29 · What the Listing Really Says — Property-Ad & Viewing Vocabulary (ES/CAT → EN)
*If you're buying on Mallorca, the first things you'll read are idealista, fotocasa and agent listings — and that's where you'll trip over terms that, depending on who wrote them, are sometimes a sober description and sometimes pure sales spin. This chapter translates the vocabulary for you, from a reformar through calidades to marés, and tells you where a word is just everyday language and where it becomes legally tricky. Terms without a marker are pure language; the traffic lights ✅/🟡/🔴 appear only where a phrasing has legal consequences for you as a buyer.*
Location (Ubicación)#
When it comes to location, a healthy mistrust of superlatives pays off — especially on the water, where it isn't the listing text that decides what you may do with the property, but the law.
| Term (ES/CAT) | English | What you need to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| primera línea / a pie de playa | first sea line / right on the beach | 🟡 The Ley de Costas (Coastal Law) often applies here — easement zones, building and renovation bans. Always check the distance to the coastline (→ Ch. 10) |
| segunda línea | second row back from the sea | one row or one street set back; usually only partial sea views |
| vistas al mar | sea views | 🟡 an elastic term — best to see for yourself, on site and at the right time of day |
| a reformar / de origen | in need of renovation / original condition | 🔴 This can hide a missing cédula de habitabilidad (habitation certificate, → Ch. 09); clarify the permit situation and your budget in advance |
| para entrar a vivir / llaves en mano | move-in ready / turnkey | a marketing claim, not a technical standard |
| reformado / recién reformado | renovated / recently renovated | 🟡 ask for the licencia de obra (works permit) for the work done (risk of unpermitted construction) |
| céntrico / a las afueras / zona tranquila | central / on the edge of town / quiet location | check seasonal noise in summer separately |
| urbanización | (planned) residential development | usually comes with shared facilities and comunidad fees (→ Ch. 05) |
Condition & Quality#
"High quality" appears in almost every listing. What's actually been installed only becomes clear at the viewing — and the difference between new build and existing stock has real tax consequences.
| Term | English | What you need to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| calidades / altas calidades | material qualities / high-end fit-out | marketing — verify in concrete terms when you view |
| obra nueva / de segunda mano | new build / second-hand (existing) property | tax-relevant (IVA vs. ITP, → Ch. 04) |
| exterior / interior | exterior / interior position | interior means: facing an inner courtyard or light shaft (often darker) |
| luminoso / orientación (sur/norte) | bright / orientation (south/north) | south brings plenty of sun, but also summer heat; north is cooler |
Rooms & Areas#
With rooms, it's less about translation and more about the question of what legally counts as living space at all — and whether ancillary rooms are sold with the property or form their own cadastral unit.
| Term | English | What you need to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| dormitorio · baño / aseo | bedroom · full bathroom / guest WC | aseo means a WC, usually without a shower |
| salón-comedor · cocina americana/office | living-dining room · open / separate kitchen | — |
| despensa · trastero | pantry · storage room | 🟡 a trastero often has its own referencia catastral (cadastral reference) → is it included in the sale? |
| altillo · buhardilla | mezzanine / intermediate level · attic room | 🟡 an altillo frequently doesn't count toward the legal living area or fails to reach the required ceiling height |
| sótano · semisótano | basement · semi-basement | 🟡 residential use of a semi-basement isn't always legal or registered |
| ático · bajo · entreplanta | penthouse · ground-floor flat · mezzanine | — |
| terraza · balcón · solárium · porche · patio · jardín | terrace · balcony · roof terrace · covered terrace · inner courtyard · garden | — |
| parcela | plot / parcel | 🟡 for rústico (rural land), check the minimum size and buildability (→ Ch. 10) |
Areas — the trap: Listings almost always quote m² construidos (built square metres). The actually usable m² útiles (usable square metres) are typically 15–25 % lower. So always ask for the útiles (→ Ch. 17).
