For those who are just discovering me….welcome! My husband and I currently live in Limoux, southern France, but we are in the process of making a move to Spain. In fact, we are buying a house in Andalusia.
It all began in mid-May when my sister spotted a listing of a house near the stunning white village of Cómpeta. The plan is to buy the property together, and since she had more flexibility timewise, she flew to Málaga to check it out.
From four months visiting and researching the Costa Blanca, we were already well aware that buying in Spain is rarely straightforward. And surprise, surprise, we’ve had more than a few issues. So many, in fact, that we still haven’t signed the main purchase contract or paid the standard 10% deposit.
We did sign a reservation contract, which required a small deposit to take the house off the market. Thankfully, we hired a lawyer from the start, which turned out to be one of our better decisions. We have since uncovered things we didn’t even know we should be looking for.
What’s a DAFO, and Why Does It Matter?
Looking back, it seems even the current owner wasn’t aware of some of the issues. He bought the property in May 2025 through a forced bank sale, which often means a good deal, but sometimes comes with surprises.
In the autumn, he began a few formalities with the local council, including starting a DAFO process or so we were told. For anyone unfamiliar, a DAFO is a certificate confirming a rural property’s legal status, protecting it from fines or even demolition.
As it turns out, there was no DAFO process underway. Our lawyer did some digging and found that the process hadn’t even been initiated. It was the local technical architect who took the initiative, inspected the property, and came up with a list of requirements to obtain the DAFO.
It’s a fairly long list but luckily, we already knew (and accepted) over half of the needed improvements.
Buying a House in Andalusia Comes with Surprises
What we didn’t know? That we wouldn’t be able to get a water supply until the DAFO is approved. Bit of a red flag, especially since we will need water to do renovations. A proper Catch-22.
On top of that, the current septic tank doesn’t meet modern standards, and despite there being power sockets throughout the house, we apparently don’t have an electricity supply either. Yep, it is starting to sound like an off-grid project.
Still undeterred, we asked our lawyer to relay all this to the seller and get his perspective. After much back-and-forth, we’ve come to an agreement, albeit an unconventional one.
An Unusual Agreement, and a Glimmer of Hope
The seller has agreed to:
- Install a new septic tank and cover half the cost.
- Get electricity connected.
- Somehow, don’t ask us how, arrange a temporary water supply from the neighbour. (Are they old mates? Did he bribe them with olive oil? Who knows!)
On top of that, he’s willing to leave a significant sum, probably close to 20% of the purchase price, in an escrow account with our lawyer. If we don’t manage to secure the DAFO within a year, we will get that money back. Fair enough, considering we might be facing some extra costs.
Confused? Complicated? We are too! You might even be wondering why we’re going through with it at all…
Honestly, I’m just incredibly relieved we hired a lawyer—because there’s more to this story. But that’s for another time.
Stay tuned.
Marijke
