DNPI / Buyers and investors
Pre-purchase property check in Barcelona
We check the apartment, house, commercial unit or building before you sign the deposit contract. You get a written report: what the documents confirm, what raises questions and what to ask the notary and your lawyer.
Updated 26 October 2026
Publisher: DNPI CAPITAL S.L. · registry details and responsibility
Why check before the deposit
A purchase in Spain is usually secured with a deposit contract (contrato de arras). With arras penitenciales, a buyer who walks away loses the deposit. That is why anything that could stop the purchase or change the price is better found before you sign, not between the deposit and the notary. The types of deposit are explained in the article on arras contracts.
What we check
| Area | What we look at | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Title and charges | Owner, mortgages, attachments, easements, resale restrictions | Nota simple from the Land Registry |
| Area and description | Whether area, use and description match in the Registry, Cadastre and listing | Registry, Cadastre, listing |
| Use and licences | Whether it is a dwelling on paper, whether it has a cédula de habitabilitat; whether the planned works or a change of use are feasible | City council, seller's documents |
| Building and community | Seller's debts to the community, approved and pending levies, the building technical inspection | Administrator's certificate, meeting minutes |
| Occupants | Whether there is a tenancy or occupation without title and what it means for the buyer | Seller's documents, visit |
| Condition | On-site visit: damp, building services, visible structural issues | DNPI visit |
| Renovation | Cost and time range for your goal; which works need a permit | Contractor's estimate |
| Price | Comparable sales and listings, negotiation arguments | Market data, our analysis |
| Purchase costs | Transfer tax or VAT, notary, registry and gestoría | DNPI calculator, ATC |
What you get
A written report in English, Spanish or Russian:
- what the documents confirm;
- red flags: what could stop the deal or change the price;
- renovation cost and time range;
- negotiation arguments;
- questions to put to the notary and your lawyer before the deposit.
The decision to buy is yours. If you go ahead, we can manage the project further; how that works is on the page about working with investors. If you walk away, the report stays with you.
What the check does not replace
DNPI is not a notary or a law firm. We gather and review the documents, but the legal opinion on the transaction comes from the notary and the buyer's abogado; the report lists the questions to pass on to them. The check does not guarantee there are no hidden defects: some only show when walls are opened or in documents the seller does not have.
How it works
- You send the listing link or address and your goal: live in it, let it, or sell after renovation.
- We quote the price and timing of the check. Until you agree, you pay nothing.
- We obtain the registry extract and cadastral data, request documents from the seller or agency and arrange the visit.
- We send the report and go through it with you by phone or video call.
Timing depends mostly on how quickly the seller provides documents.
Price
It depends on the type of property and the scope: apartment, house, commercial unit or building. We quote it before starting. The service is invoiced by DNPI; the purchase money stays with you.
If for now you only need a price indication, send the property through the property valuation.
Frequently asked questions
When should I order the check?
Before signing the deposit contract. After the deposit it still helps before the notary, but walking away without loss is harder.
Can you check a property while I am abroad?
Yes. We obtain the documents ourselves, visit without you and send you photographs.
Do you check properties you did not find?
Yes. We check properties in Barcelona and the surrounding area, whether you found them yourself, through an agency or from a developer.
Does it replace the notary and the lawyer?
No. The legal opinion comes from the notary and the abogado. We prepare questions and documents for them.
What if the check finds a problem?
The report says whether it can be fixed, what it costs and how it affects the price. The decision stays with you.
