If you want to sell your house and you do not know what expenses it may entail, in this article we provide all the information so that you know all the expenses and taxes associated with the sale of your home in 2024 easily and quickly.

When selling a house, you pay between 5% and 15% of the price of the home in taxes, fees, procedures, fees, etc., although this may vary depending on the autonomous community in which the home is located and depending about the seller himself.

This depends on several issues, such as whether or not you sell with a real estate agency, the location of the home, the profits obtained and its taxation in the respective section or the difference between the acquisition value and the sale price, among other factors.

Expenses when selling a house before formalization

It is necessary to manage the prior documentation to formalize the sale of a property, a series of procedures that entail costs that must be paid in order to make the operation effective:

Energy certificate

Since June 1st, 2013, it is mandatory to have the home’s energy certificate for the sale of a property. This document indicates the energy consumption of the home, proving its level of energy efficiency.

To obtain it, you need a qualified technician who is responsible for measuring the values of the house. The approximate average price of an energy efficiency certificate in 2024 ranges from 60 to 130 euros. The number of square meters influences the cost of this document: the larger the surface, the higher the price.

Certificate of occupancy

In some Spanish autonomous communities, it is mandatory to have a certificate of habitability to be able to sell a property. This document certifies that the home meets the minimum safety and habitability requirements.

To obtain this document it is also necessary to hire a qualified technician. Its cost varies depending on the professional, the apartment and the rates of each town hall. In 2024, a mid-range between 60 and 160 euros.

Nota simple

It is always advisable to have the nota simple from the house. This document can be requested by both the buyer and the seller, since it is used to find out if the property is free of encumbrances, if it has a mortgage, etc.

The easiest way to do this is through the web portal of the College of Registrars, the cost of which is 9.2 euros. The price of obtaining the nota simple in person at the Property Registry is 3.64 euros.

Mortgage cancellation fees

This expense must be assumed if the property to be sold has a mortgage. It is not possible to sell a property with charges, so this procedure must be carried out beforehand.

The cost of canceling the mortgage will depend on how and with whom it is done. The cheapest thing is to do it on your own (about 400 euros), while an independent agency will charge around 480 euros; A bank agency will involve facing a payment slightly higher than 1,000 euros.

The costs of selling a home during the transaction

Once a buyer has been found, a series of expenses must be faced to close the purchase and sale operation:

Earnest money contract

This document is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended. This contract protects both the seller and the buyer if one of the two parties backs out when signing the sales contract.

It also contains all the conditions agreed upon between both during the negotiation, such as the final sale price, the deadline for signing, the distribution of expenses, penalties for breach of contract, etc.

Its cost varies depending on who oversees carrying it out. It can be obtained for free, by drafting the contract ourselves; If a real estate agency does it, the cost will be included in their sales commission; If a lawyer does it, the final price can range between 100 and 400 euros.

Notary fees

These correspond to the expenses of the public deed, including the notary’s fees. They are usually paid in full by the buyer, although the Civil Code establishes that it is the seller who must bear the costs of the public deed of sale; and the buyer those corresponding to the first and subsequent copies.

The final value of the notary fees varies depending on the price of the property. Notary fees, called tariffs, are regulated by the State and they all charge the same for identical services, between 0.2% and 0.5% of the value of the property. In the case of the granting of the public deed of sale, the prices are between 600 and 875 euros, depending on the price of the home.

Real estate fees

If for the sale of your house you have opted for a real estate agency to be in charge of the operation, their corresponding fees will have to be paid. These will depend entirely on the market (typology, geographical area, etc.) and the price of the property. Generally, real estate agencies charge a previously established percentage of the final sale price of the home.

Taxes paid when selling a house

Once the property has been sold, it will be time to calculate the taxes for the sale of a home to catch up with the Tax Agency, which implies the payment of the following taxes:

Income Tax

When a property is sold, personal income tax must be paid on the capital gain obtained from the sale, so it should only be paid if it was sold for a price higher than the price paid when purchasing it and when a capital gain has been obtained. The income obtained is presented in the income tax return for the year following the sale of the property.

To calculate it, the price at which the house was sold, the price at which it was purchased and the expenses that had to be faced to carry out these operations are considered. Depending on the profits obtained, the amount will be taxed in the personal income tax brackets set by the Treasury, which for 2024 are:

However, there are some exceptions to avoid paying personal income tax, which are:

• Be over 65 years of age and have sold your primary home or contract a life annuity if the house sold is a second residence.
• Reinvest the money from the sale in the purchase of a new property that will serve as your habitual residence.
• Give the apartment in lieu of payment for not being able to pay the mortgage.
• If you are a person in a situation of severe dependency or great dependency in accordance with the Law for the promotion of personal autonomy and care for people in a situation of dependency.
• That the purchase of the property took place between 05/12/2012 and 12/31/2012, in that case 50% of the capital gain obtained is exempt.

Municipal capital gains

This local tax must be paid to the city council to which the house belongs for the increase in value of the residence from the moment of purchase until its sale. The expense will have to be met within a period of 30 days from the date of the sale.

These taxes increase the value of the land, not the purchase price. To calculate the municipal capital gain, you must consider the cadastral value of the land, the years of ownership of the home and the coefficient or percentage established by the city council.

It should be noted that if an apartment or home is sold at a price lower than the acquisition value, no capital gain must be paid.

Real Estate Tax (IBI)

This tax is paid annually and is the responsibility of each autonomous community, so the price will vary depending on the location of the home. However, IBI costs are limited to a minimum of 0.4% and a maximum of 1.3% of the cadastral value of the home.

It must be paid by whoever appears as the owner of the home on January 1 and the payment date depends on the location.

Taxes for the sale of a home as a non-resident

In 2024, the Treasury obliges the buyer to withhold 3% of the purchase price at the time of the public deed and deposit it on behalf of the seller into the coffers of the Public Treasury as non-resident income tax.

In the case of selling your property to a foreigner, the foreign buyer must assume the (ITP) and, if there is a mortgage, the Tax on Documented Legal Acts (IAJD).

What expenses can be deducted from the sale of a home?

When selling a property, certain expenses can be deductible in personal income tax, which means that they can reduce the tax base of the capital gain obtained. These expenses are divided into two categories: those that are subtracted from the transmission value and those that increase the acquisition value.

Deductibles from the transfer value:

• Real estate commission (for this they must give you an invoice).
• Municipal capital gains.
• Mortgage cancellation expenses.
• Deductibles from the acquisition value:
• Cost of renovations and improvements: Investments made in the property for its improvement, provided they are duly justified, and the work has been carried out in the years prior to the sale.
• Taxes derived from the purchase: Expenses for taxes paid at the time of acquisition, such as the Property Transfer Tax (ITP) or VAT.
• Notary fees.
• Real estate fees: If fees were paid for the purchase of the property to a real estate agency.
• Tips to save money when selling a house

There are various techniques to reduce the expenses associated with the sale of a property:

• Opt for an independent manager to cancel the mortgage: Canceling the mortgage can involve a significant expense, especially if it is done through the buyer’s bank, which is usually the most expensive option. A cheaper alternative is to use the services of an independent manager.
• Negotiate the payment of the IBI with the buyer: Although legally it is the seller’s responsibility to pay the IBI, it is possible to agree with the buyer on a proportional division of the payment, based on the period of possession of each party during the year of sale.

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