Spanish-English Property dictionary

Escritura: Common practice in Spain when buying a property is firstly to sign a private sales contract before the deeds. In order to be valid, any property title deeds in Spain need to be signed and authorised by a Spanish notary.

Following this, they can then be recorded in the Property Ownership Register and are formal, legal proof of the ownership and characteristics of any property.

The deeds for a property include the following information:

• names and identification of both parties (normally the seller and buyer)
• A detailed description of the property
• Proof that the seller is officially registered in the Property Ownership Register as the owner and is named as such on the previous deeds
• The value of the property
• Any burdens attached to the property
• Proof that payment of any communal charges is up to date
• The sale price and method of payment

The notary is responsible for reading and explaining the deeds in the presence of both the buyer and seller before the deeds are signed and of making sure that the information is correct.

Once the deeds are signed the notary can fax the information to the Property Ownership Registry for the details to be officially recorded on the same day.

The close collaboration between notaries and the Property Ownership Registry means that there is little room for fraud or errors and offers peace of mind to the buyer that the sale is legitimate and the property is free of any hidden burdens. Nevertheless, no system is perfect and anyone considering buying property in Spain is advised to hire the services of a lawyer who will check all the details before the deeds are signed.