Buying at a Spanish court or state auction

Your team

• An abogado (lawyer) to check the certificate of charges and whether the home is occupied, before you bid.
• A gestor for the tax forms, and an arquitecto técnico if you can view.
• No notary is needed for a court auction: the court's order transfers the property.
• You'll need a foreigner's tax number (NIE), a digital certificate or Cl@ve to use the portal, and a Spanish bank account.

Check what stays with the property

Charges registered before the one being enforced can survive the auction and become yours. The certificate of charges (certificación de cargas) in the auction documents shows them. Unpaid community fees for the current year and the three before can also be claimed from a new owner.

Occupied homes

Many auction homes are occupied and can rarely be viewed. Getting possession can take a further court order and months. Budget for that, or focus on homes marked vacant.

How bidding works

Bidding runs online for 20 days, and bids are hidden from other bidders. You pay a deposit, usually 5% of the valuation, through the portal before bidding; it's returned if you don't win.

After you win

For court auctions the court checks the bid against legal minimums before approving it. You then pay the balance, usually within 40 days, and the court orders the transfer and the land registry entry.

Taxes

You pay transfer tax (ITP) set by each region, typically 6–10% of the price for a resale home, plus registry costs.

Land, not just homes

Many state auctions are plots of rural land, often very cheap. Check access, what you're allowed to build (usually very little on rural land) and any water rights before bidding.