{"id":2030,"date":"2026-08-12T06:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/acheter-une-maison-sur-la-costa-brava\/neuf-ou-ancien-quelles-differences-pour-lacheteur\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T10:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:03:15","slug":"new-build-or-resale-what-are-the-differences","status":"publish","type":"amcb_kb_question","link":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/new-build-or-resale-what-are-the-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"New-build or resale: what are the differences for the buyer?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On the Costa Brava, most of what is for sale is resale property, but new developments are increasingly common, often with high-quality finishes. Both have their merits; they are simply not bought in the same way. Here are the differences that matter to you.<\/p>\n<h2>Purchase taxes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>For a resale property, you pay ITP, around 10% of the price in Catalonia for the vast majority of purchases, calculated on the price or on the reference value if that is higher. The details are in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/what-is-itp-and-how-much-does-it-cost\/\">ITP<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>For a new-build, you pay 10% VAT, plus stamp duty (AJD), around 1.5% in Catalonia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So a new-build costs a little more in purchase costs, but usually avoids renovation work.<\/p>\n<h2>Guarantees<\/h2>\n<p>A new home benefits from the legal construction guarantees: ten years for structural defects, three years for defects affecting habitability, one year for finishes. If you buy off-plan, the law requires the developer to guarantee the money paid before completion, through a bank guarantee or insurance: check that one exists for every payment. Our detailed advice is in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/2026\/08\/20\/acheter-sur-plan-en-espagne-ce-quil-faut-verifier-avant-de-signer\/\">buying off-plan in Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What resale offers, and what it requires<\/h2>\n<p>Resale property often gives you better locations, more space and real room to negotiate. In return, it needs more checks: planning compliance of extensions, condition of the roof and services, insulation, <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/is-the-energy-certificate-compulsory\/\">energy performance<\/a>, community debts. You also need a realistic budget for work.<\/p>\n<h2>Timescales<\/h2>\n<p>A resale purchase can be signed within a few weeks. Off-plan, it often takes one to two years before you get the keys, with stage payments along the way.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>New-build or resale, the right question is the same: does this property suit how you will use it, in the right area, at the right price? The rest can be checked.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"menu_order":190,"template":"","amcb_kb_category":[25],"class_list":["post-2030","amcb_kb_question","type-amcb_kb_question","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question\/2030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/amcb_kb_question"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question\/2030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2118,"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question\/2030\/revisions\/2118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"amcb_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_category?post=2030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}