The E-MAGAZINE of Marbella Hills Homes

Don’t be embarrassed if you know Marbella reasonably well but haven’t heard of Las Chapas. It’s not the best-known among the region’s residential areas, but does rank as one of its finest addresses. Why? Because this small enclave of villas set within the sumptuous cover of coastal umbrella pine offers everything homeowners want from a luxury living environment, including: peace, privacy, security, wonderful sea and nature views, proximity to services and amenities, as well as close access to Marbella and its beaches.

Once you’ve decided to purchase a property in Marbella or its surrounding areas, a question will arise in your mind as you become more familiar with the homes here. Namely, whether to opt for a modern off-plan home, a newly renovated one or what is locally known as a resale property – an existing house.

Modern style properties featuring the sleek white-plastered architectural styling, open-plan interiors, spacious outdoor living areas with infinity edge swimming pools, hot tubs and fire pits have become the most sought-after kind of property for sale in Marbella and surroundings ever since they first came to prominence almost ten years ago – and the love affair with modern property in Marbella continues to this day!

Thanks to a new tax revision currently under process, Andalucía’s regional government – the Junta de Andalucía – has reduced property taxes for the duration of 2021. This means that people buying a property in Andalucía until December 31st 2021 will save between a few thousand and up to hundreds of thousands of euros on purchasing fees and costs.

You’ve heard of Marbella’s Golden Mile, maybe even driven along this palm-fringed avenue flanked by parks, luxurious resorts and exclusive villa suburbs. If so, you’ll be familiar with the elegant boutiques and eateries of this area between Marbella town and the Puerto Banús marina, with at its epicentre the iconic five-star deluxe hotels of Puente Romano and the Marbella Club. If you’ve treated yourself, you may well have dined, shopped or even stayed here, luxuriating in the refined atmosphere as you soak up the sun at the seaside beach club or El Chiringuito bar.

With obstacles such as Brexit and above all the Covid-pandemic, which has severely limited international mobility, one might well have assumed that the number of foreign residents in Spain would not have experienced much movement. It turns out that the opposite is true, as it rose by 2% in 2020, a figure that is in line with ‘normal’ years.