Frequently asked questions

Questates is a property website for the Costa del Sol run by a local team in Puerto Banús. The homes we show are on one interactive map, from Sotogrande to Benalmádena, so you can see what is for sale and where before you call anyone.

No. Browsing, unlocking prices and receiving the details by email are free, and nothing is sold through the website.

You can see the photos, the area and the main features of every home straight away. The guide price, the exact address and your adviser's direct line appear once you confirm one contact detail, so a real person can follow up and arrange viewings with you. It takes a minute and needs no account.

• Open a property and press Unlock details.
• Enter your name and choose where to receive a code: by email or by SMS.
• Tick the consent box and type the 6-digit code we send you.
• The price, address and adviser contact appear straight away.

No. There is no account and no password: a one-time code confirms that the email address or phone number is yours.

For 30 days in the browser you used. During that time the prices and addresses of all listings are visible to you. If you clear your cookies or switch device, simply verify again.

• If you chose email, check your spam or junk folder.
• Wait a minute and press Resend code.
• If you chose SMS, check that the number has the right country code.
• Still nothing? Go back and choose the other option, or call or WhatsApp us and we will send you the details.

Yes. If you unlocked with your email address, we send you the property card: photo, price, address, key features and your adviser's contact. On any unlocked listing you can also press Email me this property; if you unlocked by SMS, it asks for an email address.

Only as you agreed in the form: your adviser may contact you by phone, WhatsApp or email about that property and similar homes. To stop, write to guy (at) questates.com. See the Privacy Policy.

The Costa del Sol from Sotogrande to Benalmádena: Sotogrande, Estepona, Benahavís and Los Flamingos, San Pedro, Marbella, Puerto Banús and Nueva Andalucía, Elviria, Cabopino, La Cala, Fuengirola and Benalmádena. On the map you can filter by area, type, price, bedrooms, sea view and pool.

Mostly villas, apartments and penthouses, plus some townhouses, plots and commercial premises — both resale homes and new developments.

From property owners, developers and other agencies, including the Resales-Online network that many Costa del Sol agencies share. Your Questates adviser is your contact for all of them.

Listings are updated as information reaches us, but prices and availability can change at short notice and a listing is not a binding offer. Your adviser confirms the current price and availability before a viewing.

Unlock the listing and call or WhatsApp your adviser, or contact the office on +34 952 81 91 74. Tell us which homes you'd like to see and when you are in the area, and we plan the visits.

The website is in English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, French, Swedish and Arabic. Our team answers in English, Spanish and Russian.

C. Francisco Villalón, Nueva Andalucía, 29660 Marbella, Málaga. Opening hours: Mon–Fri, 10:00–19:00. Call ahead to be sure someone is free to see you.

Call or WhatsApp the office on +34 952 81 91 74 and tell us about the property; the team will explain how they can help.

Yes, nationality is not a restriction. The only exceptions are a few areas of interest to national defence, where non-EU buyers need a military authorisation.

Yes. The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is the identification number for foreigners; you need it to sign at the notary and pay the purchase taxes. You can apply at a Spanish consulate abroad or, in Spain, at a police office that handles foreigners' affairs. Your lawyer can usually help.

• Reservation: an optional small deposit takes the property off the market while it is checked.
• Legal checks: your lawyer verifies ownership and charges at the Land Registry (nota simple), licences, debts, community fees and taxes.
• Private purchase contract (contrato de arras): you usually pay a deposit, commonly 10% of the price, and fix the completion date.
• Completion at the notary: you sign the title deed (escritura pública), pay the balance and receive the keys.
• After completion: the taxes are paid, the deed is registered in your name and utilities are transferred.

When buying off-plan, payments made before completion must be protected by a bank guarantee or insurance from the developer — ask to see it.

It depends on the contract. With the most common type, arras penitenciales (article 1454 of the Spanish Civil Code), if you withdraw you lose the deposit, and if the seller withdraws they must pay it back twice over. Read the clause with your lawyer before signing.

It isn't compulsory, but an independent lawyer who works only for you is strongly recommended. They carry out the checks, review the contracts and can sign for you with a power of attorney.

Transfer tax (ITP) at a general rate of 7% (article 41 of Andalusian Law 5/2021). It is calculated on the price, or on the official cadastral reference value if that is higher. Lower rates exist for some buyers of a main residence who meet specific conditions.

Buying a new home from the developer, you pay VAT (IVA) at 10% instead of transfer tax, plus stamp duty on the deed (AJD) at 1.2% in Andalusia (article 49 of Law 5/2021). Up to two garage spaces and annexes sold together with the home take the same VAT rate.

Besides the taxes there are notary and Land Registry fees (official scales), your lawyer's fees and, with a mortgage, the property valuation. For a resale home in Andalusia buyers often budget around 9–10% of the price in total. Ask your lawyer for a written estimate before you sign.

Yes. Spanish banks lend to non-residents, usually for a lower share of the property's value than for residents, and ask for proof of income and your NIE. An approval in principle before you make an offer helps.

No, not any more. The investor residence visa, including the €500,000 property route, was abolished from 3 April 2025 by Organic Law 1/2025 (final provision 21). Permits already granted stay valid, and applications filed before that date were handled under the old rules. Other routes exist, such as the non-lucrative visa; an immigration lawyer can advise you.

• IBI, the municipal property tax, based on the cadastral value. Unpaid IBI can be claimed against the property, so your lawyer checks it before completion.
• Community fees for apartments and urbanisations with shared areas.
• Rubbish collection charge set by the town hall, utilities and home insurance.
• Non-resident income tax: if you are not tax resident in Spain, you file an annual return (Modelo 210) for the property even when it isn't rented. Rental income is taxed at 19% for EU/EEA residents and 24% for others.

The municipal tax on the increase in land value (plusvalía municipal) is paid by the seller when a property is sold.

Possibly, but check before you buy. In Andalusia a holiday rental must be registered with the Andalusian Tourism Register, and short-term rentals also need the national registration number (Royal Decree 1312/2024) to be advertised on platforms. Since 3 April 2025, a new holiday rental in a building under horizontal property needs the express prior approval of the community of owners (article 7.3 of the Horizontal Property Law). Some towns also limit new holiday rentals.

• The title deed and an up-to-date Land Registry extract (nota simple).
• The energy performance certificate.
• The latest IBI receipt and proof that community fees are paid up to date.
• The building's community rules and, where applicable, the occupancy documents.

Yes. Many buyers give their lawyer a power of attorney, signed before a notary in their country (with an apostille) or at a Spanish consulate, so the lawyer can sign the contracts and the deed for them. We still recommend seeing the property, in person or through someone you trust, before you commit.

We use them to show you the listing, send you its details and let your adviser contact you about it and similar homes, as you agreed. We don't sell them. The full explanation is in the Privacy Policy.

Only the ones it needs to work, unless you accept more: remembering your map filters and counting visits with our own statistics. No advertising cookies. Change your choice at any time in Cookie settings; details in the Cookie Policy.

Write to guy (at) questates.com and tell us what you need: a copy, a correction, deletion, or to stop being contacted.

The website is owned by SGRAEVENCASA, S.L.. Full details are in the Legal Notice.