Patrick Lamoral

Energy labels are used to indicate how energy efficient a home is. Within the European Union, it is mandatory to have an energy label for homes that are offered for sale or rent. This obligation has been introduced in Spain since 2013, while the Netherlands and Belgium have been doing this since 2008. In 2022, the European Union decided that by 2033 all existing homes in the EU must have at least an energy label D, a decision that is expected to be definitively confirmed in 2024. This means that

Municipal taxes are local taxes collected by municipalities to cover the cost of their administration and public services. There are different types of municipal taxes, both compulsory and the optional ones. Who are the taxpayers and when do they have to be paid? Moreover, municipalities have some degree of freedom to set different taxes within the limits of national regulations and these taxes can be paid by both individuals and legal entities, depending on the situation. To get a clearer under

In the context of home renovation and repair in Spain, the applicable VAT rate varies. While the general rate is 21%, a reduced rate of 10% can be applied under certain conditions. In this blog, we provide you with insights on the conditions you need to meet to save on VAT.

A new hotel investment product in Spain is 'service apartments', which are called 'branded residences' in the luxury segment. They are gaining popularity, are generally seen by specialists as a very interesting product and have a particularly good return potential.

Depending on the region, payments can be made through foreign bank accounts, but regular Spanish companies and some utility companies do not all accept direct debit from a foreign bank account. Incidentally, with the introduction of the IBAN bank account number, this is less of an issue. With a so-called ‘certificado del banco’ (=bank letter drawn up in English or Spanish, showing the IBAN number and corresponding account holder(s)), most companies will accept a direct debit. However, sometimes

You have bought a beautiful (second) home on the Costa Blanca and are now wondering how to get to and from Alicante or Valencia airport in the most practical way. It is a question that many people ask, and the answer is actually not that difficult… Here we give you a summary of 3 good options.

You've found your dream home, spent the first night there and you're in the kitchen getting breakfast ready to enjoy it on the terrace in the sunshine..... and there's no hot water coming from the tap. On closer inspection, it turns out that the kitchen boiler is completely rusted. Hidden defect! Or is it not....?

When you want to sell a house in Spain, you may be required to pay capital gains tax in certain cases. Specifically, this means that as an individual, you pay capital gains tax on the actual increase in value of your property. For non-residents, there is a fixed rate of 19%. For residents, there is a progressive rate up to 23%. MUNICIPAL CAPITAL GAINS TAX OR "PLUSVALÍA" Firstly, there is the municipal capital gains tax or Plusvalía. When selling your property in Spain, you, as the se