The guides library
Straight answers, written down.
Everything we tell buyers on the phone, written down: 71 guides with real numbers and the awkward details included. The ones on tax and the rules carry the official sources and the date we last checked them.
Reading paths
Where are you starting from?
Pick the one that sounds like you and read in order. Each guide ends with the next one.
Buying from Ireland
You live in Ireland and want a place on the coast.
Buying from Northern Ireland or Britain
You live in the North or elsewhere in the UK.
Wintering here
You'll spend part of the year here and keep your life at home.
Moving for good
You're relocating, working remotely or retiring here.
Buying to let
Rental income is part of the plan.
Already living here
You're on the coast now, renting, and thinking of buying.
Not sure yet?
Tell us where you are and we'll point you to the three guides that matter for you, and the questions to ask next.
Tools and PDFs
Tools and guides to download
Cost calculatorEvery tax and fee on a purchase in Andalusia, down to the total.The market, town by townHomes sold and bank valuations per m² in each town, from the official figures.183-day counterYour days in Spain for each calendar year, against the tax line.Wintering in SpainThe 8-page PDF for Irish people spending part of the year here.Buying to letHoliday lets, long lets, the community and the tax, in an 8-page PDF.The paperwork packFrom the NIE to the keys, in the order it happens. A 9-page PDF.
The library
Every guide
Search it, or pick a topic to narrow the list.
Process & legalBuying a home in Spain with a tenant in it
When you buy a let home in Spain, the lease comes with it. What the law says, what changes on 15 November 2026, when tenants do leave, and how to buy it empty.6 min read · 19 October 2026Living thereWhat a coast flat is really like in January
Málaga's winter days are mild but the nights are cold, and many coast flats were built for summer. The build year, which way it faces and what the heating really is: what to check before you buy a place for November to March.4 min read · 15 October 2026Sources checked 15 Oct 2026Process & legalIs the villa legal? What to check before you fall for a house on the Costa del Sol
Unlicensed extensions, pools and guest flats are the biggest risk on a Costa del Sol villa. What the six-year rule, AFO status, the licences, the registry and the coastal line mean, and when to walk away.8 min read · 10 October 2026Process & legalOff-market homes on the Costa del Sol: what it really means
"Off-market" on this coast usually means a quiet sale, a pre-launch release or one agency's exclusive. It isn't a discount. How the market shares stock, how to price a home with no public history, and the checks that matter more.7 min read · 10 October 2026Process & legalBranded residences and top-end off-plan: what you're paying for
At the top end you buy a building and a name. Spanish law protects your stage payments closely. The brand is a contract that costs you every year and can end. What to check on guarantees, specs, delays, rental programmes and running costs.8 min read · 10 October 2026Irish on the coastBuying in Spain from Northern Ireland
Live in the North and buying on the Costa del Sol? Your passport decides how long you can stay, your address decides the tax, and your NIE comes from Edinburgh, not Dublin. What changes, and what doesn't.6 min read · 7 October 2026MoneyOwning in Spain while living in the UK: the tax on both sides
Live in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales and own on the Costa del Sol? Spain taxes you at 24% on gross rent, not 19% on net, and HMRC taxes it too. Buying, owning, letting, selling and inheritance, on both sides.6 min read · 7 October 2026Living thereA British passport and a Spanish home: the 90 days in 180
Owning a home in Spain doesn't give you more time there. How the 90 days in 180 are counted, the new border system and ETIAS, what overstaying costs, the visas for longer stays, and the Irish passport route for people in the North.4 min read · 7 October 2026Renting it outWhy the letting rules keep tightening on the Costa del Sol
Buying to let? The coast has a housing problem and the rules on letting are tightening because of it. What's going on in the towns, what's changed, what's coming, and what it means for your flat.8 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 5 Oct 2026Process & legalGetting an older house surveyed before you buy
Nobody in a Spanish purchase checks the roof or the walls unless you pay someone to. Who to get, what they look at on an older or country house, why the AFO matters in Andalusia, and when to do it.4 min read · 1 October 2026Sources checked 1 Oct 2026Renting it outLetting rooms in the house you live in
Living in part of the house and letting a room or two is a common plan for Irish buyers inland. Visitors and lodgers are two different things in Andalusia, with different rules. What you need for each.4 min read · 1 October 2026Sources checked 1 Oct 2026MoneyWhat it costs to buy on the Costa Blanca
The Costa Blanca is in the Valencian Community, so the taxes are Valencian, not Andalusian. Transfer tax is 9% on a resale since June 2026. The full stack on a resale and a new build, worked through at €200,000.4 min read · 1 October 2026Sources checked 1 Oct 2026Living thereHealthcare in Spain on a UK State Pension
