THE dream of owning a property in Spain is often more fraught than aspiring buyers realise when they gaze into an estate agent’s window.
The journey from contacting the agent to putting down the deposit, moving in and running off to the beach is literally littered with hurdles and boobytraps.
It is indeed, a veritable minefield that can sour the sangria for the unwary who plunge in blindly.
“Once you’ve bought a property, you don’t necessarily know the costs associated with it,” Alexandra FitzRoy-Stone of Nockolds Lawyers Spain tells the Olive Press.
“You’ve got various taxes and rates, such as the IBI (council tax), Basura (refuse collection tax), non-resident tax or, if you become a resident, you’ve got to file your declaration here.
“There is also the need for a Spanish Will for your Spanish assets, that can be drawn up in line with the law of your country of origin.
“There’s lots of things people don’t know. We are here to help.”
New buyers will likely also have to navigate the complex world of inheritance laws, hidden debts and unexpected taxes.
While Nockolds knows Spanish law inside and out thanks to its bilingual Spanish lawyers and legal experts, they also bring the highest ethical standards from the UK.
“We provide the best of British legal practices, combined with a thorough command of Spanish law,” explains Alexandra, who moved to Estepona from England seven years ago.
“We are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in England, and although here we are a separate Spanish business, we implement exactly the same policies as if we were regulated in the UK.”
Nockolds does a full search on each potential property purchase so that clients can rest assured there are no red flags or hidden taxes.
Thanks to ‘absolutely brilliant’ contacts in the town hall, the local tax office and the land registry, they can put together a report on a property in a matter of days.
“People think, wow,” Alexandra continues. “We practise exactly how we would do in the UK.”
With over 90 lawyers qualified in their field, the skilled team can handle both ends of a relocation to Spain, including the sale of the UK property.
This includes taking care of all conveyancing worries, estate planning, inheritance and every other concern that crops up with owning property abroad.
Even services like visa applications, which have become increasingly pivotal post-Brexit, can be navigated with Nockolds experts.
Their approach is about being proactive, not reactive, built upon their history and legacy in their UK offices in London and Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, where they’ve been a legal cornerstone for over 200 years.
With their rich tradition of exceptional client care now anchored in Estepona, British expatriates and international clients can rest assured that their Spanish property affairs will be managed with precision and integrity.
info@nockolds.es
T: (+34) 951 55 22 54
www.nockolds.es
Calle Goya 11, Estepona