The "Nota Simple" indispensable document when buying a house in Spain
Why you should always see the "Nota Simple" when purchasing your home in Spain - you will read why in this article.
Why is the "Nota Simple" such an important document when buying a house in Spain?
The "Nota Simple" is a document that consists of probably no more than 3 sides of A4 in which you can find everything about the property that you want to buy. That is why this document is such an important control tool for the buyer.
The sooner the better.
If you are going to buy a house in Spain you should have the "Nota Simple" in your possession at a very early stage or at least have access to this document. In many cases "Nota Simple" only comes to the table at a later stage.
Why did I only see the document later?
This can happen for several reasons.
- The selling estate agent has not yet received all information about the property from the seller. And that is why he has not yet been able to request the "Nota Simple" in the property register.
- Another reason may be that the selling agent already has the document in his possession, but does not want to show it to the prospective buyer. The prospective buyer could use the information in the document to contact the seller directly. In that case, the selling agent is afraid that he will miss his commission.
- The most unfortunate reason that you will see the "Nota Simple" later is that there are things in the "Nota Simple" that the selling agent would rather not have known to the prospective buyer. He waits until the provisional purchase agreement has been signed and the buyer has made a down payment.
The contents of a "Nota Simple".
What does the "Nota Simple" say? A lot, or rather, everything.
All the information you need about the property you are going to buy can be found in the "Nota Simple". That information can be divided into 3 parts; legal information; financial and architectural information.
Legal information.
- Who is the legal owner.
- How long has the current owner owned the property.
- How did he or she get possession of the property? For example by purchase or inheritance.
- Which notary dealt with the deed of sale.
Financial and tax information.
- Has a mortgage been established on the property?
- Has a legal judgment seized the property because someone has something to claim from the owner?
- Can claims be made by the municipality to the owner of the property because the urbanisation where the property is located is not yet completely finished?
- Are there any outstanding taxes that can be claimed?
Architectural information.
- An exact description of the layout of the property.
- The area of the plot on which the property stands.
- The surface area of the house.
Always do a final check.
At the time you sign the notarial deed of sale, the notary will certainly put this document on the table. Make sure you take the document in your hand. Check the contents in peace, or have it done by a knowledgeable person that you have with you. The notary will have no problem with that.