Plenty of Irish households have a UK State Pension in them. If you draw one and move to Spain, the S1 form gets you into the Spanish public system with the UK paying. How it works, what prescriptions cost, and what to do before pension age.4 min read · 1 October 2026Sources checked 1 Oct 2026Irish on the coastYour Irish savings when you move to Spain
Savings in an Irish bank aren't taxed just for being there, but what they earn is once you're Spanish resident, and over €50,000 has to be declared. What changes, what doesn't, and what to sort before you go.5 min read · 1 October 2026Sources checked 1 Oct 2026Living thereSurgery in Spain on the HSE, and recovering on the coast
On an Irish waiting list for a hip or a knee? How the HSE's Cross Border Directive scheme works, what it pays and what it doesn't, and the practical side of recovering on the Costa del Sol.6 min read · 28 September 2026Sources checked 28 Sept 2026Irish on the coastRent a year before you buy on the Costa del Sol
A week in August tells you almost nothing about living somewhere. What a year of renting teaches you about the coast, and why it usually makes you a better buyer.6 min read · 20 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastRenting long term on the Costa del Sol: what Irish movers need to know
NIE, the fianza, who pays the agency fee since 2023, and why a Spanish lease protects you far more than it binds you. The practical guide to renting before you buy.7 min read · 20 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastAlready living on the Costa del Sol? Buying as an Irish resident in Spain
Renting in Fuengirola or La Cala and wondering about buying? Residents borrow more, skip the viewing trip and already hold the paperwork. The advantages, and the one clock to mind.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastRenting vs buying on the Costa del Sol: the honest maths
Rent on the coast has climbed hard while you were settling in. When staying a renter still makes sense, when it stops making sense, and the honest way to decide.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastResident mortgages: how Spanish banks treat Irish income
Residents are usually offered a bigger loan than non-residents, but the source of your income decides how each bank sees you. Spanish payslips, Irish salaries, pensions and autónomo income, compared.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastWhere the Irish are on the Costa del Sol
GAA on a Sunday morning, an Irish association and a Consulate General in Málaga. Where the Irish community actually gathers on the coast.5 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastMoving to the Costa del Sol from Ireland: the first 90 days
NIE, padrón, healthcare, bank, phone, residency. The settling-in checklist for Irish arrivals, in the order that saves you repeat trips to every office.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastSpanish residency for Irish citizens: the green certificate, plainly
Irish citizens need no visa for Spain, but stay past three months and you are meant to register as an EU resident. What the green certificate is, what it costs and how to get it.5 min read · 12 August 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastThe padrón: the small registration that unlocks everything
Spain's town hall register decides your school places, your healthcare card and half your paperwork. What the padrón is, why it matters and how to get on it.4 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastThe 183-day line: Spanish tax residency for Irish expats
Stay long enough and Spain becomes your tax home whether you filed anything or not. How Spanish tax residency actually works, and how to get ahead of it.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 21 Sept 2026Irish on the coastWorking your Irish job from the Costa del Sol
Plenty of Irish people work remotely from the coast. The parts that are easy, the parts that are genuinely complicated, and the questions to settle before it becomes permanent.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastLiving on an Irish pension on the Costa del Sol
The State pension travels with you, healthcare comes via the S1, and the tax treatment depends on which pension you hold. The retired Irish resident's picture, plainly.5 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 21 Sept 2026Irish on the coastSchools on the Costa del Sol: an Irish family's guide
State, concertado or international? How schooling works on the coast, what Irish families tend to choose, and why the padrón and your address decide more than you think.6 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Irish on the coastCars, licences and the DGT: an Irish resident's guide
Your Irish licence is valid, your Irish car is a bigger question, and the DGT has opinions about both. Driving on the coast as an Irish resident, sorted.5 min read · 8 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideBeyond Estepona: where the coast's value went
Past Estepona the crowds thin, the builds get newer and the money per square metre goes further. Manilva, Casares and the far west, for buyers who can see past the airport run.6 min read · 10 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkThe seven mistakes Irish buyers make in Spain
