Selling your property in Mexico: documents, timing and costs

01Before listing: paperwork in order

Most sales that fall through do so over paperwork. Gather and review before listing:

• Deed recorded in the Public Property Registry, in your name.
• Valid official ID, Mexican tax ID (RFC) and CURP.
• Property tax and water paid up; a recent electricity bill.
• Marriage certificate, if married: under joint property both spouses usually sign.
• Plans or a sketch, if you have them.

02The right price

A high price doesn't sell for more: it leaves the property listed for months, «burned», and it ends up negotiated down. There are two different references:

• Price opinion: a broker's estimate based on comparable sales and listings in the area. Used to set the asking price.
• Appraisal: the formal report of an authorized appraiser. The bank or Infonavit requires it when there's a mortgage.

03Prepare the property

• Fix the obvious: leaks, outlets, doors that don't close, damp.
• Clean and declutter: buyers need to picture themselves living there.
• Keep handy the bills and the details everyone asks about: age, measurements, utilities.
• A good presentation — daylight photos or a clear plan — screens out browsers before they ask for a viewing.

04Viewings, offers and the promissory agreement

When a serious offer arrives, price, payment method and signing date are agreed and a promissory purchase agreement is signed. If the buyer uses a mortgage, it should allow for approval and appraisal time, and state what happens if the loan isn't approved.

05Taxes: income tax and the primary-home exemption

A sale may trigger Mexican income tax (ISR) on the gain. The notary calculates and withholds it in the deed. The law provides an exemption for selling your own home, with these main conditions (Income Tax Law, art. 93, section XIX):

• It must be your residence, provable with documents in your name.
• The sale price must not exceed 700,000 UDIS (inflation-indexed units). In October 2026 that's roughly MXN 6.2 million; the notary uses the UDI value on the signing date.
• The sale must be formalized before a notary.
• You must not have used this exemption in the previous three years.

If the price exceeds the cap, the exemption isn't lost entirely: tax is due only on the share proportional to the excess. Land, retail space and homes that aren't your residence don't get this exemption; the deductions the notary calculates apply instead. Non-residents for tax purposes have different rules.

06Realistic timing

1. PASO 01PreparationPaperwork, repairs and presentation: from days to a few weeks, depending on what needs fixing.
2. PASO 02MarketingDepends on the price, the area and the type of property.
3. PASO 03Agreement to signingCash can be quick; with a mortgage, approval and appraisal set the pace.
4. PASO 04HandoverKeys, inventory and paid-up bills on the agreed date.