Solving Spain - It doesnt have to be Spainful

Solving Spain - It doesnt have to be Spainful Moving to or living in Spain can be a dream come true—until the paperwork starts. Our team works for you

From visas and NIE applications to property purchases, tax matters, and residency issues, Spain’s bureaucracy can quickly become a maze of confusion .

The point when buyers stop asking questionsThere’s something we’ve noticed about property purchases.Buyers often ask mor...
18/09/2026

The point when buyers stop asking questions

There’s something we’ve noticed about property purchases.

Buyers often ask more questions before their offer is accepted than afterwards.

Beforehand, they want to know everything.

How old is the roof? Where exactly does the land finish? What about the pool? What's that building at the bottom of the garden? Can we change this room? What are the neighbours like?

Then the offer is accepted.

And something changes.

The property starts becoming our house rather than the house we're thinking about buying.

Photos go to the family. Somebody starts looking at furniture. Flights are discussed. Perhaps you've already mentally chosen the table for the terrace.

It’s a lovely stage.

But it’s also often the stage when some of the most important checking is only just beginning.

We don't think buyers suddenly become careless. Quite the opposite. Excitement simply has a habit of reducing curiosity. That's a pattern we've seen repeatedly around property purchases.

So once the offer has been accepted, keep asking.

What is still outstanding? What hasn't been checked yet? Is the survey arranged? Does the physical property match what everybody thinks they're buying? If something has come up, does another professional need to look at it?

You don't need to spend the whole purchase expecting something to be wrong.

You just don't want to stop asking questions because the house already feels like yours.

At Solving Spain, this is one of the stages where our property purchase support can be particularly useful. We help keep track of what still needs answering and bring in the appropriate professionals where something needs a closer look.

Enjoy planning where the sofa is going.

Just keep asking questions until the house really is yours.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

“I thought the lawyer checked that.”We hear versions of this more often than you might imagine.And usually it isn't beca...
16/09/2026

“I thought the lawyer checked that.”

We hear versions of this more often than you might imagine.

And usually it isn't because somebody has chosen a bad lawyer.

It’s because buying a property involves different kinds of questions, and buyers don't necessarily know where one professional's job finishes and another one's begins.

A lawyer may be dealing with the legal side of the purchase. A surveyor is looking at the physical condition of the building. An architect or technical professional might be needed because something particular has come up with the property.

The buyer, meanwhile, is simply trying to buy one house.

They aren't thinking about professional boundaries. They quite reasonably assume that if they have appointed people to help them, everything that matters is being looked at somewhere.

Usually, it is.

But usually isn't quite enough when you're about to spend a significant amount of money.

We’ve found that one of the most useful questions during a purchase is also one of the simplest:

“Who is checking this?”

Not “Has somebody probably looked at it?”

Who is actually responsible for it?

Sometimes the answer is reassuringly straightforward. Yes, your lawyer has dealt with it. Yes, the surveyor has covered it. Yes, somebody has already checked and there's nothing more to do.

Other times that little question uncovers something that needs passing to somebody else.

That's not creating a problem.

That's how you stop a question becoming a problem later.

At Solving Spain, part of our property purchase support is helping buyers understand which questions belong with which professionals and making sure the different parts of the purchase aren't being looked at completely in isolation.

If you're buying and aren't quite sure who is checking what, ask. You won't be the first person to wonder.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

Everyone seemed to be helping us. We just hadn’t realised they weren’t all working for us.There’s a point during a prope...
14/09/2026

Everyone seemed to be helping us. We just hadn’t realised they weren’t all working for us.

There’s a point during a property purchase in Spain when your phone seems to fill up with people.

The estate agent is answering questions. You have a lawyer. Perhaps there’s a surveyor involved, a mortgage adviser and, with some properties, an architect or another technical professional too.

It can feel reassuring. There are plenty of people looking after things.

And quite possibly, everybody is doing exactly what they should be doing.

The question buyers sometimes forget to ask is what, exactly, is each person responsible for?