Every one of these is avoidable, and at least three of them are usually made on the same viewing trip. Here is what goes wrong, and the fix for each.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneyWhat a €350,000 apartment in Fuengirola actually costs an Irish buyer
The asking price is not the price. A full worked example, every fee and tax line by line, down to the final cheque.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneySpanish mortgages for Irish buyers: what the banks will and won't do
You can borrow in Spain as a non-resident. The terms are different from home, the paperwork is heavier, and the timing matters more than people think.7 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Process & legalThe six steps from offer to keys, and how long each really takes
A typical purchase runs six to twelve weeks from agreed offer to completion. The full timeline, including the parts that drag.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Living thereThe 90-day rule does not apply to you
Half the warnings online about time limits in Spain are written for British buyers. Irish passport holders are EU citizens, and the rules are different.4 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkHow commissions really work on the Costa del Sol
Who pays, how much, how agencies split fees, and why 'free to the buyer' is never quite true. The economics of the coast, published for once.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideFuengirola for Irish buyers: prices, pockets and the parts locals rate
The most Irish town on the coast, area by area: Los Boliches, the centre, Torreblanca and Carvajal, with honest prices and who each suits.7 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideMarbella without the mythology: what €500,000 actually buys
Puerto Banús is not the town. What half a million really gets you, where the value hides, and when the honest answer is Estepona.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkChoosing a lawyer in Spain: the one question that matters
Not where the name came from. Who they act for. How to check that the person doing your due diligence has exactly one client, and why it matters more in Spain than at home.4 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Process & legalWhat an NIE is, why you need one and how to get it from Ireland
The first practical step in any Spanish purchase. The two routes for Irish buyers, what each costs, and how long they take.5 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 21 Sept 2026Renting it outHoliday lets in Andalusia: licences, rules and realistic returns
If rental income is part of your maths, read this before you buy. The VUT licence, the community veto, and what a two-bed really nets.6 min read · Updated 20 October 2026Sources checked 21 Sept 2026MoneyMoving six figures to Spain without losing thousands on the exchange
Currency is the invisible cost of a purchase. Bank versus specialist on a big transfer, forward contracts in plain English, and when to move.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Process & legalThe arras contract: the deposit that locks both sides in
The 10% deposit contract is the real point of no return. How it works, the double-return rule, and the traps in badly drafted ones.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Process & legalBuying from your kitchen in Cork: how power of attorney works
Most Irish buyers never attend the Spanish notary. How a poder lets your lawyer complete the purchase while you stay home, safely.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneyWhat it costs to own: the annual bills on a Costa del Sol apartment
IBI, community fees, non-resident tax, insurance and utilities: a realistic yearly total for a typical two-bed.5 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkOff-plan: the rewards, the risks and the bank guarantee that protects you
New-build off-plan buys more modern property for the money, on a timeline with real risks. How stage payments and the guarantees actually work.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideEstepona: Marbella's neighbour grew up
A renewed old town, a new-build boom and a €1,000 per square metre discount on Marbella. Who Estepona suits, and who it doesn't.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideMijas: the village above, the coast below, and which side to pick
Mijas Pueblo's whitewashed charm or Mijas Costa's practical apartments in La Cala, Riviera and Calahonda. Two different purchases, one name.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideBenalmádena: the well-connected all-rounder
Marina life, a hillside pueblo and a train to the airport. Why Benalmádena quietly suits more buyers than almost anywhere.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideTorremolinos: the town having a second life
Spain's original resort is buzzing again: beaches, La Carihuela, the airport ten minutes away and the coast's strongest rental logic.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideMálaga city: buying in one of Spain's fastest-moving urban markets
