Certificate of building age and floor area

Many houses have more built than the deed says: an extra floor, a garage, an extension or simply more square metres. To be able to sell, mortgage, inherit or register that reality, the notary and the Land Registry ask for a technical certificate that describes the building, measures it and proves how long it has existed.

What it's for

• Declaring a new build “by age”: registering a construction that has no licence but can no longer be subject to enforcement action because of the time that has passed, under article 28.4 of the national Ley de Suelo y Rehabilitación Urbana (Land and Urban Regeneration Act).
• Updating the floor area in the deed when it doesn't match reality or the Cadastre.
• Supporting a sale, an inheritance or a mortgage when the buyer or the bank needs to know exactly what is there.

What the certificate includes

• Description of the building: floors, uses, layout and construction system.
• Built and usable floor areas, measured during the visit.
• Completion date, supported by historical aerial photos, the Cadastre and other evidence.
• Drawings of the building and, if needed, of the plot.

If the plot also needs correcting in the Cadastre and the Land Registry, we complete it with the georeferenced plan (GML).

How we do it

1. We review the title deed, the land registry extract (nota simple) and the Cadastre to see what is registered and what isn't.
2. We visit and measure the home.
3. We research its age using historical aerial surveys and documents.
4. We sign the certificate and, if you ask us to, coordinate it directly with your notary.

Frequently asked questions

Does it legalise the construction?

Not exactly. It allows it to be registered, but the building is left “fuera de ordenación” (non-conforming) or in a similar situation, with limits on extending it. If you want to regularise it fully, we cover that under legalisation of unlicensed works.

How old does the construction have to be?

It depends on the type of land and the autonomous community, because each law sets its own time limits for the authorities to take action. We check it before preparing the certificate.

Is the Cadastre certificate enough?

Sometimes the notary accepts it to prove the date, but the description and the floor area still need a professional, especially if the Cadastre doesn't match reality.