The signing champagne has barely gone flat when a small mountain of admin awaits the new owner. Nothing difficult, but everything is in Spanish and each organisation has its own habits. Here is the roadmap for the first month.
Week 1: tax and registration obligations
The ITP must be settled within a month of signing, and the deed lodged at the land registry to record your ownership officially. In practice, the gestoría appointed on signing day handles everything: it holds a provision, pays the taxes, lodges the deed and returns the balance to you with the receipts. Final registration can take several weeks; that is normal.
Weeks 1 to 3: meters and contracts
Electricity, water, gas: each contract is transferred into your name, paid by direct debit from your Spanish account. The cédula de habitabilidad and the energy certificate are often requested. For the owners' association, the administrator (administrador) is notified of the change of owner and updates the direct debits for the fees.
Weeks 2 to 4: the rest of settling in
- IBI: notifying the change of owner and setting up the direct debit.
- Home insurance: in force from signing day, ideally taken out beforehand.
- Internet and phone, alarm, pool and garden maintenance: setting up the contracts you need.
At Acheter Malin Costa Brava, this first month is part of the service: transferring contracts, introductions to the right local providers, and a single contact, in French, until everything is up and running.
