1. Set Your Budget – One of the most important, if not the most important decisions you will have to make when buying a Costa Blanca property is your budget. Set yourself an affordable budget and be sure to include an allowance of at least 10% on top to cover taxes and expenses. Once set stick to your budget.

2. Selecting an Area – The location of your chosen Costa Blanca property is also a very important decision that you will have to make. Familiarize yourself with some different areas and ask around – the locals who live there are the best source of information on a particular area.

3. New or Resale? – The choice of new or resale when buying Costa Blanca property is another important consideration. Many estate agents will push you towards new property, mostly because they get fewer problems with new property and make larger commissions. Don’t be swayed by their fancy talk or by their rubbishing resale property, there are pros and cons for both property types, take a look at everything that is available and then make the choice that best suits your requirements.

4. Property Type – Are you looking for a beautiful detached villa on a nice big plot of land, a 3 bedroom townhouse in the suburbs of a seaside resort, or a 1 bedroom apartment in a busy town centre? Costa Blanca property comes in many guises and this is a decision you will have to make before you start. Take into account your budget and have a fairly good idea of the property type before you begin your search.

5. Choosing Your Property – Going out and looking at potential properties is probably the most enjoyable part of the whole process of buying a Costa Blanca property, so have fun but always keep in mind your previous decisions on property type, location and most important, budget. Be certain to take a camera with you and a notebook to keep detailed notes which you can use later to make a short list. If you have a video camera, you could keep a video diary of your day this will help with your short list. When you have compiled a decent short list, go back and see all those properties once more, the first look goes by in a flash and it is essential to take a second or even third look before you make a decision.

6. Paying a Deposit – Once you have decided on your purchase it will be necessary to place a deposit to hold the property and have it taken off the market. The standard deposit in Spain is three thousand euros. And the next step will depend on if it is a new or resale Costa Blanca property. With resale property the deposit will be all that is required until signing day, with new property you will have to make a payment of around 30%-40% after one month and possibly some stage payments during the building work, more commonly it is 30% after one month and then the balance when the building is complete. Check with the builder before you pay your deposit – different systems may not suit your circumstances.

7. Retaining a Solicitor – You will need to enlist the services of a Spanish solicitor with a good knowledge of Spanish property law. It is also important that he (or she) has a decent understanding of the English language, as you will be conferring constantly with him throughout the buying process. It is essential that you understand everything before you sign and your solicitor is there to explain it all to you. If you are not sure of anything don’t sign, ask lots of questions, he is there to help you. After signing at the Notary your solicitor should also help with such details as changing names on bills and contracts (electricity, SUMA, water, community etc), and you can retain him to deal with your tax returns in the future.

8. Taxes and Costs – These amount in total to about 10%-12% of the purchase price of your chosen Costa Blanca property, be sure to allow for this in your budget. These costs include IVA (property Transfer Tax) which comes to 6% on new property puchase and 7% if you are buying a resale property, Plusvalia Tax, which is normally paid by the buyer and represents the appreciative value of the land that the property stands on, solicitors fees, Notary fees and mortgage fees (if you need a mortgage to buy the property). After signing and taking possession of your property you will become liable to pay Wealth Tax (non-residents), SUMA (local council tax for collecting rubbish, cleaning roads etc), community charges and solicitors fees for dealing with your tax affairs in Spain.

9. Signing the Deeds - The final payment and signing of the deeds (called the Escritura in Spain) takes place at the Notary office. You will attend the Notary with your solicitor, together with others who are to appear on the Escritura (wife, husband, children etc), you will all need original passports and N.I.E numbers (these need to be applied for beforehand so ask your solicitor about this). If you are not in Spain at the time of the signing or are unable to attend for some reason, it is possible and common in Spain, to give your solicitor power of attorney, in this case he can perform the signing on your behalf and collect the property keys.

10. Taking Possession of Your Property – When you have paid the balance of the money for your property and signed on the dotted line, you will receive a set of keys. Entering your new home for the first time is a fantastic experience but there is still some work to be done. Change the locks on the main entry doors as a security precaution and as soon as you can have an alarm and security grills fitted. If you have bought new property, make a snag list of defects and chase up the builder to make sure everything is up to standard. You will now need to swap over names on water and electricity bills and get yourself some building and contents insurance.

11. Congratulations – You can now sit back and enjoy your place in the sun – your very own Costa Blanca property.