Purchase Guide: How to Buy Property in Marbella

Buying a home in Marbella is not just about choosing a beautiful property. It is about understanding the areas, preparing your documents and finances, making smart offers, and going through legal, urbanistic, and technical checks before signing at the notary.

This guide walks you through every step, from the first idea of buying to receiving the keys, so you can focus on enjoying the process instead of worrying about details.

If you are also thinking about selling a property in Marbella, you can read our Selling Guide as a complement to this page.

Why Marbella?

Marbella is a global brand associated with lifestyle, sunshine, safety, international schools, healthcare, and a strong international community. Think about why Marbella is right for you: primary residence, holiday home, or investment.

Define your goals

Primary home: focus on schools, services, and community.
Holiday home: focus on lifestyle, easy maintenance, and support when you are away.
In all cases, keep resale potential in mind — life changes and buyers often resell earlier than expected.

Set your budget

Every asking price online is net. You must add taxes and costs. Plan approximately 12–13% on top of the purchase price to cover taxes and fees.

Basic requirements

• NIE number (mandatory to buy).
• Spanish bank account (optional but makes everything easier).
• KYC and bank documentation (source of funds, income, etc.).
• If you need a mortgage, start the process early.

Residents can usually borrow up to around 80% of the price. Non-residents in the luxury segment should count on around 50%. The bank will lend on the lower of the purchase price or its own valuation.

Choosing agents

In Marbella, most agencies have access to the same properties. What really matters is the quality of service, availability, market knowledge, and negotiation skills. Choose one main agent you trust and let them coordinate the process for you.

Your core team

• Real estate agent.
• Lawyer who represents only you.
• Tax advisor (when the structure or investment is more complex).

Main high-end areas

Central Marbella town is mainly apartments, shops, and offices. Most luxury home searches start to the west:

• Golden Mile, including Sierra Blanca and Cascada de Camoján on the hills.
• Puerto Banús and Nueva Andalucía with golf courses and many villas and apartments.
• San Pedro and beachfront communities.
• Further west: parts of Estepona.
• North-west: La Quinta, El Madroñal, La Zagaleta, Marbella Club Golf Resort — quieter mountain communities with more land and views.
• East of Marbella: best sandy beaches, more local feel and authentic atmosphere.

For more detail on each neighbourhood, explore our Marbella Area Guides.

The viewing process

Your agent will organise a schedule, drive you around, and optimise the route.

• 5–6 properties per day is the ideal maximum — more than this and they start to blend together.
• 3–4 days of viewings are usually enough to understand the market.
• Always plan second viewings for your favourites, ideally at different times of day (for example, in the evening).
• Rent a car and drive around the communities by yourself after viewings to feel the atmosphere.

Understanding value

For apartments and plots, price per square metre is a useful starting point.

For villas, it is less important; value depends strongly on:

• Location and micro-location
• Views
• Plot size and privacy
• Architecture and design
• Quality of materials and installations
• Orientation and natural light

Seeing enough properties in each area is the best way to build your own reference for value. Our Live Market Report can also help you understand current trends and prices.

Ready homes

• You see exactly what you are buying.
• You can move in quickly.
• Premium locations (Golden Mile, prime golf-front, consolidated communities) are usually resale.

Off-plan

• Often starts at a lower price and can increase 20–45% during construction in a strong project.
• Gives more choice of units in new apartment developments.
• Always expect delays of at least 6–12 months beyond the initial schedule.

For off-plan villas, be especially careful with small or one-time developers. In many cases, buying a good resale villa in a prime location and reforming it can be a safer and more predictable option.

Making an offer

A serious offer should clearly state:

• Price and who pays which taxes and costs
• What is included (furniture, fixtures, extras)
• Payment schedule
• Completion timeline

Sellers do not always choose the highest offer. They prefer the buyer who looks most prepared and secure: documents ready, funds clear, timeline realistic. All the preparation you did in the first phase helps you here.

