English-speaking property law · Costa del Sol & Andalucía
Independent conveyancing in Salobreña 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.
Salobreña's white houses climb a dramatic rock above the sea, ringed by the protected agricultural vega. Two themes recur: village houses with the usual deed-versus-reality discrepancies, and properties on or near the vega, where the land is specially protected and building is constrained. Knowing which land you're actually buying is the first job here.
Around the rock-top old town and the plots bordering the protected vega, we confirm exactly what your parcel is classed as before you build or extend.
Near Salobreña we check whether a plot touches the protected vega, which sharply limits what can be built.
You receive this as a written due-diligence report before you pay any deposit.
We reconcile deed and reality on village houses, and verify classification and any vega-protection limits on properties at the edge of the farmland.
Letting requires legal housing; on protected land it may be restricted. We confirm before you rely on rental income.
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 Motril 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 Motril, 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 Salobreña 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 Salobreña 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 Salobreña 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 Salobreña can all be completed without you travelling. Most of our international clients complete their Salobreña purchase entirely remotely.
It applies when you later sell a Salobreña 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 Salobreña 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 Salobreña property before you commit.
Written by Carlos Babot Horcajadas for international buyers. These are the questions that come up most on a Salobreña purchase — read them before you sign anything.
We believe in transparency. These are the official sources behind the checks above, relevant to a Salobreña 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.