Buying and making the most of your dream home in Spain

Expert professionals in the field of real estate and property investment joined SUR in English on Monday morning in Estepona for the SUR in English Real Estate 2025 forum, sponsored by Reale Seguros.

The professionals examined the current situation for those buying a home in the south of Spain, either as a permanent residence or holiday home.

The morning included two round table discussions moderated by SUR in English journalist Jennie Rhodes. The event was held in collaboration with Estepona town hall in the Mirador de Carmen building.

SUR in English editor Rachel Haynes welcomed participants to the event and to Estepona, which is described as 'the garden of the Costa del Sol'.

The editor recalled that the newspaper is celebrating its fortieth anniversary and that for the last four decades "we have being doing our bit to support the real estate industry providing reliable information and an important vehicle for advertising in print and online".

She went on to say that Estepona offers many opportunities for property buyers and the town, which has seen huge investment in infrastructure and cultural facilities in recent years, is "one of most desirable places on the Costa del Sol to invest in property or come on holiday".

Haynes thanked Reale Seguros, Estepona town hall and the panel participants for taking part in the event.

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The first panel discussed what people need to know when looking for and buying a property on the Costa del Sol.

Vanessa Dávila from the Spanish Estate Agent, Santiago Casilari from Arkitech, Jon Sutton from De Cotta Law and Eva María Perdigones from Fluent Finance Abroad offered advice from the point of view of their own professional experience.

Panel members were keen to address the proposal made by the Spanish government to increase taxes on properties for non-EU investors.

The overwhelming message from all the experts was that they believe the measure is unlikely to happen and even if it did, it would not be in the short term.

“It’s a fast-moving market. The more information a client has, the better, so that they can come here prepared”

Vanessa Dávila

The Spanish Estate Agent

Vanessa Dávila of the Spanish Estate Agent explained, "From our perspective, first of all the announcement has to be put into context. At this point it's just an intention. It is important to point out that it is a political party expressing an opinion."

She added that the Spanish regions have "a high degree of autonomy" and that "Andalucía has a long track record of saying we are open to foreign investment".

“The real estate sector on the Costa del Sol understands the tastes and demands of its residents, both local and foreign”

Mauricio Mesa Gómez

Cordia Homes

Jon Sutton of De Cotta Law agreed with Dávila and added that it was important to remember that prime minister Pedro Sánchez was talking about the tax rise "in the context of the housing crisis" and the difficulty that in particular younger people are facing when finding affordable housing.

He believes that it is an issue that especially affects bigger cities like Malaga and that any action that is taken will be "a lot more focused" rather than a broad brush approach. "I'm not too concerned about it," he concluded.

The experts were asked what the key considerations are for prospective international buyers in terms of financial and legal matters.

They agreed that having a good team helping and advising the buyer is essential and that buyers should ask themselves why they are buying the property, which will help inform later decisions. Is it being bought for sole use by the owners or are they looking to rent it out? The experts considered it is important to know about visa requirements for non-EU buyers and resident and nonresident tax.

The main advice from Eva María Perdigones of Fluent Finance Abroad is "to trust in the team you have created. Problems will arise but they are problems we are used to dealing with."

“It’s important to put together the best possible team. Everyone should be pulling together in the same direction”

Jon Sutton

De Cotta Law

"Do your homework with your finances so when you go out and look for a property you know exactly what your budget is," she went on to say.

Vanessa Dávila of the Spanish Estate Agent agreed: "It's a fast-moving market. The more information a client has the better, so they come prepared. International buyers need to know the best time to come regarding tax payments as a resident or nonresident."

She added, "One thing is the cost of the property but another thing is yearly costs," such as community fees, the IBI (the annual council tax) and other taxes.

“Trust in the team you have created. Problems will arise but we are used to dealing with them to take the stress out for the buyer”

Eva María Perdigones

Fluent Finance Abroad

The Costa del Sol has long been a dream destination for many people looking to invest either in a main property or somewhere to use as a holiday home, but of course trends and laws change.

The panel agreed that in recent years the demand for land for people to build their own houses has increased and while Vanessa Dávila pointed out that land is limited on the Costa del Sol and the mountains to the north of Malaga province prevent development a long way inland, construction is extending into neighbouring Cadiz province and the eastern Costa del Sol.

“International buyers have very high standards. They know what they want and everyone wants a home they feel safe and comfortable in”

Santiago Casilari

Arkitech

Santiago Casilari of Arkitech said that Spain has made "a big effort" in terms of digitalisation and that international buyers are "very concerned about sustainability". His advice is to "look for a company that implements this type of technology and offers guarantees". He went on to say that buyers now "have very high standards and know what they want. Everyone wants to feel safe and comfortable in their own home," he said.

