Your Property finder on the Costa del Sol
Reliable help to find your new dream home on the Costa del Sol
Casa del Sol
Your new home
When you’re searching for a (holiday) home on the Costa del Sol and don’t know where to start, we, Noël Relker and Sander Fonville of Casa del Sol, are here to help you separate the wheat from the chaff as your first point of contact. A large part of the joy in finding your dream home lies in the search itself, in our opinion. However, we understand from experience that the overwhelming number of options can make it challenging to know where to begin. Not only do we assist in finding the right home, but also in identifying the ideal location tailored specifically to you.
The Costa del Sol is home to countless real estate agents, administrative offices, mortgage advisors, lawyers, and financial experts. While many are skilled professionals who speak English or even Dutch, finding the right and trustworthy ones can be difficult, especially when searching from abroad. Unfortunately, there are also those who prioritize quick earnings over helping you find your dream home.
At Casa del Sol, we are committed to finding your perfect home, in a location that truly suits you. We take the time to understand your needs and ensure that you are supported by the best local experts, from lawyers to financial advisors. Together, we guide you step by step through the process of buying your dream home under the sun, just as we found our own perfect balance.
With our experience, network, and passion for Spain, we make sure you can approach this journey with confidence and joy. Let us help you turn your dream into reality!
Mijn dienstverlening
Wat kan ik voor u doen?
Net als in mijn vorige werk, waarin ik account- en relatiemanager was en een brug sloeg tussen het bedrijf waarvoor ik werkte en onze klanten, ben ik nu ook graag intermediair tussen u en de vele lokale makelaars hier. Een eerste aanspreekpunt en een betrouwbare en bekende schakel in een nog onbekend verhaal. U weet; ik wil wat anders, ik wil meer vrijheid, avontuur, zon, rust, plezier, wat u zoekt in een plek, in een huis, in een thuis. Ik luister zorgvuldig en kan dat hier in de provincie Málaga vertalen naar de beste (vakantie)woning van uw dromen.
Veel huizen die te koop staan, zijn ergens online te vinden, maar Internet is in Spanje minder ontwikkeld dan elders in Europa. En wat online staat, op de sites voor consumenten, is soms al niet meer te koop. Wat extra zoekhulp ter plekke is daarom erg handig. Zo is er bijvoorbeeld wel een up-to-date systeem met name voor de Costa del Sol maar dit is enkel in gebruik door makelaars en kan niet door anderen geraadpleegd worden. Het is een overzichtelijk systeem waarin ik een volledig beeld van de mogelijkheden heb. En mocht u toch zelf al een droomhuis gevonden hebben, dan kunt u mij vragen als aankoopmakelaar om mee te gaan en de aankoop te begeleiden.
Zodra ik weet wat u zoekt, ga ik voor u aan het werk en zult u van mij een overzichtelijke presentatie ontvangen van wat er te koop is op uw gewenste locatie(s), naar uw wensen. Van daaruit gaan we samen bepalen hoe we verder gaan. Zeker in deze tijd kan bijvoorbeeld een virtuele bezichtiging eerder een optie zijn dan gelijk al een fysiek bezoek.
About us
Our story
Casa del Sol was started by me, Noël Relker, in 2020. As a kid, growing up in a small Dutch village, I dreamed of a life of travelling and adventures. Living abroad was high on the list. Years went by in which I did travel a lot and I was busy with exciting work opportunities. But living abroad remained my biggest wish. Fortunately Sander Fonville, my partner, felt the same way, and in 2019 we said ‘if we wanna do it, we gotta do it now!’ Our daugthers were 8 and 10 years old and we hoped they would be able to adjust and learn the language quite quickly.
After memorable saying goodbye parties we arrived on January the 5th of 2020 and the adventure truly began!
After having lived in Alhaurín el Grande for 2 years, we now live in Mijas where our businesses, Casa del Sol real estate and Casa del Sol holiday rentals are also based. With real estate colleague Marcella Andrusko and holiday rentals colleague Uri Frider we can help you with everything you need on the Costa del Sol, regarding finding a house to buy, renting it out and everything in between.
INFORMATION
HOw does it work here?
Searching for and finding a house in Spain works differently than most people are familiar with. Some of the houses you see for sale online, on for instance Idealista, Kyero and Spainhouses are teasers that are not really for sale (anymore). But once you’ve asked for information on that property by that agent you are registered there and it’s a gentlemen’s agreement here, that once you’re registered somewhere, you’re that agent’s client, whether you want that or not. If you want Casa del Sol to be your property finder, ask us for information and we’ll send you everything you’ve set your eyes on.