Fittings & Equipment#
Heating and the pool are the two items where Mallorca listings are most likely to raise expectations that don't hold up on site or in law — here a close look is especially worthwhile.
| Term | English | What you need to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| aire acondicionado frío-calor | air conditioning (cooling + heating) | heat pump — on Mallorca often the only "heating" there is |
| calefacción central / individual | heating, central / individual | with central, the costs run through the comunidad |
| suelo radiante · domótica | underfloor heating · smart home | — |
| armarios empotrados · cocina amueblada | built-in wardrobes · fitted kitchen | ask specifically what stays with the sale |
| piscina (climatizada/desbordante/infinity) | pool (heated / overflow / infinity) | 🟡 check the legality and permit status of the pool (a classic finca problem, → Ch. 10) |
| garaje · plaza de aparcamiento · ascensor · portero/conserje | garage · parking space · lift · porter / concierge | a parking space is often its own cadastral unit; a concierge generates comunidad costs |
Mallorca-specific#
You'll encounter these terms almost only on the island. Behind the charm of a finca, possessió or molino there are regularly the strictest conditions attached — heritage protection, buildability and residential use are the decisive keywords here.
| Term | English | What you need to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| finca | country house on rústico (rural land) | 🟡 buildability, residential use and ETV (holiday-rental licence) are strictly regulated (→ Ch. 10/11) |
| possessió (Cat.) | historic manor estate / country estate | 🟡 often heritage-protected (BIC / catálogo) |
| casa de pueblo | village / town house in the old core | frequently built in marés (Balearic sandstone), with a patio |
| casita de aperos | tool / equipment shed | 🔴 no legal residential use — yet often marketed anyway as a "dwelling" |
| molino | (wind / water) mill | 🟡 heritage and conversion restrictions |
| cisterna | cistern / rainwater store | important for fincas without a public water connection (→ Ch. 26) |
| marés | Balearic limestone/sandstone | the defining building material; 🟡 high-maintenance (damp / salt), expensive to restore |
| teulada · porxo (Cat.) | tiled roof · covered veranda | check the roof condition and insulation |
Law & Marketing (with cross-references)#
This is where vocabulary turns into contract law. Most of these terms describe not a feature of the property but its legal status or the rules of the deal — and this is precisely where you should trust the listing least and your own due diligence most.
| Term | English | What you need to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| libre de cargas | free of charges / encumbrances | 🔴 always verify via nota simple (Land Registry extract), never take the listing's word for it (→ Ch. 02) |
| escriturado / escriturada por X € | the value recorded in the deed | 🟡 under-declaring the deed value is illegal (→ Ch. 21) |
| nuda propiedad | bare ownership without use | 🔴 use only begins once the usufructo (usufruct / right of use) expires (→ Ch. 17) |
| alquiler con opción a compra | rent-to-buy | 🟡 fix the option period and the credit of rent paid in the contract |
| vivienda VPO | subsidised / social housing | 🔴 price, sale and rental restrictions apply (→ Ch. 17) |
| seña / reserva · exclusiva · contraoferta | down payment / reservation · sole agency mandate · counter-offer | 🟡 clarify the arras (earnest-money deposit) type and don't pay before the nota simple (→ Ch. 01) |
| vendido como visto | "sold as seen" | 🔴 an attempt to exclude liability for defects — check condition and permits beforehand |
❓ FAQ#
What's behind "a reformar"? A need for renovation — and not rarely a missing valid cédula de habitabilidad. Before you buy, you should have worked through both the permit situation and your budget.
Why does the listing quote more square metres than I can see in the flat? Because it states the m² construidos (including walls and the share of common areas). Only the m² útiles are walkable, and those are typically 15–25 % lower.
Can I rely on "libre de cargas"? No. Have the absence of encumbrances confirmed via the nota simple (Land Registry extract) — and only pay your deposit afterwards.
Sources (selection)#
- Tinsa/Housfy/Banc Sabadell (cédula at sale) · idealista/MAPFRE (construidos vs. útiles)
- Lexway/Sierra Abogados (nuda propiedad) · Wikipedia/Ingeniatura (marés)