Spanish Property Viewing Trips: How to Plan the Perfect House-Hunting Visit

Why a Viewing Trip Is Essential

Buying property in Spain without visiting is like buying a car without a test drive — possible, but inadvisable. No matter how many online listings you have studied, virtual tours you have watched, or Google Street View explorations you have conducted, nothing replaces physically standing in a property and feeling its space, light, noise levels, and neighbourhood atmosphere. A well-planned viewing trip is the single best investment you can make in your Spanish property search.

The goal is not just to see properties. It is to understand areas, meet professionals, experience the daily rhythm of potential neighbourhoods, and ultimately make a confident decision — whether that decision is to buy or to walk away. Both outcomes are valuable when they are informed.

How Many Days Do You Need?

The minimum effective viewing trip is 5 full days, but 7 days is ideal. Here is why: you need at least one day to acclimatise, orient yourself, and meet your agent or agents. You need 3-4 days of intensive viewings. And you need 1-2 days to revisit favourites, explore neighbourhoods on foot, and make decisions without the pressure of a packed schedule.

A common mistake is cramming too many viewings into a 3-day weekend break. You will be overwhelmed by property number five, everything will blur together, and you will either make a rushed decision or return to the UK feeling confused and no further forward. Give yourself time to breathe between viewings and process what you have seen.

Suggested Trip Structure (7 Days)

• Day 1 (Arrival): Fly in, pick up rental car, settle into accommodation. Meet your main agent for a brief coffee and orientation. Drive around the key areas you are interested in to get your bearings.
• Day 2-3: Intensive viewings — up to 6 properties per day, spread across your target areas. Take photos, videos, and detailed notes for every property.
• Day 4: Review day. Go through your notes and shortlist 3-5 properties. Revisit the top 2-3 in the afternoon, this time paying attention to the neighbourhood, parking, local shops, noise levels at different times of day.
• Day 5: View any new properties that have come to market during the week or see additional options in areas you have discovered during the trip. Meet with a lawyer if you are getting serious about a specific property.
• Day 6: Final visits to your top picks. Spend time in the neighbourhood — have lunch at a local restaurant, visit the nearest supermarket, walk the streets at different times. If making an offer, do it today.
• Day 7 (Departure): Tie up loose ends, have a final meeting with your agent or lawyer, head to the airport.

Best Time of Year to Visit

The time of year you visit significantly affects your experience and the properties available. Each season has advantages:

• September-November: Our top recommendation. The weather is warm but not scorching (22-28°C), the summer crowds have thinned, and the property market is active after the August slowdown. You will see properties in natural light without the harsh midsummer glare, and you can test-drive outdoor spaces comfortably. Agents have more availability and are motivated to close deals before year-end.
• February-April: Spring is the second-best window. The Costa del Sol is beautiful in spring, temperatures are pleasant (16-22°C), and the gardens and communal areas are green and blooming. The market typically picks up from March, meaning fresh listings appear regularly.
• May-June: Good weather, long days for viewings. However, prices edge up as the summer rental season approaches, and some sellers become less flexible knowing they can earn rental income over summer if they do not sell immediately.
• July-August: Not ideal. Temperatures reach 30-35°C+, making property viewings physically exhausting. Many agents and sellers take holidays. Beach towns are packed, giving you a skewed impression of noise and congestion levels. However, if you want to see what a property feels like at peak season (noise, pool crowding, parking pressure), summer can be revealing.
• December-January: Quiet market with fewer listings, but some excellent bargains from motivated sellers wanting to close before tax year-end. You will see the property in its worst light — short days, possible rain — which is actually useful for assessing heating, damp, and how the property feels in winter.

How Many Properties to View Per Day

The magic number is 6-8 properties per day maximum. More than that and you suffer from decision fatigue — every property starts to blur into the next, you stop noticing details, and your notes become useless. Fewer than 4 per day means you are not using your limited time efficiently.

Space viewings at least 30 minutes apart for nearby properties and 45-60 minutes for properties in different areas. Factor in driving time — on the Costa del Sol, moving from Estepona to Fuengirola takes 35-45 minutes depending on traffic. Do not underestimate how tiring it is to walk around properties in the Spanish heat while processing information and making mental comparisons.

Organising Your Viewings Geographically

Group viewings by area rather than bouncing back and forth across the coast. Spend the morning in one zone and the afternoon in an adjacent one. A typical geographic breakdown for the Costa del Sol:

• Day A: Estepona and western Marbella (San Pedro de Alcantara, Nueva Andalucia)
• Day B: Marbella centre, Golden Mile, and eastern Marbella (Elviria, Cabopino)
• Day C: Fuengirola, Benalmadena, and Torremolinos
• Day D: Malaga city, Rincon de la Victoria, inland areas (Alhaurin, Coin)

Working with Agents: Multiple or Exclusive?

