Buying a property in Málaga? English-speaking estate agent in Málaga

Of all the places on the Costa del Sol, Málaga is the most suitable for living permanently, because it is a proper city and not a seaside resort. There are three large hospitals, a university with tens of thousands of students, international schools and a public transport network with a metro and commuter trains. You notice the difference with Torremolinos or Nerja above all in January: shops, restaurants and schools simply stay open, while seaside resorts empty out outside the season. Málaga also works well if you are looking for a second home, thanks to the airport just fifteen minutes away and direct flights to the Netherlands and Belgium all year round.

In August 2026 the average asking price in Málaga city was €3,938 per square metre, a record and 5.1% higher than a year earlier. For a 90 square metre apartment that works out at around €355,000, but the difference between districts is large. In the Este district, home to El Limonar and Pedregalejo, you pay €4,990 per square metre. In the centre, €4,574. In Ciudad Jardín, on the north side of the city, €2,715. In our current listings in Málaga, apartments range from around €335,000 to over €2,000,000 for penthouses in prime locations.

Not if the property does not yet have a licence: since August 2025 the city of Málaga no longer issues new licences for holiday lets, across the entire municipality and for now until at least 2028. Properties that were lawfully registered as a vivienda de fines turísticos (VFT) before that date may simply continue to be let. That makes a property with an existing, active licence scarce in Málaga, and it is exactly the point on which we check the paperwork for every property before you make an offer. If you are buying with letting in mind, have this investigated first: a verbal assurance from a seller is not a licence. Long-term lets of eleven months or more fall outside these rules and remain permitted everywhere.

The historic centre and Málaga East are by far the two most popular areas with international buyers. The centre, with Centro Histórico, Soho and La Merced, attracts buyers who want everything within walking distance and do not need a car. Málaga East, with El Limonar, Pedregalejo and El Palo, attracts buyers looking for space, a garden or sea views who still want to be in the city within ten minutes. La Malagueta is popular with those who want a beach apartment close to the centre. Teatinos is interesting for new builds and for families. In Ciudad Jardín and Huelin you get the most square metres for your money within the city.

Yes, although the supply of villas in Málaga is almost entirely in the east and north of the city. El Limonar and Cerrado de Calderón are the classic villa neighbourhoods, on the hillside overlooking the bay, with prices usually starting from around €700,000 and going well above €1,500,000 for the better locations. In Pedregalejo and El Palo you will find smaller detached homes closer to the sea. In the municipality's hinterland, towards the Montes de Málaga, fincas and country houses are for sale at considerably lower prices. In the centre itself, detached homes are practically impossible to find.

Allow 10 to 12% on top of the purchase price for resale and 12 to 13% for new builds. For resale properties you pay 7% transfer tax (ITP). For new builds you pay 10% VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty (AJD). In both cases notary fees, registration in the land registry and legal assistance come on top. For every property we draw up a transparent cost breakdown in advance, so you know what you will need to pay on top of the asking price.

Each year, allow for the IBI (municipal property tax), community fees and buildings insurance. The IBI depends on the cadastral value and for an apartment in Málaga city usually ranges from a few hundred to well over a thousand euros a year. Community fees run from around €50 a month in a simple building to €300 or more in a complex with a pool, garden and concierge. If you do not live in Spain permanently, you also pay IRNR, the income tax for non-residents.

From offer to handover of the keys, a purchase in Málaga takes six to twelve weeks on average. You make an offer; once it is accepted, you sign a reservation contract and pay a deposit of €3,000 to €10,000, which takes the property off the market. You then sign the contrato de arras, the private purchase agreement, with a deposit of 10% of the purchase price. During that period your lawyer checks ownership, debts, licences and the structural condition. Finally, the deed of sale is signed at the notary and you receive the keys. For this you need an NIE number and a Spanish bank account; we arrange both for you.

Yes, but as a non-resident a Spanish bank will usually finance a maximum of 60 to 70% of the purchase price. You therefore contribute at least 30 to 40% of your own funds, plus the additional costs of 10 to 13%. The bank bases its calculation on your income in your home country and asks for annual income statements, an overview of debts and a valuation. Some of our buyers instead finance the purchase with the equity in their own home, which often works out quicker and cheaper. We arrange a free, no-obligation mortgage check with English-speaking advisers in Spain.

WeSellHomes.es is a GIPE-registered, English-speaking estate agent on the Costa del Sol with more than 20 years' experience, and as a buyer you pay us nothing. From the first viewing to the notary, you speak your own language, including on the aspects where things can go wrong: licences, community statutes, structural condition and whether or not a property may be let to tourists. We do not work from a single portfolio of our own but search the entire Málaga market, including homes that are not listed online. Feel free to get in touch via our contact page.