Culture, an airport on the doorstep and year-round life. Where the value sits in Málaga city and what to watch.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideNerja and the east: the quiet end of the coast
The Balcón de Europa, dramatic coves and the gentlest prices on the coast. What the Axarquía gives you, and what it asks in return.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideWhere the Irish actually buy on the Costa del Sol
Irish purchases of Spanish homes rose 12.4% in the first half of 2024, according to Spain's notaries. Where the community actually lives, and why it should shape your search.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkWhen we'd tell you not to buy
Sometimes the right answer is wait, rent first, or don't. The situations where we say so, because a business built on trust has to mean it.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkThe viewing trip: how to see twelve properties and keep your judgement
Agents' tactics, what to photograph, the questions to ask in every apartment, and the 48-hour rule that protects you from the day-three high.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkWhy cheap Spanish property is usually expensive
The €90,000 bargain, unpicked: community arrears, planning problems, unrentable locations and the maths of cheap. Where real value actually hides.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneyThe 10 to 13 percent rule: every fee and tax when you buy in Andalusia
Where the rule of thumb comes from, when the real figure is nearer 9, and when it genuinely hits 13. The cost stack, explained once.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneyCash or mortgage? How Irish buyers actually pay for Spanish property
Savings, pension lump sums, equity release at home or a Spanish mortgage: the four funding routes with honest pros and cons.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneyNew-build or resale: the price gap, the tax gap and which suits you
7% transfer tax against 11.2% on new-build, character against warranties, keys now against keys in 2028. The comparison without the sales pitch.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026MoneySelling up later: capital gains, the 3% retention and what Revenue needs to know
Nobody buys thinking about the exit, which is why the exit surprises people. Spanish CGT, the retention and the Irish side, in plain English.5 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Process & legalWhat a good property lawyer checks before you sign anything
Debts that follow the property, missing licences, community arrears, embargoes: the unglamorous checklist that saves buyers.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Process & legalSpain's new agent registry: what Andalusia's 2026 housing law means for buyers
Ley 5/2025 makes agent registration mandatory in Andalusia, with insurance and qualification requirements. What changes for you.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Straight talkWhen a Spanish deal goes wrong: what actually happens
Failed completions, seller pull-outs, deposit disputes. Rare, but naming them builds more trust than pretending they never happen.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Area guideNear the airport or near the beach: picking your compromise
You'll make that transfer 240 times. The honest travel-time map of the coast, and the year-three test that picks your town.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Renting it outWhat a two-bed near the beach really earns
A worked rental example from gross season income down to a net figure: management, voids, bills and tax included. No fantasy yields.6 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Renting it outThe rental rules changed. Here's what buyers need to know
Registration systems, community vetoes, city restrictions: Spain has tightened short lets on several fronts. The current picture for buyers.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 21 Sept 2026Renting it outBuy-to-let or lock-up-and-leave: two very different purchases
The right apartment for earning is often the wrong one for your own August. The two buyer types, and the one question that settles it.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Living thereHealthcare in Spain for Irish people: EHIC, S1 and private cover
Irish and going to Spain? EHIC covers visits, private cover bridges the years before pension age, and the S1 gets Irish pensioners Spanish public healthcare.5 min read · Updated 7 October 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Living thereRetiring to the Costa del Sol: residency, tax and the order to do things in
Sell first or buy first? Move before or after the lump sum? The sequence matters more than any single decision.6 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Living thereKeeping a Spanish home connected to Ireland
Flights and routes by season, the drive down, and what to do with the place in winter. The logistics of owning 2,000km from home.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Living thereWills, inheritance and your Spanish property: sorting it properly
A Spanish will for the Spanish assets, the EU rule that lets Irish law govern your estate, and why purchase time is the moment to do it.5 min read · 2 July 2026Sources checked 22 Sept 2026Start your search
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