New Developments in New Golden Mile, Estepona

The New Golden Mile runs west from Puerto Banús to Estepona along the old coast road, now quieter since the motorway diverted most of the traffic inland. The strip is built up but not dense, with developments set back from the road among gardens and established trees. Many of the homes have sea views, and some sit close enough to the beach to walk. The A7 forms the northern edge, and beyond it the ground rises into forested slopes. Club de Golf El Coto de la Serena is 1.8 kilometres away, about ten minutes by car.

The new-build stock consists of apartments and villas, from two bedrooms to five. Most of the developments are urbanisations with shared pools, gyms and landscaped grounds, and they attract buyers looking for space and quiet without leaving the coast. Some of the villas are built on private plots within gated communities, others are part of terraced schemes. The apartment buildings are low-rise, rarely taller than four storeys, and many have roof terraces and basement parking.

Puerto Estepona is 6.4 kilometres along the coast, about ten minutes by car. The supermarket is 1.2 kilometres, about four minutes. Hospital Hospiten de Estepona is three kilometres away, about eight minutes, and The International School of Estepona is about twelve minutes. Gibraltar Airport is 43 kilometres, about 51 minutes by car.

Buyers here tend to choose the area for the combination of proximity to the beach and separation from the more built-up parts of Marbella. The strip has restaurants, shops and services along its length, but the character is quieter than the towns at either end. The forest to the north and the open space around the golf course keep the setting more open than the urban centres nearby.

New developments on the New Golden Mile are sold off-plan, which means you reserve and pay in stages while the building goes up. You pay VAT rather than transfer tax, because you are buying from the developer. Stamp duty falls on the purchase deed regardless of whether you borrow. The town hall has to sign the building off as fit to live in before the developer can hand over keys, and waiting for that sign-off is the usual reason a completion date moves. Spanish law holds the builder liable for structural defects for ten years, three years on things that affect living in the home such as damp and insulation, and one year on finishes.