We’ve had conversations with buyers who were certain something had been checked, only for there to be a pause when we asked who had actually checked it.

“I thought the lawyer would have done that.”

Or:

“The agent said everything was fine.”

That doesn't necessarily mean anybody has made a mistake. Often it simply means there was another question the buyer didn't realise they needed to ask.

It becomes particularly interesting when one professional spots something that creates a question for another. A surveyor notices an alteration. The paperwork describes something differently. An architect needs to look at a particular part of a rural property.

Lots of checks may be happening. The useful bit is making sure they join up.

Our latest article looks at this part of buying property in Spain — and why having several people helping isn't quite the same as understanding who is looking after each part of your purchase.

Read the full article here:
https://solvingspain.com/everyone-seemed-to-be-helping-us-we-just-hadnt-realised-they-werent-all-working-for-us/

If you're buying in Spain and have reached the “Hang on, who is actually checking that?” stage, that's something we can help you untangle.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

“The survey found something. Does that mean we shouldn't buy it?”This is where having a survey can suddenly feel rather ...
13/09/2026

“The survey found something. Does that mean we shouldn't buy it?”

This is where having a survey can suddenly feel rather different from talking about having one.

Beforehand, everybody agrees that more information is a good thing.

Then the report arrives.

There’s something about the roof. Or damp. Movement in part of the building. A retaining wall that needs attention. Perhaps the surveyor recommends that another specialist takes a closer look at something.

And now you're looking at the house you were excited about slightly differently.

But finding something doesn't automatically mean you've found a reason not to buy it.

Sometimes you've simply found something you need to understand.

What is actually wrong? How significant is it? Does it need dealing with immediately, or is it something to budget for over the next few years? Do you need another professional to investigate it? What might it cost?

And then comes the question that really matters:

Knowing this now, are you still comfortable buying the property?

Sometimes the answer will be yes.

Sometimes the information changes what somebody is prepared to pay.

Occasionally it changes their mind completely.

All three can be perfectly sensible outcomes.

One of the reasons we like buyers to have these conversations before completion is that they still have the opportunity to understand what they've discovered and make their decision with that information in front of them.

A survey isn't a pass-or-fail test for a house.

It's another piece of the picture.

And with some Spanish properties — particularly older and rural ones — there may be other pieces to understand alongside it too. The physical condition, property paperwork, planning position, existing buildings, boundaries or AFO status can sometimes raise separate questions requiring different professionals.

That’s often where Solving Spain becomes involved: helping make sure those different questions are being asked, the appropriate professionals are involved and the buyer understands what the answers mean for their purchase.

If you're buying a property in Spain and something has come up during the checks that you're not quite sure what to do with, you're welcome to talk it through with us.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com



These give the campaign a nice progression: notice something → get it checked → understand what the findings actually mean. And neither post relies on frightening people into having a survey; they make the case through the buying situation itself.

“Our house has cracks too. It’s nothing to worry about.”It’s usually said with the best intentions.You’re looking at a p...
10/09/2026

“Our house has cracks too. It’s nothing to worry about.”

It’s usually said with the best intentions.

You’re looking at a property in Spain and you've noticed a crack. Perhaps you send a photograph to a friend who already owns here, or mention it to somebody over coffee.

“Oh, ours has loads of those.”

And strangely, that can be very reassuring.

The problem is that somebody else's house can't really tell you what's happening with yours.

Two cracks can look remarkably similar and have quite different explanations. One might simply be old plaster or minor movement that has been there for years. Another might deserve a closer look because of where it is, how it runs through the building or what else is happening around it.

And sometimes the crack isn't the interesting bit at all.

That’s something buyers don't always expect from a property survey. They assume the surveyor is going to concentrate on the same things they noticed during the viewing.

Quite often, they don't.

The buyer is looking at the obvious crack while the surveyor is looking at the roofline, drainage, signs of water getting in, a retaining wall or something about the building that the buyer hadn't given a second thought.

It doesn't mean your friend was wrong.

Their cracks really might be nothing to worry about.