The pandemic has also led to a change of profile of people moving to the Costa del Sol and Vanessa Dávila pointed out that as well as younger foreign investors moving here, there are also a lot of people from inland areas of Spain such as Cordoba and Madrid who are taking advantage of the ability to work from home.

Jon Sutton said that De Cotta Law is also noting a shift in the profile of buyers and that the company has tailored its services and colleagues accordingly so that clients can talk to them in their own languages.

Perdigones explained that Fluent Finance Abroad is seeing that while the British are still buying on the Costa del Sol, the area is becoming more attractive to French, American and Polish buyers, among others.

Summing up the discussion , Eva María Perdigones of Fluent Finance Abroad said that her key advice to potential buyers is to "trust your team".

Jon Sutton of De Cotta Law also stressed the importance of choosing "the best possible professionals" and added, "The professionals should work together in a team and everyone should be pulling in the same direction."

Santiago Casilari of Arkitech had similar advice to "put yourself in the hands of professionals" and that "there are lots here".

Vanessa Dávila, whose The Spanish Estate Agent has recently won Best Luxury Boutique Real Estate Brokerage in Costa del Sol at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2025, said it is vital to "be as prepared as you can" and "build a really good team and rely on the experts who know the area and can manage expectations".

Speaking after the event, Mauricio Mesa Gómez from Cordia Homes highlighted the "extensive experience of the real estate sector on the Costa del Sol", which understands not only the geographical area "but also of the tastes and demands of its residents, both local and foreign" who choose to move here permanently, holiday or work from home. "On the Costa del Sol they can find homes, not just houses," he added.

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The second round table focused on the services buyers look for once they have found their dream home on the Costa del Sol and how to get the most out of it.

“Get an independent inspection of the house before signing and understand the legal documents you need for water and electricity supply”

Benno Bühler

Bühler & Partners.

Taking part were architect Benno Bühler from Bühler & Partners, Borja Fernández, head of expatriate business development at Reale Seguros, and Lorena Cirillo, commercial director at Coberti.

With the idea of transforming the dream into reality in mind, the experts discussed insurance, architects' projects and exterior decoration.

Borja Fernández of Reale Seguros highlighted the importance of understanding the insurance landscape in Spain and making sure that buyers find a broker with local knowledge.

“Understand insurance in Spain and find a broker with local knowledge. Buyers have different points of view in their own countries”

Borja Fernández

Reale Seguros

"Buyers have different points of view in their own countries. It's not the same in France, England, Germany. When they come to buy in Malaga they want to know how the insurance products work here," he explained.

He also highlighted the importance of finding a broker who can speak the same language as the buyer to bring peace of mind as the process of buying a house and finding the right insurance is stressful.

"Clients want to understand in their own language what they are buying," he said, adding that Reale Seguros offers information in seven languages and a range of products depending on the buyer's needs.

“While people come here for the sun and outdoor lifestyle, they will need shade in their outdoor space, especially in July and August”

Lorena Cirillo

Coberti

Architect Benno Bühler stressed the importance of hiring a surveyor to inspect the property before buying and said that there would undoubtedly be areas to consider that would be different from a property in the buyer's home country, such as checking for issues with a swimming pool or understanding the legalities involved in connecting to mains water and electricity and getting the correct documentation from the town hall, particularly for properties in rural areas.

Lorena Cirillo of Coberti said that people come to the Costa del Sol to enjoy the climate and often have big ideas about an outdoor lifestyle. So she said Coberti - experts in pergolas, awnings and glass curtains - are able to guide clients to make the most out of their outdoor area, be it a balcony, large terrace or garden.

"While everyone wants to enjoy the sun, we will advise them that they also need to think about shade, especially in July and August," she explained.

"We provide a little extra of the Costa del Sol dream so people can enjoy it all year round," the outdoor expert added.

In conclusion architect Benno Bühler reiterated the importance of getting an independent expert in to inspect the indoor and outdoor areas of a property before signing, while Borja Fernández of Reale Seguros pointed out that the most important factor when it comes to buying insurance is to "find a good company that knows the region and can give personal advice".

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For Coberti it is important to think about how the buyer will be using their outdoor space: "Will it be for large family gatherings, or an area to relax?" Lorena Cirillo asked, adding that people come with a budget and the firm can "adapt solutions to the client's wishes".

The round tables were followed by a networking event at the Mirador del Carmen in which professionals had the opportunity to discuss the industry in greater depth.