How to Find Property in Spain: Smart Start (2026)

This guide is for international buyers who want a holiday home or investment on the Costa del Sol. You will learn where to search, how to filter fast, and how to avoid the traps that cost foreign buyers money. By the end, you will know your exact next step.

Quick summary: Search in the right order: set your real budget first, shortlist 5 to 10 homes second, get expert help third. On the Costa del Sol you pay 12% to 14% on top of the price for a new-build, so a 500.000 euros home is really a 564.000 euros purchase. Use an independent lawyer, never pay under pressure, and remember that the best new-build units often sell before they ever reach a portal.

The numbers that matter:

• 12% to 14% extra costs on a new-build.
• 7 steps from search to keys.
• 564.000 euros real all-in on a 500.000 euros flat.
• 0 euros buyer fee with a developer-paid agent.

What you will learn

• Where to search for property in Spain
• How to set your real budget first
• How to filter and shortlist fast
• Should you use a buyer's agent
• The 7 steps from search to keys
• Risks and scams to watch for
• Your first three actions this week

Where to search for property in Spain

Most buyers start online. That is the right move. You can see many areas in one evening and build a shortlist before you fly. Here are the main portals.

• Idealista - the biggest portal in Spain. Best overall choice. Works in English, Dutch, German, French and more.
• Fotocasa - second biggest. Good for finding listings from private sellers.
• Kyero - built for foreign buyers. English-first, with guides and an affordability tool.
• Habitaclia - strong on the Mediterranean coast and the east.
• Pisos - good app with filters and instant alerts.
• Idealista price tool / Trovimap - free valuation tools to check if a price is fair.

One thing the big guides miss: most new-build projects on the Costa del Sol are not fully listed on portals. Developers often sell the best units quietly, before launch. So portals show you the market, but not all of it. A local agent sees stock that never reaches Idealista.

There is a simple way to cover both sides. Set up alerts on the big portals like Idealista for resale and general listings, and browse a curated platform like Spain Developments, where every new-build on the Costa del Sol is gathered in one place. That way you see the open market and the developer stock together, instead of missing the quiet launches.

Bonus tip: Set up email alerts on two portals for your area and budget. New listings move fast in good areas. An alert can put you days ahead of other buyers.

How to set your real budget first

This is the step most people skip. They fall in love with a listing, then get a shock at the costs. On the Costa del Sol (which is in the Andalucía region), you pay tax and fees on top of the price.

Here is the rule. Plan for these extra costs:

• New-build (bought from a developer): about 12% to 14% on top.
• Resale (bought from a private owner): about 10% to 12% on top.

The taxes are different for each. You never pay both IVA and ITP: new-build uses IVA, resale uses ITP.

New-build costs

• Main tax: 10% IVA (VAT)
• Stamp duty (AJD): about 1.2%
• Notary plus Land Registry: about 0.3% to 0.7%
• Lawyer: about 1% plus VAT

Resale costs

• Main tax: 7% ITP (transfer tax)
• Stamp duty (AJD): none
• Notary plus Land Registry: about 0.3% to 0.7%
• Lawyer: about 1% plus VAT

Real example. You like a new-build flat at 500.000 euros. Your extra costs look like this:

• 50.000 euros - 10% IVA (VAT)
• 6.000 euros - 1.2% AJD (stamp duty)
• 1.500 euros - notary and Land Registry
• 6.050 euros - lawyer (1% plus 21% VAT)
• Total extra (around): 64.000 euros

So your real all-in budget is about 564.000 euros, not 500.000 euros. Set this number before you search. It stops heartbreak later.

Warning: A 500.000 euros listing is not a 500.000 euros purchase. Search at a price that leaves room for the 12% to 14%. Many foreign buyers forget this and run short at the notary.

How to filter and shortlist fast

Do not open 200 tabs. Use filters to cut the list quickly. Set these on every portal:

• Price - your real number, minus the 12% to 14% buffer.
• Area - pick two or three towns, not the whole coast.
• Type - flat, townhouse or villa.
• New-build or resale - decide which you want (see our separate guide on this).
• Key features - pool, sea view, lift, parking, near the beach.

Then score each property fast. A simple checklist works:

• Is it inside a gated or secure estate?
• How far to the beach, shops and airport (Málaga)?
• Service charge per month (community fees)?
• South or west facing for sun?
• Photos look real, or too good to be true?

