New Developments in Casares

Casares sits inland on the western Costa del Sol, with Casares Playa running along the coast below. New developments appear in both, the inland village offering country and hillside settings and the coastal strip placing homes closer to the beach and the Marina. Many schemes are built with sea views across to Gibraltar and the African coast.

Buying off-plan means you reserve a home before the developer has finished building it. You pay in stages as construction progresses, not all at once. A typical schedule asks for a reservation deposit, a contract deposit of around ten per cent, one or two stage payments during the build, and the balance on completion. Every payment made before you receive the keys must be secured by a bank guarantee or insurance policy, which is a legal requirement on the developer. If the scheme fails to complete, the guarantee returns your money.

When you buy a new development from a developer, you pay VAT rather than transfer tax. You also pay stamp duty on the purchase deed. The rates depend on the region and should be confirmed with your lawyer before you budget. Transfer tax applies only to resale properties bought from a previous owner.

Before the developer can hand over the keys, the town hall has to sign the building off as fit to live in. The timing of that sign-off is outside the developer's control, and waiting for it is the usual reason a completion date moves. Ask the developer for a realistic estimate and understand that it is not a promise.

You should arrange a final inspection before completion. Go through the property with a checklist and note any unfinished work or defects. The developer must address the list before handover or agree a retention from the final payment to cover the cost of fixing them. Spanish law holds the builder liable for one year on finishes, three years on things that affect living in the home such as damp and insulation, and ten years on structural defects.

Casares does not yet have the volume of new supply seen in larger coastal towns, so each scheme that does launch tends to draw interest quickly. Check who is behind the development by looking up the company at the land registry and the mercantile registry. A track record of delivered projects in the area is the strongest evidence of reliability. The bank guarantee matters more than the brand, because it protects your deposits regardless of the developer's fortunes.