Your offer has been accepted: congratulations, but the house is not yours yet. Between that 'yes' and receiving the keys at the notary, you should generally allow one to three months. Here is what happens during that time, and what shortens or lengthens it.
The first two to three weeks: securing the deal
Right after the agreement, the checks are completed if they have not been already: land registry, planning, owners' association, any debts. Then comes the signing of the arras contract, with payment of the deposit, usually 10% of the price. This contract sets the deadline for the final signing.
Next: preparing the signing
- Your NIE and your Spanish bank account, if they are not ready yet.
- Transferring the funds from France, to be planned several days ahead.
- The seller's documents: certificate from the owners' association, latest IBI bill, energy certificate, cédula de habitabilidad.
- The draft deed, which you should read and have translated before the appointment.
What affects the timescale
A cash purchase, with an NIE already obtained and an available seller, can be completed in four to six weeks. A Spanish mortgage often adds one to two months (valuation, loan offer, statutory reflection period). An unsettled inheritance, an extension to regularise, or a seller who needs to buy elsewhere can also stretch the timetable. These situations can be spotted early and negotiated in the arras contract.
The signing date is something you choose, not something you endure. Set with a realistic margin in the arras contract, it saves you chasing a document the day before the appointment.
