What Buyers Learned at the Costa del Sol Property Forum — Practical Steps for 2026

Practical lessons from the Costa del Sol property forum

If you're considering property Spain, the SUR in English annual real estate forum on the Costa del Sol offered a clear, practical primer on what it takes to buy there in 2026. Held on 16 February 2026 at the Higuerón Hotel in Fuengirola, the event gathered agents, mortgage brokers, lawyers, valuers and architects to answer the real questions that foreign buyers bring to the table.

We attended the livestream and reviewed the evening's panels. What stood out was how candid the speakers were about the steps, costs and timing involved. The forum was not an advertising exercise; it was a working session that laid out the transaction chain from initial search to legal completion and aftercare.

Who convened the forum and why it matters

The event was organised by SUR in English and started at 10.30am with round table discussions moderated by the newspaper's reporter Jennie Rhodes, and broadcast live on www.surinenglish.com. The line-up of partners and contributors reads like a who's who of professionals you will rely on when buying on the Costa del Sol:

• The Spanish Estate Agent
• GIPE (local professional association)
• Higuerón Real Estate
• De Cotta Law
• Fluent Finance Abroad
• Accumin Home / Tinsa
• Klic Arquitectos
• Gilmar Real Estate
• Grupo Abu

Each organisation addressed a distinct part of the purchase pipeline. That matters because buying a home in Spain is a sequence of specialist tasks: property search, valuation, mortgage sourcing, legal due diligence, architectural planning for works, and the notary process.

Key takeaways for buyers and investors

The forum made several concrete points that every international buyer should note. I list the essentials here and explain why they are relevant for your purchase plan.

• Start with a clear financing plan. Mortgage brokers such as Fluent Finance Abroad told listeners that arranging finance early shapes the search and strengthens offers. For international buyers, pre-approval or a clear affordability assessment makes you a credible purchaser.
• Get an independent valuation. Accumin Home and Tinsa advised that a professional appraisal is a safeguard for both lenders and buyers. Valuation helps set offer strategy and is often required by mortgage lenders.
• Use specialist legal advice. De Cotta Law emphasised due diligence on title deeds, licences and outstanding charges. Conveyancing in Spain has legal nuances that differ from other jurisdictions.
• Factor in architectural, planning and refurbishment needs. Klic Arquitectos covered how renovation costs and planning permissions affect overall project budgets and timelines.
• Work with market-aware estate agents. Local estate agents such as Higuerón Real Estate, Gilmar and The Spanish Estate Agent can steer buyers to realistic price bands and potential resale issues.

Together these points show a single theme: a structured, multidisciplinary approach reduces risk and keeps your timetable realistic.

The purchase chain explained — step by step

The forum ran through each stage of buying in plain terms. Below is a practical sequence, annotated with the professionals who typically handle each step.

1. Search and shortlist

   • Agents: property sourcing, viewings and local market insight
   • What to do: target neighbourhoods, confirm service charges and taxes on comparable properties

2. Finance and mortgage

   • Mortgage brokers: pre-qualification, lender selection and supporting documentation
   • What to do: obtain pre-approval, compare lender criteria for non-residents and budget for broker fees

3. Valuation and survey

   • Valuers: independent market valuation and structural appraisal if required
   • What to do: commission a valuation early, use the report to negotiate price and identify major defects

4. Legal due diligence

   • Solicitors/conveyancers: title checks, outstanding charges, planning compliance and contract drafting
   • What to do: instruct a lawyer before signing any reservation agreement and ask for copies of the latest IBI receipts and community minutes

5. Reservation and deposit

   • Agents/solicitors: reservation contract and holding deposit terms
   • What to do: understand withdrawal conditions and what the deposit covers

6. Completion at the notary

   • Notary and solicitor: final deed signing, funds transfer and tax filings
   • What to do: ensure funds are cleared and your lawyer attends the signing to protect your interests

7. After-sale administration

   • Accountants/tax advisors: local taxes and ongoing obligations
   • What to do: register utilities, update land registry details and retain receipts for tax purposes

These are the practical steps that the forum speakers walked attendees through. Each step has costs and contingencies that should be written into your plan.

Financing from abroad — what the forum made clear

Mortgages for foreigners were a recurring topic. Speakers from Fluent Finance Abroad explained that lenders assess non-resident applications with slightly different documentation and criteria compared to residents. The forum reinforced several pragmatic points:

• Lenders rely on local valuation reports, so plan for the appraiser's time and fee.
• Income verification and proof of assets are scrutinised more closely when the applicant lives overseas.
• Brokers can prepare a mortgage application package that matches the lender's expectations and reduces the back-and-forth that slows approval.

From our experience, engaging a specialist mortgage broker early will save weeks and reduce the likelihood of last-minute financing problems. The forum's broker panel agreed that a prepared buyer is a stronger buyer.

Legal and tax checkpoints you must cover

When lawyers from De Cotta Law took the floor they concentrated on due diligence. Their practical counsel highlighted a list of checks that cannot be skipped:

• Verify ownership and ensure the seller has the right to sell
• Check for unpaid community fees and municipal debts
• Confirm building licences and legal status of any extensions or alterations
• Review the terms of any reservation contract including penalty clauses

Lawyers at the forum warned that buyers sometimes treat the reservation contract as a simple formality. It is not. If you lose the reservation deposit because a condition was not satisfied, reversing the sale is expensive and slow.

On taxes, the forum addressed the standard obligations connected to a purchase and resale.