Costs of buying a house in Spain in 2026: the complete list

When someone says that buying a home costs X euros, they usually mean the purchase price. But the reality is that, between taxes, notary, land registry, gestoría (the agency that handles the paperwork) and appraisal, the total cost of the purchase is 7-14% higher than the purchase price (a little less in the Basque Country). Here is the full breakdown, so there are no surprises.

For a resale home (the most common case)

ITP (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales, the property transfer tax): The biggest cost. Between 6% (Madrid) and 10% (Catalonia) of the purchase price in the regions under the common tax regime (all except the Basque Country and Navarre); in the Basque Country, 4%. For a €150,000 home in Catalonia, that's €15,000 in ITP alone.

Notary: Notary fees are regulated by the government. For a €150,000 deed, the cost is usually between €600 and €900, depending on the number of pages and the complexity of the document.

Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad): Registering the change of ownership. The amount is regulated: for €150,000, between €300 and €500.

Gestoría: If you finance with a mortgage, the bank usually insists on its own gestoría to pay the taxes and register the purchase. Usual cost: €300-500. If you buy in cash, you can do it yourself or hire whoever you like.

Appraisal (if there's a mortgage): Compulsory for the bank. Cost: €250-500 depending on the property and the appraisal company.

For a new-build home

Instead of ITP, you pay IVA (Spanish VAT) at 10%, or 4% for special-regime or publicly developed VPO (Vivienda de Protección Oficial, state-subsidised housing), plus Actos Jurídicos Documentados (AJD, a stamp duty) of 0.5-1.5% depending on the region. The other costs (notary, land registry, gestoría, appraisal) are similar.

The numbers in summary: for a €150,000 home in Andalusia

• ITP at 7%: €10,500
• Notary: ~€700
• Land Registry: ~€400
• Gestoría: ~€400
• Appraisal: ~€350
• Approximate total costs: €12,350 (8.2% of the price)

In a region with 10% ITP, the total rises to ~€16,850 (11.2%). That's money you need to have available on top of the 20% deposit the bank doesn't finance.

Who pays the mortgage costs?

There is a lot of confusion here, so it's worth separating things clearly. Since the 2019 Mortgage Credit Act (Ley de Crédito Inmobiliario), and since November 2018 in the case of AJD, the costs of setting up the mortgage are split like this:

• The bank pays: the notary for the mortgage, the land registry, the gestoría and the Actos Jurídicos Documentados (AJD) tax on the mortgage.
• The buyer pays: only the appraisal.

Careful: this applies to the costs of the MORTGAGE. The costs of the PURCHASE (ITP or IVA, plus the notary and land registry for the deed of sale) are still yours. Confusing the two is the most common mistake when drawing up a budget.

ITP reductions that many people don't claim

ITP is not a single figure: almost every region has reduced rates for specific profiles. Check whether you qualify before paying the standard rate:

• Young buyers (usually under 35-36): reduced rates in many regions, sometimes with a cap on the price of the home.
• Large families, people with disabilities and VPO: additional reliefs depending on the region.
• Main residence: some regions apply a reduced rate compared with a second home or an investment.

These are regional reductions, so the saving depends on where you buy. Check the rules of the region where you're buying or ask the gestoría before paying the tax.

Frequently asked questions

Can the purchase costs be financed with the mortgage?
Generally, no: the bank finances a percentage of the purchase price or the appraised value, and you pay the taxes and costs separately. That's why you need to have that 7-14% saved on top of the deposit.

Does the buyer pay the plusvalía municipal (the local tax on the increase in the value of the land)?
No: by law the seller pays it. In some deals the opposite is agreed, so always check it in the contrato de arras (the deposit contract signed before the deed).

How much should I have saved in total?
As a rule, the deposit the bank doesn't finance (around 20%) plus 7-14% for costs and taxes. On a €150,000 home, that's ~€30,000 for the deposit and ~€11,000-17,000 for costs.

Plan your total budget: Use RadarPro to work out the total purchase cost of any property in the region where you're buying.