Insights from Darren Windhagauer, Inspired Homes Marbella — The Country Files with Peter Franke
British buyers have long been the single largest group of international purchasers on the Costa del Sol. In the latest episode of The Country Files — a podcast series produced by Marbella-based law firm Franke & de la Fuente — co-founder Peter Franke sat down with Darren Windhagauer of Inspired Homes Marbella to explore what the Spanish property market looks like through British eyes, and why preparation is everything.
“UK buyers traditionally are the biggest buyers here on the Costa del Sol,” noted Peter Franke, opening the conversation. The Country Files series, he explained, was created with a clear purpose: “to learn a little bit more about the process in other countries and to see what the differences between the other countries and Spain” are — and ultimately, how that knowledge can be put to work for clients on the ground in Andalucía.
A Different Way of Searching
One of the first differences Darren highlighted is how buyers approach the search itself. In the UK, property hunters seek out a specialist agent in a specific town or postcode. The Costa del Sol works differently.
“in Spain, they’re looking for properties, but also they’re looking for areas and they may be unsure on the coast. So I think to start with, they pick an agent that resonates with them and they feel comfortable with them”
— Darren Windhagauer, Inspired Homes Marbella
This shift in mindset matters. Rather than arriving with a fixed postcode in mind, buyers on the Costa del Sol are often choosing a lifestyle and a stretch of coast. That means choosing the right advisor is as important as choosing the right property.
The Liquidity Gap
UK buyers are accustomed to a fast-moving market. A well-priced £500,000 home in Britain might sell within a month. Spain is a different proposition entirely. Darren is direct with his clients about this:
“the market’s much more liquid in the UK, and that’s something we make our clients aware of as well. It’s one of the key factors just in case they need to sell quickly”
— Darren Windhagauer, Inspired Homes Marbella
The bottom line for buyers considering a Spanish purchase as part of a flexible investment strategy is clear: “It’s not a liquid asset as it would be in the UK.”
Pricing: Less Transparency, More Nuance
In the UK, platforms like Rightmove publish every transaction going back 20 to 25 years. Buyers can benchmark a property against every comparable sale on the street. Spain offers no such clarity. As Darren explained:
“In Spain, it’s much, much harder. We have to wait for data from the notaries, which is published retrospectively every 3 or 4 months”
— Darren Windhagauer, Inspired Homes Marbella
Add to that the individuality of Spanish homes — far less standardised than UK housing stock — and the result is a market where “it’s actually much harder to price a property in Spain correctly.” For buyers, this underlines the importance of working with agents and legal advisors who have deep local market knowledge.
Transaction Costs: The Number That Changes Everything
Perhaps the most significant practical difference between the two markets is the cost of buying. In the UK, stamp duty is typically 1–1.5% for most buyers. In Andalucía, transfer tax alone sits at 7%, and when all closing costs are factored in, buyers should budget around 10% on top of the purchase price.
Darren is unequivocal about when this conversation needs to happen: “we try and bring it up early in the conversations, really, so there’s no surprises for the clients.” In practice, “normally before they’ve even set foot in Spain, these fees will be mentioned along with mortgages and financing.”
Peter Franke reinforced this point from a legal perspective: those elevated transaction costs don’t just affect affordability — they shape behaviour. Higher buying and selling costs are precisely why Spanish property owners tend to hold on to their assets longer than their British counterparts. Understanding this dynamic is essential when thinking about exit strategy.
Financing: Get It Right Before You Buy
Mortgage markets also work differently. In the UK, re-mortgaging and equity release are straightforward. In Spain, the window for sensible financing is largely limited to the purchase itself. Darren’s advice is clear:
“in Spain, we advise people to take a mortgage from the offset because once they own the property, it’s much, much harder for them to try and obtain financing.”
— Darren Windhagauer, Inspired Homes Marbella
Pre-purchase, the process is relatively accessible. Post-purchase, the options narrow considerably. This is a structural feature of the Spanish market that catches many British buyers off guard.
Knowing the Area — and Knowing Your Agent
Because British buyers often arrive without the same granular knowledge of Spanish geography that they would have at home, Darren’s team invests significant time in area education. “We will do quite a lot of work on areas in terms of schooling, restaurants, golf courses,” he explained, tailoring recommendations to each client’s lifestyle priorities.
There is also a structural difference in how agents operate. In Spain, agents collaborate across shared databases, meaning a single trusted advisor can access almost the full market. As Darren put it, “that is one of the big factors. We need to educate them that we can show them any property they find online.” This is a meaningful advantage over the more fragmented, area-by-agent UK model.
Commission and the Cost of Selling
When it comes to selling, UK buyers often encounter another surprise. Agent commissions in the UK typically run between 1% and 1.25%. In Spain, the standard is around 5%. Darren acknowledged that “when they come to sell, it is a bone of contention sometimes because it’s 5% here, and they’re used to paying between 1%, 1.25% in the UK.” Understanding the full cost of both entry and exit is essential to any realistic return calculation.
Property Surveys: Worth Every Euro
On the question of due diligence, Darren noted that Spanish properties are sold largely as-is. When buying, “they are buying it as seen. So any problems after the purchase date is normally incumbent on them, which is obviously not ideal.” For larger purchases, he strongly recommends commissioning a full structural survey — typically costing between €1,000 and €2,000 — for peace of mind before contracts are signed.
Know the Costs, Understand the Role
Peter Franke summarised the core takeaways simply: UK buyers need to be alert to three things — transaction costs that differ substantially from what they are used to at home, a financing structure that rewards early action, and an agent model that functions differently to the UK market.
Darren’s closing thought captured the ethos behind the entire conversation: “just so they’re aware of the cost, the hidden costs, and what level of service they expect from us and our role in the process.”
For British buyers, the Costa del Sol remains one of Europe’s most compelling real estate markets. But arriving informed — on costs, on financing, on legal process — makes the difference between a smooth purchase and an expensive lesson.
This article is based on an episode of The Country Files, a podcast series by Franke & de la Fuente exploring how international buyers experience the Costa del Sol property market.
