Frequently asked questions about home inspections and expert reports in Spain

It is a systematic, on-site technical examination of a home to identify defects, issues and risks before a decision such as buying it, accepting it from the developer or making a claim. The inspector checks accessible spaces, finishes, the building envelope, damp, cracks and visible installations, recording findings in photographs. You receive a report locating each issue, assessing its seriousness and, if commissioned, estimating the cost of repair. It is a private inspection and does not replace the building's mandatory Inspección Técnica de Edificios (ITE).

It depends on area, property type, age, location and the report's scope, for example whether you want repair valuations. A small Torrevieja flat requires different work from a detached house with grounds a hundred kilometres away. We therefore provide a fixed quote for each case, defining scope and price before starting. Request it through the form with the property's basic details rather than assuming there is one standard inspection tariff.

Because new does not mean defect-free. Common handover findings include hollow tiles, uneven floor tile edges, poorly sealed windows and doors, inadequate terrace falls, faulty sockets, slow drainage and specifications differing from the contract. Finding these before signing the handover allows you to ask the developer for repairs using a clear, photographed list. If discovered months later, you must demonstrate that the defect already existed and the claim will take longer.

A vicio oculto is a defect existing when you bought the home, undetectable through a normal examination and serious enough to make it unsuitable for use, or such that you would not have bought it or would have paid less had you known. Article 1484 of the Código Civil, Spain's Civil Code, sets this out. Typical examples are damp concealed by paint, leaks appearing only during rain, or damaged drainage beneath the floor.

A perito judicial is an expert witness with specialised technical knowledge who helps a judge understand matters such as the origin of a crack or the repair cost of faulty renovation work. They provide a written dictamen pericial, or expert report, and explain it at trial if called. The Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil, Spain's civil procedure law, requires objectivity and a sworn or solemn declaration of truthfulness, whether a party instructs the expert or the court appoints them.

Distinguish two periods. The guarantee period of one, three or ten years, depending on defect type, is when the damage must appear. The prescription period is the time to exercise the claim: article 18 of the Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación (LOE), Spain's building law, provides two years after damage appears. A written claim may interrupt prescription. Do not allow time to pass without consulting a solicitor.