Investment approach
Found a flat on a portal: a checking plan for the first week
Only 7% of homes sold through the portal leave it in under a week. A seven-day step-by-step plan: seller and agent, nota simple, building documents, price against sold deals, arras.
A flat found on a portal almost always leaves a few days for checks before the reservation and the deposit. According to idealista data for the second quarter of 2026, only 7% of homes sold through the portal in Spain were listed for less than a week, and 47% for more than three months (idealista). In that week you find out who is selling, order a nota simple (land registry extract), get the building's documents and compare the price with sold deals.
How much time there really is before the reservation
Usually more than it seems after a viewing that went well. The proposal to "reserve today" comes from the seller's agent, and the aim is clear: take the flat off the market on the seller's terms.
The check before the deposit is a short sequence of actions after which the buyer knows who they are paying, for what and at what price. For a buyer abroad it is convenient to hand it out among specialists: the legal part is run by an abogado (Spanish lawyer), the technical part by an arquitecto or aparejador (architect or building surveyor), and the price is checked by an independent analyst. There is a risk of losing the flat in those days, but the cost of a mistake after arras is higher.
Who is behind the listing
The listing is almost always placed by the seller's agency: it takes a commission from the seller and represents the seller's interests. That is normal, but negotiation with it is conducted as with the other side.
What to establish in the first two days:
- Who the owner is: one person, several heirs, a company or a bank.
- Whether the agency is entered in the Registre d'agents immobiliaris de Catalunya, the Generalitat's public and mandatory register.
- Who pays the commission and whether anything is due from the buyer.
- How long the flat has been on sale and whether the price has been cut.
How the parties' roles are divided is covered in the article seller's agent and buyer's agent.
Which documents to request in the first days
The nota simple is ordered first: the Registro de la Propiedad (land registry) issues it online, and it shows the property, the holders of registered rights, mortgages and restrictions (Colegio de Registradores). The registrars themselves call it "puramente informativa" (purely informative): legal force belongs to the certificación. How to read the extract is described in the article on the nota simple.
The rest is requested from the seller: the community of owners' certificate on debts and the minutes of recent meetings (future derramas (special assessments) show up there), the cédula de habitabilidad (habitation certificate), the latest IBI (property tax) receipt and the building's ITE (technical inspection) details. A delay with documents without explanation is itself a signal.
How to check the listing price
The portal price shows the seller's expectation, not the market. Comparing it with neighbouring listings means comparing expectations with expectations: why the gap works this way is covered in the article on the listing price and the deal price.
The benchmark comes from closed deals on similar flats nearby, adjusted for floor, lift, light, condition and the building's costs. A long time on the market and a history of price cuts are also arguments: if a flat has been listed longer than is typical for its segment, the seller has less reason to hold the price.
What to do in seven days
| Days | What to do | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Establish owner, agency, commission, price history | It is clear who you are negotiating with |
| 1–2 | Order the nota simple online | Owner, mortgages, restrictions |
| 2–4 | Request community documents, cédula, IBI, ITE | Debts, future charges, condition of the building |
| 3–5 | Second viewing at a different time of day, with a technician if in doubt | Noise, light, damp, services |
| 4–6 | Compare the price with deals nearby | A reasoned offer range |
| 6–7 | Offer with arguments, arras draft with the abogado | Terms that protect the buyer |
The order can be compressed but not rearranged: money goes to the seller after the documents, not before.
Why arras are signed last
Under Catalan law a deposit is by default treated as part of the price, and the right to withdraw from the deal while losing the deposit has to be written in separately (art. 621-8 CCCat). Under the same article, if the buyer withdraws they lose the arras penitenciales, and if the seller withdraws they return them doubled. So the text of the contract, the deadlines and the exit conditions, for example if the bank refuses the mortgage, are assessed by the buyer's abogado before signing.
With a reservation (reserva) the logic is the same: read the document before paying and ask whether the sum is returned if the checks find a problem. The full list of checks before the deposit is collected in the due diligence checklist.
When this order does not work
The plan is designed for a resale flat from a private seller. It does not suit a purchase at auction (subasta), where the procedure sets the terms, or an off-plan new build under construction, where guarantees on payments to the developer are checked. It also works poorly for a flat that already has several offers: then the timing is shortened, but the order "documents before money" is kept. If the seller demands a deposit before the nota simple and the building's documents, it is more sensible to walk away from the property.
DNPI carries out an independent check of a specific flat's price against deals, before an offer, as part of a property valuation.
Questions and answers
I found a flat on Idealista, what do I do next?
Do not pay the reservation the same day. Establish the owner and the agency, order a nota simple, request the community documents and compare the price with deals nearby. Arras are signed after the abogado has checked the text.
Can I bargain if the price is stated on the portal?
Yes, it is the seller's ask. Bargaining works when it rests on deals nearby, defects found, the building's future charges and the listing's history of price cuts.
What does a nota simple show?
The property, the holders of registered rights, mortgages and restrictions. The document is informative; legal force belongs to the certificación signed by the registrar.
How long does checking a flat before the deposit usually take?
A basic check fits into roughly a week if the seller hands over documents quickly. A technical inspection or questions about a layout change can add time.
Is the reservation returned if the checks reveal a problem?
It depends on the text of the reservation document. The refund conditions are read before paying and, if in doubt, the document is reviewed by the abogado.
