There are costs in addition to the advertised price to consider when making a property purchase in Spain. In total, these additional costs amount to approximately 10% of the advertised selling price of a property. These costs are mainly due to Spanish VAT (IVA) which is charged at 7%, a stamp duty at 1% and legal and notary fees.

If you are taking a Spanish mortgage there may also be mortgage set up costs to consider, although it is possible to reduce these depending on the mortgage lender.


All advertised prices are quoted without these purchase costs, so you need to budget for an additional amount of approximately 10%. For example, if a property is priced at €100,000, allow roughly €10,000 extra to cover the purchase costs.

Lawyers’ Fees

Lawyers’ fees in Spain range may be charged as a fixed fee or as a percentage of the selling price of the property - fixed fees start from around 800 Euros. Some lawyers ask for half of the fee to be paid up front and half at completion, others just require payment at completion.

It is advisable to use a Spanish lawyer - at least to assist you when the property comes to completion. There are a good number of local Spanish lawyers who speak fluent English.

Paying the IVA and Stamp Duty

The IVA (Spanish VAT) is paid along with the stage payments. So for example, if you have a 25% stage payment you pay the 25%, plus 7% IVA on that amount.

Stamp duty is paid at completion of the property.

Other Costs

The main other cost which you should budget for is furnishing the property. The properties come with fully fitted bathrooms and kitchens, but you will need to purchase furniture and white goods. There are a number of companies in the Murcia area who provide furniture packs, which can be a very easy and cost effective way of furnishing your property.