Comparing two homes consistently

One table for both options

Comparisons break down when you know a lot about one flat and little about the other. The less-known one then wins, simply because its weaknesses are not visible. Set the rows before the viewings and fill them in the same way for both.

Next to every value, add a status: "backed by a document", "according to the seller or agent", "unknown". An empty cell is not an advantage. If you know nothing about the second flat's debts to the owners' community, that is a question for the seller, not a point in its favour.

Which rows to include

Add your own criteria from the search brief: journeys, floor, light, outdoor space.

Documents make the cells comparable

A nota simple (information extract from the Land Registry) shows the property, its owners, their rights and any charges. It is for information only and reflects the position on the date issued, so use extracts of roughly the same date for both flats. How to get one: what a nota simple is.

Debts to the community and unpaid IBI do not appear in it; ask the seller and the building's administrator. Under Catalan rules the seller must hand the buyer the cédula de habitabilidad (certificate of fitness for occupation), the energy certificate and label, the plans, and for new builds the guarantee documents. Before you pay any amount, you must be told the usable area, the total price including taxes and the terms of sale.

Find out separately whether the flat is let. A buyer of a let flat takes over the landlord's rights and duties for the first five years of the lease (seven if the landlord is a company), and the tenant has a right of first refusal: the seller must notify the price and terms, and the tenant has 30 calendar days (articles 14 and 25 LAU). The same price for a let flat and a vacant one means two different purchases.

Running costs, not just the price

The comunidad de propietarios (owners' community) collects regular fees, one-off levies for works (derramas) and a reserve fund that must be at least 5 % of the budgeted expenses. The flat stands as security for community debts for the current year and the four before it, including those of previous owners. Two flats at the same price can carry very different monthly fees, and one building's minutes may show an approved facade or lift renovation. Ask for the budget and recent minutes for both buildings. Details: owners' community.

IBI is paid by whoever owns the property on 1 January; the tax base is the cadastral value and Barcelona's general rate is 0.66 %. Compare actual receipts, not the agent's estimate. Details: IBI and plusvalía.

Weighting and when to stop

• Weights. Give each row a weight of 1, 2 or 3 based on your brief. Set the weights before the viewings, not after.
• Deal breakers. Decide in advance which confirmed risk rules an option out: a charge that will not be cleared before signing, a sitting tenant, a large approved levy, a discrepancy in area.
• Cost of a risk. If a risk does not change the decision, turn it into money or time: what it costs to fix and who pays.
• Who checks. Legal rows go to a lawyer, condition to an architect or building surveyor, tax to a tax adviser. The table brings their conclusions together; it does not replace their checks.

Last updated 26.10.2026.