The things foreign buyers actually ask.

On a resale, budget roughly 10–11% on top — that’s 7% ITP transfer tax in Andalucía plus notary, lawyer and registry fees. On a new build it’s about 12–14% — 10% IVA plus 1.2% AJD stamp duty and fees.

The NIE is your Spanish tax identification number. You need one to buy, open a bank account and sign the deed. I help you get it — it’s one of the first things we sort.

The reserva is a small holding deposit (€3,000–€6,000) that takes the home off the market while your lawyer checks it. The contrato de arras follows — a 10% deposit that binds both sides; a seller who pulls out repays it double.

Usually 6–12 weeks for a cash purchase, or 8–16 weeks with a mortgage — the bank adds its own pace. I walk every step with you, from the first call to the keys.

Yes. I become your eyes on the ground — walking properties, filming what the listing photos won’t show, and video-calling you through each one, before you commit to a viewing trip.

If you’re from outside the EU — UK citizens included, since Brexit — the 90-in-180-day Schengen rule applies: up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period without a visa. Owning a home doesn’t change that — longer stays need a visa route, which I can point you toward. EU citizens have no such limit.

No — Spain’s golden visa was abolished in April 2025. There are still other routes to living in Spain longer-term; I keep an honest, dated explainer in the guides.

That headline refers to a proposal that has been floated, not a law. As things stand it is not in force. I’ll always tell you what’s actually on the statute book versus what’s just been announced.

I’ve worked with clients all along the Costa del Sol, from Estepona to Nerja — six stretches, drawn out on the Costa del Sol Map. I keep to one client at a time.