From reserva to key: what actually happens

You've signed. The reserva is in, the first deposit too, and the house in Jávea or elsewhere in the Marina Alta is yours for now. From here it can look simple. It isn't always. Between that signature and the key sits a process with a few fixed steps, and we walk through them here the way we walk through them with our clients.

The period right after the reserva

Once the reserva is signed, the file opens. We check the land registry details, look for any charges on the property, and verify that the permits match what was actually built. In an inland house from the seventies that doesn't always line up, and then we find out what that means for the transfer.

At this stage our own building surveyor can come by for a technical inspection. This isn't a full design and not a detailed budget, that comes after the purchase if you want to move forward with TREE Constructions. It's a general picture: is the roof sound, is there damp, how old is the wiring. Enough to know where you stand before the final contract is signed.

Drawing up the contrato privado

The notary only comes in at the end. First there's usually a private contract between buyer and seller, setting out the conditions, the payment schedule and the delivery date. We read this through with you, sentence by sentence, and explain what it says. Tax details and legal deadlines differ by municipality and by situation, so for those we point you to a gestor or a lawyer. We make sure you sit down with the right person at the right time, we don't give tax or legal advice ourselves.

If you want to renovate before the key handover

Some buyers don't want to wait for the key handover to get started. If the seller agrees, TREE Constructions can already begin preparatory work, drawings for instance, or applying for a permit with the town hall. That saves time once the house is officially yours.

For the kitchen, bathroom or tiling, we work with Sani-Kitchen Projects, our partner since 2022. They think through materials and layout with you, and because they sit under the same roof as TREE Properties and TREE Constructions, you don't have to explain the same thing three times.

A renovation that starts before you have the key begins with a conversation between seller, buyer and builder, not with a builder who just starts working.

The role of the architect and the surveyor

On larger projects, like an extension or joining two plots in Alcalalí or Orba, our architect gets involved. They look at what the zoning plan allows, and at what's practical given the layout of the plot. The surveyor stays involved during construction, checks progress and flags it if something isn't going according to plan.

These two work separately from the agency, but within TREE. That means the information gathered during the sale, like the first inspection, reaches them too. Nobody has to look at the same house twice for the same question.

The final weeks before the transfer

In the last stretch before the notary, things get practical. Utilities get transferred, the owners' association (if there is one) gets informed, and we plan a final viewing with you shortly before the transfer. That's the moment to check that everything is as agreed: is the furniture listed in the contract still there, is the pool system working, does the air conditioning work.

On the day itself, we come with you to the notary in Jávea, Dénia or wherever the file is held. We sit next to you during the signing, not because it's required, but because we know the whole process already and can still answer any questions in that moment.

And then the key

The key handover is often a quiet moment after a process that can take weeks or months. For some buyers the house is ready to move into right away. For others the renovation is just beginning, with TREE Constructions and Sani-Kitchen Projects putting the rest of the puzzle together.

Whatever follows, the stretch between reserva and key doesn't have to be a period of uncertainty. With the right steps at the right moment, you know in advance what to expect, and that's exactly what we've been working on in the Marina Alta since 2022.