The selling party raises the price of the property by a percentage that will be the standard commission the selling and buying agents split. Besides these costs, there are other things you need to get specific expertise from a lawyer for. The selling process in Spain is a bit more complex because of licences and official papers which are sometimes not correct or even missing. The language, the different culture, the other things you need to organise like applying for a NIE number and opening a bank account and off course Brexit, all of that makes it even more essential for buyers to have a lawyer.
The network we’ve been building here, exists of knowledgeable people that have worked here for years and are very reliable. We work together with advisors, agents and lawyers and we will make sure you get the best help you need.
NEW VERSUS existing
NEW VERSUS EXISTING
Due to Covid a lot of developments projects were put on hold. The last two years however, it’s buzzing around here. Everywhere you look new complexes and houses are being built and there is a rapidly growing market for it. Thousands of people have saved money during 2020/2021 and have some kind of new awareness of bringing more joy into their lives. What better way is there, to live (partly) in sunny Spain!
Most of these new developments are found online but often the sites offer little information. All you need to know about these projects, you can ask us and we’ll provide you with a full picture.
Whether you buy something new or existing, there’s one important rule, make sure a good lawyer takes care of all the paperwork and checks if everything is safe and correct. You don’t want any surprises, definitely not in another country. Surprises often occur with existing buildings which caused a lot of stress for buyers. Lots of houses, especially the ones built in rural areas have been (partly) built illegally and documents aren’t correct. Or permits were never given. You can also buy something and inherit the debts of the seller! These things happen here, and a decent lawyer protects you from that. We work with very reliable Spanish and English lawyers who have years of experience, who know all the inns and outs of the law here, but also know how to translate it all into English so you know what’s going on.
Below you find some things that are important and have to be dealt with when you buy a house in Andalusia.
– Getting a NIE number
– Opening a Spanish bankaccount (not necessary but handy)
– Consulting and checking the various property registers
– Checking ownership for mortgage, debts, charges and/or other attachments
– Checking permits for the construction works on the property
– Checking the IBI (Property Tax) returns
– Checking whether a building permit is present
– Checking whether a decanal insurance is present
– Checking certificates (such as cédula de habitabilidad or licencia de primera ocupaccion)
Rent
Wanneer u (eerst) wilt huren, wordt vaak 1 maand in rekening gebracht als commissie. Daarnaast betaalt u 1 maand borg. Soms vragen makelaars of huiseigenaren twee maanden borg (welke je regelmatig niet terugkrijgt wanneer je de woning opzegt omdat ze altijd wel iets vinden om dit te ‘verantwoorden’) en het komt ook weleens voor dat ze vragen om het volledige bedrag voor het eerste half jaar of zelfs jaar aan huur in één keer vooraf te betalen. Dit is niet nodig en raad ik u af.
Als u voor korte termijn een huis wilt huren, kan het mogelijk voordeliger zijn om dit via een particulier te doen, zo bespaart u kosten. Wel is het natuurlijk van belang dat er ook een huurcontract wordt opgesteld.
Belangrijk om van tevoren te weten is dat veel huizen gemeubileerd verhuurd worden.
In de database voor makelaars staan ook de huurhuizen vermeld, welke ik u desgewenst kan laten zien en welke we kunnen bezichtigen.
Tips
- In Spain anyone can become a real estate agent, you don’t need any degree or diploma. That is why it’s always good to not just sign anything without knowing if it’s legitimate. When you’re asked to sign a Spanish document, always consult a lawyer.
- Notaries in Spain have a different, not that important role here and don’t get involved much. A lawyer does most of the work related to the buying.
- With regards to your budget it is recommended to know how much you can spend on the property. How much savings do you want to put in? Do you need a mortgage? When you know all of this and look at your monthly income, your budget shouldn’t be higher than 35-40% of your net income (of course this depends on your savings).
- Beware of 9,5% to 14% of the purchase price extra costs. The largest part of this consists of 7% transfer tax for existing buildings or 10% VAT in the case of new construction (this has been changed recently by the government). The registration fee in the “Registro de la Propiedad” is approximately 0.3% to 0.7%. The notary fees amount to 0.6% to 1%. This is related to the value of the property. In case of new construction, you must take into account 1% stamp duty, for convenience administrative taxes. If a lawyer is used, you must of course also budget for these costs. You can go to an independent lawyer where you generally owe a fixed percentage of the purchase price. This percentage is between 1% and 1.5%. If you partly finance the house with a mortgage, you also owe costs to the bank, the notary and the land registry because a separate mortgage deed passes by the notary and the mortgage must be mentioned in the land register. The opening costs of the mortgage are usually 1% to 1.5% of the mortgage amount; the notary and registration fees and the preparation of the legal documents together approximately 2.5% of the mortgage amount.
