Gran Canaria Property Glossary: A-L

Here’s part one of our Gran Canaria property glossary with all the most common and useful Spanish property words used by buyers and sellers. We hope it’s useful and please let us know if you come across a word you think we should include.  See Part Two here. Abogado: Lawyer or solicitor Administrador de fincas: property administrator Adosado: Terraced house Agencia inmobiliaria: Estate agency Agente inmobiliario: Estate agent Aire acondicionado: Air conditioning Aparcamiento: Parking Arquitecto: Architect Área construida: Total footprint of the property in square metres Armario empotrado: Built-in wardrobe Arras: Legally binding downpayment (normally 10%) Arrendador: Landlord Arrendatario: Tenant Ascensor: Lift Asesor fiscal: Tax advisor Asesoria: Company that handles tax and bureaucratic affairs Aval: Bank guarantee sometimes requested by local banks Ayuntamiento: Town Hall Balcón: Balcony Bien situado: Good location Boletín eléctrico: Certification from the electricity provider Caja de Ahorros: Savings bank Cargas: Charges or debts associated with a property rather than its current owner Catastro: Land registry Cédula de habitabilidad: Certificate that states that a property was habitable upon completion Chalet: Detached property Cocina: Kitchen Cocina Americana: Kitchen with breakfast bar Cocina office: Open plan kitchen Comedor: Dining room Comprador: Buyer Comunidad de propietarios: Community of property owners (in a complex or building) Comunidad: Term used for the monthly community payment paid by owners in apartment buildings and complexes Contrato de compraventa: Property sales contract between buyer and seller Denunicia: Formal complaint made to the police or Town Hall Domiciliación de pagos: Standing order Escritura: Title deeds Escritura pública de compraventa: The title deeds that prove that you have bought a property Estudio: Studio flat EURIBOR: Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor) is a daily reference rate, published by the European Money Markets Institute: Used by Spanish banks as the base rate for their mortgages. Fianza: Deposit (used mainly for rental property deposits) Finca: Farm or country property with land Fontanero: Plumber Garaje: Garage Gestoria: Company that specialises in helping clients to obtain permits and complete paperwork Habitación: Room (often refers to bedrooms in property descriptions) Hacienda: Spanish tax authorities Hipoteca: Mortgage IBI: Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles: Annual property tax levied on the value of the land occupied by a property Impuesto: Tax Impuesto sobre el patrimonio: Capital gains tax Inmobiliaria: Estate agency Interior: Property with the windows facing the internal courtyard of a building ITP or Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales: Tax paid when you sell a property Jardín: Garden Libre de cargas: Debt free Licencia de obras: Building permit Local: Commercial property Loft: Top floor property with an open plan design Luminoso: Bright We are south Gran Canaria’s most recommended estate agency and have been in business since a980. If you plan to buy or sell in south Gran Canaria, we are the safe and smart way to do it.