Buying property in Tenerife, Gran Canaria or another Canary Island? Before reserving or paying a deposit, establish what you are buying, who can sell it and receive the money, and what the agreement commits you to. Request the supporting records. Have unresolved contract questions reviewed before signing or transferring funds. A later notary appointment may come too late for this decision.

This checklist is for an existing property in the Canary Islands. A purchase from a developer needs additional advice about construction, staged payments and their protection.

Our recommendation: The checklists and recommendations help you prepare. They are not findings about your property. Legal explanations link to their sources.

Buying property by island: questions for your shortlist

Our recommendation: Use these questions to assess the property you are considering. The checks depend on the property, not just the island. Record the municipality, the exact unit and how you plan to use it.

Buying property in Tenerife: houses and fincas

Compare the house, plot, pool and extensions with the records for each part. For a low-priced finca or a property advertised as a repossession or bargain, ask for the reason for sale and the payment deadline. A low asking price does not resolve questions about the property. Use the nota simple and Catastro guide to compare identifiers and areas.

Buying an apartment in Tenerife

Match the apartment, parking space and storage room to the records. Ask for community minutes, agreed works and evidence for your intended use. If you plan to take holiday guests, work through the holiday letting checklist before committing money.

Buying property in Gran Canaria

Establish whether the offer is for a whole house or a unit within a complex. Request a plan and a precise description of each included part. For a complex, ask for community records and any operator contracts. If you are still finding suitable homes, use the buyer’s agent comparison to define the help you need.

Buying property in Lanzarote or Fuerteventura

List visible extensions and outside areas included in the offer. Request the records for each. Commission a separate inspection where the physical condition matters to your decision. The property lawyer and building survey comparison helps separate the work to commission.

Buying property in La Palma

Start with the plot, building and seller’s records. Write down planned alterations and any rental use. Ask your advisers to check that specific location. Do not apply an answer for another property or island to your purchase.

Buying property in Spain: a pre-deposit checklist

This working checklist covers existing homes in the Canary Islands. It is our guidance. Mark a step complete only when you have the supporting records and answers.

  • Match the property, seller and payment recipient.
  • Compare the nota simple and Catastro records with what you saw at the viewing.
  • Have the arras contract, attachments and payment terms reviewed.
  • Plan financing and Canary Islands purchase costs separately from the price.
  • Check physical condition and intended use with the relevant professionals.
  • Record missing evidence, responsible people and the next deadlines.

Arras contract in Spain: understand the deposit terms

A private contract can create obligations before the purchase deed is signed before a notary. Labels such as reserva, señal or arras do not tell you everything about a payment’s consequences. Arras refers to an agreed deposit or security payment. The agreement and its legal classification matter. Article 1454 provides a withdrawal mechanism involving loss of the deposit or repayment of twice its amount; do not assume that mechanism governs every agreement. Spanish Civil Code, articles 1258, 1278 and 1454

Do not assume that signing online gives you a general 14-day cooling-off period. Property purchases are excluded from that distance-contract framework; other types of contract need separate assessment. Consumer protection law, article 93(e)

Our recommendation: Request an English explanation of the complete arras contract and its attachments. Ask your lawyer to explain the payment’s purpose, withdrawal terms, finance conditions and missing evidence for that draft. Use a translation to understand the document; have the legal effect of the text you will sign checked.

Request these records first

Ask for complete, readable documents with issue dates. This working checklist does not mean every record is legally required for every reservation. Identify missing records and agree who will obtain them, and by when.

A Nota Simple is an information extract from the Registro de la Propiedad, Spain’s property registry. It includes registered rights and charges. Catastro is a separate administrative property record. A cadastral map therefore does not replace information about registered ownership rights. Registradores: Nota Simple, Catastro: purpose and contents

QuestionRecords or information to requestNext action
Who is selling exactly what?Current Nota Simple, seller’s acquisition deed and any power of attorneyCompare names, property identifiers and included parking or storage; have authority to act checked
What charges affect the property?Complete registry information; for a mortgage, current bank evidence and the proposed repayment arrangementsEstablish which charges will remain or how they will be removed
Do the descriptions match the viewing?Cadastral details, plan, floor areas and records for extensionsList discrepancies separately; commission measurement or technical review where needed
Does the property support your plans?Available building and occupation records, plus relevant municipal informationHave the existing building and proposed changes assessed by a lawyer and suitable building professional
What should you check with the owners’ association?Debt certificate, statutes, relevant meeting minutes and approved worksCheck arrears, additional payments and use restrictions separately
What obligations will you accept?Full draft agreement with attachments, payment schedule and written cost breakdownResolve conditions, deadlines, finance and total costs before committing

