I own a property in Torrevieja but live abroad: how can I sell it?

I own a property in Torrevieja but live abroad: how can I sell it?

Owning a property in Torrevieja while living in another city or even another country is very common. Many owners bought their apartments years ago to enjoy holidays, spend time by the sea or simply have somewhere to escape to whenever they had the opportunity.

But circumstances change. Some owners visit less and less frequently, others have stopped using their property altogether, and some simply feel that the time has come to sell.

That is when a perfectly reasonable question comes up: how can I sell my property if I am not in Torrevieja to arrange viewings, deal with paperwork or attend the signing?

After years of working with property owners who live outside the Costa Blanca, we can confidently say that selling remotely is entirely possible. In fact, in many transactions, the owner barely needs to travel, provided everything is properly organised from the beginning.

You don’t need to be in Torrevieja to start selling

One of the most common misconceptions is that you first need to travel to Spain, spend a few days at the property, visit several estate agents and organise everything in person.

In reality, much of the work can begin remotely. We can have an initial conversation by phone or video call, discuss the property’s characteristics, review its situation and study the market before deciding how to market it.

To provide an accurate valuation, knowing the apartment’s size or checking the asking prices of other properties advertised online is not enough. We need to understand its condition, location, orientation, features and real competition, while also using professional market information and data.

The aim is to help the owner make an informed decision without having to organise a trip simply to find out what their property might be worth.

Who will show the property if I’m not there?

This is usually one of the first questions owners ask us.

In many cases, the owner lives in Madrid, Bilbao, France, Belgium, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom and only uses their Torrevieja property at certain times of the year.

If we want to market the property properly, we cannot rely on the owner having to catch a flight every time a potential buyer wants to arrange a viewing.

That is why it is important to organise access to the property, key arrangements and viewing coordination from the beginning. Once we have agreed on how everything will work, we can handle viewings, communicate with buyers and follow up on enquiries without the owner needing to be present.

This allows the sale to progress normally, even when the owner has not visited Spain for months.

Preparing the paperwork before finding a buyer

There is one situation we always try to avoid: finding a buyer who is ready to reserve a property, only to discover that important documentation is missing.

When the owner lives abroad, any issue that has not been anticipated can become unnecessarily complicated. Missing paperwork, discrepancies in ownership, an inheritance that has not been finalised or a Land Registry issue requiring clarification can all cause delays.

That is why we prefer to review each property’s situation from the beginning, with appropriate legal support whenever necessary.

Among other things, it is advisable to check ownership, Land Registry information, cadastral details, existing charges and the documentation required to complete the sale.

Not every property has the same circumstances, which is precisely why it is better to identify any outstanding issues before a buyer is waiting to proceed.

Can I sell my property without travelling to Spain to sign?

Yes. There are legal arrangements that allow a property sale to be completed without the owner having to attend the notary’s office in person.

One option is to grant a power of attorney to someone you trust or to a professional who can represent you in certain procedures and, if the power of attorney includes the necessary authority, sign the sale on your behalf.

When the owner is abroad, it is also important to consider where the power of attorney is granted, whether it will be valid in Spain and whether any legalisation or translation requirements apply.

This should be prepared and reviewed with appropriate legal advice, as not every power of attorney authorises the same actions.

In other cases, the owner prefers to travel to Spain and sign personally. That is also perfectly fine. What matters is making the decision early enough so that the entire transaction does not depend on sorting everything out at the last minute.

Selling remotely doesn’t mean losing control of the process

Sometimes, what concerns owners most is not the distance itself, but the feeling of not knowing what is happening with their property.

Is it being marketed properly? Are buyers showing interest? What feedback are we receiving after viewings? Is anyone considering making an offer?

For us, good communication is part of the service, especially when the owner cannot be here.

It is not about calling constantly just to say that we are still working. It is about sharing information that genuinely matters: the interest the property is generating, the viewings carried out, buyers’ feedback and any decisions worth considering during the marketing process.

Being far away from your property should not mean being disconnected from its sale.

The buyer may also be in another country

There is another important factor when it comes to second homes in Torrevieja: quite often, neither the seller nor the buyer lives here.

An owner may be in France while a potential buyer discovers their apartment from the Netherlands, Germany or the United Kingdom.

This makes international marketing, professional photography, videos, virtual viewings when appropriate and coordination between professionals particularly important.

At JJ Properties, we work with a network of more than 500 partner estate agencies, allowing us to extend the reach of our properties and connect with buyers who may already be working directly with other professionals.

It is not simply about advertising a property on several portals, but about giving it the opportunity to reach the right buyer, wherever they may be.

What about taxes and selling costs?

This is another aspect worth reviewing before accepting an offer, particularly when the owner is not a Spanish tax resident.

Depending on their circumstances, specific tax obligations may apply, such as the 3% withholding on the purchase price when the seller is classified as a non-resident for these purposes, along with other applicable taxes and expenses.

Municipal capital gains tax (plusvalía municipal), any taxable gain arising from the sale and outstanding charges or amounts associated with the property may also need to be considered.

Every situation should be assessed individually. Selling a property as a Spanish tax resident is not the same as selling from another country, and not every transaction creates the same obligations.

That is why we believe it is important for owners to understand how much they can actually expect to receive after the sale, rather than focusing only on the asking price advertised online.

Our experience selling properties for owners who live elsewhere

Over the years, we have worked with property owners living in other Spanish cities and various European countries, managing transactions where much of the process was handled remotely.

In some cases, the owners had not visited their property for months. In others, they needed to sell because their personal circumstances had changed or because they no longer used their second home as often as before.

Every situation is different, but they all have something in common: the owner needs to know that someone is here looking after their property, coordinating viewings, managing the necessary arrangements and keeping them informed.

And that takes more than simply placing an advert online.

Selling your property in Torrevieja, even from thousands of kilometres away

If you own a second home in Torrevieja and are thinking about selling, living elsewhere does not have to be an obstacle.

The important thing is to start with a realistic valuation, review the documentation, organise the marketing properly and work with professionals who can manage the process locally.

Because selling a property from another city or another country should not turn into a constant series of trips, phone calls and worries.

Our job is to make sure you can take the important decisions from wherever you are, while we take care of managing the sale here in Torrevieja.