Guide Series for Buying Property in Mallorca

Guide series for buying property safely in Mallorca

The ultimate guide to a successful property purchase in Mallorca: Do you want to buy a second home—or perhaps your first—on Mallorca? An apartment right in the middle of vibrant, beautiful Palma? Or a finca in the countryside? I’d like to give you a few tips to make your purchase successful and safe—so that pleasure doesn’t turn into frustration! This part focuses on what you need to pay attention to when viewing the property and reviewing it. In the next part, we’ll also look at a few formal hurdles that can end badly.

Of course, buyers do occasionally get taken for a ride. Many really do buy spontaneously while on holiday. They’ve never looked into locations, construction methods, or the market beforehand. And they were simply a bit too euphoric to take the purchase as seriously as is necessary anywhere in the world. At home, they say, that wouldn’t have happened to them. That’s probably true—but it wasn’t about the place; it was about the approach. If your desire to buy isn’t meant to turn into buyer’s frustration, you need to keep a few things in mind and also take a few days to organize your property purchase in Mallorca successfully and safely.

When buying property in Mallorca, this is a relatively hard-to-pin-down point. You mainly have to feel it. On most viewings, I consider what price I could actually rent it out for, and I see the property’s pros and cons. Usually I find it too expensive. And I mull it over. These viewings take time—because I’m basically always looking for points that are deal-breakers or that would allow me to make a higher offer.

But then there are these properties. I walk in and I know: This is it. And I can’t even tell you why! Often the floor plans still need to be changed later. Or it’s in terrible condition. But I have no idea why: it fits. And so far, I’ve never been wrong about that. Lacking a better classification, I therefore refer to this factor as “that certain something” and simply included it in the evaluation forms.

I don’t really need to explain that any further. Just two comments: There are often micro-locations that are particularly good—or particularly bad. I always take a close look at the few surrounding streets.

Look at how well maintained the windows of the surrounding houses are. What do the inner courtyards look like—do the intercom systems look well kept? That can devalue an actually good location.

View it in the evening. Or at the weekend. And maybe early in the morning. There are absurd things that can nevertheless be brutally annoying. Like the club that’s only open on weekends, which you took for an old, romantically shabby warehouse. Or the upscale residential area of Son Vida, where the most important access road is virtually blocked when Palma’s big schools start or finish classes. For anyone who doesn’t have to drive children to school themselves: totally irrelevant! For parents who live here: a major frustration factor. And yes, a successful and safe purchase of your Mallorca property simply takes a bit more effort.

Look out of every window. Lean out. Look all around as you do. Then you’ll also see whether there are drip edges. Or cracks. Or strange marks in the plaster that indicate problems. But above all, you’ll see whether you like what you see. And the house doesn’t consist of just one window with a sea view. A successful purchase happens when you can be sure in advance that buying property in Mallorca will bring long-term enjoyment.

Question the floor plans! What would you see from which spot if this wall were no longer here or there? And how would you like that? Or where could you, for example, create a beautiful and special view through simple gardening measures? A little lemon tree in front of the bathroom window makes every stay there somehow nicer! Because that’s what you—and we—imagine when we think of Mallorca.

I love views! I have never bought a Mallorca property that didn’t have enchanting views in one way or another. And that’s why I can also rent it out safely and successfully. So that pleasure doesn’t turn into frustration!

Then there are the so-called up-and-coming locations. For many of the more notorious neighborhoods here, I’ve heard they’re really on the rise. That’s a safe purchase; “Others” are doing super well with it.

I’ve been hearing that for ten years. And not much has happened. Really be careful there.

We’re talking about real estate here because it stands around immovably in the area. At least it should. And you can’t change that. That brings us back to location. But also to the topic of “common property”; in Spanish that’s the Comunidad. It has now become mandatory in multi-unit buildings. And as always, there are all kinds of co-owners. So:

always have the minutes checked. Ask about the “Presidente”—that’s the poor devil who, as a rule, handles all the formal stuff free of charge and tries to collect the missing payments from the others. And that brings us to the next point: Are all payments up to date? Are there any special things planned? Major renovations? Conversions? And will the seller still cover that? That leads into the second point, namely

This includes, for example, façade elements—here a Comunidad can be very, very petty. If your neighbors think those wonderful white plastic windows with a rounded-arch look are beautiful, then they do.

