English-speaking property law · Costa del Sol & Andalucía
Independent conveyancing in Nerja handled end to end by Carlos Babot Horcajadas, a Spanish-qualified solicitor — registry checks, debt and charges search, and contracts explained in plain English before you sign anything.
Nerja anchors a strong British and Northern-European market on the eastern Costa del Sol, but it sits in the Axarquía — a region with a large stock of villas built on rustic land (suelo no urbanizable), many without a full licence. A picture-perfect country villa can turn out to be only regularisable as an AFO, which limits mortgages, works and tourist use. Land status is the headline check here.
Whether it is an apartment near the Balcón de Europa or a villa in the campo towards Maro, the rustic-or-urban question reshapes the whole purchase.
For any country property we confirm whether it is on urban or rustic land and whether it holds a licence or only an AFO/DAFO recognition under Law 7/2021 (LISTA).
A tourist licence generally requires legal, licensed housing. On rustic Axarquía villas a VUT may be impossible — we confirm before a buy-to-let purchase.
Around Nerja we establish first whether a country villa sits on urban or rustic land, because that one fact decides mortgage, works and letting.
You receive this as a written due-diligence report before you pay any deposit.
We obtain your NIE and, if you're abroad, act under power of attorney so you never have to fly over to sign.
Full nota simple search at the Nerja Land Registry: ownership, charges, debts, embargoes and planning/licence status.
We review or draft the contrato de arras, protect your deposit and agree completion terms before any money leaves your account.
Signing of the escritura before a notary in Nerja, with funds and taxes handled correctly.
We register the deed, settle ITP/AJD and plusvalía, and set up your non-resident position via Modelo 210.
It isn't legally compulsory, but in Nerja it is strongly advisable. The estate agent and the notary don't represent your interests — the notary only confirms the signing is formally correct, not that the Nerja property is free of debts, planning problems or licence defects. An independent buyer's lawyer is the only party working solely for you.
For a Nerja purchase our fees are agreed in writing before we start, so there are no surprises. The exact amount is to be determined for your specific case — it depends on the property, the price and the checks involved (a straightforward resale, an off-plan, or a property needing extra due diligence). Tax (ITP or VAT), notary and Land Registry fees are separate, and we set all of it out for you up front.
Yes. We obtain your NIE and act under a power of attorney, so the searches, contracts and the signing before the notary serving Nerja can all be completed without you travelling. Most of our international clients complete their Nerja purchase entirely remotely.
It applies when you later sell a Nerja property as a non-resident: the buyer withholds 3% of the price and pays it to the tax office on account of your capital-gains tax, via Modelo 211. We make sure it is calculated correctly and reclaimed where too much has been withheld.
In Nerja this comes up often. Many country and edge-of-town properties sit on suelo no urbanizable, and some were built or extended without a full licence. Under Andalusia's Law 7/2021 (LISTA) such buildings may only be regularised as an asimilado fuera de ordenación (AFO/DAFO), which limits works, mortgages and tourist use. We verify the exact planning status of your Nerja property before you commit.
Written by Carlos Babot Horcajadas for international buyers. These are the questions that come up most on a Nerja purchase — read them before you sign anything.
We believe in transparency. These are the official sources behind the checks above, relevant to a Nerja purchase:
A free 20-minute call, no obligation. Message us on WhatsApp, call, or send the form and Carlos Babot Horcajadas will get back to you — in English.