3 Steps for Buying a Property in Ibiza

It’s said that you need two things that before you become an owner of a real estate in Ibiza. The first one is a fiscal number, called the NIE number (número de identificación de extranjeros). It’s a unique code for each person that lasts for their whole life and allow you to pay tax, purchase property and pay utility bills. The second one is to open a bank account in Spain. These are mandatory points for all non-residents to obtain it prior to signing the Deed of Sale (Escritura de Compraventa).

Now let’s have a look in details at the home-buying process in Ibiza:

Once the sales price and all the other terms and conditions of the contract have been agreed, a Contrato Privado de Compraventa (preliminary sales contract) is stipulated. This contract includes the details of the property, names of the buyer and the seller, the deposit, the agreed price and the date on or before which the contract must be completed.

At this point the contract is legally binding, so ensure you understand it properly. If unsure ask a lawyer to assist you, preferably someone who is experienced and practiced with the purchase of property in Spain and speaks both English and Spanish.

Once you and the seller have agreed on all the basic terms and conditions, then it’s the moment to put down a holding or reserve deposit to take the property off the market – the amount is normally around the 10% of the agreed sales price. The deposit is usually made with a gestoría.

At this stage a deposit document (Contrato de Arras) is stipulated, which includes: the property particulars, price, deposit payment conditions and date of completion. Should you breach the contract, the deposit is forfeited. If the seller withdraws from the sale, you are entitled to receive double of your deposit back, less any legal fees that may be applicable.