A British couple is buying an off-plan (sobre plano) apartment in Estepona. In which order do the usual steps happen?

1. Notary deed, reservation, staged payments, private contract
2. Reservation, private purchase contract, staged payments during works, then notary deed and keys at completion
3. Private contract, notary deed, reservation, keys
4. Staged payments, reservation, keys, private contract

Your client will pay 30% of the price to a developer before the building is finished. What protection does Spanish law require the developer to give for that money?

1. None: advance payments are at the buyer's risk
2. A personal guarantee signed by the agent
3. An individual bank guarantee (aval) or insurance policy for each buyer, under the LOE's First Additional Provision
4. A notarised promise to repay within ten years

Under the LOE First Additional Provision, what must the guarantee on off-plan deposits cover, and where must the money be paid?

1. Only 50% of the amounts, paid to any account of the developer
2. The amounts paid plus legal interest, paid into a special account kept separate from the developer's other funds
3. Only the reservation fee, paid in cash
4. The full price of the home, paid to the agent's client account

The contract says keys by June 2026. In October 2026 works have stopped and the developer gives no date. What can the buyer do under the LOE?

1. Nothing until five years have passed
2. Only sue the agent who sold the unit
3. Accept a 10% discount, which is the only remedy
4. Choose to terminate and recover the sums paid plus legal interest through the guarantee, or grant the developer an extension

A developer went bust without paying the premium on the deposit insurance. Can the insurer refuse to repay your client for that reason?

1. No: since the 2015 reform the insurer cannot use defences it has against the developer, including unpaid premiums
2. Yes, an unpaid premium always voids the cover
3. Yes, unless the buyer paid the premium himself
4. Only if the buyer is a non-resident

The building is finished and the first occupation permit has been obtained, but the buyer refuses to sign the deed and collect the keys. What happens to the deposit guarantee?

1. It stays in force for ten more years
2. The buyer can still claim it at any time
3. The developer may cancel it, so the buyer loses that protection
4. It converts automatically into a mortgage

Example figures: an off-plan flat in Torrevieja costs EUR 420,000 before tax. The plan is 10% at the private contract, 20% in instalments during works and the rest at the notary. What base price remains to pay at completion (in EUR)?

A buyer compares a brand-new flat from a developer with a resale flat next door. Which tax applies to the first sale of the new flat?

1. Transfer tax (ITP) only, as for resales
2. VAT at 21%
3. No tax for the first owner
4. VAT at the reduced 10% rate, plus stamp duty (AJD) on the deed

Example figures: a new-build flat in Malaga sells for EUR 380,000 from the developer. VAT is 10% and Andalusia's general stamp duty (AJD) is 1.2%. What are VAT plus AJD together (in EUR)?

Example figures: the buyer of an off-plan unit pays a EUR 50,000 stage payment to the developer during construction. VAT on new homes is 10%. How much VAT is added to that stage (in EUR)?

Your buyer adds two parking spaces and a storage room to her new-build flat, all bought in the same deed. What VAT applies to the extras?

1. 10%, as up to two parking spaces and annexes sold together with the home follow the home's reduced rate
2. 21% on all extras
3. 0% because they are not homes
4. 10% on one space and 21% on everything else, always

Under article 17 of the Building Act (LOE), how long are the builder and developer liable for defects in a new home?

1. 6 months for everything
2. 2 years for everything, as for consumer goods
3. 10 years for structural defects, 3 years for habitability defects, 1 year for finishing defects
4. 20 years for structure, 5 years for the rest

Eight months after taking the keys, your buyer notices cracked tiles and doors that do not close properly. What is the best advice?

1. Too late: snags must be raised on the day of handover
2. Notify the developer in writing now, as finishing defects are covered for one year from handover
3. Wait for the ten-year insurance to pay
4. Pay a private builder and forget the claim

Which insurance must a developer of new homes take out to cover structural damage, and for how much?

1. A one-year contents policy for EUR 30,000
2. No insurance is compulsory
3. A three-year policy for 10% of the price
4. Ten-year (decennial) insurance covering 100% of the final cost of the works

Why can a notary and land registrar refuse to record a finished new-build declaration (obra nueva terminada) for a residential block?

1. If proof of the ten-year structural insurance is not provided
2. If the agent's commission has not been paid
3. If fewer than half the units are sold
4. If the buyers are non-residents

In Andalusia, how is occupation of a newly finished building that matches its building licence usually authorised under the LISTA land law (Law 7/2021)?

1. By a decision of the regional parliament
2. By the buyer's own statement at the notary
3. By a declaracion responsable de ocupacion filed with the town hall, replacing the old first occupation licence
4. It needs no paperwork at all

Your client will fund the completion balance with a Spanish mortgage. Under Law 5/2019 on real estate credit, what must happen before she signs?

1. Nothing: she can sign the same day she receives the offer
2. The bank gives the standard information sheet (FEIN) and documents at least 10 calendar days before signing, and she meets the notary free of charge to confirm she understands
3. The agent must sign the mortgage on her behalf
4. She must open a deposit equal to 50% of the loan

Savills data reported in July 2026 put the average Costa del Sol new-build apartment at EUR 5,725 per m2 in 2025. At that average, what would an 80 m2 new apartment cost (in EUR)?

According to Savills figures published in July 2026, how fast do new Costa del Sol schemes sell?

1. Under 5% of units are sold before completion
2. Developers must wait until completion to sell by law
3. Some schemes sell 30% to 50% of units before construction starts, with about 12,265 new homes sold in 2025
4. All new homes are sold to Spanish first-time buyers

What did INE and Registradores data show for the province of Alicante (Costa Blanca) in the first half of 2026?

1. New-build sales doubled and foreigners bought under 10% of homes
2. Sales were unchanged and new builds were 50% of the market
3. Foreign buyers disappeared after the golden visa ended
4. Total sales fell 7.6% to 25,085, new-build sales fell 12.4% to 4,657, and foreigners bought about 44.65% of homes