Our
glossary includes some Spanish words which will be useful if you want to buy a
house in Spain. Buying property is a serious business, and even if you don't speak
Spanish, if you learn the basic concepts you will feel more confident as you go
through the procedure of buying your house in Spain.
Some of
the Spanish terms here are unfamiliar to people who are starting to learn more
about the Spanish system of real estate. For a more detailed definition or complementary
information, click on the Spanish word if it is a link.
Try
our Spanish pronunciation
guide for a totally unscientific but pretty effective description of the
pronunciation of the Spanish terms listed below. Check out our emergency
phone numbers too.
Spanish
term | English
term |
| Abogado | Spanish
Lawyer (Fees
of Spanish lawyers) |
| Administrador
de Fincas | Licensed property administrator |
| Agente
de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria (API) | Property
agent |
Amortización | Depreciation.
Redemption. |
| Arras | Down
payment, deposit |
| Aval | Guarantee
requested by the bank to approve a mortgage application |
| Bungalow | 2
or 3-storey terrace house |
| Caja
de ahorros | Savings bank (usually
offer good mortgage deals) |
| Cargas | Charges.
Burden |
| Certificado
registral | Certificate informing about debts
of a specific property |
| Villa |
| Comunidad
de propietarios | Community of property
owners |
| Contrato
de Compraventa | Private property sales contract.
The buyer pays a 10% deposit and the contract is signed by buyer and vendor. |
| Documento
privado | Private document |
| Documento
público | Public document |
| Escritura | Deeds |
| Escritura
pública de compraventa | Title Deed
|
| Euribor | Euro
Interbank Offered Rate |
| Finca | Estate |
| Gestoría | Firm
specialised in obtaining official authorisations, permits, licences etc |
| Hipoteca | Mortgage |
| Impuesto
sobre Bienes Inmuebles | Yearly property
tax |
| Impuesto
sobre el Incremento del Valor de los Terrenos | Tax
on the increase of land value |
| Inmobiliaria | Estate
agent |
| IBI:
Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles | Annual
real estate tax |
| Impuesto
sobre el patrimonio | Capital gains
tax |
| Incremento
de patrimonio | Capital gain |
| Libre
de cargas | Free of debts |
| Libro
del edificio | Documents which must
be handed over by the promoter when building is finished. |
| Licencia
de obra | Building permission |
| N.I.E. | Identity
Number for Foreigners (see how
to get a NIE in the UK) |
| Notario | Notary |
| Nota
simple | Certificate from Property
Registry |
| Obra
nueva | Document certifying
a brand new building |
| Oferta
vinculante | Bank document certifying the
exact mortgage conditions |
| Pago
en efectivo | Cash payment |
| Parcela | Plot
of land |
| Piso | Flat |
| Poder | Power
of attorney |
| Préstamo
con techo | Loan with variable interests with
fixed minimum and maximum |
| Préstamo
hipotecario | Mortgage loan |
| Capital gains tax
on the sale of property |
| Registro
de la Propiedad | Property ownership Register |
| Representante
fiscal | Official tax representative of foreigner |
| Residencia
(permiso) | Residency (permit) |
Residente | Resident |
| Se
vende | For sale |
| Seguro
de amortización de préstamos | Loan
repayment insurance |
| Seguro
Multirriesgo Hogar | House insurance |
| Señal | Deposit,
down payment |
| Tasación | Independent
valuation of property |
| Terreno | Plot
of land |
| Tipo
de interés | Rate of interest |
| Título
de propiedad | Deeds stating the ownership
of property, date of sale etc. |
Valor
Catastral | Assessed value of property
for tax purposes |
Useful
Spanish when buying property in Spain.