It just means their house isn't your house.

If you're considering buying a property in Spain, particularly an older or rural property, getting somebody to look at the building itself is one of the checks worth considering before you commit.

At Solving Spain, we can help arrange property purchase surveys and coordinate them with the other checks taking place around your purchase, so you’re not left trying to work out which question belongs with which professional.

If you're at that stage and you're not sure what needs checking, send us a WhatsApp and tell us a little about the property.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

“It’s an old house. Of course it has a few cracks.”It’s quite an ordinary conversation during a property viewing.Somebod...
08/09/2026

“It’s an old house. Of course it has a few cracks.”

It’s quite an ordinary conversation during a property viewing.

Somebody notices a crack above a doorway or running down an outside wall. The agent has seen plenty like it. A friend who owns an old house says theirs has cracks too.

And quite possibly, it’s nothing particularly worrying.

But that isn't really the question.

The question is: what does this particular crack tell us about this particular house?

That’s one of the reasons we’re such strong believers in having a property properly surveyed before buying.

Not because we expect a surveyor to produce a frightening list of everything that’s wrong with it. Older properties have imperfections. Newer properties aren't always perfect either.

A good survey gives you context.

Sometimes the thing that has been worrying the buyer turns out to be relatively insignificant. Meanwhile, something they walked past three times without noticing is what the surveyor wants to look at more closely.

And if something is found, that doesn't necessarily mean walking away.

It might mean understanding a future repair. Getting another specialist to investigate something. Allowing for work in your budget. Asking another question. Or simply deciding that you’re still perfectly happy to buy the property now that you understand it better.

That’s really the point.

You’re not looking for reasons not to buy the house. You’re trying to understand what you’re buying before you say yes to it.

We’ve gone into this properly in our latest article, including why rural properties can give buyers even more to think about and how the physical survey fits alongside the legal and property paperwork checks.

Read the full article here:
https://solvingspain.com/its-an-old-house-of-course-it-has-a-few-cracks/

If you're looking at a property in Spain and wondering what ought to be checked before you commit, send us a WhatsApp and tell us where you are in the purchase. We can help you work out which checks are appropriate and coordinate the right professionals where needed.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

Before you order the kitchen…There’s a point in most renovations when the ideas suddenly start becoming real.The kitchen...
01/09/2026

Before you order the kitchen…

There’s a point in most renovations when the ideas suddenly start becoming real.

The kitchen gets ordered. The builder gives you a date. Tiles arrive. Perhaps you've arranged somewhere else to stay while the messiest work is being done.

By then, you’ve usually spent some money too.

And that’s why we’d rather somebody asked the awkward questions a little earlier.

Not because we expect there to be a problem. Quite often there isn't. But if something about the property, the proposed work or the paperwork does need checking, before you've committed yourself is a much nicer time to discover it.

We’ve seen renovations bring old questions to the surface that had been sitting quietly for years. An alteration made by a previous owner. Something that doesn't appear quite as expected in the paperwork. A part of a rural property that has always been there, but now somebody wants to use differently.

The renovation didn't necessarily create the question.

It simply gave somebody a reason to look closely enough to find it.

And there’s a considerable difference between discovering that while you’re still sitting around the table discussing ideas and discovering it when the builder is due on Monday.

So before ordering everything, it can be worth checking the property you actually have against the renovation you're planning.

If everything is straightforward, wonderful. Carry on.

If something needs sorting out first, at least you've found it at a point when you still have choices.

That’s often where we help at Solving Spain — looking at what’s already there, working out what needs checking and, if necessary, getting the right architect, technical professional or legal adviser involved.

If you're planning a renovation and you're at the sketches, quotes and “could we knock this through?” stage, that’s actually a very good time to send us a WhatsApp.

📱 WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.solvingspain.com

“The builder says it’s fine.”We hear this quite a lot when somebody is planning work on their property.They’ve found a b...
30/08/2026

“The builder says it’s fine.”

We hear this quite a lot when somebody is planning work on their property.