In Spain, unlike the UK, the seller typically pays the agent's commission (usually 3-5% of the sale price). As a buyer, you can work with multiple agents simultaneously without cost, and this is standard practice. However, there are strategic considerations:

Working with 2-3 agents gives you the widest coverage. Different agents have different listings, and the Spanish property market is not as centralised as the UK's Rightmove/Zoopla ecosystem. Many properties are listed with only one agent, or with small local agencies that do not appear on the major portals.

Be transparent about working with multiple agents. They are used to it and will respect your honesty. What they dislike — rightly — is discovering you viewed the same property with a different agent and then tried to make an offer through the one offering a lower price. If an agent shows you a property, that agent has the right to the commission on that property.

Buyer's agents are an alternative worth considering. A buyer's agent works exclusively for you, searches the entire market (including off-market properties), accompanies you to all viewings, and provides objective advice. They charge either a flat fee (€3,000-€6,000) or a percentage of the purchase price (1-2%). For buyers unfamiliar with the Spanish market, a good buyer's agent can save you far more than their fee by steering you away from overpriced or problematic properties.

Test-Driving Areas: Stay in Different Neighbourhoods

One of the smartest strategies for a longer viewing trip is to split your accommodation across two different areas. If you are considering both Marbella and Malaga city, stay three nights in each. You will experience the morning commute, the evening atmosphere, the local shops and restaurants, and the general feel of each area in a way that no amount of daytime viewing can replicate.

Book accommodation through Airbnb or Booking.com in residential areas rather than tourist hotels. You want to experience what daily life actually feels like — the noise from the road at 7am, the parking situation at 8pm, the walk to the nearest supermarket, the quality of the local restaurants where residents actually eat.

Questions to Ask at Every Viewing

Prepare a standard checklist of questions and ask them at every property. Consistent questioning makes comparison much easier afterwards. Essential questions include:

• Community fees: How much per month/quarter? What do they include? Have there been any special assessments (derramas) recently? Are any planned?
• IBI (council tax): What is the annual amount? This varies enormously — from €300 for a small apartment to €3,000+ for a large villa.
• Utilities: Average electricity, water, and gas bills? Is there mains gas or bottled gas?
• Rental history: Has the property been rented? What income did it generate? Does it have a VFT (holiday rental licence)?
• Orientation: Which direction does the terrace face? South and southwest-facing terraces get the best sun on the Costa del Sol.
• Age and condition: When was it built? When was it last renovated? Any known issues with plumbing, electrics, or structure?
• Community: How many units in the building or complex? What is the mix of residents vs holiday owners? How active is the community president?
• Parking: Is parking included? Is it a titled parking space (very valuable) or just communal open parking?
• Storage: Is there a trastero (storage room)? These are surprisingly valuable in apartments with limited internal storage.

Red Flags to Watch For

During viewings, stay alert for warning signs that require further investigation:

• Damp and mould: Check corners, behind furniture, and around windows. Damp is common in coastal properties and can indicate serious structural issues or simply poor ventilation.
• Cracks in walls: Hairline cracks in plaster are usually cosmetic. Diagonal cracks through brickwork, especially around windows and doors, can indicate subsidence or structural movement. Always get a survey if you see significant cracking.
• Illegal extensions: Enclosed terraces, converted garages, added rooms — if it looks like it was added after the original build, ask to see the building licence. Unlicensed extensions are extremely common in Spain and can create serious legal problems.
• Noise: Visit at different times if possible. A quiet midweek afternoon does not tell you about Friday night bar noise, Saturday morning market traffic, or the 6am rubbish collection truck.
• Water pressure: Turn on taps and showers during the viewing. Low water pressure is a common issue in elevated or rural areas and can be expensive to fix.
• Communal areas in poor condition: Neglected gardens, dirty pool, peeling paint in hallways — these suggest a community with low fees, poor management, or unpaying owners. You will inherit these problems.
• Evasive sellers or agents: If questions about community fees, IBI, building licences, or rental income are met with vague answers, consider it a red flag. This information should be readily available and willingly shared.

Making an Offer from the UK After Returning

Many UK buyers return home and need a few days to think before making an offer. This is perfectly normal and acceptable. However, be aware that good properties on the Costa del Sol sell quickly, especially in the €200,000-€400,000 range. If you have found something you love, do not wait weeks to act.

The typical process for making an offer remotely:

• Contact your agent with a verbal offer. Be clear about the price, any conditions, and your preferred timeline.
• The agent presents to the seller and comes back with an acceptance, rejection, or counter-offer. Negotiation is expected — starting 5-10% below asking price is standard practice, though overpriced properties may justify a lower opening offer.
• Once agreed, your lawyer reviews the nota simple (title search) and other documentation. If everything is clean, you sign the contrato de arras (deposit contract) and pay a 10% deposit. This can be done remotely via power of attorney.
• Completion typically happens 4-8 weeks after the arras, at the notary. You can attend in person or grant power of attorney to your lawyer to sign on your behalf.

The viewing trip is your foundation for a confident purchase. Invest the time, ask the questions, trust your instincts, and do not let anyone pressure you into a decision you are not comfortable with. The right property in Spain is worth waiting for, and a well-planned viewing trip will help you recognise it when you find it.