I may be an estate agent, but I get asked about cars almost as often as I do about houses! Buying and selling second hand cars in Spain is a pain, there’s no sugar coating it. Living in Spain is a privilege and for most-expats, wild horses wouldn’t drag us away but boy, Spanish bureaucracy! What can you say?! I literally weep when I think back to the halcyon days or dealing with the DVLA in the UK; so efficient, so easy and so cheap!!
When you first move to Spain as a resident you are allowed to bring your car with you under the scheme “cambio de residencia” if you have owned it for at least six months. You will still need to matriculate it to Spanish plates but import duty will be waived.
Once ensconced in Spain it doesn’t take long to notice that second hand cars are expensive compared with back home. And it could be argued that the Spanish aren’t necessarily the best when it comes to looking after their vehicles. All in all, buying a vehicle on the second-hand market here is sunny Spain is, at best difficult and at worst excruciating and expensive. I know because I´ve been there!
Let´s start by looking at the technicalities of buying and selling a vehicle in Spain, as a private individual. Firstly, you are required to draw up a contract of sale (in Spanish) which must be signed by buyer and seller. The seller must also check the buyer´s ID and take a copy. The buyer (unless otherwise agreed) is responsible for transferring the vehicle to their name and paying the appropriate transfer tax. Yes, you have a to pay a tax when buying /selling a car in Spain. Unless fluent in Spanish the best bet may be to employ a gestor, who can do this on your behalf, for a small fee.
Of course, there may be some temptation on behalf of the buyer not to complete the transfer and thus avoid paying the tax. This does happen (it happened to me!) and when it does, the original owner retains responsibility for paying the annual car tax and any subsequent motoring related fines. If you sell a car, make sure the transfer is completed. You can check this on the DGT website (https://sede.dgt.gob.es).
Buying from the UK
The UK second hand car market is simply vast and the competition fierce. For many marques, particularly prestige cars over five years old, the difference in prices between Spain and the UK can be huge. If in any doubt, search cars on Autotrader.co.uk and then similar cars on coches.net. Of course, buying a car from the UK generally means accepting RHD and it´s also a lot of hassle but for car lovers, it may be worth it.
Personally, I have no problem with driving a right-hand drive car in Spain and feel more comfortable buying in the UK where the choice is so much greater. Not just choice of car either, but choice of dealer. In the UK, most reputable dealers want to hang on to their reputation above all else and buying from dealers with a five-star customer service record is worth its weight in gold. Customer service in Spain can be somewhat hit and miss!
In terms of the cost of importing a car, there is a current loophole for cars registered in Northern Ireland, which means zero import duties! It’s perfectly legal and above board. This can save you thousands and means, you are back in the pre-BREXIT era in terms of importing a car. You still need to pay for matriculation, but a lot of the leg work can be handled for you by a reputable broker. I used https://www.reg-your-car-in-spain.com/ who were very efficient.
I guess at the end of the day you ´pay your money and you take your choice´ but having been burnt twice, when buying a second-hand car in Spain, I know where I´ll buy my next car. If you are considering your options, provide a UK registration number to this company and they´ll give you a price and a resume of the process.
If you choose to buy in Spain, I would strongly advise against buying at distance. At the very least, look the dealer in the eye, when completing the purchase! In the UK, the law is clear, and the buyer has the right to return the car within a specified time-period. In Spain no such right exists and, in my experience, trying to get recourse in the law is something considerably more challenging than getting blood from a stone!