Madrid · Málaga · Costa del Sol
Before you sign, send in an architect.
We check up to 170 points of the Spanish property you are about to buy and tell you, in euros, what it will cost to put right whatever we find.
Chartered architects Report in 48 working hours Flats from €249
Inspection report
Flat · 78 m² · sampleRising damp in party wall
Main bedroom · north wall
No RCD on kitchen circuit
Electrical installation
External joinery without thermal break
Living room and bedroom 2 · 3 windows
Basin waste trap poorly sealed
Second bathroom
Sample showing the format of the report. The figures do not correspond to a real property.
Buying in Spain
In Spain, almost nobody has the property surveyed. That is the opportunity.
In Britain, Ireland or the Netherlands, commissioning a survey before exchange is routine. In Spain it is still the exception, which is exactly why properties change hands here carrying defects that would have been caught anywhere else.
A arquitecto colegiado is the one who signs
In Spain the professional qualified to assess the condition of a building, and legally answerable for it, is a chartered architect. Not the estate agent, and not the valuer the bank sends.
The bank valuation is not a survey
A tasación establishes what the property is worth for mortgage purposes. It says nothing about damp, wiring or structure.
Six months, and then it is yours
Under Spanish law the general window to claim for hidden defects on a resale is remarkably short. We explain it in this guide.
The building has its own paperwork
Blocks of flats are subject to a periodic technical inspection, the ITE. If it failed and the works are outstanding, you inherit the bill. How to check it.
What you get
Not a clean bill of health. A list with names and prices.
A chartered architect walks the property, documents every defect with a photograph and puts a price on it. With that you can buy with confidence, renegotiate, or walk away.
Every defect costed
Each item found carries an estimated repair cost based on real Spanish market prices.
Photographic annex
One photograph per problem, with its exact location in the property.
Within 48 working hours
Delivered as a PDF by email, ready to read, print or send to your lawyer.
The architect, on the phone
The person who carried out the inspection is available afterwards to talk it through.
Up to 170 checks
What we look at
The things a twenty-minute viewing with the estate agent will never show you.
Structure
- Cracks
- Floor slabs
- Visible columns and beams
- Damp
Services
- Consumer unit
- Plumbing
- Waste pipes
- Gas points
- Boiler
- Air conditioning
Envelope and comfort
- Windows
- Insulation
- Soundproofing
- Ventilation
- Orientation
Finishes
- Floors
- Tiling
- Internal joinery
- Paintwork
Outdoor areas
- Terraces
- Courtyards
- Accessible roofs
- Garage
Paperwork
- Registered floor area
- Consistency with the listing
How it works
You book a date and time
Choose the city, the type of property and a slot. Payment is taken at that point by card, through a secure gateway.
We notify the owner
We contact the seller or the agent to confirm the time and give them the architect's name. You do not need to be there.
The architect inspects
From 45 minutes for a small flat to over two hours for a villa, depending on floor area.
You get the report in 48 hours
Every defect, photographed and costed. Then you decide.
Pricing
A fixed price before you book
Based on the built area recorded at the Spanish land registry (catastro).
Flats and apartments
Finishes, construction defects and possible hidden defects, with every item costed in the report.
Houses and villas
The whole property, including outdoor areas, accessible roofs and the plot.
Commercial premises
Electrics, air conditioning and extraction systems, with municipal regulations in mind.
If the real floor area differs from the one booked, the difference is settled either way.
Where we work
Madrid, Málaga and the Costa del Sol
Home inspection in Madrid
The city and its metropolitan area. Flats, houses and commercial premises.
Home inspection in Málaga
Málaga and the coast, with the particular problems the sea air brings.
Home inspection in Marbella
Seafront blocks, 1970s and 1980s developments, and villas with grounds.
Home inspection in Estepona
New-build handovers, where the developer's warranties still apply.
Booking
Book your inspection
The booking system is in Spanish. If you would rather arrange it in English, call us or send a message and we will handle it for you.
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