Costs of buying property in Spain in 2026: taxes, fees and worked examples

In brief: what you pay on top in 2026

• Resale homes in the Valencian Community (Valencia, Alicante, Castellón): ITP (property transfer tax) at 9% of the price, 11% for homes over €1 million.
• New builds: IVA (VAT) at 10% and AJD stamp duty at 1.4%.
• Notary €600–1,500, registration €400–800, gestoría (an agency that handles the paperwork) €300–500 if you choose to use one.
• If you hire an agent to act for you, their services usually cost around 3%.
• All in, that adds roughly 10–13% to the price of a resale home and about 12% to a new build.

The asking price is not the whole bill

The most common mistake when buying a flat in Spain is to count only the price in the listing. Oleg Grechko, founder of the SFERO Real Estate agency in Valencia, runs through the costs like this on the SunClub podcast (in Russian): “Purchase tax, in Valencia that’s 9%. The notary, up to a thousand euros. Registration, we don’t forget that one, 600–700 euros. The agency, 3%. And that’s basically it.”

54 min

Key moments

1. 0:00 You can buy nothing here for €100,000
2. 0:30 Who Oleg is and the episode's two big questions
3. 0:57 A planned move: from Warsaw to Valencia
4. 1:41 How long it took to earn his first money in Spain
5. 2:39 What surprised him in year one: red tape and timelines
6. 4:22 If you're not 1,000% sure, don't start
7. 6:13 Why property: poor service at viewings
8. 7:09 First deal: a seafront flat in Oropesa del Mar
9. 8:12 Six months to the first client and nearly €100,000 in the red
10. 10:44 A late-night idea and training: what an agency is liable for in Spain
11. 12:12 Who to hire first and why building a team is hard
12. 13:03 A client with €250,000: the options
13. 14:46 Long-term letting and living there yourself: why it doesn't work
14. 16:03 Why flipping is dead
15. 18:34 Where the margin is now: new builds
16. 19:06 Will the building get finished? How buyers' money is protected
17. 20:39 Buying costs: 9% ITP, notary, land registry, agency
18. 21:42 The owners' meeting minutes: how not to inherit someone else's debt
19. 22:46 Why use an agency when Idealista exists
20. 23:59 Squatters (okupas): how they find flats
21. 25:12 Types of squatters and rent default insurance
22. 27:15 Case study: squatters left in 2 hours for €4,000
23. 29:40 Why landlords ask for your employment contract
24. 32:34 Mortgages for non-residents: deposit and income
25. 33:33 Mortgages for people under temporary protection
26. 34:02 What banks look at: 2-year contract, 3 years as autónomo
27. 35:08 The 35% rule and flats up to €150,000 near Valencia
28. 37:44 How long a seller will wait for your mortgage: 3-month arras
29. 39:46 Up to what age you can get a mortgage
30. 39:56 Difficult deals and unrealistic expectations
31. 42:36 €100,000 by the sea: expectations vs the market
32. 43:57 476 videos in a year: why being visible saves a business
33. 46:33 News vs niche videos: reach vs leads
34. 47:42 Why Oleg signed an annual contract with the print magazine
35. 50:03 SunClub promo code: a consultation with the founder
36. 50:48 Three tips for starting a business in Spain
37. 52:21 A2 Spanish and why there's no way back
38. 53:50 Next episode preview

Tax on buying a resale home: ITP

When you buy a flat from a private owner, you pay property transfer tax (Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales, ITP). The rate is set by each autonomous community.

In the Valencian Community the general rate was cut to 9% from 1 June 2026. For homes over €1 million it is 11%. Alicante, Benidorm and Castellón belong to the same region, so the same rates apply there.

Large families, buyers under 35 and people with disabilities can get reduced rates. The conditions vary (property price, income, first purchase), so check them with a gestor or with the regional tax office (Agència Tributària Valenciana) before you sign.

The tax is filed on form Modelo 600 within 30 working days of signing at the notary. A gestoría usually takes care of it.

Taxes on a new build: IVA and AJD

If you buy from a developer, instead of ITP you pay:

• IVA at 10% of the price. The reduced 4% rate applies only to special-regime state-subsidised housing.
• AJD stamp duty (Actos Jurídicos Documentados): 1.4% in the Valencian Community from 1 June 2026. Some groups, such as large families, pay 0.1%.

Notary, registration, gestoría

• Notary. Fees are set by law. In Valencia they usually run from €600 to €1,500, depending on the price.
• Registering the title at the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad): €400–800.
• Gestoría: €300–500. It is optional, but a gestoría files the tax and handles the registration, and most buyers use one.
• Property valuation (tasación), if you take out a mortgage: usually a few hundred euros. The bank pays the other costs of the mortgage deed. More on the conditions in Mortgages in Spain for foreigners.

Estate agent fees: who pays the commission

The commission of the agency selling the flat is usually paid by the seller. If you hire an agent to find a home and handle the purchase on your side, their services, according to Oleg, usually cost around 3% of the price.

Worked example: a €150,000 resale flat

Worked example: a €250,000 new build

These figures are approximate. A notary or gestoría will give you an exact calculation before signing.

Hidden costs that are easy to miss

Derrama. A one-off levy the owners in a building agree to charge everyone for repairs to the lift, the façade or the roof. If the previous owner has not paid their share, the debt can pass to you. “Before you pay the arras [the reservation deposit], get the minutes of the last owners’ meeting and see what they decided,” Oleg advises. Along with the minutes, ask for a certificate showing there are no debts to the community of owners.

Buying from a non-resident. If the seller does not live in Spain, the buyer must withhold 3% of the price and pay it to the tax office on form Modelo 211 within a month. It is an advance payment of the seller’s tax, and if it is not made, the property itself is liable.

IBI (the annual local property tax). By law the current year’s IBI is paid by whoever owned the property on 1 January, but contracts often split it pro rata.

Plusvalía municipal. This municipal tax on the rise in land value is paid by the seller. Check that the contract does not pass it on to you.

Frequently asked questions

What tax do you pay when buying property in Spain?

On a resale home, ITP: 9% of the price in the Valencian Community (11% for homes over €1 million). On a new build, IVA at 10% plus AJD stamp duty, which is 1.4% in the Valencian Community.

What are the total costs of buying property in Spain?

In the Valencian Community, roughly 10–13% on top of the price of a resale home and about 12% for a new build, including tax, notary and registration.

Who pays the estate agent’s commission in Spain?

Usually the seller. If you hire an agent to act for you, their services cost around 3% of the price.

Who pays the notary when you buy with a mortgage?

The buyer pays the notary for the purchase deed. The bank pays the costs of the mortgage deed (notary, registration and tax), and the buyer pays only for the valuation.

About the expert

Oleg Grechko is the founder and sales director of SFERO Real Estate (Valencia, Costa Blanca, Costa del Azahar). The full conversation with him is on the SunClub podcast (in Russian), and you can read about flat prices in Buying property in Valencia: what €100,000 really gets you.

• Website: sfero.es
• YouTube: @GrechkoOlegES
• Instagram: @sfero.realestate