Blog
Paperwork, taxes, checks and buying decisions: short articles answering real used-car questions.
What transferring a car in Spain really costs: three items and a worked exampleDGT fee, transfer tax and agency: what you pay when a used car changes owners in Spain, and what it adds up to in a typical case.Read the articleThe notification of sale: the €8 filing that protects the sellerIf you sell your car and the buyer never registers the transfer, the fines keep arriving in your name. The notification of sale cuts that off at the root.Read the articleThe DGT vehicle report: the car's X-ray for the price of a coffeePrevious owners, liens, the mileage at every inspection: what the DGT vehicle report contains and what to look for before paying.Read the articleRetention of title: the invisible lock that stops a car from being soldIf the car was bought on finance, the lender may still legally own it. What retention of title is, how to detect it and how it gets cancelled.Read the articleThe used-car transfer tax: why the tax office won't take your contract's wordSpain's ITP isn't assessed on the contract price but on official valuation tables. How it works and what happens if you under-declare.Read the articleThe private sale contract: the eight lines that prevent a lawsuitWhat a private car sale contract must include, and the three mistakes that repeat across the templates floating around the internet.Read the articleThe car has a lien on it: can you still buy it?What it means when a vehicle is under seizure, why it blocks the transfer, and the realistic options if you still want it.Read the articleTampered odometers: five checks that dismantle the trickOdometer fraud is alive and well. How to cross-check inspection history, wear and electronics to spot a clocked car.Read the articleSelling your car privately without scares: the right order of stepsPayments that evaporate, buyers who vanish with the car, fines arriving months later: the correct sequence for a private sale.Read the articleZero-km cars: what they really are and when they beat new or nearly-newZero-km cars are units registered by the dealership with barely any use. The real advantages, the fine print, and when to choose one.Read the articleUsed hybrid or petrol: the maths almost nobody doesA used hybrid costs more upfront. How many yearly kilometres it takes for the difference to pay for itself, and what to check on each.Read the articleDGT environmental labels: what each one means and why it moves pricesZERO, ECO, C and B: how the badge is assigned, what restrictions it brings and how it shifts used-car resale values.Read the articleThe ITV when buying a used car: more information than it seemsNext inspection date, recorded defects and mileage: using the roadworthiness history to negotiate — or to walk away in time.Read the articleUsed-car warranty: what changes depending on who sells to youBuying from a professional brings years of legal warranty; buying from a private seller, something quite different. What each scenario covers.Read the articleImporting a car from the EU into Spain: five steps and two taxesBringing a car from Germany or elsewhere in the EU can pay off, but the process has technical and tax steps worth knowing before booking the trip.Read the articleRoad tax in the year of the sale: who pays it and whySpanish road tax (IVTM) is owed by whoever holds the title on 1 January, whenever the car is sold. How it works and which debts follow the car.Read the articleThe deposit when reserving a car: what each side signs without knowingA deposit isn’t a gesture — it’s a contract. What happens if you back out, what happens if the seller does, and how to put it in writing.Read the articleThe papers to sell your car: the complete list so there is no second tripRegistration certificate, technical card, contract, notification of sale: everything to have ready on the day, and what to do if something is missing.Read the articleHow to pay (and get paid) for a car between private parties without losing sleepCash, transfer, banker’s draft or third-party escrow: the advantages and traps of each payment method in a private car sale.Read the articleUsed electric cars: the battery IS the carBattery state of health, charging history and the separate battery warranty: what really needs checking when buying a used EV.Read the articleSubscription, flexible leasing or buying used: which fits your casePaying to use versus paying to own: how to compare honestly the real cost of flexible leasing against buying a used car.Read the article