Buyers ask the wrong question. They ask what the property costs. They should ask what the transaction costs. The headline price on Idealista is roughly 89% of what leaves your account on completion day.
A non-resident buying a resale property in Marbella in 2026 pays 9–11% above the agreed purchase price. A non-resident buying a new-build pays 12–14%. On a €5M villa that is €450,000–700,000 in transaction costs that nobody quotes upfront. None of this is negotiable, and 95% of it lands inside the first ten days after signing.
A worked example on a €5,000,000 Sierra Blanca resale villa: ITP €350,000, notary €20,000, registry €15,000, legal €60,000, gestoría €1,200, bank/FX €25,000. Total €471,200, or 9.4%.
The same villa as a new-build at €5M: IVA €500,000, AJD €60,000, notary €20,000, registry €15,000, legal €60,000, gestoría €1,200, bank/FX €25,000. Total €681,200, or 13.6%. The €210,000 delta between resale and new-build at the same headline is the single most overlooked figure in Marbella buyer planning.
The 3% IRNR retention on non-resident sellers. If you are buying from a non-resident, the buyer is legally obliged to withhold 3% of the purchase price and lodge it with Hacienda within 30 days. This is not your tax — it is the seller's — but you are personally liable if you fail to retain it. Make sure your lawyer flags the seller's residency status before completion.
Plusvalía Municipal. This is the seller's obligation in Andalucía, but contracts increasingly try to shift it to buyers. Read the arras contract carefully. On a €5M property held 15+ years, plusvalía can be €30,000–80,000.
FX timing. Buyers wiring from outside the eurozone routinely lose 1–2% on poor FX execution. A €5M GBP-funded purchase converted at the wrong moment costs more than the entire notary bill. Lock the rate via a corporate FX desk (Currencies Direct, Wise Business, OFX), not your high-street bank.
Cédula and IBI back-charges. If the seller has unpaid IBI (property tax) or basura (waste), the debt attaches to the property, not the seller. Demand last three years of receipts before signing arras.