The 5 most important things to consider when buying a home on the Costa del Sol

Buying a home on the Costa del Sol is about far more than finding a lovely apartment with a sea view and a swimming pool. The most important thing is to find a home that suits your needs, your lifestyle and your finances, both today and in the future.

Here are five key pieces of advice if you are thinking of buying on the Costa del Sol.

1. Location: find the area that suits your lifestyle

Location is perhaps the single most important factor when you buy a home. You can renovate a property, but you cannot move it.

Do you want to be able to walk to the beach, restaurants and shops? Would you like to live near golf courses, or do you prefer quiet surroundings and beautiful countryside?

Many buyers fall in love with a property before they have really decided where they want to live.

Our advice: Find the area you and your family feel at home in first. Then we can help you find the right property within your budget. You can search our properties by area to get a feel for what is available.

2. How many bedrooms do you really need?

One of the most common wishes we hear is that buyers would like three bedrooms, even though two would actually suit them fine.

A spare room for guests is of course nice to have, but it can also narrow your choice considerably and force you to compromise on location, quality or price.

If two bedrooms cover what you actually need, why not look at two-bedroom homes as well? You might find a bigger terrace, a better location, nicer communal areas or a home closer to the beach for the same budget.

Our advice: Separate what you need from what you would like. If two bedrooms will do, do not start your search by ruling out every home that does not have three.

3. Is a sea view really worth the extra cost?

A sea view is high on the wish list for many people dreaming of a home on the Costa del Sol. We understand why: looking out over the Mediterranean is wonderful. But a sea view often comes with a significant price tag.

So it is worth asking yourself whether the view matters more than other qualities. Could you get a bigger and better home if you gave up the sea view? Or would you rather live within walking distance of the beach, the town centre, restaurants and shops?

For golfers, being close to several good courses may matter more. Others put public transport first, or the chance to manage without a car. The C1 train line from Málaga airport, for example, runs to Málaga city centre in one direction and along the coast to Fuengirola in the other.

Our advice: Think about what you actually get for your money. A sea view is lovely, but it will not necessarily bring you more joy than a good location close to everything you use in everyday life.

4. Think about how you will use the home

Will the home be used for a few weeks a year, for several months over the winter, or perhaps as a permanent home in the future? The needs can be very different.

An apartment a little outside the centre can be perfect for summer holidays, but less practical if you want to stay for longer periods without depending on a car.

Also think about whether you want to let the home when you are not using it yourself. Letting can help cover part of the costs, but it is important to check which rules and restrictions apply to that particular property. In an apartment building, the owners' community can also approve, limit or ban holiday letting by a three-fifths majority, so check the community's position before you buy. We have written more about this in our article on tourist licences and letting on the Costa del Sol.

Our advice: Choose a home that suits the way you will actually use it, not just how you picture holiday life on the Costa del Sol.

5. Life can change: buy a home you can also sell

When you buy your dream home in Spain, reselling it is probably not what you think about most. You picture many good years with family, friends, sunshine and holidays. But life can change.

Family circumstances, health, finances or other changes may mean that one day you want or need to sell, even if that was never the plan. So it makes sense to consider how attractive the home will be to other buyers.

A home with a good location, a practical layout, plenty of sun and services close by will usually appeal to more potential buyers. A home with very unusual features or a less attractive location may be harder to sell.

Our advice: Buy with your heart by all means, but use your head as well. Even if you never plan to sell, it is reassuring to know you have bought a home that others will want too. Our selling guide shows what buyers look for when the time comes.

Our best advice after more than 15 years on the Costa del Sol

At Solkystmegleren, we believe a good estate agent should not just show you homes that tick the boxes on your wish list. We should also help you work out what really matters to you and your family.

Sometimes that means recommending a two-bedroom home rather than three. Other times it means suggesting a different area, or explaining why you may get more enjoyment from living near the beach and the town centre than from paying extra for a sea view.

Our aim is not just to help you buy a home on the Costa del Sol. We want to help you buy the right one.

Get in touch with us for a no-obligation chat about your plans for a home on the Costa del Sol.