- These costs cannot be financed with a mortgage. Neither can refurbishing or renovating.
- When you’re not a resident you can get a mortgage with the Spanish property as collateral.
- The most common mortgage in Spain is the Annuity Mortgage. The mortgage must be repaid when the applicant becomes 75 years old and the maximum term of the loan is 30 years and depends on the age.
- The bank wants to get a good picture of the potential customer. Based on the profile, the bank will indicate under which conditions which mortgage amount can be provided. The most important criteria are the valuation value, your income, your age and your assets.
Hoe gaat u uw nieuwe huis betalen?
Er zijn een paar opties:
– Eenmalige betaling: de totale verkoopprijs van de woning wordt rechtstreeks aan de verkoper betaald, normaal gesproken via een bankcheque op hun naam die u bij de ondertekening van de eigendomsakte overhandigt.
– Hypotheeklening: een hypotheek krijgen, bij de bank in Spanje of in Nederland, waarbij het onroerend goed zelf wordt gebruikt als een garantie. Banken lenen normaal gezien tussen de 50 en 80% van de waarde van het huis en de resterende 30% wordt door de koper betaald. Dit is afhankelijk van de locatie; voor huizen in de campo/rural (het platteland) wordt minder hypotheek verstrekt, namelijk 50% (60% als resident) en voor nieuwbouw tot 80% als u resident bent. Kosten koper en verbouwingskosten kunnen niet worden meegefinancierd.
-Hypotheek subrogatie: de naam van de betaler wijzigen van een bestaande hypotheek op het onroerend goed naar uw eigen naam, alle rechten en plichten ervan overnemen en jou de nieuwe betaler van de hypotheek maken. Dit moet worden aangevraagd bij dezelfde bank als waar de hypotheek is aangevraagd. Een voordeel van het subrogeren van een hypotheek is dat u alle kosten van een nieuwe hypotheek bespaart, maar aan de andere kant zijn de algemene voorwaarden vast en kunt u ze niet aanpassen aan uw eigen behoeften.
COSTs
WhAT does it cost me? What are the charges?
Our services cost you only €1.100 excl. tax regardless of how many months (or sometimes even years) it will take us to find you your dreamhome, because we get a percentage on the property once you find something.
We guide and unburden you before, during and after the purchase, while working closely together with the other parties involved, most importantly the lawyer. However, it is important that you do not register anywhere or leave your details somewhere else. This is because of the principle that once a potential buyer is known at another real estate agent, it is claimed by that agent who first received the data from this person. Often this person hasn’t been consciously chosen and the buyer wants to work with someone else, which is then no longer possible.
How are all these activities around the search, the tour(s) and the purchase of a house paid for, besides the initial €1.100 (excl tax)? There is a standard commission of a few percent on every property that is sold, which is paid proportionally to the selling and buying real estate agent. If one of the parties does not have one, for example the buying one, then the full commission is for the selling broker. This percentage is a lot higher for new construction projects than for existing construction, which is why many agents prefer to tempt you to purchase a new build..
We will work for you, regardless of revenues or other interests, based on your wishes and where necessary, as we said, we’ll find you the best help in our network.
Our team
We are here to help you.
Noël Relker
Founder & property finder
Founder and property finder of Casa del Sol real estate Responsible for mostly Dutch, Belgian and English clients searching for a property or plot on the Costa del Sol as a place to life, a place to enjoy holidays or a place to rent out and make a high return on investment.
Sander Fonville
Property finder
Property finder of Casa del Sol real estate and partner Casa del Sol holiday rentals (for renting out the real estate short term) Responsable for mostly Dutch and Belgian clients searching for a property or plot on the Costa del Sol as a place to life, a place to enjoy holidays or a place to rent out and make a high return on investment. Sander is also responsible for renting out the property we manage for our clients.
Marcella Andrusko
Property finder
Property finder and management assistent of Casa del Sol Responsible for mostly Hungarian, Slovak, Serbian, Czech and Polish clients searching for a property or plot on the Costa del Sol as a place to life, a place to enjoy holidays or a place to rent out and make a high return on investment.
Please contact me with use of this form
Call or text me
Dutch phone +31 627841816
Spanish phone +34 602435320
Share this website
Our social media channels
Design and development by WeCreateAttention.com