Investment approach
Remote video viewing of a flat: what must be in the frame
A good video viewing runs in real time and shows what photos hide: the entrance, fuse box, ceiling corners, the views. A call script, the limits of video and what can be done without a trip.
A good video viewing of a flat runs in real time, without editing, and shows what photographs hide: the entrance, the staircase, the fuse box, the bathroom up close, the corners of the ceilings and the view from every window. Video screens out unsuitable flats, but the decision to buy needs documents as well: for example, a nota simple (land-registry extract) is ordered online, and if a payment exceeds 1% of the price the agent must hand over extended written information before the transfer (art. 60 of Llei 18/2007, Catalonia's housing law).
A video viewing in this article is a video call in which a person on site walks through the flat and shows what the buyer asks for. The promotional video from the listing does not count: it is shot in advance and edited.
What must be in the frame
It is convenient to run the script in the order the buyer would walk it: from the street to the flat and from the general to the details.
| What to show | Why | What video does not replace |
|---|---|---|
| The street on both sides of the entrance | A bar, school, building site, stop nearby | Noise in the evening and at weekends |
| Facade, entrance, staircase, letterboxes | Cracks, leaks, how the building is looked after | The minutes of the comunidad (owners' association) |
| The lift and the level where it stops | Access with a pushchair and suitcases | Decisions on a future installation or repair |
| A walk through the whole flat without stopping | Layout and how the rooms connect | Checking the area against the documents |
| A panorama of each room, the window from inside and the view | Size, orientation, courtyard or street | The real light at different times |
| Ceiling corners, walls at floor level, the bathroom up close | Damp, sealant, leaks | A specialist's inspection if in doubt |
| Fuse box, boiler, windows, air conditioners | Age of the systems and future costs | Installation documents and inspections |
How to run the call
- Time. In daylight with natural light, and separately ask for the lamps in the rooms to be switched off.
- Order. First a walk through the whole flat without stopping, then each room separately.
- Sound. A minute of silence by the open and closed window in the bedroom. A phone microphone transmits noise poorly, so this is only a first filter; how noise, light and air are checked on site is covered in the article on noise, light and ventilation.
- Orientation. The compass on the phone by the living-room and bedroom windows.
- Questions live. Why it is being sold, what was refurbished and when, how much the community fee is and which repairs are under discussion, whether there were leaks, what stays in the flat.
- Recording. With the other person's consent, save the recording or take screenshots: they will be returned to when comparing flats.
If the person on site dodges answers or does not show what is asked, that is also a result of the viewing.
What video will not show
The camera evens out light, the microphone swallows noise, and the smell of damp and a draught do not come through the screen. Video also does not show the legal side: the owner, mortgages and prohibitions, debts to the association, whether the layout matches the documents. For that there are documents, which can also be obtained remotely: a nota simple on the site of the Colegio de Registradores (the registrars' association), the association's debt certificate, the cédula de habitabilidad (habitability certificate), the energy certificate.
Which purchase steps can be done without a trip
A remote purchase is made up of steps that can and cannot be done at a distance.
- Selection and video viewing. Entirely remote, provided there is a person on site working for the buyer.
- Price and documents. A valuation against closed transactions, the nota simple and the documents of the building and the flat are gathered remotely.
- Technical inspection. Done by a specialist on site, and the buyer receives a report.
- Power of attorney. Since 9 November 2023 a Spanish notary can certify by video link a power of attorney for specific acts, but not a general or preventive one (art. 17 ter of the Ley del Notariado, the Notarial Law). Access requires electronic identification under Spanish rules. Whether this route suits a buyer abroad and which power of attorney is needed for the deal is decided by the notary and the abogado (lawyer).
- Signing at the notary. In person or through a representative under a power of attorney. What is better done in person is covered in the article on a power of attorney versus a personal visit.
If a trip for the final viewings is planned after all, it is convenient to arrange it by district: see the article on viewings in one trip.
When a video viewing does not work as the basis of a decision
Video does not work as the basis of a decision to buy without a price from transactions and a check of the documents. It is weak also where the main thing is not visible on camera: a noisy street at night, a ground-floor flat with damp, a building with major works ahead. And it is useless if the call is run by the seller's side, which chooses what to show. For a rental, real-time video plus a check of the owner and the contract often allow a decision at a distance. For a purchase, video is the first filter, not the last. How DNPI Capital organises the selection and checking of a property for an investor abroad is described on the approach page.
Questions and answers
Can a flat in Spain be bought on a video viewing alone?
Legally there is no ban, but video does not show documents, transactions or hidden defects. Before the arras (deposit contract) a price valuation, a nota simple, the building's documents and, if in doubt, a specialist's inspection are needed.
What should I ask to be shown in a video viewing of a flat?
The street and the entrance, the lift, a walk through the whole flat, a panorama of each room with the view from the window, the ceiling corners, the bathroom up close, the fuse box, the boiler and the windows. The call should be in real time.
How can noise be judged from video?
Only approximately: ask for a minute of silence by the open and closed bedroom window. For a decision a visit in the evening or a check on site is needed.
Can a power of attorney be made before a Spanish notary by video link?
Since November 2023 a power of attorney for specific acts can be certified by video link, but not a general one. Whether it suits the deal and a buyer abroad is confirmed by the notary.
Who should run the video viewing?
Preferably a person who works for the buyer. The seller's agent will show the flat honestly, but chooses what to hold the camera on.
