5 things you should consider

before buying a home on Costa del Sol

According to our agents.

Are you dreaming of moving your entire life to Southern Spain? Or perhaps you’re looking for a holiday home that you can use yourself and then rent out for the rest of the year? Whatever your dreams are, there are a few things you should always consider before purchasing a property on Costa del Sol.

1. What lifestyle do you have?

This might not seem like an important thing to consider, but when looking to buy a property, it is very important to consider what sort of lifestyle you live. Is golf something that’s very important to you, then you might need to consider a location close to golf courses. If your job requires frequent travel, the distance from your home to Málaga’s airport may be limited to a certain number of kilometres. Are you a beach person? A city person? Or are you moving to Spain in order to experience the authentic Spanish lifestyle – these are all factors to consider before you begin your search. 

2. Which location do you prefer?

By now, you might already know in which area of Costa del Sol you would like to buy. Costa del Sol stretches over 150 km and offers a variety of smaller towns and bigger cities along the coast and further up in the mountains. Perhaps your heart is set on the luxury of Marbella? Or the charm of the fishing village La Cala de Mijas, which is becoming more and more popular. We always advise our clients to make sure they know the different areas and cities along the coast in order to make the right decision for them. That is also why we often take our clients with us out to explore before viewing properties. If you’d like to do a little bit of research, we have several guides to the different towns/areas on Costa del Sol that you can read through on our blog.

3. Be realistic with your demands and wishes.

We can’t stress this enough. With the current property market in Spain, you might not be able to get everything you want within your budget. You will most likely need to compromise on some things, and this is not something everyone is prepared to do when they start their property search. We suggest that you find the ONE thing that matters the most to you, whether that be the location, the size of the terrace, the views or something completely different, and then prepare yourself to compromise on some of your other wishes. This will make your search a lot easier, and during the process, you might find out that what you thought was the most important thing all of a sudden isn’t so important anymore.

4. In addition to number 3, what is your budget?

Wishes/demands and your budget go hand in hand. What can you afford in regard to your wishes and demands? A 2-bedroom apartment on the first line of the beach will most likely be more expensive than a 2-bedroom apartment 3-4 lines down from the beach. A townhouse in Marbella might be more expensive than a townhouse in the area of Torreblanca in Fuengirola. 

Before starting your search, we advise you to sit down and be realistic with your budget. Find out what you can afford in the different areas and weigh it up with the different wishes you have. What is possible? If you find the process difficult, we would be more than happy to help and advise you.

5. Can you afford it?

This is quite an important one. You have already looked at your budget, but if you really think about it, can you afford to buy a property? Here, it’s important for you to consider the monthly costs that come with owning a property in Spain. These consist of whatever amount you have to pay towards your mortgage (if you need one), community fees, different taxes, electricity, water, etc. It can build up to a fair amount each month, so it’s essential to consider this as well before starting your search.

If you want to ensure that you get the proper guidance in this exciting process, do not hesitate to contact us at Kaarsberg Estate.

You can find our contact information right here.