Spanish Property Glossary

Many dream of purchasing property in Spain and some people even make their way towards that dream. Language issues may be daunting but don’t let that get in the way; Spanish is not a particularly difficult language and many English speakers already reside in Spain, so you really won’t be completely in the dark.

Whether you have a firm grasp on Spanish as a language, or no grasp at all, there will be terms that you will come across when buying property in Spain which you most likely will not know, but surely will need to know. Here, so, for your convenience, is a glossary list of useful terms when buying property in Spain.

Acuerdo - Agreement
Abogado – Lawyer
Adosado – Semi-detached house or terraced house
Aire Acondicionado – Air-conditioning
Alfombra – Carpet
Amueblado - Furnished
Aparcamiento - Parking
Assesoria Economica/Contable – Accountant
Balcon – Balcony
Baño – Bath/WC
Calefacción central – Central heating
Casa unifamiliar - Detached house
Casita - Cottage
Certificado registral - Certificate showing debts attaching to a property
Cocina – Kitchen
Comedor – Dining room
Compraventa Private - Property sales contract
Cuarto de Bano - Bathroom
Dormitorio - Bedroom
Ducha – Shower
Edificio – Building
El campo - The countryside
Escritura - Deeds of ownership
Finca – Farm house or small estate
Garaje - Garage
Gas Butano – Butane gas often used for cooking and water heating
Gestoría – Firm specialised in obtaining official authorisations, permits, licences, etc…
Habitación – A Room
Hipoteca - Mortgage
Inmobiliaria/agente - Estate agent
IVA – VAT
Jardin - Garden
Libro del edificio - Documents from the promoter when building is finished
Licencia de obra - Building permission
Madera – Wood
Mármol - Marble
Metros cuadrados – Square metres
N.I.E. - Identity Number for Foreigners – necessary for purchasing property
Notario - Notary – records the legal details of property and land sales
Nota Simple - Certificate from Property Registry
Obra nueva - Document certifying a new building
Piscina - Swimming pool
Piso - Apartment
Pueblo - Town or village
Registro de la Propiedad - Register of Property Ownership
Se vende or en venta - For sale
Se alquila – For Rent
Seguro Multirriesgo Hogar - House insurance
Señal – Deposit or down payment
Sótano – Basement
Subasta - Auction
Techo - Roof
Terraza - Terrace
Terreno - Land
Terreno en venta -
Land for sale Título de propiedad - Deeds stating the ownership of property, date of sale and so on