking price on idealista, updated monthly. Purchase is the average appraised value published by the ministry: this is how a property is valued for a mortgage. It is neither the transaction price nor the asking price, but it is what the bank and the tax office work from.

City	Rent, €/m² per month	Rent for 70 m², monthly	Purchase, €/m²	70 m² flat	Purchase price, year on year
Valencia	€16.3	€1,141	€2,973	€208,000	+17.0%
Madrid	€23.3	€1,631	€5,418	€379,000	+9.4%
Barcelona	€20.2	€1,414	€4,602	€322,000	+6.9%
Alicante	€13.9	€973	€2,279	€160,000	+12.6%
Malaga	€16.5	€1,155	€3,321	€232,000	+14.8%
Santa Cruz de Tenerife	€14.1	€987	€2,330	€163,000	+19.6%
Torrevieja	€12.8	€896	€2,254	€158,000	+16.7%
Marbella	—	—	€4,528	€317,000	+15.6%
Palma de Mallorca	—	—	€3,815	€267,000	+14.3%
Seville	€13.5	€945	€2,652	€186,000	+14.7%
Bilbao	—	—	€3,529	€247,000	+8.0%

Rent — idealista, August 2026. Purchase — Spanish Ministry of Housing, average appraised value, Q2 2026. The price of a 70 m² flat and the yearly change are calculated from the same data, not typed in by hand.

The gap between cities is wider than it looks: the same flat in Torrevieja is 51% cheaper than in Barcelona, and renting in Valencia is 30% cheaper than in Madrid. Choosing the city is half the budget of the move.

Cities: where to look and what to watch

We work across the country, but six destinations cover most requests. For each one: who it suits, where to look and what needs checking there specifically.

Valencia

€16.3 rent, m²/mo €2,973 purchase, m²

The most common choice for people moving to live rather than to invest: a city of a million with jobs, schools, a metro and the sea inside the city limits, yet cheaper than the two capitals. Renting here is 30% cheaper than in Madrid.

Ruzafa and Eixample — the centre, with cafés, noise and the highest price per metre. Benimaclet and Campanar — quieter and cheaper, further from the water. Cabanyal and Patacona — ten minutes from the beach and most of the new builds. Families with children tend to pick Alboraya and Godella for the schools.

What to watch: Prices are rising faster than in any other large city: +17.0% over the year. Good properties go within days, there is little room to negotiate, and decisions often have to be made from video. We also check the flood zone after the 2024 DANA and whether the building has a lift — many old ones do not.

Moving to Valencia: prices and taxes · Districts of Valencia

Madrid

€23.3 rent, m²/mo €5,418 purchase, m²

Work, business, international schools and the best transport links in the country. If you need offices, universities and direct flights and the sea is optional, this is Madrid. The most expensive rent in Spain: €21.5/m² per month.

Chamberí and Salamanca — expensive and prestigious. Tetuán, Arganzuela and Carabanchel — the same twenty minutes to the centre for noticeably less. Las Rozas and Pozuelo — houses and schools for families. The price per metre differs twofold between districts.

What to watch: The difficulty here is competition rather than price: a dozen people turn up to a viewing and the owner picks by paperwork. A foreigner without a Spanish employment contract is usually asked for several months up front or a bank guarantee. That is lawful, but an additional guarantee cannot exceed two months’ rent — article 36.5 of the tenancy law.

Moving to Madrid: prices and taxes · Districts of Madrid

Barcelona

€20.2 rent, m²/mo €4,602 purchase, m²

An international city with the sea, strong schools and the largest foreign community in the country. The price per metre to buy is €4,602/m², second only to Madrid.

Eixample and Gràcia — the centre and the old stock. Sant Martí and Poblenou — newer buildings by the water. Sarrià and Pedralbes — families and schools. L’Hospitalet and Badalona — the same metro area for less.

What to watch: Barcelona is declared a strained housing market area: the rent in a new contract cannot exceed the rent of the previous contract on the same home over the last five years (article 17.6 of the tenancy law). Good for the tenant, but supply has shrunk and document requirements have risen. If you are buying, budget the tax first: Catalonia charges the highest rate in the country, in bands.

How to move to Barcelona · Districts of Barcelona

Alicante and the Costa Blanca

€13.9 rent, m²/mo €2,279 purchase, m²

The coast, both to live by the sea and to let: Alicante, Torrevieja, Benidorm, Dénia, Jávea, Calpe. The metre costs a fraction of the capital — a 70 m² flat in Torrevieja is €158,000.

Alicante — a working city with an airport. Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa — the most affordable housing and a large Russian-speaking community. Dénia, Jávea and Calpe — greener, quieter and pricier. Benidorm — towers and year-round tourism.

What to watch: The coast runs on seasons: in winter neighbouring houses stand empty, in summer rents double. Before buying we look at community fees (the pool, lifts and security of an urbanisation cost real money), the actual floor area in the cadastre, and whether extensions and pools were built with a licence — on this coast many were not.

Moving to Alicante: prices and taxes · Costa Blanca: towns and beaches

Málaga and the Costa del Sol

€16.5 rent, m²/mo €3,321 purchase, m²

The fastest market in the country: +14.8% over the year in Málaga and +15.6% in Marbella. People come for the climate, the golf and a winter without heating.