They’ve found a builder they like, walked around the house together and explained what they want to do. Knock this wall through. Make that opening bigger. Turn this room into something more useful.

The builder has looked at it and said:

“Yes, no problem.”

And they may be absolutely right.

The thing worth remembering is that “Can you build this?” and “What needs to happen before we build this?” aren't quite the same question.

Your builder may know exactly how to do the work. But depending on what you're changing and the property itself, there may also be questions for an architect, another technical professional or the Town Hall.

That doesn't mean every renovation is about to disappear into months of paperwork. Quite often the answer is much simpler than people expect.

We just prefer to find out before the work starts.

Because once the kitchen has been ordered, materials have arrived and somebody has taken a hammer to the first wall, it’s a rather inconvenient moment to discover there was something else you should have checked.

So by all means talk to the builder about what you’d like to create.

Just make sure somebody has also asked whether there’s anything that needs sorting out before they create it.

If you're planning work on a property in Spain and you're not sure who should be checking what, send us a WhatsApp and tell us what you're hoping to do. Sometimes we can answer the question; sometimes we'll tell you which professional you need and help coordinate things from there.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

“But we’re only changing the inside…”It’s something we hear when people are planning work on a house in Spain.The new ki...
28/08/2026

“But we’re only changing the inside…”

It’s something we hear when people are planning work on a house in Spain.

The new kitchen has been chosen. A builder has been round. Perhaps a wall is coming out to make the living room bigger, or that unused room downstairs is finally going to become something useful.

Then somebody mentions permissions.

“Why? We’re not building an extension. It’s all inside.”

And you can see why people assume that.

The difficulty is that “internal renovation” can mean anything from replacing a kitchen to removing walls, changing openings or turning a previously unused part of a property into living space.

Those aren't necessarily treated in the same way.

There’s another conversation we hear quite often too:

“The builder says it’s fine.”

They may be absolutely right about being able to build it. But knowing how to do the work and establishing what needs to happen before the work starts are two different questions.

And occasionally, looking at a renovation also brings something else to light — an old alteration, a discrepancy in the paperwork or part of the property that isn't quite recorded as everyone assumed.

None of that automatically means you can't do what you're planning.

It just means there are a few questions worth asking while the wall is still standing.

We’ve looked at this properly in our latest article, including why the existing property paperwork matters, when other professionals may need to become involved and why rural properties deserve particular care.

Read the full article here:
https://solvingspain.com/were-only-changing-the-inside-why-would-we-need-permission/

If you're planning work on a property in Spain and you're at the “surely we don't need permission for this?” stage, you're welcome to send us a WhatsApp and tell us what you're thinking of doing. We can help you work out what needs checking before you start.

WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solvingspain.com

We've had conversations where somebody tells us something about their finances, their family, a property problem or a di...
26/08/2026

We've had conversations where somebody tells us something about their finances, their family, a property problem or a difficult situation and then adds:

“I'd rather this didn't get around.”

That sentence always makes me think.

Because when you choose somebody to advise you professionally, privacy shouldn't feel like an optional extra you need to request.

A legal adviser may learn an extraordinary amount about your life. Property values. Debts. Family circumstances. Inheritances. Relationships. Disputes. What you're buying, what you're selling and sometimes why you're doing it.

Would you want those details becoming tomorrow's anecdote in a conversation with another client?

Probably not.

For lawyers in Spain, professional secrecy isn't simply good manners. The professional rules expressly cover facts, communications, data, information and documents learned through their work, and the duty continues after the client relationship has ended.

So when choosing a legal adviser, we'd look beyond whether somebody seems friendly or comes recommended.

Ask yourself something much simpler:

Do I trust this person with things I wouldn't want repeated?

Because competence matters enormously.

So does discretion. Something that is often in short supply! If you want to keep your private business private, then choose carefully

Solving Spain works alongside legal and other professionals regularly, and choosing the right professional for the person and the situation is an important part of what we do.

📱 WhatsApp: +34 695 398 679
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.solvingspain.com

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