Buying a property is a significant step regardless of whether it is intended as a primary residence, a second home or an investment. In Marbella, most properties bought fulfil a combination of these functions, so it important to make sure you get it right and find the best possible home to suit your needs.

The process of searching for and buying a property follows a certain pattern, in Marbella as anywhere else in the world. Within this, there are certain points to bear in mind and act upon that will help to ensure you find exactly what you are looking for. As a highly experienced real estate company and property developer, we know the Marbella market intimately and have the know-how to help guide you through the process. Here are some tips based upon many years of working in the Marbella real estate market.

The search for a property usually starts with on-line investigation. People begin the process by typing in the main generic criteria they are looking for, such as ‘luxury Marbella home‘ or ‘apartments for sale in Marbella’, adapting and finetuning them as the results come in. They might find that a frontline beach apartment in Marbella is too expensive or very hard to come by, and will begin to adjust their search criteria until, through the research, a clearer picture is formed about what is available and where. While searching online, you will soon get a feeling for those luxury developers whose website and project presentations are more polished and professional, and this is usually a reflection of just how serious and knowledgeable the company is.

The advice of a sincere, experienced broker will help save you time and effort, as they will pinpoint the best areas and properties based upon the criterio you have provided.

The online search tells you as much about the best real estate companies and developers as it does about the properties available for sale in Marbella, along with giving you lots of reference points as to price, amenities and locations. It leads directly on to the selection process, as you will be comparing the homes you’ve expressed an interest in and received more information about. The latter process can also include Zoom calls and virtual property tours, and they form the prelude to coming to see a final selection of Marbella properties in person. Here the advice of a sincere, experienced broker will help save you time and effort, as they will pinpoint the best areas and properties based upon the criteria you have provided.

Whether you are interested in an existing property or one that is newly-built or under construction, it remains important to ensure that all is as it should be before you take your interest to the next level. Many HNW buyers will have lawyers or personal representatives in their home country carry out this investigation, but in reality a local lawyer in Marbella is ideally equipped for checking that an existing resale property has no outstanding debts or charges against it, that it complies with all zoning laws and has all the required licences and documentation, and finally that it is sold as advertised, with clear indication of who the owner/vendor. In some cases it will also be useful to have a chartered surveyor investigate the structure.

In the case of a new-build project, the investigation will centre upon checking the developer’s credentials, if they have all the required financial guarantees and insurance policies in place, are a reputable company, and if the sales conditions and technical requirements are satisfactory. This also applies to post-construction guarantees on the structure and responsibility for sorting out anything from a snag list to issues that arise subsequent to delivery. Given this, it becomes clear that working with the best professionals in Marbella – lawyers, real estate agents, property developers and fiscal advisors – is the best guarantee for peace of mind.

Modern technology provides us with a great many tools that make remote viewing and information gathering possible, as well as liaising with the agent or developer, but when a final list of properties has been selected there is still no substitute for viewing the property in person. This is because in the final analysis, buying a property is a very personal and sensory process, so it is vital not just to look at factual details such as lists of amenities, build qualities, prices, financing and how close the property is located to those facilities that are important to you, but also to absorb the atmosphere of the home and its surroundings. In other words, you need to be in this luxury Marbella home; there is no substitute for how you feel when arriving at the house, entering it and the impression the property and its surroundings leave with you.

Ideally, you will want to fall in love with the home and be excited about the prospect of owning and using it. But here there is a cautionary note: make sure you keep a cool head and if you like the property, play devil’s advocate by viewing it with a critical eye. In other words, look out for the following points, just to make sure this is your Marbella dream home:

• Look out for any aesthetic or structural problems such as cracks, broken rooftiles or land subsidence
• Ensure the property is fitted and finished to your standards – for instance, does it have guttering and the latest technical infrastructure?
• Create a little snag list of items that are not perfect
• Check that the views are right
• Also check that the access, security and surroundings of the property are appealing, and that it is sufficiently and conveniently close to the criteria that are important to you, such as shops, schools, sports facilities, etc.
• Compare the property with other homes or developments you have visited, listing positives and negatives
• Make a list of any doubts and questions that arise, and address them with the agent
  

Finally, when you’re satisfied with all the answers received, the ultimate moment of choice will of course be influenced greatly by factual matters, but in the end be guided by a feeling. In other words: if all seems good and buying the property makes sense, then you will do so if it stirs all the right feelings within you.

Our commitment is to finding you the Marbella property that will have exactly that effect!

If all seems good and buying the property makes sense, then you will do so if stirs all the right feelings within you.