The process of completing a new home purchase usually starts when the builder or developer gives you a completion date. Depending on the agreement you have already made, there may be some tight deadlines for you to complete and penalties if you do not do so without good cause. You should normally have already engaged an independent solicitor when you put down a deposit for a new build or a down-payment on an off-plan purchase. It is highly recommendable to get professional advice early on in any house-buying process, as this can save a lot of time and money in the long run. A good solicitor can negotiate retentions on the completion price, in respect of incomplete work or problems with the property. This is still not common in Spain, but is possible and well worth consideration.

There are many stories of people completing a house or flat purchase and then being left waiting - in some cases for years - for simple defects to be put right. Once you have handed over money, there is little incentive for a builder to rush round and, for example, unblock the drains of builder's waste. The Spanish legal system works at a snail