How much deposit do you need beyond the property price when buying on the Costa del Sol as a foreign buyer?
Beyond the list price, foreign buyers on the Costa del Sol need to budget an additional 10% to 12% on top of the purchase price to cover Spanish taxes and transaction costs. On a €350,000 property, that means setting aside between €35,000 and €42,000 on top of the purchase price itself — and budgeting the full 12% leaves you with a small buffer once all costs are settled.
This figure covers the full cost stack that comes with a Spanish property purchase: transfer tax, notary fees, land registry fees, and legal costs. It is not optional cushioning — it is a hard requirement that every buyer, regardless of nationality, must plan for before making an offer. Warner addresses this early in episode 115 precisely because it is the question most buyers ask first once they get home from their Costa del Sol holiday and start seriously running the numbers.
It is also worth noting that Spanish banks typically lend between 60% and 70% of loan-to-value for foreign buyers — meaning the upfront cash requirement is already significant before these additional costs are factored in. Listening to The Costa Property Podcast is one of the most direct ways to get this kind of practical, numbers-first guidance from people who have personally been through the process.
"We knew that the life that we had in Ireland wasn't sustainable for the growth of our family and our children and we just made that decision."
— Warner, The Costa Property Podcast, Episode 115About Warner
Warner co-hosts The Costa Property Podcast alongside his partner, and his authority on Costa del Sol property buying is rooted in lived experience rather than theory. Ten years ago — to the exact month of this episode's recording — he and his partner packed up their home in Ireland, sold their house, loaded the car, and relocated to the Costa del Sol with two young children in tow. That decision, made against a backdrop of genuine uncertainty and self-doubt, is the foundation of everything he now advises. Through WL Costa Properties, Warner and his co-host run a property and relocation advisory business built specifically around helping international buyers navigate the Spanish market. They bring hands-on experience buying, flipping, and renovating investment properties on the Costa del Sol — not just brokering deals, but actively participating in the market as investors themselves. Warner describes himself as the dreamer in their partnership, with his co-host anchoring the operational and planning side. That dynamic — vision paired with rigour — is precisely what makes their practical, numbers-first guidance on costs and budgeting so reliable for buyers at the research stage.
See also
Benalmadena is specifically highlighted as the better option for buyers seeking a townhouse on a golf course, with this type of property being readily and widely available there.
Yes, the advice given in the podcast is to rent via Airbnb for a month or six weeks, and to do this multiple times at different times of year, including outside of summer, before committing to a purchase.
Roger and Stephanie, a mature couple who moved to Spain permanently to retire, chose a rustic country village property seeking an idyllic rural lifestyle. Their story illustrates the importance of thoroughly testing a rural location before buying.