Category: Property & Housing
Buying, renting and owning a home in Spain as a foreigner. This section follows the whole arc of a Spanish property: the taxes you pay to acquire one (ITP on resales, IVA plus AJD on new builds, and the notary and Land Registry costs that push the total 10–14% above the asking price), the recurring taxes you pay every year afterwards (IBI, the tasa de basura, and the IRNR imputed-income return that non-resident owners owe even on an empty flat), and the plusvalía municipal that lands when you sell, inherit or gift it. It also covers renting — contract types, the legal deposit limits, and the scams that target newcomers before they have a Spanish payslip or guarantor — along with the specific traps of buying off-plan and of buying anywhere near the coast, where the Ley de Costas can restrict what you own more than the deed suggests. Regional comparisons and market context sit here too.
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Moving Art, Vehicles, and Pets to Spain: The 2026 Relocation Guide
The three things relocation guides skip: your art, your car, and your pet. The exact sequence a pet’s microchip and rabies vaccination must follow, why filing a vehicle’s customs declaration as a transfer of residence rather than a standard import saves thousands and cannot be undone later, and how import VAT, cultural property licensing, and…
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The Real Cost of Living in Spain 2026: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga Compared
Comparing Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga on what actually drives your annual outgoings: property and rent levels, the regional tax wedge that most cost-of-living guides ignore entirely, international and public schooling, healthcare, and daily life, plus which city suits which kind of household.
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International Schools and Family Neighbourhoods in Barcelona 2026: A Guide for Relocating Families
Choosing a school and a neighbourhood in Barcelona are the same decision, and the order matters. The three schooling tiers from free public places to premium international campuses, what international fees really cost once extras are counted, the residential districts that suit families, and why your padrón registration shapes both.
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Buying Property in Málaga vs. Valencia 2026: A Pros and Cons Guide for Buyers
Málaga and Valencia offer almost opposite propositions: Costa del Sol prestige at record prices, or a livable Mediterranean city at roughly half the cost per square metre with stronger rental yields. An honest comparison of both markets, including the transfer tax gap that can cost €40,000 more on a €1.5 million purchase.
