You’ve got the keys: what to put in your name after completion

By Home Kare · 8 min read · Owner’s Guide

Most guides stop at the notary. But signing the deed is the middle of the process, not the end — and the weeks after completion are when new owners at Hacienda del Álamo quietly accumulate problems: a water supply still in the seller’s name, an IBI bill nobody paid, a community that doesn’t know who you are. None of it is difficult. All of it has a deadline. Here’s the order to do it in.


Week 1	Utilities, community, bank
Week 2–4	Land registry, IBI, insurance
Year 1	Modelo 210, first full IBI
Once	Spanish will, key-holder

First: change the utilities

Water and electricity contracts don’t transfer automatically with the property. Until you change them, the bills go to the previous owner’s account — and when that direct debit fails, the supply gets cut.

Electricity: change the holder of the contract, not just the payer. You’ll need your NIE, the deed, the CUPS number from a recent bill and your Spanish bank details.
Water: same process with the local supplier. Take a meter reading on completion day and photograph it.
Check the contracted power while you’re at it. Many properties here carry more contracted power than they need, and you pay for it monthly whether you use it or not.
Internet: a new installation, not a transfer. Book it early — it’s often the longest wait of the lot.

Take photographs on completion day. Both meters, with the readings visible. It takes thirty seconds and settles any argument about consumption before you owned the place.

Second: register with the community

Tell the community administrator that you’re the new owner, and give them your contact details and bank account for the quarterly or monthly fees.

While you’re doing it, ask for:

The current fee and what it covers
The community regulations — particularly anything about letting, pets, terraces and works
Dates of the AGM and how non-resident owners can vote by proxy
Access details: pool cards, gate codes, post box key

Third: the bank account and direct debits

You’ll almost certainly have opened a Spanish account for the purchase. Now make it work for you:

Set up direct debits for water, electricity, community fees and IBI
Keep a buffer balance. Non-resident accounts get charged fees, and a returned direct debit for a small IBI bill causes disproportionate trouble
Check the card expiry date and make sure the bank has an address it can actually reach you at
Register for online banking before you leave Spain, not after

Fourth: the land registry and IBI

Your lawyer normally handles the land registry inscription, but confirm it has happened and ask for a copy of the registered deed. Until the property is inscribed in your name, you’re the owner in fact but not yet on the register.

IBI is the annual council tax, charged by Fuente Álamo town hall on the rateable value. Ask specifically:

Whether the current year’s IBI has been paid, and by whom — it’s usually apportioned at completion
When the billing period falls
Then set up the direct debit so you never think about it again

Fifth: insurance

Buildings and contents cover in Spain is inexpensive and worth having from day one. Two points overseas owners routinely get wrong:

Tell the insurer how you actually use the property. A second home left empty for months is a different risk from a permanently occupied one, and policies often carry conditions after a set number of unoccupied days.
If you intend to let it, say so. Holiday-let use is usually excluded from standard domestic policies.

The first-year items

Modelo 210 — the tax owners forget. If you own a Spanish property and don’t rent it out, you still pay an annual imputed income tax as a non-resident. It’s declared once a year, and it catches out almost every first-time owner. We cover it in detail in our guide to the real annual running costs of owning at HDA.

A Spanish will. Not legally required, but without one your Spanish property can fall under forced heirship rules. We cover why and how in Do non-resident owners need a Spanish will?

Somebody with a set of keys. If you’re not here year-round, arrange key-holding before you need it rather than after a neighbour calls about water coming through a ceiling.

Just bought at HDA and want it all set up properly? Talk to Home Kare →

A practical first-week list

[ ] Photograph both meters
[ ] Change electricity contract into your name
[ ] Change water contract into your name
[ ] Notify the community administrator
[ ] Collect pool cards, gate codes and post box key
[ ] Set up all direct debits
[ ] Confirm IBI status for the current year
[ ] Arrange buildings and contents insurance
[ ] Get a second set of keys cut
[ ] Confirm the land registry inscription with your lawyer

Frequently asked questions

Do utility contracts transfer automatically when I buy? No. They have to be changed into your name, with your NIE, the deed and your Spanish bank details. Until then, bills continue against the previous holder’s account.

Who pays the IBI in the year I buy? It’s normally apportioned between buyer and seller at completion, but confirm what was agreed and whether the year’s bill has actually been paid.

How long does the land registry inscription take? A few weeks is typical. Your lawyer handles it — just make sure you receive confirmation and a copy of the registered deed.

Do I need a Spanish bank account? In practice, yes. Utilities, community fees and IBI all run on Spanish direct debits, and paying them from abroad is more trouble than it’s worth.

What if I only visit twice a year? Then the direct debits and a local key-holder matter more, not less. Most problems in second homes are small ones that ran unnoticed for months.

This guide is for general information and is not tax or legal advice. Procedures and deadlines vary by supplier, municipality and circumstance. Confirm your position with your Spanish lawyer or tax adviser.

You’ve got the keys