If you are considering buying a rural property the chances are you will have come across the acronym DAFO. For many the mere mention of the word can cause sweats. Do you need one? Should you buy a house that doesn’t have one? Should you get one before selling? So many questions, and it seems that almost everyone has their own opinion on the matter, most of which rarely agree with each other.
So what is the DAFO and where did it come from? The DAFO or Declaración de Asimilado Afuera de Ordenación (Declaration of Assimilation of ‘Out of Order’ Planning), is a process and document that came about as a result of the political situation in Spain and need for format of dealing with the amount of properties that had been built in the country over the years without previously applying for planning permission in the traditional sense. Over the years it has been common in the past for people to build properties in the countryside of Spain without applying for planning permission and in fact in many instances these properties were built before any kind of paperwork would even have been required.
This has caused an issue in the recent past as the government sought to find a way to normalise the situation with the sheer volume of properties that existed like this. The answer they came up with was the DAFO. This document does not make the property legal per se, instead what it does is recognise the existence of the building or buildings in an official way. Doing this normalises the property and because of that makes it acceptable to the municipality.
There are certain things that you need to do to the property in order to get the certificate and these will ensure a basic level of compliance with regulations.
Who Issues It?
The DAFO is issued by the local Town Hall of the property. You can contact them directly or contact us and we will liaise on your behalf to start the process either to request the document or confirm that the property you are interested in does actually have one.
What Does It Entail?
The processes involved in successfully getting the DAFO will vary depending on the municipality and property that you have or are interested in buying. The Town Hall will explain exactly what is needed and in fact whether the property is eligible to apply for one. We can navigate this entire process on your behalf and liase with the appropriate departments to prepare the documentation necessary to successfully apply for the document.
How Long Does It Take?
It used to be quite a drawn out process however nowadays they have streamlined it somewhat and some people are having success within weeks of applying. It is more likely however to take 2/3 months for your paperwork to be issued to you.
How Much Does It Cost?
This comes down to the size of your property. It is worked out by square metres and may vary according to the Town Hall. One example we recently worked on was for a 50 square metre dwelling and the cost of the document came out at just over 2.000 euros. This of course does not include the cost of the work that was needed on the property to make it complaint. In that instance a specific type of septic tank needed to be installed at a cost of 1600 including installation.
Do I Need One?
That is something for you to decide. In our experience this is a very divisive question. It is becoming increasingly common to offer it as part of a sale. There is a rule with rural property in Spain that there can be absolutely no building work done that increases the size of the home. Once issued, the DAFO will evidence the exact proportions of the space and as such some may choose not to apply for it. If you apply for the DAFO and then do construction work on your property to increase it then the document will be null and void and Town Hall may legitimately insist that you demolish anything that does not appear on the plans it holds.
Many people buy and have bought properties successfully without a DAFO. Some banks request them in order to apply for a mortgage and some do not.
As you can see there is no clear answer however if you speak to a Spanish architect about the matter they will likely be very clear that it is not only advisable but imperative.
It’s really up to you to decide but certainly we would recommend speaking to your town hall before making a purchase of any property to ensure that there are no known issues with it and likewise before selling to make sure that your paperwork is all in order. Here at Casasbonela, Casarabonela Estate Agency we can help you with all aspects of this.
Conclusion
As you can see there are various things to consider when buying or planning to sell a property in the countryside when it comes to the DAFO. One thing we would recommend to you would be to apply for a document that confirms eligibility as opposed to actually requesting it. If you’re not sure about going the whole hog with the process then this offers a level of safety that may suffice. As always Casasbonela Estate Agency, Casarabonela is here to help you through any and all parts of this process.
