Legal fees for buying property in Spain: how they work

How Spanish lawyers charge for a property purchase

There are three usual ways to quote a purchase. Many firms in Spain quote a percentage of the purchase price, commonly around 1% plus VAT, often with a minimum fee for lower-value properties. Others quote a fixed fee based on the type of property and the work expected. A third model splits the work into phases, so you pay for due diligence first and decide whether to continue once you know the results.

Model	How it works	Best for
Percentage of price	A percentage of the purchase price, plus VAT, often with a minimum	Standard resale purchases
Fixed fee	A closed amount for an agreed scope	Buyers who want certainty from day one
By phases	Due diligence first, then contracts and completion	Fincas, villas and complex properties
Hourly	Time spent, with an estimate	Disputes, legalisation or unusual matters

The structure matters less than the scope. A cheap quote that excludes the planning review or the tax filings may cost more in the end than a complete one.

What a complete quote should include

• Review of the reservation and drafting or negotiation of the arras contract.
• Legal due diligence: Land Registry, Cadastre, licences, planning, debts and community.
• NIE and, if needed, a power of attorney and a Spanish bank account.
• Review of the mortgage offer, if you are financing.
• Review of the deed, attendance at the notary and control of payments.
• Payment of transfer tax, registration at the Land Registry and change of utilities and IBI.
• Communication in your language and written reports.

Ask what is not included. Common exclusions are translations, architect or surveyor reports, legalisation of illegal works, company structures and tax advice in your home country.

Legal fees within the total purchase costs

In the Balearic Islands the largest cost is tax: the transfer tax (ITP) on resale property, or VAT and stamp duty on new builds. Notary and Land Registry fees follow official scales, and the mortgage, if any, adds valuation and bank costs. Legal fees are usually a small part of the total. Our guide to purchase costs and taxes in Mallorca shows how all the items fit together.

Why the cheapest quote is not always the cheapest purchase

The real cost of a purchase without proper advice appears later: an unlicensed extension the town hall orders you to demolish, a rental licence that cannot be transferred, a community levy approved before completion, or a lost deposit because the arras contract had no conditions. Compared with those risks, the difference between two legal quotes is small. What matters is that the lawyer is independent, experienced in the island where you buy and clear about what they will do. See why an independent lawyer protects you.

Fees when you sell

Sellers in Spain also usually instruct a lawyer, especially non-residents, to handle the arras contract, the cancellation of the mortgage, capital gains tax and the recovery of the 3% retention. The fee is usually quoted on similar models. See selling as a non-resident.

How we quote

At Castell.law we send a written proposal before we start, with the scope, the fees and what is excluded, after seeing the listing and the documents. If you only need part of the service, such as a contract review, we quote that part. See our property purchase lawyer service and the conveyancing service.