Christmas on the Costa del Sol – Things to do and see

Christmas on the Costa del Sol – Things to do and see

Christmas on the Costa del Sol is a wonderful time of year. It of course has a very different feel to Northern Europe due to the climate – and December always seems to be a blessed month in terms of sunshine. Christmas lunch on the beach, enjoy warm Mediterranean sun shine embodied with Spanish charm. Christmas is truly magical on the Costa del Sol, with all towns and cities sparkling with colourful lights, special activities, vibrant events, and a feeling of togetherness.

So, if you have decide to spend your Christmas on the Costa del Sol, there are few things you should do and see.

1. Malaga Christmas Lights.

Malaga Christmas Lights have always been spectacularly beautiful. Nevertheless, we think this year they are extraordinary. Taking a new form this year the cathedral complete with stained glass windows and an arched ceiling. Malaga City centre must be on your to do list. Located right in the city centre on the famous Calle Larios – every day at 18.30 and 21.30 there is a lightshow that dazzles.

2. Malaga Childrens Fair

If you are spending your Christmas on the Costa del Sol with your family and children, here is the place you must visit. You can get tickets here online with a discount. Malaga Childrens Fair has everything to entertain your children between 2 to 12 years old with more than 60 activities that includes rides, mini golf, ice skating, zip line, rock climbing, bouncy castles, theatre and much much more!

Buy ticket for Malaga Children Fair

3. Enjoy some music on the Plaza de La Constitucion

Every evening there are free concerts in Malaga between 7pm and 10pm. Everyone welcome to come, enjoy and dance. Not to be missed, there will also be a Special Christmas concert at the Malaga Cathedral on 20th of December at 8pm. Will we see you there?

4. Christmas Shopping

Traditional Christmas markets will be open all over the Costa del Sol. We recommend you visit the one in Malaga that is located on the Paser del Parque and the one in Marbella which takes place each Sunday in December.

5. Nativity Scenes – must visit

Every year in Malaga the City Council publishes a Nativity Scene Guide with the 67 most important scenes to visit this Christmas. It included several routes distributed in seven of the citys districts.

6. New Years Eve in Marbella

Lets ring new year in Spanish style, make sure you eat 12 grapes at midnight and wear red underwear. Eating 12 grapes ( one grape per chime) is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Remember, when final bell chimes all your grapes must be eaten. This should bring you luck in 2019. Some also say a dip at midnight in the Mediterranean will wash away what you want to leave in 2018.

Check out more about Alpha Estates Marbella

Köp av off-plan-fastigheter (ännu ej byggda) i Marbella, hur det fungerar och varför efterfrågan är så hög.

Köp av off-plan-fastigheter (ännu ej byggda) i Marbella, hur det fungerar och varför efterfrågan är så hög.

Fastighetsmarknaden på Costa del Sol är högaktuell just nu och nya fastigheter och off-plan-fastigheter röner stor efterfrågan. Skälet till varför våra kunder väljer off-plan-byggnationerna är uppenbara: nyskapande modern design, stora fönster från golv till tak , kök med öppen planlösning med modernaste inredning och utrustning, energi- och miljöeffektivt, vilket skiljer sig stort från de försäljningsfastigheter på Costa del Sol som byggts i medelhavsstil.

Köpare är angelägna om att kunna köpa till ett lägre pris, därför är efterfrågan på off-plan-fastigheter i Marbella-området enorm.

Vi vill här klargöra hur förfarandet för köp av off-plan-fastigheter fungerar i Spanien, hur due diligence-processen för off-plan-fastigheter ser ut, och vilka inköpskostnader som är förknippade med köp av ny fastighet på Costa del Sol.

1. Vilket förfarande används vid köp av off-plan-fastigheter på Costa del Sol?

Proceduren vid köp av off-plan-fastigheter på Costa del Sol är okomplicerad men varierar beroende på byggnadslov och byggnadsfas. Vanligtvis ser det ut så här:

– En initial depositionsavgift (mellan 6 000 – 10 000 €) betalas för att avlägsna den utvalda enheten från marknaden. Denna kan betalas direkt till byggherren, eller sättas in på din advokats spärrkonto. Detta möjliggör att undersökningar görs för att säkerställa att byggprocessen är laglig. Om inte, kommer depositionen att återbetalas.

– När undersökningen är klar skall handpenningen betalas och köpekontraktetet undertecknas. Handpenningen ligger normalt mellan 10% och 30% av slutsumman. Den betalda summan kommer att täckas av en bankgaranti / försäkring som tillhandahålls av byggherren.