Málaga — a city with an airport, a university and a growing tech cluster. Marbella and Estepona — villas and gated urbanisations. Mijas and Fuengirola — a compromise on price between the city and the sea.

What to watch: Many sellers here are non-residents. In such a deal the buyer must withhold 3% of the price and pay it to the tax office on form 211 — it is not your cost, but if the withholding is not made, the buyer answers for it. Second, Andalusia has one of the lowest purchase tax rates, which on an expensive property is real money saved.

Moving to Málaga: prices and taxes · Andalusia and the Costa del Sol

Tenerife and the Canary Islands

€14.1 rent, m²/mo €2,330 purchase, m²

A separate tax regime and summer all year round. The metre is cheaper than on the mainland, and growth is among the highest in the country: +19.6% over the year.

Santa Cruz and La Laguna — cities to live in. Arona and Adeje (Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje) — the south, the sea and the tourist market. The north is greener and cheaper but distinctly cloudier.

What to watch: The Canaries levy the local IGIC instead of VAT, and the rate on resale homes is lower than on the mainland. The main thing we check is the legal use of the property: part of the housing stock in the south is classed as tourist accommodation, and you can neither live there permanently nor register your address.

Moving to Tenerife: prices and taxes

Other cities and coasts

Seville and Bilbao — large cities without the resort premium. Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza — an expensive island market with the highest purchase tax. Murcia and Cartagena — the cheapest metre on the coast. Girona and the Costa Brava — the sea an hour from Barcelona. If your city is not on the list, it does not mean we will not take it on: write to us and we will look at that market together.

What you pay on top of the price

The transfer tax on a resale home (ITP) is set by the region, and on the same property the gap between regions runs to tens of thousands of euros. A new build pays 10% VAT instead of ITP, plus stamp duty on the notarial deed (AJD) at the regional rate.

Region	ITP rate	Tax on €300,000	New build: VAT + AJD
Madrid	6%	€18,000	€32,250
Canary Islands, Tenerife	6.5%	€19,500	€33,000
Andalusia, Costa del Sol	7%	€21,000	€33,600
Murcia, Cartagena	7.75%	€23,250	€34,500
Valencia, Alicante, Costa Blanca	9%–11% by band	€27,000	€34,200
Balearic Islands, Mallorca	8%–13% by band	€24,000	€34,500
Catalonia, Barcelona	10%–13% by band	€30,000	€34,500

Rates — the regional tax authorities, linked in the first column, checked on 23 September 2026. The amounts in the table are calculated by band, not copied from a price list.

Example: a resale flat for €300,000 in Valencia

Transfer tax (ITP)€27,000
Notary€900
Land registry€600
Gestoría, filing€400
Legal support for the deal€1,500
Total on top of the price€30,400

That is 10.1% above the price of the property. Notary and registry fees follow state tariffs and depend on the price and the length of the deed — the example uses typical amounts. Not included: mortgage costs (valuation and bank fee), insurance and the move itself.

Renting: what the law says and the agent will not

Four rules that save money and nerves. All from the Spanish tenancy law (LAU), with article numbers so you can cite them yourself.

The landlord pays the agency fee

The law assigns estate agency fees and the cost of drawing up the contract to the landlord — article 20.1, as amended in 2023. If you as a tenant are asked for an “agency commission”, that demand runs against the law and is open to challenge.

The deposit is one month’s rent

The compulsory deposit on a home equals one month’s rent, article 36.1. An additional guarantee is allowed, but in contracts of up to five years (seven if the landlord is a company) it cannot exceed two months’ rent, article 36.5. Anything beyond that is a reason to stop.

The contract extends to five or seven years

Even if the contract says one year, the tenant may extend it annually up to five years, or seven if the landlord is a legal entity, article 9.1. You cannot be moved out after a year because “the contract ended”.

In a strained market area the rent is capped

In Barcelona and a hundred more Catalan municipalities, the rent in a new contract cannot exceed the rent of the previous contract on that home over the last five years, article 17.6. A higher price is an opening for a conversation, not a fact of the market.

What we check before you pay a deposit

The deposit (arras) is usually 10% of the price, and if the buyer walks away it is not returned. So every check happens before it, not after. We run these checks together with partners who specialise in property.

Land registry extract (nota simple). Who actually owns the property, whether a mortgage, seizure or easement is registered, whether a dispute is running. Ready within a day. How to order it yourself is covered in a separate article.
Community debts and property tax. Unpaid community fees pass to the new owner for the current year and the three before it. We take a certificate from the building administrator and the IBI receipts.
Floor area in the cadastre and in the registry. They disagree more often than people assume, and the listing usually quotes the larger of the two. Ten square metres is a difference in both price and tax.
Certificate of habitability. Cédula de habitabilidad or the first occupancy licence. Without it you cannot connect utilities or register your address.
Reference value for tax (valor de referencia). Since 2022 the purchase tax is calculated on the cadastral reference value when it exceeds the price in the deed. “Buying at a lower declared price” ends in an assessment and a penalty — we check it in advance.
Energy certificate and the state of the building. The certificate is compulsory on sale. Plus the ITE report for buildings over 45 years old and any owners’ decisions on the façade or the lift: those are your future contributions.
Squatting risk. An empty home with no alarm and a long-absent owner is the main risk factor. What to do if a property is already occupied is covered here.
The type of deposit in the contract. Arras penitenciales let you walk away and lose the deposit. Arras confirmatorias bind you to complete, and the seller can enforce it in court. One word in the contract changes the consequences entirely.
Source of funds. The notary and the bank are obliged to verify where the money comes from. We prepare the documents in advance, otherwise the deal stalls on signing day.

