Before you fall in love with a home
A €595,000 apartment on the Costa del Sol costs around €649,000 to buy.
Nobody puts that number in the advert. We put it here, before you get attached —
because a buyer who is surprised at the notary is a buyer we have failed.
This is not our price list. Every euro above the asking price goes to the tax
office, the notary, the registry or your own lawyer — never to us. It is the same bill through any
agent in Spain. The only thing that differs is whether you see it now, or on the day you sign.
These are estimates, not a quote. We are estate agents, not tax advisers — rates change, and every case differs. Use this to see the shape of the cost, then let your lawyer confirm your actual numbers. Rates checked 13 July 2026 · sources below · spot something wrong? Tell us.
You pay us nothing. In Spain the seller pays the agency fee — it is already inside the asking price. Our commission never comes out of your pocket.
If you are not a Spanish tax resident, the buyer must withhold 3% of the sale price and pay it to the tax office. It is an advance on your tax, not an extra tax — you reclaim any excess afterwards, which typically takes six to twelve months.
Selling one home and buying another. This shows what is actually left in your hand — and whether it stretches to the next place.
Agency 5% + IVA and lawyer 1% + IVA are assumed on both sides. ITP at 7% on the purchase. Notary €3,000 and registry €2,000 are estimates.
Bought directly from a developer, a new home is taxed completely differently — VAT and stamp duty instead of transfer tax. Most calculators quietly ignore the difference.
A new build carries no transfer tax — but VAT plus stamp duty usually lands higher. Off-plan payments are staged, and the VAT falls due on each instalment.
These are estimates, not a quote. Rates in force in Andalucía as checked on 13 July 2026. Every case differs — let your lawyer confirm your actual numbers before you commit.
Top Ten Marbella · Carr. de Mijas 22, 29640 Fuengirola · +34 952 181 433 · info@toptenmarbella.com · toptenmarbella.com
Selling
None of them appear in a typical valuation. All three are knowable today — which is rather the point of putting them here.
If you are not a Spanish tax resident, the buyer withholds 3% of the sale price and pays it to the tax office on your behalf. On a €650,000 sale that is €19,500 that does not land in your account on completion day. It is an advance on your tax, not an extra tax, and you reclaim whatever is left — typically within six to twelve months. Planned for, it is a question of timing. Discovered on the day, it feels like a loss.
Capital gains tax is not charged on "sale price minus purchase price". You deduct the tax, notary, registry and legal fees you paid when you bought, plus every invoiced improvement — and the agency fee and plusvalía when you sell. Sales that look handsomely profitable often turn out barely taxable, and some are not taxable at all. Keep the invoices. They are worth real money, and we will tell you which ones count.
A municipal tax on the rise in land value, set by the town hall and paid by the seller. It is missing from most agents' estimates, which is exactly why it surprises people. It is no mystery though: the town hall will quote it for your address. Ask us and we will get that figure before you list, so it sits in your net from the start instead of arriving after you have celebrated.
None of this is secret. It is simply scattered — across a town hall, a tax office and somebody's lawyer. So if a number here worries you, or you sense one is missing, that is exactly the moment to ask us. We would rather spend an hour on your figures than have you meet them at the notary. That is the job as we see it: not to sell you a home, but to be the people you call when something does not add up.
Where these figures come from
Rates last checked 13 July 2026. Spanish regional taxes change — if this date looks old, ask us to re-check it.
Send us the property and we will run it properly — purchase costs, annual costs, and what you would net if you sold.
Ask us to run the numbers