– I vissa fall, när byggnaden uppnått en särskild fas eller milstolpe, kan ytterligare en handpenning behöva betalas.

– När byggnaden är klar kommer byggherren att ansöka om den första besittningslicensen. När denna har beviljats (utan sådan kan inte el och vatten anslutas), och slutsumman att betalas (vanligtvis 60-70% av priset). Du kommer att underteckna handlingarna och uppvisa betalningbeviset för en notarie. Fastigheten är nu din och allt du behöver göra är att instruera din advokat att ta hand om anslutningen av vatten, el etc.

2. Vad innebär due diligence processen vid köp av off-plan-egendom i Marbella?

Due diligence innebär iakttagande av regler vad gäller samhällsavgifter, lokala skatter,el, vatten etc. Din advokat kommer att utföra en serie egendomskontroller kallad en Due Diligence-rapport. Den innehåller vanligtvis följande vid köp av ny egendom på Costa del Sol:

– Den juridiska identiteten hos ägaren / säljaren av den fasta egendom du avser att köpa.

– Att fastigheten under uppförande är lagligt registrerad i motsvarande fastighetsregister.

– Att fastigheten är fri från avgifter (inteckningar, panter, förpliktelser etc.) Byggherren har i regel en inteckning för finansieringen av byggandet. Skulle köparen inte vara intresserad av att ta över den proportionella delen av finansieringen för en inteckning på fastigheten, måste det avbrytas före färdigställandet, och alla avbokningskostnader betalas av byggherren.

– Att fastigheten har beviljats motsvarande kommunalt bygglov och uppehållstillstånd (om tillämpligt) av Stadshuset i fråga, och respekterar lokala stadsplaneringsregler.

– Att byggspecifikationen eller kvalitetsspecifikationerna är tillgängliga för köparen och ingår i bilagan till köpeavtalet.

– Att det finns en bankgaranti eller försäkringspolicy på plats som en garant för de pengar som betalats till byggherren under byggprocessen.

– Bekräfta och kontrollera innehållet i den obligatoriska 10 års försäkringsgarantin (Seguro Decenal) som täcker eventuella strukturella fel på fastigheten.

– Revidering av köpavtalet utarbetat av byggherren för att säkerställa att dess innehåll respekterar köparens rättigheter och är i fullständigt samförstånd med köparen.

3. Kostnader i samband med inköp av off-plan-fastigheter i Marbella är följande:

10% moms
1% notarieavgift
1% juridiska avgifter
1.5% stämpelskatt

Totalt för nya fastigheter: ca 13.5%

4. Var hittar jag alla off-plan- och nya fastigheter till salu på Costa del Sol och i Marbella?

På vår hemsida! Inom kategorierna off-plan-fastigheter och nya fastigheter kan du finna din perfekta bostad. Kontakta oss då gärna för mer information. Klicka på bilden nedan och du hamnar på rätt sida.

Off-plan-fastigheter och nya fastigheter till salu på Costa del Sol och i Marbella.

Gilla du vad du sett och läst? Prenumerera på våra nyhetsbrev genom att lägga till din e-postadress på blanketten längst ner. Du kommer vara den första som får höra om de senaste fastighetsnyheterna på Costa del Sol och andra intressanta nyheter från Spanien!

Ansvarsfriskrivning: Alpha Estates Marbella meddelar att uppgifterna i den här bloggen är bearbetade för potentiella köpare, och då de förmodas vara korrekta vid publiceringstidpunkten, är deras noggrannhet inte garanterad och eventuella fel, utelämnanden eller oegentligheter ska inte vara skäl för vilken kan hävdas kompensationsersättning, inte heller utgör de del av något kontrakt. All information från Alpha Estates Marbella har införskaffats med största möjliga omsorg. Alpha Estates Marbella kan inte hållas ansvarig för eventuella felaktigheter som Alpha Estates Marbella är ovetande om.

Sell your property on the Costa del Sol with Alpha Estates Marbella

Sell your property on the Costa del Sol with Alpha Estates Marbella

The Real estate market on the Costa del Sol and in Marbella is heating up. There is no doubt that now is a great time to sell your property. Nevertheless, there are some listings which stay on the market for quite a while and make people wonder – is the real estate market in Marbella as good as everyone says?