Reservation

Once an offer is accepted, the first step is often a reservation agreement with a payment of around 1% of the price. This removes the property from the market. The amount is usually non-refundable, but subject to legal and technical checks.

Due diligence

There are three main checks before signing the Private Purchase Contract:

1) Legal due diligence

Your lawyer verifies ownership, debts, registry information, community fees, and prepares the contracts. This is usually straightforward.

2) Urbanistic due diligence

The focus is on planning legality and the First Occupation Licence (LPO). For villas, your lawyer should compare the current house with the approved plans and, when possible, obtain a certificate of no infractions from the town hall.

3) Technical due diligence

A technical inspector checks the structure, installations, and equipment. Reports may look long and detailed, but most issues are small. The main value is knowing in advance if you are facing a €10,000 or €20,000 level of work, or something larger.

Private Purchase Contract (PPC)

After successful checks, buyer and seller sign the PPC. Normally the buyer pays a 10% deposit, which is non-refundable unless otherwise agreed. If the seller withdraws without cause, they must usually return double the deposit.

Typical timeline

• Reservation: within a few days after offer acceptance
• PPC: 2–4 weeks later, after due diligence
• Notary (completion): 1–2 months after PPC

In total, around three months from offer to notary is common, although it can be faster or slower if both parties agree.

Notary signing

At the notary, the buyer, seller, and notary sign the purchase deed. Lawyers and agents are usually present. Ownership and money change hands at the same moment. If there is a mortgage, the bank signs a separate mortgage deed at the same time.

Payments

The most common and secure way is through banker's drafts issued by a Spanish bank in favour of each party (seller, bank for mortgage cancellation, etc.). Bank transfers during the signing are possible but give less immediate certainty.

Purchase taxes

Resale properties

• 7% Transfer Tax (ITP) on the purchase price.

New build properties

• 10% VAT (IVA) on the purchase price.
• 1.2% Stamp Duty (AJD) on the price (approximate figure).

Legal and other buying costs

• Lawyer: around 1% of the purchase price.
• Notary, Land Registry, bank transfers, valuation, technical reports: approximately 0.5% in total.

Overall, it is safe to plan 12–13% extra on top of the net purchase price.

Reduced transfer tax for investors

If you buy a resale property as an investment with the intention to resell it within 5 years, you may apply for a reduced ITP of 2% instead of 7%. If you later keep the property beyond 5 years, you will have to pay the difference plus interest.

Annual ownership taxes

Once you own the property, there are ongoing taxes and costs:

• IBI – annual property tax paid to the local town hall
• Garbage tax – annual fee for rubbish collection
• Non-resident income tax – if you are not a tax resident and do not rent the property, the tax office calculates a small "imputed income"

Solidarity Tax on Large Fortunes

This tax applies above a threshold of €3.5M per person in net assets (purchase price minus mortgage and other accepted deductions). With correct structuring and mortgages, many buyers are able to reduce or avoid this tax; always consult a specialised tax advisor.

Inheritance and gift tax in Andalusia

Andalusia is one of the most favourable regions for inheritance and gifts:
• Each close family member (spouses, children, parents) has a €1M allowance.
• Above that, there is a 99% reduction on the tax due. In practice, this means that in most family transfers the tax is very low or almost zero.

For official tax information, you can also visit the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria): Agencia Tributaria.

Important: tax rules can change and individual situations differ. The figures above are indicative and should always be confirmed with your lawyer or tax advisor before a purchase.

After signing at the notary and receiving the keys, your lawyer will send the deed to the Land Registry. Updating the registry usually takes around one month.

You should:

• Make sure water, electricity, gas, internet, and community fees are transferred to your name and set up with direct debit from your bank account.
• Arrange home insurance starting from the completion date.
• Keep track of IBI, garbage tax, and non-resident income tax deadlines.

For more inspiration about life in different communities after the purchase, you can explore our Marbella Area Guides and current properties for sale.