# Marbella Property Buying Fees: What You Actually Pay Above the Headline Price

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.

## Direct answer

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.

## The fee breakdown — resale vs new-build

| Cost item | Resale (existing property) | New-build (off-plan or first occupation) | When paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITP (transfer tax, Andalucía) | 7% | — | At escritura |
| IVA (Spanish VAT) | — | 10% | At escritura |
| AJD (stamp duty) | — | 1.2% | At escritura |
| Notary fees | 0.3–0.5% | 0.3–0.5% | At escritura |
| Land Registry (Registro) | 0.2–0.4% | 0.2–0.4% | Within 24h post-escritura |
| Legal fees (abogado) | 1.0–1.5% | 1.0–1.5% | At escritura |
| Gestoría (admin filings) | €600–1,500 flat | €600–1,500 flat | Within 30 days |
| Bank wire / FX margin | 0.3–1.0% | 0.3–1.0% | At escritura |
| Mortgage costs (if applicable) | 1.0–2.0% | 1.0–2.0% | At escritura |
| **Total cash buyer (no mortgage)** | **9.0–10.8%** | **12.0–13.8%** | — |

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.

## Where buyers commonly trip up

**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.

**"All-inclusive" agency commissions.** In Marbella the seller pays 5–7% commission, not the buyer. If a buyer-side fee appears, you are being dual-charged. See our [buyer guide](/buyer-guide-2026.html) for the nine due diligence questions to ask any agent.

## When to call Muse

Before you sign anything — particularly before paying the reserva — book a 30-minute fee audit so we can model your specific structure (cash, mortgage, EU vs non-EU, individual vs holding company). The €100,000+ delta between optimal and default structures is recurring.

## FAQ

**Are these fees negotiable?**
ITP, IVA, AJD, notary scale, and registry scale are statutory and not negotiable. Legal fees, gestoría, mortgage costs, and FX margins are. A confident buyer negotiates 30–50 basis points off the discretionary stack.

**Can I deduct buying fees from a future capital gain?**
Yes. ITP/IVA, AJD, notary, registry, legal, and gestoría all add to your tax basis and reduce future Spanish capital gains tax. Keep every invoice. For high-net-worth structures see our [wealth structuring guide](/article-2026-05-14-wealth-structuring-en).

**Is there a Golden Visa fee anymore?**
The Spanish investment-by-real-estate Golden Visa was withdrawn in April 2025. Residency now flows through Non-Lucrativa, Digital Nomad, or Beckham Law structures, with separate consular and gestoría costs of €1,500–8,000 per applicant.

**What if I buy through a Spanish SL company?**
Corporate ownership shifts the tax curve — IVA becomes recoverable on commercial use, but you pay 25% Spanish corporate tax on rental income and lose Beckham eligibility. Worth modelling above €8M only.

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**Need a fee audit before you sign?** Muse Marbella's transaction desk runs the full cost stack against your specific structure in 30 minutes. Founder Max Bykov reviews every brief personally. Compare zone-by-zone pricing against your fee model in our [Marbella prices by tier](/article-2026-05-14-marbella-prices-by-tier-en) report.



## Related Reading

- [Spanish Power of Attorney for Property — Cost & Process 2026 | Muse Marbella](/article-marbella-property-power-of-attorney-en)
- [Marbella Property Closing Day Checklist 2026 | Muse Marbella](/article-marbella-property-closing-checklist-en)
- [Marbella Property Due Diligence Checklist 2026 | Muse Marbella](/article-marbella-property-due-diligence-checklist-en)
- [Marbella Property Management Fees 2026 — What You Actually Pay | Muse Marbella](/article-marbella-property-property-management-companies-en)
- [Marbella Property Rental Yield 2026 — Net, Realistic Numbers | Muse Marbella](/article-marbella-property-rental-yield-realistic-en)