Guideline for buying a property on the Costa del Sol:how to search for the property, choosing and estate agent, bank and solicitor.

If you are interested in purchasing a  property on the Costa del Sol we suggest you take the following steps.

1. Establish a budget.
2. Decide what type of property you are actually looking for: a flat , a villa , a penthouse , a farmhouse, a city flat. Decide what you are looking for because they provide completely different living or holiday experiences. What is the priority: the beach, a golf course living in the city, having a lot of land (an inland farmhouse). You then have to decide on where you wish to purchase (Estepona, Benahavis, Marbella, Fuengirola, Mijas, Calahonda, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Malaga, Rincon de la Victoria, Velez Malaga etc)
3. When you have an approximate idea we recommend you choose a good English speaking solicitor.Take the chance you are in Spain to meet . Choosing a good solicitor in advance is a good idea  and it will allow you to request advice on any questions that may arise while you are shopping for a property. Solicitors in general will not recommend a particular agent but they will be able to advice you if you are about to deal with an agent with a shaky reputation. The solicitor will explain the general procedure of purchasing a  property , what he does for you and what to look out for. Click hear for the concerns a buyer normally has and our explanations.
4. If you know you are going to purchase a property in any case and it is just a question of time while you are in Spain it is a good idea to open a bank account. The solicitor will be able to recommend a good bank with English speaking staff with internet banking in English etc.s
5. It is worth your while to put serious effort into shopping for the property.  There are many ways to search for property. Searching on the internet is always a good start : Internet (in general, estate agency websites, bank websites for repossession property,) ,driving around calling numbers on for sale signs, walking into an estate agency, walking into banks and asking for repossession properties, going to an estate agent and asking them to find you a property. (The large estate agent are members of networkings systems that allow them to offer you over 70% of the properties for sale with agents on the Costa least in their area of influence).
6. If you decide to go to an estate agent and let them find you the perfect property for you be aware that not all estate agents are born equal. On the costa del sol there  are many excellent estate agents but there are others that are not so good. Ask the locals, your bank manager, your solicitor  and after establishing a short list go and have a word with them and then stick with the one that you are most comfortable with. We recommend you go with estate agents that have both a good reputation and a long track record. 
7. Sometimes a surveyor can be a good idea if you have doubts about the build. The surveyor´s report can also be useful for the solicitor as the surveyor will  measure and describe the property which helps the solicitor  detect any extension to the property that does not appear on the paperwork. This is because sometimes the deeds just state the total measurement of the property and not on a room by room basis.