Some decades simply had poor ceiling heights. And if you then also want to install underfloor heating, you lose a tight 10 cm. And if the ceiling isn’t already suspended, they’ll want to wring at least 30 cm out of you for it. Because you need space for the air-conditioning system, which may still be missing. And both underfloor heating and air conditioning make sense! We often have a very humid climate here, and the pleasure of warm weather can quickly turn into frustration—because the heat can become unbearable, especially in August.

Depending on the period in which the houses were built, there are a few critical materials and construction methods:

A really beautiful stone, but unfortunately it has more the properties of a relatively stable sponge. In the Franco era, local materials had to be used, so you’ll still come across it frequently up to the mid-70s. And: I have already seen developers in the luxury segment, when buying property in Mallorca, who had simply instructed their Eastern European construction crew to close off the Marés with drywall. That then lasts at least beyond the warranty period until the moisture has seeped through and the buyer sees that they have bought a renovation-needing luxury property completely overpriced. In doubt, that can even be a total loss and a property purchase in Mallorca that has gone completely wrong.

Something like a foundation doesn’t exist in every property. And the fact that insulation against rising damp was mandated by building regulations only came in at the beginning of the 2000s. But I’ve seen an extremely large number of houses where the insulation (and it’s really dirt-cheap during construction) was simply forgotten. But ask a good expert about this. Or please buy at least a surface tester like the one in the picture below and check the walls. From the inside. A good hand’s breadth above the floor. And also again higher up. If there are any anomalies, at the latest then bring in a specialist. But not the one the agent recommends—ask Google!

Mainly in the 60s to 80s, aluminum particles were added to the concrete. I have no idea why—if someone knows, please write to me! And unfortunately, it has the property of developing this building-pathology defect, which can massively reduce the material’s strength. In German it’s called Aluminose. If you’re interested, take a look at this website; they explain it quite well. And it’s super critical. It’s all somehow repairable, sure—but extremely labor-intensive. Terrible for the already typically poor ceiling heights of this construction period.

In my opinion, the most difficult topic! As soon as you want to change a lot, we probably enter the realm of an “Obra Mayor”. That’s what Spaniards call a “real construction site”, where the structure or volume is changed as well. And when applying for it, the current building law applies. And today it tends to be more restrictive than it was at the time your house was built. So you would be converting things illegally. Often because many involved still advise it. As long as no volume is increased or it isn’t visible from the outside, that may work. But if you want to sell your dream little castle, buyers are finding that less and less attractive. Because they also want to enjoy their property purchase in Mallorca without frustration. In the past, something like that was “normal”. Today, it gets demolished. By now, more than 50 houses per year in Mallorca. Get advice from an architect who was not recommended by the developer and also not by your agent.

“A pool can be built there.” Or better yet: “The water tank can be converted, no problems at all.” Or: back there in the forest, you can put up a garage. As a general rule, assume that often more than the existing structure won’t be possible. Because your seller has probably already exhausted everything that was possible. Or even more.

Exactly the same with basements. As a rule, basements are not illegal. Or only partially. But especially their use as a bedroom, home cinema, fitness room, spa area, etc. often is—particularly in rural areas. And sometimes one window or another, too. Or also the volume. Now, when buying, you can say: I don’t care; if someone notices, I can do without it if necessary. That might frustrate me, but it’s not dramatic. Fine! This point can be comparatively harmless and is common. But if essential rooms are part of these illegal uses, then the frustration potential increases. Because a safe and successful resale can be at least impaired.

What’s important to you—and what you can’t change—should fit! The changes you want to make absolutely need to be checked. And the existing structure as well! Both technically and legally.

So, in the next part of this small series about buying property in Mallorca, it’s then about how you can actually find your dream property. And later we’ll also deal a bit more with the purchase process and, very superficially, with possible tax consequences. Then I’ll look for guest authors, because even in Spain not everyone is allowed to advise freely in every professional field. And I am neither a civil engineer, nor a lawyer nor a tax advisor. These are just a few practical experience-based values I’d like to share with you.

I hope this was sufficiently informative and look forward to your feedback! Questions and criticism about buying property in Mallorca are welcome below in the comments field!

Arnd