Bonus tip: Always check the distance to Málaga airport. Many "Costa del Sol" listings are a 60 to 90 minute drive away. For a holiday home you visit often, that matters more than buyers expect.

Should you use a buyer's agent

When you buy from abroad, this is the biggest decision. There are two kinds of agent:

Seller's / listing agent

• Paid by the seller
• Works for the seller's price, not yours
• Shows you only their own listings

Buyer's agent

• Works for you
• Searches the whole market and protects your side
• Can show off-portal developer stock

Foreign buyers often worry about the same things: hidden costs, pushy agents, and not speaking Spanish. A good buyer's agent removes all three.

At Spain Developments, we are an independent buyer's agent for new-build homes on the Costa del Sol. The developer pays our fee, so you pay us nothing extra. We have a team on the ground who speak your language, and we tell you the full cost up front. Feel free to contact us if you want one honest point of contact.

The 7 steps from search to keys

Here is the full path for a new development, so nothing surprises you:

1. Set your real budget. Price plus 12% to 14% in tax and fees.
2. Search and shortlist. Build a list of 5 to 10 new-build projects.
3. Book a viewing trip. Or a live video tour if you cannot fly. For off-plan, you view the show home and the plans.
4. Get your NIE and a bank account. Your NIE is your Spanish tax ID number. Open a Spanish bank account too.
5. Reserve the property. Pay a fixed reservation fee, usually about 6.000 to 10.000 euros, to take the unit off the market.
6. Sign the developer's contract and pay in stages. For an off-plan new-build you sign the private purchase contract, then pay staged instalments during the build - typically 20% to 40% of the price in total before completion (around 30%, so roughly 150.000 euros on a 500.000 euros home). Every euro is protected by a mandatory bank guarantee. (A resale is different: there you pay about 10% on the contrato de arras and complete in weeks.)
7. Complete at the notary. When the Licence of First Occupation is granted, you sign the escritura (title deed), pay the remaining 60% to 80% balance (about 350.000 euros on a 500.000 euros home), and get the keys.

Always use an independent lawyer who does not work for the seller or developer. This is the single best protection you can buy. We cover each step in detail in our other guides.

Bonus tip: You do not have to fly to Spain to buy. With a power of attorney (a signed document that lets your lawyer act for you), the whole purchase can be done remotely. Many of our buyers never set foot in a notary office.

Risks and scams to watch for

Be honest with yourself about the risks. The most common ones for foreign buyers are:

• Hidden debts on the property. Unpaid taxes or community fees can pass to you. Your lawyer checks this at the Land Registry.
• Illegal builds. Some homes were built without the right licence. Your lawyer checks the licence and the certificado de fin de obra (the building completion certificate) for new-builds.
• Off-plan developer risk. If you buy before the building is finished, your deposits must be protected by a bank guarantee or insurance. This is the law. Never pay a developer without it.
• Okupas (squatters). This is a real fear for buyers. The simple defence: choose gated, alarmed estates and do not leave a home empty and unwatched.
• Dishonest agents. Some quote a "net" price and hide their fee inside it. Ask for the full price and all costs in writing.
• Currency risk. If you earn in pounds, krona or zloty, the exchange rate can move the price by thousands. A currency broker can lock in a rate so your cost does not change.

Warning: If an agent pushes you to "pay a deposit today or lose it," slow down. A real reservation is small, written, and gives your lawyer time to check the property. Pressure is the oldest trick in the book.

Your first three actions this week

You do not need to do everything at once. Start here:

1. Pick two towns and set portal alerts for your real budget.
2. Write down your all-in number (price plus 14%) and stick to it.
3. Speak to one independent buyer's agent who can show you off-portal stock.

Ready to start your search the smart way? We do the searching, the NIE, the lawyer and the paperwork for you, with no buyer fee, and we show you new-build stock that never reaches the portals. Feel free to talk to Spain Developments when you are ready.

Conclusion

Finding property in Spain is simple when you start in the right order: budget first, shortlist second, expert help third. Plan for the 12% to 14% extra costs, use an independent lawyer, and never pay under pressure. On a 500.000 euros new-build, that means a real budget near 564.000 euros and deposits that are always protected. At Spain Developments, we do the searching, the NIE, the lawyer and the paperwork for you, with no buyer fee. When you are ready, feel free to contact us and we will find the right home together.