How do you check business premises in Spain before buying or leasing?

Start by checking whether the property suits your business, both on paper and technically. Price and floor area cannot answer that: a restaurant, hotel or vehicle repair workshop will need different solutions in the same premises. If you are buying land for a commercial building, assess it for the specific activity too.

Before the transaction, establish what work and approvals are needed, then assess the cost of getting the property ready to open. This helps identify constraints while you can still change the property or negotiate the contract terms.

What should I decide before looking for premises?

Define the specific activity and what will happen inside. The description «business premises» is too broad: requirements depend on how the business will operate.

For a restaurant, the kitchen and the air extraction route matter. For a hotel, room layout and escape routes are significant. For a vehicle repair workshop, the equipment, vehicle access and type of work are important.

Before starting your search, prepare a short project brief: the activity, expected capacity, equipment and required building services. This will help a specialist assess the property against your intended use.

How do I find out whether my business is permitted here?

A listing describing “commercial premises” does not establish that any business can operate there. You need to check the property’s planning designation and whether the specific activity is compatible with local rules.

The city of Valencia provides for an informe de compatibilidad urbanística, a municipal planning compatibility report. This document confirms whether the proposed activity is compatible with current planning and municipal ordinances. It must be requested before completing the applicable environmental approval procedure for the activity.

For a buyer or tenant, it makes sense to establish compatibility before taking on contractual obligations. A positive result does not replace the other permissions required.

If you are buying land for a new building, the permitted building parameters and conditions for preparing the site also need to be checked. The ability to accommodate the activity and the ability to construct the required building must align.

What documents should I check before signing?

Start with a current nota simple from the Registro de la Propiedad, the Land Registry. This report contains information about the property, registered rights holders and encumbrances.

Next, ask the owner for existing plans and documents covering completed work. If a business previously operated there, review its permissions and compare them with your new project.

“There used to be a restaurant here” is a useful starting point. But you need to establish which activity was authorised, what conditions applied and whether the premises still match the documents.

Mezzanines, extensions and converted basements need particular attention: their actual area may differ from the area supported by the documents.

Can the property be converted for my business?

Even where the intended use is permitted, the property may be too expensive to adapt. Before signing a contract, check:

• the feasibility of ventilation and air extraction;
• available electrical capacity and the conditions for increasing it;
• water supply and drainage;
• ceiling heights and structural condition;
• accessibility and escape routes;
• the effect of noise and vibration on neighbouring premises.

Hypothetical example: you lease premises for a restaurant, then discover that the proposed extraction system cannot be installed as designed. You now have to rethink the kitchen, find another technical solution or change property.

An assessment before leasing allows you to factor these issues into the choice of premises before the costs have been incurred.

What costs should I allow for beyond purchase or rent?

Allow for the cost of getting the property ready for use. Comparing purchase prices or rents alone is insufficient; the decision needs a preliminary assessment of work and related costs.

This includes design and surveys, preparation of the necessary paperwork, construction work and building services. The costs of holding the property during preparation, while the business is not yet operating, should be considered separately.

Cheaper premises may need more extensive conversion. An assessment helps you understand that difference before the transaction.

What should I agree with the owner before signing?

If the project involves changes to the facade, ventilation installation or work affecting shared building elements, establish in advance which consents are needed and who must obtain them.

With a specialist lawyer, consider how to record the permitted use and agreed work in the contract, together with the consequences if the project does not obtain the required permissions.

The owner’s promises are best translated into verifiable documents and specific agreements. This is especially important where adapting the premises requires substantial expenditure.

What else should I check in Valencia?

Do not apply the results of checks at one address to another. The city of Valencia and neighbouring municipalities may have different plans and procedures.

For the particular property, check local restrictions and, where relevant, heritage protection conditions and flood risk. The scope of checks will differ for a hotel, restaurant and vehicle repair workshop.

In the Valencian Community, a preliminary planning compatibility check is provided for by Article 22 of the law governing environmental control of activities. The specific procedure is determined by the project and municipality.

What if I have already signed the contract?

Start by comparing the contract terms, documents and property’s actual condition. Then identify what is preventing opening: missing confirmation, a technical problem or incompatibility of the activity.

You can then assess adaptation options and the consents needed. Further expenditure should be considered after the cause has been established: a new refurbishment does not by itself resolve a permitted-use issue.

How can NEXEVO assess the property before the transaction?

NEXEVO can assess the property’s documentary and technical condition and coordinate the relevant specialists. The assessment helps establish which issues need resolving before the transaction and what work the chosen activity will require.

If the property has already been bought or leased, an assessment helps identify the obstacles and prepare a sequence of next steps. The feasibility of opening and the timescale depend on the particular project and the assessment results.

Choosing land or premises for a commercial project in Spain? Contact NEXEVO for a property assessment before buying, leasing or starting work.

Frequently asked questions