Spanish-English Glossary of Terms about Spanish Property

Abogado – Lawyer
Adosado – Semi-detached or town house
Aire acondicionado – Air conditioning
Agente de la propiedad inmobiliaria – Estate Agent
Agua/potable – Water /drinking water
Albanil – Bricklayer
Alfombra – Carpet
Amortización – Depreciation, Redemption
Antigüedad(es) / tienda de – Antique/Antique shop
Aparcamiento – Parking
Architecto – Architect
Armario – Cupboard/wardrobe
Asesor fiscal – Tax adviser
Assesoria Economica/Contable – Accountant
Ayuntamiento – Town hall

Balcon – Balcony
Banco/cuenta de/targeta de – Bank/bank account/bank card
Bańo – Bath/WC
Barbacoa – Barbecue
Basura – Rubbish bins and rubbish taxes
Bombilla – Light bulb
Buzón – Mailbox

Caja de Ahorros – Savings bank
Calefacción central – Central heating
Cargas – Land charges registered against the property
Casa unifamiliar – Detached house
Casita – Cottage
Catastro – Property / land register
Cédula de habitabilidad – Certificate to certify that a property is habitable
Certificado de Final de Obra – Certificate granted by the Architect confirming completion of a new building. This must be in place prior to Completion / signing at the Notary’s office
Cemento – Cement
Certificado registral – Certificate showing debts attaching to a property
Chalet – Villa
Cocina – Kitchen
Comedor – Dining room
Comisaría – Police station
Comunidad or Comunidad de Propietarios – Community of Owners in complex or block of apartments. President, Treasurer and Secretary are appointed by the owners to administer the communal areas conduct expenditure from the service charge etc.
Contrato de Compra Venta – The sales contact , signed a the Notary’s office, between vendor and purchaser
Contrato de Builder – Constructor Compraventa Private – Property sales contract
Contrato privado – The private contrato that is signed by both vendor and purchaser setting out the basic terms of the sale. Equivalent to “exchange of contracts” in the UK
Contribuciones (also now know as I.B.I – Impuestos sobre los Bienes Inmuebles) – Local rates payable to the Town Hall
Constructor – Builder
Construido – Built area, of property
Construir – Build
Copia Simple – Copy of the original Escritura (deeds) less the signatures
Corriente or la luz – Electricity
Cortijo – Farmhouse ie house on a rural Finca
Cuarto de Bano – Bathroom

Declaracion de Obra Nueva – Formal registration, by the owner, of a new building at the Notary’s office, resulting in the creation of an Escritura (deeds) for the new property
Denuncia – Formal complaint eg against illegal building work
Departamento de Urbanismo – Town Hall Planning Department
Documento privado – Private document
Documento público – Public document
Domiciliación de pagos – Standing order
Dormitorio – Bedroom
Ducha – Shower
Duplex – Apartment over two floors

Edificio – Building
Electrician – Electricista
El campo – The countryside
Empadronamiento – Electoral register
Escayolista/Yesero – Plasterer
Escritura – Deeds of ownership
Escritura pública de compraventa – Title Deeds
Estado de cuenta – Bank statement
Euribor – Variable interest rate set by European banks
Expediente de Dominio – Proof of ownership documentation, issued by the courts where there is no Escritura for the property

Fontanero – Plumber
Finca – Rural house and land
Fin de Obra – Formal Completion of Works on a new property
Fuente – Fountain

Garaje – Garage
Gas Butano – Butane gas often used for cooking and water heating
Gestoria / Gestor – Office / individual dealing with administration and bureaucracy associated with living and owning property on Spain – residency permits; payment of taxes / submission of tax returns; transferring vehicle ownership etc (the profession does not exist in the UK)

Habitación – A Room
Hacienda – Spanish tax office
Hipoteca – Mortgage
Hormigon – Concrete

Impuesto extraordinario sobre el patrimonio – Wealth Tax – extraordinary tax on assets
IBI: Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles – Property tax levied yearly
Impuesto sobre el Incremento del Valor de los Terrenos – Tax on the increase of land value
Impuesto sobre el patrimonio – Capital gains tax
Incremento de patrimonio – A Capital gain
ITP – Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrionales – Property Transfer Tax of 7% levied on all re-sale property.
Impuesto sobre Actos Juridicos Documentados – AJD – Stamp Duty
Inmobiliaria/agente – Estate agent
Inversion en terreno – Land investment in Spain
IVA Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido – VAT

Jardin – Garden

Ladrillo – Brick
Libre de cargas – Debt free
Libro del edificio – Documents from the promoter when building is finished
Licencia de prima ocupación – Licence to occupy a completed property
Licencia de obra – Building permission
Limpiadora – A Cleaner

Madera – Wood
Mármol – Marble
Martillo – Hammer
Metros cuadrados – Square metres – units floor area is measured in
Mortero – Mortar
Municipio – Town council

N.I.E. (Numero Identificacion Extranjero) – Tax registration number for foreign residents and property owners (obtained from Gestoria – see above)
Número de identificación fiscal (NIF) – Tax identity number
Notario – Notary or Government appointed lawyers that legalise many legal documents and transactions in Spain including transfer of property, Powers of Attorney etc.
Nota Simple – Land Registry Office document setting out the property registration details; current owners, whether there is a mortgage or other charges against the property

Obra nueva – Document certifying a new building
Oferta vinculante – Bank document specifying mortgage conditions
Ordenador – Computer

Pago en efectivo – Cash payment
Parcela – Lot or plot
Patrimonio – Wealth Tax
Pestillo – Door lock
Pintor – Painter
Piscina – Swimming pool
Piso – Apartment
Playa – Beach
Planta baja – Ground or first floor
Plusvalía – Municipal Capital gains tax on the sale of property
Poder – Power of Attorney
Pozo – Well
Precio de Compra – Purchase Price
Préstamo/ con techo – Loan/with variable interests with fixed minimum and maximum
Préstamo hipotecario – Mortgage loan
Pueblo – Town or village
Puerta – Door

Registro de la Propiedad – Register of Property Ownership
Representante fiscal – Foreigner’s official tax representative
Resale Property – A second hand property, already registered at the property register in Spain.
Residencia – Consent to reside in Spain with the rights of a Spanish citizen (resident’s card)
Residente – Resident

Sala/ salon – Lounge
Se vende or en venta – For sale
Se alquila – For Rent
Sevillana – Electricity company
Seguro de amortización de préstamos – Loan repayment insurance
Seguro Multirriesgo Hogar – House insurance
Señal – Deposit or down payment
Solar – Lot for building
Sótano – Basement
Subasta – Auction
Suelo – Floor or surface

Tasación – Independent valuation of property
Tasa de cambio – Exchange rate
Tasadores – Official Bank Valuers
Techo – Roof
Teja – Roof tile
Terraza – Terrace
Terreno – Land
Terreno en venta – Land for sale
Terreno – Plot of land
Terreno para construir – Building land
Testamiento – Will and Testament
Tipo de interés – Rate of interest
Título de propiedad – Deeds stating the ownership of property, date of sale etc.
Trastero – Storeroom

Urbano – urban (eg terreno urbano – urban land)

Valor Catastral – Assessed value of property for tax purposes
Ventana – Window
Vidriero – Glazier

Yeso – Plaster