Yes, it is as good as everyone says, in fact even better. The property prices are rising, the demand is very high, and most of the buyers do not require mortgages and have a budget of more than 250.000 euros. So why is your house still not sold? Below we give some examples and recommendations on how to sell:

1. People are ready to spend their money to buy a beautiful apartment or a villa on the Costa del Sol, but no one is ready to purchase an overpriced property. How to solve it? Ask your real estate agent to do research for you to check what the asking prices are in the same location, with similar characteristics. A square meter price is usually calculated. Make sure your property is fairly priced according to the market and neighbourhood. We also advise to leave a little in the price for negotiations.

2. This point closely relates with the first point. As a vendor in Spain you have costs associated with the sale, namely plus valia and possibly profit taxes. We strongly recommend talking with your solicitor who can help you to calculate these costs prior.

3. Most buyers make a decision about what they think of a particular property within the first 10 seconds. Of course, things such as location, proximity to the beach or/and amenities do factor in, however there are other factors that have a lot of value. When you enter someones house, things such as smell, feel and cleanliness make an immediate impact. How to solve it? Very easy! Make sure your place is clean, windows are open to let in fresh air or put some scented candles on, and that no spiders are looking at you from the ceilings.

4. It is a time to fix everything that needs to fixed. Make sure your house is in working order as potential buyers will always look at those details. In case your house will go for sale unfurnished, give it a fresh paint so it looks well taken care of.

5. As a proud property owner in Spain, you need to make sure that the paperwork for your apartment is in order – check if you are up to date with community fees, local taxes, and basura. All these points may sound insignificant but it reflects you as a serious vendor.

So, now when you have fairly priced your property, made sure it is well presented and prepared all the paperwork – Why is it still not sold?

There is no ideal property in the world that would fit everyone. However, there are many people for whom your property is an ideal match. Our job as your real estate agent is to find those people and bring them to see your property. Choosing a real estate agent to sell your house is as choosing an agent who will help you buy a property. Having vast experience with both – selling and buying – we at Alpha Estates Marbella know what distinguishes us from other real estate agents on the Costa del Sol. We offer without question – A Personalized Approach, Innovative Marketing, and Imagination.

So, how does Alpha Estates Marbella differ from other real estate agents when it comes to selling your home on the Costa del Sol?

1. Personalized approach.

We do not have a huge portfolio of direct listings from vendors. Some other real estate agencies on the Costa del Sol have way more listings than us. However, to get more listings is not our aim, our aim is to help you sell your home. Quality not Quantity.

2. Innovative marketing.

In order to find the right customer for your house, we need to reach out to the right people. But every house we get listed is unique, therefore for every listing we get we prepare a tailor made marketing strategy. That includes everything from email marketing strategies and a strategic approach to portal management.

3. Imagination.

Our experience has taught us, the essential key to selling a property in Spain is good professional photographs and soul. We work with imagination and present your property in the best way possible, trying to give it a personality.

Whether you are looking to sell your property on the Costa del Sol, or need an advice/assistance regarding real estate in Marbella, get in touch with our expert team today. We are at Alpha Estates Marbella are always there to help, and we do not just help to sell and buy properties, we value personal relationships and make friends too.

Visit our website to read more: www.alphaestates.com

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Recent changes in the application process for NIE number – Spain

Recent changes in the application process for NIE number – Spain

The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero/ Foreigh Citizens Identification Number) is the tax identification number in Spain for everyone who is not a Spanish citizen. NIE number is needed in Spain in order to be able to carry out all procedures, such as purchasing a transport, opening a bank account, purchasing a property or gaining acces to public health care system. A NIE number is mandatory for all foreigners with financial, professional or social affairs in Spain, regardless of whether they are a resident or non-resident. Children also need a NIE number in order to, among other things, get social security.

Up till recently, obtaining NIE number in Spain has been fairly quick procedure, but due to the changes of application process, it is different at this moment.

As the application process for NIE number has recently changed to online system, currently there are delays of up to 45 days in obtaining NIE number. In case you intend to purchase a property in Spain soon or aim for a quick completion we recommend you to contact your solicitor to prepare NIE application well in advance.

We hope this article has been useful to you. Remember you can always get in touch with us through the form below in case you need an assistance.

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All you need to know before you buy a property in Benalmadena

All you need to know before you buy a property in Benalmadena

Benalmadena is a lively coastal town situated west of Malaga and Torremolinos. Its extensive sandy beaches, impressive choices of amenities for children and adults alike, long coastal promenades and park zones, has made Benalmadena on of the most desirable places on the Costa del Sol to live all year round or own holiday home.

Benalmadena is located a mere 20 minutes away from Malaga International Airport. Benalmadena is divided into several districts – Arroyo de La Miel, Benalmadena Costa ( which includes areas like Torrequebrada, Torremuelle), and the white washed village of Benalmadena Pueblo.

