What each one answers and who issues it
Indicative cost and when to get it
What the report tells you
What the report tells you — check 05
What is on record in the Cadastre?
It reads the Catastro record of the home or the building so you can compare it with the nota simple and the valuation: if the floor area does not match, you will know before you sign.
- Cadastral reference, use and year of construction
- Floor area on record in the Catastro
- Number of homes in the building
- Plan of the plot
What does a nota simple tell you?
The nota simple is an extract from the Spanish Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) that identifies the property, its owners and its charges: mortgages, usufructs, seizures. It costs €9.02 plus VAT from the registrars' e-office, arrives in under two hours on average and confirms whether the seller really owns the home.
It is for information only: the document that formally attests to the Registry's content is the registry certificate (certificación registral). Make sure it is recent: order it yourself before the arras (the reservation contract with a deposit), rather than trusting an old copy. The same e-office can add an English translation on request.
What does the HOUSINGFAX report tell you?
The report covers what the Land Registry does not look at: the recorded condition of the building, the risks of the ground and the surroundings, and reference prices. It has 22 checks on official Spanish sources, each with its source, its date and a traffic-light rating: ✓ no alert, ⚠ worth noting or ○ no data.
It includes the Catastro record (Spain's property register for tax purposes), the year of construction and the risks common in buildings of that age (aluminosis and asbestos, always as a level in words), the registered energy certificate where the regional register can be consulted, flood zones, ground movement, seismic hazard, radon, noise, hours of sunlight and reference prices with indicative buying costs. In the Valencian Community, the Basque Country and Madrid, the Complete report adds the result of the building inspection (ITE or IEE) held in the regional register.
What does a valuation (tasación) give you?
A valuation puts a figure on the property using regulated methods. It is issued by approved valuation firms registered with the Bank of Spain, a technician visits the property and the certificate expires after six months. If you take a Spanish mortgage, the bank requires one and the borrower pays for it.
The valuer checks that the floor area and features match the paperwork and notes the apparent state of construction or repair, as Order ECO/805/2003 requires. Its purpose is the value, not finding defects: nobody opens ceilings or looks at the floor structure. There is no official fee; ask several firms for a quote, or ask your bank which ones it accepts.
What does a survey by an architect give you?
A survey is a visit by an architect or building surveyor (arquitecto or aparejador) whom you hire to see the real condition of the flat and the building: cracks, damp, rusty joists, installations or the roof. It is the only option here that puts a trained eye inside, and it may recommend openings or lab tests if something looks wrong.
There is no official fee: Spanish law bars professional associations from publishing fee scales, so ask for a fixed quote and what it covers (visit, photos, written report, tests). Do not confuse it with the building inspection commissioned by the owners' association: in the Valencian Community it is compulsory once a building is 50 years old and lasts ten years.
When should you get each one?
In order: the free HOUSINGFAX report (€0) as soon as a listing interests you; the building inspection from the seller or property manager before the viewing; the nota simple and the Essential (€11) or Complete report (€19) before the arras; a surveyor if something worries you; the valuation, with the mortgage.
You do not always need all of them. For a recent building with no alerts and a favourable inspection, the nota simple and the report are often enough to decide. For an older one, with pending works or signs of trouble at the viewing, a survey is what settles the doubts. The valuation is only compulsory if you buy with a mortgage.
Are the Catastro and the Land Registry the same thing?
No. The Catastro describes a property for tax purposes: location, floor area, use and year of construction, and anyone can look up that non-protected data. The Land Registry records who owns the home and what charges it carries. The report reads the Catastro; the nota simple comes from the Land Registry.
Compare the two: if the floor area differs, or the storage room or parking space in the advert is missing from the nota simple, ask the notary or your lawyer before signing.
What does none of these documents tell you?
Debts with the owners' association (comunidad de propietarios), approved special levies (derramas) and planned works do not appear in the nota simple, the valuation or the report: you get them from the property manager (administrador de fincas) with the debt certificate and the minutes of meetings. The interior is something you see at the viewing or with a surveyor.
The report does not replace a technical inspection of the building or a valuation: it tells you what to look into and what to ask. HOUSINGFAX does not sell notas simples, valuations or expert reports; you get the nota simple directly from the registrars.
Short answers
What is the difference between a nota simple and a property report?
The nota simple comes from the Spanish Land Registry and shows who owns the property and what charges it carries. The HOUSINGFAX report brings together 22 checks on the building, the location risks and reference prices, with source and date.
How much does a nota simple cost?
On the registrars' e-office, €9.02 per property plus VAT, with an average delivery time of under two hours. An English translation can be requested with it.
Does a valuation say whether the building is in good condition?
That is not its purpose. The valuer visits and notes the apparent state of repair, but the valuation sets a figure, mainly for the mortgage. For the real condition, ask for the building inspection and, if in doubt, hire a surveyor.
How much does a survey by an architect cost in Spain?
There is no official fee: professional associations may not publish fee scales. Ask two or three surveyors for a fixed quote and check what it includes: visit, written report and any openings or tests.
Does the HOUSINGFAX report include the nota simple or a valuation?
No. HOUSINGFAX does not sell or order notas simples or valuations. It gives reference prices from public data; the nota simple comes from the Land Registry and the valuation from an approved valuation firm.
Which should I get first?
The free report, as soon as a listing interests you, so you know what to look into. The nota simple once you are serious, and always before signing the arras. A surveyor if something worries you, and the valuation with the mortgage.
Official sources you can consult
The links let you review the primary source. Their inclusion does not widen their purpose or turn a piece of context into a diagnosis.
- Colegio de Registradores (Spanish Land Registrars) — e-office, Land Registry: nota simple
- Colegio de Registradores (Spanish Land Registrars) — How much a nota simple costs
- Order ECO/805/2003 on property valuation rules, articles 4, 7 and 62 — BOE (Official State Gazette)
- Law 5/2019 on real estate credit agreements, article 14 — BOE (Official State Gazette)
- Law 2/1974 on Professional Associations, article 14 — BOE (Official State Gazette)
- Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian regional government) — Building evaluation report
- Dirección General del Catastro (Spanish Cadastre) — FAQ: access to cadastral information