Glossary

Useful real estate glossary: Spanish - english

Below is a list of the most common terminology when it comes to buying and selling property in Spain, Catalonia.

Administrador de Fincas:                                  Administrator of estates, officially licensed property administrator

A.P.I (Agente de la Propiedad Inmobilaria):        Real Estate Property Agent; Broker registered with a long established, registered professional                                                                         association in Spain.

Aparejador:                                                     Surveyor, building supervisor

Ayuntamiento:                                                 Town hall

Catastro:                                                         The land registry

Certificado de Empadronamiento:                      Certificate - proof of registration in the municipality

Certificado Cadastral:                                       Certificate from the register that describes buildings and land

Certificado de Final de Obra:                             Certificate of the completion of building work

Comunidad de propietarios:                              The Community or Association of Owners or the Residents Association

Contrato de arras:                                           Sales agreement in which both parties promise to proceed to the conclusion of purchase and                                                                        sale before a certain date

Contrato de compraventa:                                Purchase contract; with this contract an estate is actually to be sold

Contrato de reserve:                                        A reservation contract or reservation agreement with the goal of eventually selling the estate

Cuota: Contribution:                                        Payment

Cuenta corriente:                                            Current account

Declaración de Obra Nueva:                             A declaration of new building/construction

Domilicion de Pago:                                        Order for automated bank payments

Escritura de compraventa:                               Deed of sale

Escritura Pública:                                            Public deed of sale; deed which irrefutably proves the rightful owner

Fianza:                                                          Deposit

Finca:                                                            Plot of land, estate

Gestor - Gestoria:                                          Spanish administrative expert in licensing procedures - professional administration office

G.I.P.E :                                                        Legal title conferred by an association of realtors and property administrators

(Gestor y Intermediario

de Propiedades y Edificios)

 

Hacienda:                                                     Tax office - Department of taxation

Hipoteca:                                                      Mortgage

I.B.I (Impuestos sobre Bienes Inmeubles):      The annual municipal property tax

I.T.P (Impuesto de

Transmisiones Patrimoniales):                        The transfer tax between private individuals, in other words ownership property transfer tax

 

I.V.A (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido):         Value Added Tax; amongst others used as property transfer tax in the case of business                                                                                   transaction

Licencia – Permiso de obra:                            License - Building permit

N.I.E (Número de Identificación

de Extranjero):                                               Foreigner Identification Number; tax number for foreigners

 

Notario:                                                         Spanish Notary (guarantee in writing that both parties have signed a contract properly)

Nota Simple:                                                  Certificate of ownership registration

Paga y señal:                                                 Reservation deposit - down payment; this is usually 10% of the purchase sum

Plus Valía:                                                     Municipal tax on real estate sales; tax on the increase in land value since the last sale (very                                                                           often differs from region to region)

Poder:                                                          Power of attorney, authorization

Promessa de compraventa:                            Commitment to buy - sell

Propietario:                                                  Owner, landlord

Referencia Catastral:                                    The cadastral register number, in other words; property registration number

Registro de la Propiedad:                              The property registry, in other words; Land Registry

Seguro:                                                       Insurance

Servidumbre de paso – camino real:              The true right of way

Tasación - Tasador:                                      Property valuation - property appraiser

Transferencia:                                             Transfer

Urbanismo:                                                 City-town planning department - urban development office

Valor Catastral:                                           Cadastral value; the estimated cadastral value of the property for tax purposes

Vivienda Secundaria:                                   Second home