Benalmadena Costa – Beach

The central coastal part of Benalmadena enjoys extensive promenades along the beach where you will find lots of local and international cuisine restaurants and tapas bars. This promenade leads you into the jewel of Benalmadena – Puerto Marina. This fabulous lively port is full of life and all sorts of entertainments. It is not hard to see why this gorgeous marina has been named best marina in the world by some nautical magazines. Its architectural design has been influenced by Arabic, Indian and Andalusian construction styles and where apartment buildings merge with the sea. Those properties have become famous in their own right. Benalmadena Puerto Marina also boasts a selection of great night clubs, disco bars, water sports entertainment, as well as water trips and boat rentals. This is the perfect place to experience life in Spain while overlooking the floating boats in the harbour.

Benalmadena Puerto Marina

Arroyo de La Miel is another area of Benalmadena Costa. This is where you will find many entertainment options for families – Tivoli World, Sea Life Aquarium, Dolphin watching, Selwo Marina, Paloma Park, Teleferico ( the cable car that goes all the way up to the mountain Calamorro). Arroyo de La Miel has a train station that connects it with Malaga ( airport or central Malaga) and Fuengirola.

Benalmadena Pueblo is a white washed village on the mountain within 10 minutes drive from Arroyo de La Miel and Benalmadena Costa. It is one of the must visit places in Benalmadena. Just next to the village there is the Castillo Monumento Colomares, a castle-style monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America, the Benalmádena Stupa, a large Buddhist temple with large spectacular Mirador, Butterfly Park.

Benalmadena Costa goes all the way along the coast up till Fuengirola. That includes the area called Torrequebrada which is adjacent to one of the oldest golf courses in Benalmadena – Torrequebrada Golf. This area includes more small golf courses that will be enjoyable to play for beginners – Bil Bil Golf, Benalmadena Golf. In Torrequebrada you will find some fabulous restaurants and beach bars along the coasts, as well as big supermarkets as Mercadona, small cafeterias, several schools and colleges.

Benalmadena – Torrequebrada Golf

How to get to Benalmadena?

There are several ways to get to Benalmadena from Malaga Airport. One of the easiest is to take a train that goes directly from Malaga and stops in several districts of Benalmadena – Arroyo de La Miel, Torremuelle, Carvajal ( on the edge with Fuengirola). These trains are going frequntly and the only easier way is to get a taxi.

In general the infrastructure of Benalmadena is very good. There are several buses that go along the coast connecting Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Torremolinos with all parts of Andalucia and Spain for that matter. Buses that go from Arroyo de La Miel centre up to the mountain to Benalmadena Village.

Buying a holiday rental properties in Benalmadena.

Benalmadena and Torremolinos are two of the most visited cities on the Costa del Sol. This is due in part due to the proximity to the airport, advanced infrastruture, availability of train lines, and array of activities. During the summer the city if packed and hotels are overbooked. Therefore, if you are looking to purchase an apartment to rent out short term, we recommend you to take a look at some spectacular investment options in Benalmadena. The most popular rental properties in Benalmadena are located around Paloma Park ( e.g. Benal Beach, Pueblo Evita) and further east along the coast including area of Puerto Marina ( e.g. Tamarindos). You can not go wrong with having 1 bedroom apartment or a studio in such location as it will be popular in summer and throughout the winter.

Benalmadena – Complex Benal Beach

Buying a holiday home in Benalmadena

Thanks to its location and diversity, in Benalmadena there are any types of properties where you will be happy to live year arround or come for vacation. The central parts of Benalmadena boasts very active social life, whereas other parts as Torrequebrada, Torremuelle and outskits of Benalmadena Village offer you more quiet location, sometimes with spectacular sea views. It is totally up to you to decide what lifestyle fits you the best, but one thing we can guarantee is that in Benalmadena has much too offer to the most selective buyers.

Buying new property in Benalmadena

There are few new developments in Benalmadena area. As Benalmadena has started to be developed back in 70-e, there are not much land left to built new properties in this area. Some new developments in the area boast amazing sea views and beautiful contemporary designs, and due to the scarcity of land, the demand for those types of properties is huge.

New development in Benalmadena right next to the beach

In order to see the properties for sale in Benalmadena, click on the photo below which will redirect you to our Home & Search page. Or leave your contact details below.

Benalmadena

Benalmadena Costa – Panormic view of Puerto Marina and Arroyo de La Miel

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