The real cost of buying on the Costa Blanca in 2026

The headline price of a property on the Costa Blanca is only part of the story. Between taxes, the notary, the land registry and your lawyer, you should budget roughly 10 to 12% on top of the purchase price. On a €200,000 home that is €20,000 to €24,000 you need in cash, on top of the price and on top of any mortgage deposit. Here is exactly where that money goes, and what changes between a resale and a new build.

The short version

If you want one number to work with before you read the detail, use these two:

• Resale home: price + about 10 to 12%. The bulk of it is transfer tax (ITP).
• New build from a developer: price + about 13 to 14%. The bulk of it is 10% VAT plus stamp duty.

Transfer tax (ITP) on a resale

The biggest single cost on a second-hand home is the Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales. In the Valencian Community the general rate is 9% of the declared price since 1 June 2026 (11% above one million euros; it was 10% before). On a €200,000 property, that alone is €18,000, payable within 30 working days of signing the deed.

Two things surprise buyers. First, the tax is calculated on the value the tax office attributes to the property, not only on what you paid: if you buy well below the reference value, you can still be taxed on the higher figure, and a complementary assessment can arrive months later. Second, the Valencian Community has reduced rates for certain buyers, for example on a main home in some family situations. They are conditional and they change: ask your lawyer whether you qualify rather than assuming you do.

New builds are taxed differently

A brand-new home bought from the developer is not subject to ITP. It carries 10% VAT (IVA) plus 1.4% stamp duty (Actos Jurídicos Documentados, 0.1% if it is your main home) in the Valencian Community. That is why a new build usually costs a little more in tax than an equivalent resale, and why comparing two properties on price alone is misleading.

Notary and land registry

The notary formalises the deed (escritura) and the land registry records your ownership. Together these usually come to about 0.8 to 1% of the price. They are largely fixed by official scales, so there is little room to negotiate, and both are unavoidable: without the registry entry you are not protected against a later claim on the property.

Legal fees, and why they are not optional

An independent lawyer, separate from the agency and from the seller, checks that the property is free of debts and embargoes, that the licences exist, that what is built matches what is registered, and that community fees and utilities are paid up. Expect around 1% plus VAT, with a common floor of €1,000 to €1,500.

It is the single best money you will spend. Almost every horror story on this coast, an illegal extension, an unpaid community debt inherited by the buyer, a property sold by someone who did not fully own it, would have been caught by that check. If an agency discourages you from using your own lawyer, treat it as a warning sign.

The smaller lines people forget

Individually small, together often €1,500 to €3,000:

• Gestoría fees, if a firm handles the tax filings and the change of utility contracts for you.
• Bank charges for a banker's draft, and currency conversion if you are funding from outside the euro.
• Mortgage costs if you borrow: valuation, arrangement fee and the bank's own paperwork.
• A power of attorney at a notary, if you cannot be in Spain to sign.
• New utility contracts, and sometimes a new water or electricity connection on an older property.

What the seller pays, not you

Two costs are the seller's by law and by custom, and no agency should push them onto you: the plusvalía municipal, a town-hall tax on the increase in land value, and the estate agency's commission, which is paid by the seller on this coast. If a non-resident is selling, the buyer must also withhold 3% of the price and pay it to the tax office on the seller's account, which your lawyer handles.

A worked example

A €250,000 resale apartment in Torrevieja, bought without a mortgage, in round figures: ITP about €22,500, notary and registry about €2,200, lawyer about €3,000 including VAT, gestoría and sundries about €800. Total extra: roughly €28,500, or 11.4%. You need €278,500 available, not €250,000.

Use the calculator, then confirm with a professional

HolaBlanca has a buying-cost calculator: type in a price, say whether it is a resale or a new build, and it breaks down the taxes and fees instantly. It is an estimate for guidance. Your lawyer confirms the exact figures for your specific purchase, because the reference value, your personal situation and the property's history all move the number.