Housing and residence: how they connect now

The golden visa — residence for buying property from €500,000 — was abolished on 3 April 2025. You can no longer buy a home and receive residence for it, and offers of “residence for a flat” are selling a route that does not exist. What is left of the investment paths is covered in our article on residence through investment.

The link remains, but the other way round: housing is needed for residence, not residence for housing. Registering your address requires a tenancy contract or ownership, and that registration is what gives you healthcare, a school place and a renewal. A consulate applying for the non-lucrative permit will ask where you are going to live.

That is why we do not separate the two tasks. If you are moving, the home and the permit are planned together: the permit decides when you get a NIE, and without a NIE there is no bank account and no deal. Which routes exist now is set out in our guide to Spanish residence permits.

How we work

1
The conversation and the budget
City, rent or purchase, amount, timing, family and residence status. We budget the whole transaction rather than the asking price. If nothing in that budget exists in your chosen city, we say so straight away, not after a prepayment.
30–40 minutes
2
The shortlist
We source properties through agencies and owners in the right district and filter out what will fail the checks: no habitability certificate, community debts, mismatched floor areas.
3–7 days
3
Viewings
We go with the agent if you are in Spain. If you are not yet, we film the property and ask the questions from our list. We check noise, water pressure, internet and neighbours — none of which appears in a listing.
when ready
4
Checks and negotiation
Registry, debts, cadastre, reference value, condition of the building. With the findings in hand we negotiate: every defect found is an argument on price.
2–5 days
5
Deposit and contract
With a partner lawyer we draft the deposit agreement: the right type of arras, a clause covering a mortgage refusal, workable deadlines. For a tenancy, we read the contract line by line and amend it.
1–2 days
6
Notary and afterwards
Signing, registration, transferring the utilities, insurance, address registration. For a non-resident, tax registration and form 210.
signing day and the week after

We quote the fee after the conversation: it depends on the city, the budget and whether this is a rental or a purchase. We take no commission from the seller and do not calculate our fee as a percentage of the price — it makes no difference to us whether you buy high or low.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a property search cost?

It depends on the task: the city, the budget, renting or buying. We quote after the conversation, when the scope is clear. We take no percentage of the price and no commission from the seller.

Who pays the agency when renting?

The landlord. Estate agency fees and the cost of drawing up the contract are assigned to the landlord by article 20.1 of the tenancy law as amended in 2023. Charging the tenant a commission is unlawful.

How big is the deposit on a Spanish rental?

One month’s rent — article 36.1 of the tenancy law. An additional guarantee is possible but cannot exceed two months’ rent in contracts of up to five years (article 36.5).

Can I rent before I have a residence permit?

Yes. Owners ask for identification, proof of income and the deposit; a foreigner without a Spanish employment contract is often asked for prepayment or a bank guarantee within the limits the law allows. The tenancy contract is what lets you register your address, and that registration is what gives you healthcare and a school place.

Does buying property give residence in Spain?

No. The golden visa was abolished on 3 April 2025, and buying a home is no longer a route to residence in its own right. Housing is still needed to register your address and to apply on several other grounds.

How much is payable above the price of the flat?

Expect 10 to 14 per cent of the price, depending on the region and on whether the property is resale or new. The table on this page works out the tax for each region, and below it there is a full estimate for a €300,000 flat in Valencia.

Can I buy remotely?

Yes, under a power of attorney signed before a Spanish consul or before a notary with an apostille. You need a NIE and a Spanish bank account. We run viewings by video, but we still advise at least one trip before buying.

Can I buy a home in Spain with money from Russia?

Yes, EU sanctions do not directly ban Russian nationals from buying property. But the money is checked along the whole chain: since 2026 Russia is on the EU list of high-risk countries, and the bank, the developer and the notary establish its source. Without an EU residence permit a bank will not accept more than €100,000 into your account. Routes, documents and a €600,000 example are in how to transfer money from Russia to Spain.

Can a non-resident get a mortgage?

Yes, usually up to 60–70 per cent of the appraised value and with a larger down payment than a resident would make. Rates and conditions are covered in our article on mortgages in Spain, along with a payment calculator.

Which cities do you cover?

All of Spain. Most often Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante and the Costa Blanca, Málaga and the Costa del Sol, and Tenerife. If your city is not on that list, it does not mean we will not take it on.

Tell us what you are looking for

City, rent or purchase, budget and timing. We will come back with a plan: what that money actually buys, what the full cost of the transaction will be and where we start.