Real Estate Lawyer in Alicante and Murcia: English-Speaking Legal Support on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida

If you are buying, selling or letting property in Spain and English is your working language, you need more than a translator: you need a real estate lawyer who acts only for you. Our firm advises international buyers and owners across the entire coastline of Alicante and Murcia, and this page explains exactly what we do, where we act and how we work.

What a real estate lawyer actually does for you in Spain

In Spain the estate agent works for the seller and the developer works for itself. The notary authenticates the deed but does not negotiate on your behalf, does not check whether the price is fair and does not warn you about a commercial decision. Only your own lawyer represents your interests, and does so before you are committed.

In practice, that means:

• Verifying ownership and charges. We obtain the nota simple from the Land Registry and confirm who really owns the property, whether there is a mortgage, an embargo, a right of way or an unregistered extension.
• Checking planning status. Whether the building is legal, whether the pool or the terrace was declared, whether the property sits on rustic land or is affected by a coastal or urban development plan.
• Confirming debts do not travel with the property. Community fees, IBI and utility arrears follow the dwelling, not the seller.
• Drafting or reviewing the reservation and deposit contract. The contrato de arras is where most money is lost. Whether it is penitenciales, confirmatorias or penales changes what happens if either side pulls out.
• Attending completion. We review the deed before signature, check the figures and make sure the property is registered in your name afterwards.

Where we act: the whole Alicante and Murcia coastline

We act across both coasts, which in practice covers the areas where most international buyers purchase:

• Costa Cálida (Murcia): Murcia city, the Mar Menor, Cartagena, La Manga, Los Alcázares, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar, Mazarrón and Águilas.
• Costa Blanca (Alicante): Alicante city, Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar, Santa Pola, Pilar de la Horadada, Altea, Calpe, Jávea and Dénia.

The legal framework is national, so the same guarantees apply everywhere; what changes are the regional taxes and the local planning rules, and those are precisely the details that need checking property by property.

Our real estate services

Residential purchase and sale. Full legal supervision from reservation to registration, for residents and non-residents alike.

Independent due diligence. Title, charges, planning, community, energy certificate, licence of first occupation and, where relevant, the tourist rental position.

Off-plan and new build. We check the developer, the building licence and — critically — that deposits are secured by the bank guarantee or insurance policy required by law. Off-plan is where an unprotected buyer is most exposed.

NIE, non-resident bank account and power of attorney. We can obtain your NIE and act under a power of attorney so that you do not need to travel for every step.

Mortgage review. We examine the binding offer and the clauses before you sign, not after.

Tax. Purchase tax (ITP, or VAT plus stamp duty on new build), the annual non-resident income tax (Modelo 210) — payable even if you never let the property — the 3% retention (Modelo 211) when the seller is a non-resident, and local IBI.

Inheritance of Spanish property. Succession for owners and heirs who live abroad, including the applicable law and the Spanish inheritance tax return.

Lettings and disputes. Lease agreements under the Urban Leases Act, tourist rental compliance, community conflicts, construction defects and litigation when negotiation fails.

Why your lawyer should be independent

A recurring situation: the agency or the developer offers a "recommended" lawyer, sometimes at an attractive fee. The problem is structural, not personal — a professional whose steady flow of work comes from the seller is not in the best position to advise you to walk away from that seller's property.

We are instructed by you and paid by you. If the answer is that the purchase should not go ahead, that is the answer you will get, and better before the deposit than after.

How we work with international clients

We work in English and Spanish, with a specialist real estate team and a single point of contact who knows your file. We agree a fixed fee in writing before starting, so you know the cost from the outset. And because much of the process can be handled under a power of attorney, most of our clients only travel when they want to, not because the paperwork requires it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need a lawyer to buy property in Spain?

It is not legally compulsory, but neither the agent nor the notary checks the purchase in your interest. Independent legal review is the only stage of the process designed to protect the buyer.

Can you act if I am not in Spain?

Yes. With a power of attorney we can handle the NIE, the bank account, the contract and even completion before the notary without you needing to travel.

What taxes will I pay when buying?

On resale property, transfer tax (ITP); on new build, VAT plus stamp duty (AJD). Together with notary, registry and legal fees, total acquisition costs usually fall between 10% and 14% of the price, depending on the region.

What do I have to pay every year as a non-resident owner?

Non-resident income tax through Modelo 210 — due even if the property is not let, on an imputed income basis — and the municipal IBI. If you let the property, the rental income is declared through the same form.

Do you cover both the Costa Blanca and the Costa Cálida?

Yes. We act across the whole coastline of Alicante and Murcia, from Dénia and Jávea down to Mazarrón and Águilas.

Talk to our real estate team

Most property problems in Spain are inexpensive to prevent and expensive to fix. A charge that was never checked, a deposit contract signed without advice, an off-plan payment made without a bank guarantee, a pool that was never declared — each of these is straightforward to detect before signing and difficult to unwind afterwards.

If you are considering a purchase, a sale or a rental on the Costa Blanca or the Costa Cálida, you can tell us about your case and our real estate team will review your situation and quote a fixed fee before any work begins. You may also find our guide on buying property in Spain and our page on non-resident taxation useful.