A mortgage entry is not a reliable statement of today’s outstanding loan balance. That requires bank evidence. Repaying a loan and removing its mortgage entry from the registry are also separate steps. Ask who will arrange each step and how. Banco de España: selling with a mortgage, registry cancellation

For a property in an owners’ community, certain previous community debts can affect the property you acquire. A debt certificate does not answer every question about future works or use restrictions, so request the relevant decisions too. Horizontal Property Law, articles 9 and 17

Assign each question to the right person

A Spanish notary gives impartial advice. For the purchase deed, the notary checks identity and authority, the seller’s title and registered charges, among other matters. The notary also deals with the community certificate and compares cadastral, deed and registry information. You can seek explanations before signing a private contract. Arrange that advice early. Consejo General del Notariado: property purchases

With a lawyer you appoint, agree in writing which interests and questions they will handle for you. These might include payment terms, missing evidence, finance conditions or building-permission records. Ask who is responsible, what the fee covers and whether there are conflicts of interest. Also ask the estate agent whom they act for and what they are paid to do.

To check the building’s condition, agree a separate inspection with a suitable building professional. Planning questions need information from the relevant municipality. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, for example, offers a parcel-specific planning information certificate. It does not establish every building permission or the building’s condition. Ask the property’s own municipality which procedure fits your question. Santa Cruz planning certificate

If holiday letting determines whether you will buy, investigate it before payment. An existing VV number, for a vivienda vacacional or holiday rental home, is insufficient to assess continued use after your purchase. Have the original declaration, operating history, planning records and effect of the ownership change reviewed. The applicable legal route and any transitional rules matter. Ley 6/2025, amendments in Ley 7/2026

Questions to send before transferring money

Use these questions in a written request to the seller or agent. Have the answers reviewed alongside the agreement.

  • Exactly which property, parking and storage areas does the reservation cover?
  • What is the payment for, and will all of it count towards the purchase price?
  • Who owns the receiving account? What authority does that person or company have to receive the money?
  • Who holds the funds until the next step, and when may they release them to the seller?
  • When does the reservation end? Will the property remain on the market during that period?
  • What terms are proposed if finance is refused, records are missing or our agreed checks identify a problem?
  • In which circumstances will money be returned, how much, by whom and by what deadline? What costs would remain payable?
  • What will I need to pay or sign next?

Also request an itemised budget: purchase price, taxes, notary and registry fees, advice, technical checks and any finance costs. Separate estimates from quotations, and ongoing ownership costs from one-off purchase costs. Establish who pays each item.

If the deadline is tomorrow

Request a written extension and identify the missing records. Confirm whether the seller agrees. Ask your lawyer to confirm which deadline applies after the reply. Send your lawyer the complete draft, payment request and deadline. Ask what happens if you cannot complete the checks in time.

If buying remotely, obtain a translation you understand and resolve differences between language versions before signing. Verify the recipient and bank details through an already verified contact method before transferring funds.

If you have already paid

Keep the agreement, payment receipt, listing, messages and promised documents. Record every upcoming deadline. Get prompt advice on existing obligations and the options under the agreement before paying more, signing an amendment or giving notice of withdrawal. Do not ignore deadlines already in force. A refund cannot be promised without reviewing the agreement.

If a lawyer already covers the work

Go through this checklist with them. Where checks are already commissioned, ask for the findings and outstanding questions. Commission another document review only for a specific gap.

Finca Claro’s Property Check explains the agreed records before a deposit and identifies questions that remain unanswered. It is not a signed legal opinion, a building survey or confirmation of rental permission. We agree the scope, required records and delivery date before payment.

Choose help for the next check

Use the nota simple explainer for individual terms. For contract questions, compare the what a property lawyer can do. Read the Property Check scope before ordering.

Sources updated 30 September 2026. Use this checklist to prepare; ask your lawyer to assess legal questions about your property.

Sources