FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR REAL ESTATE CONSULTING SERVICES. BUYING REAL ESTATE IN SPAIN - WHAT TO CONSIDER?
Unlike stocks, real estate is less subject to fluctuations. As an investment, land or residential properties are therefore much more stable and sustainable. We particularly recommend buying properties abroad, for example in Valencia, Spain, where the market is not yet as overstimulated as in Germany. Attractive rents can still generate good returns and thus a long-term passive income.
Real estate agents assist in the search, inspection and micro-market analysis of apartments at the site by. They also assist with local coordination of parties (including notary, bank, seller) and provide an initial calculation for expected rent and renovation budget if needed.
Often, the real estate agent can handle tenant searches and property management after the purchase. This can be advantageous, since he must also fulfill his “rent forecast” afterwards.
Through efficient communication channels and a good network at the location, a real estate purchase from Germany takes on average only 3-6 months.
Our fees are 4% of the purchase price, with a minimum of 4,000 EUR plus VAT. Since our fee is performance-based, our clients are not asked to pay until after the property is purchased.
The most important document is the NIE (Numero Identification Extranjero). If you want to apply for a mortgage at a Spanish bank, you will need among other things: current “Schufa”, bank statements, employment contract, tax returns, etc. If you do not want to fly to Spain to sign the purchase contract and mortgage, we recommend that you give a notarial power of attorney to a local Spanish lawyer so that he can sign the purchase & mortgage contract on your behalf at the notary. Of course, we can also advise you in this regard.
Through our large network in Spain, we can also assist you in the sale of an apartment. We have the best contacts with several investors as well as real estate agents who can market your apartment cost-effectively and at the best possible price.
Since the real estate market in Spain is largely between private individuals, it is very dynamic. This means that properties advertised online are already reserved or sold within 1-2 weeks. The collection and compilation of your documents relevant for the transaction alone takes several weeks (including Schufa information and NIE number).
Accordingly, it only makes sense to look for specific real estate offers once you are ready to buy. However, to get a feel for the apartments, prices and rents in Spain, we have put together for you a few references that we have already accompanied on our website.
The risks involved in buying real estate in Spain are similar to those in Germany. These include, among other things, that the tenant may not pay the rent or damage the apartment. Other risks include not inspecting the home thoroughly enough before purchase and needing more things repaired after purchase than originally anticipated. Risks and costs can be minimized by carefully inspecting the home before purchase and diligently managing the home after purchase.
It depends. In principle, you can, but you do not have to fly to Spain. We have trusted local lawyers to whom you can give a notarial power of attorney to sign the purchase contract in Spain on your behalf. If you want to fly to Spain to visit the apartment or sign all the necessary documents on the spot, we will of course be happy to assist you in organizing your trip.
We have several real estate agents on site who will visit the apartment and take videos and photos for you, as well as perform an initial apartment inspection. For a more in-depth examination of the building structure, among other things, we recommend that you hire an architect / building expert after selecting the apartment of your choice.
This person can then accompany the real estate agent on an inspection, check the fabric of the building and make any necessary repairs. We will be happy to coordinate and support you in this as well.
The use of your property depends entirely on your needs. For example, you can choose a dream vacation home in Spain or purchase a property to use during the vacations and rent out when you are not on site.
Of course you can. We ourselves can only recommend service providers with whom we have had good experience. Of course, we also support you if you want to take over the communication with the service providers.
Of course, we can recommend trustworthy partners in Spain even if you do not explicitly use our service.
Real Estate Financing
As is common in real estate transactions, you can finance the purchase with a mortgage (here with a bank in Spain), cash or a loan with a bank in Germany. Here is an example:
Purchase price: 100.000 EUR
+ additional costs: 30.000 EUR
= 130,000 Total funding requirements;
The maximum amount of mortgage that a bank will approve in Spain for non-residents is 50-70% of the purchase price. So you receive about 70,000 EUR from the Spanish bank, get another 30,000 EUR e.g. via a private loan at a bank in Germany and you therefore only need 30,000 EUR equity capital.
Um Ihre Immobilienfinanzierung einfacher zu gestalten, können Sie mit unserem Vergleichsrechner schnell und effizient nach dem geeigneten Kredit für Ihre Investition suchen.
In our experience, German banks will not finance a real estate purchase in Spain or only if you have sufficient collateral (e.g. a property) in Germany. However, since every bank is different, we recommend that you ask your personal bank advisor. Fortunately, it doesn’t cost anything to ask.
In addition to our own banking contacts, we regularly work with mortgage brokers who take over the search for and communication with a suitable bank. Upon request, we will be happy to help you compile the necessary documents and information to apply for a mortgage.
Of course you can contact us at any time and look for solutions together with us. We offer several options, such as our co-investment opportunity, where multiple investors (including ourselves) invest in a property, but we do the work. So as a co-investor, you can sit back and relax, let us do the work, and watch your capital grow with satisfaction.
Real Estate Investments
There are already many institutional investors with large investment funds in the major cities of Germany and in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona). These funds have to invest millions and billions of euros every year, so they buy properties at auction even when prices are high.
Not only does this leave smaller investors out in the cold, unable to raise these large amounts. Also, rents cannot grow at the same rate as rising purchase prices due to the legal protection in place in Germany. Lower rental yields are the result.
In Valencia, we are also seeing rising house prices, but equally rising rents. The relationship between these two important factors remains intact, resulting in generally better rental yields in Spain. Once more institutional investors enter the market, this market opportunity could be over.
This depends heavily on many factors, such as location. In Valencia the real estate transfer tax is 10% of the purchase price, in other regions the amount varies. Also, there are some costs that can arise individually, such as costs of a mortgage, if you choose this form of financing. We will be happy to provide you with a detailed cost estimate as part of your property search so that you can plan your financing well.
We are able to assist you with the purchase of your Spanish property, whether you wish to purchase it for owner occupation, investment or a combination of both. Thanks to our knowledge of the market, we can guide you through the buying process and help you make the best decision.
Of course. Many financial experts are convinced that real estate is the only way are to achieve financial freedom. We don’t want to go that far, but with real estate you definitely achieve schneller und auch sicherer finanzielle Freiheit.
Spain & Germany
No, we can help you buy your property anywhere in Spain, not just in Valencia. Although we consider Valencia an attractive market for investment and a wonderful city to live in, we also have experience in other parts of Spain and are happy to assist you.
No. You do not have to speak Spanish to buy property in Spain. However, some knowledge of English would be an advantage.
Either you do it yourself (as in Germany) or you hire a professional tax advisor to prepare your tax return in Spain for about 100-150 EUR per tax return.
Of course, it is illegal to enter and occupy someone else’s property without permission. Spain is a member of the European Union and therefore has a very similar legal system to Germany and other countries. Nevertheless, as in Germany, it is quite difficult to forcibly remove residents from an apartment once they have settled there. Therefore, it is important to have a well-organized property management company on site to take care of the apartment.
