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Duquesa Chambers
Manilva · Conveyancing

Property conveyancing in Manilva.
Fixed fee. Plain English. No surprises.

Independent legal representation for UK, Irish and international buyers purchasing property in Puerto de la Duquesa, Sabinillas, Casares Costa or Manilva pueblo. From nota simple to keys — one lawyer, one price.

Starts at
€1,500
+ VAT · resale up to €400k
Get a quote
What you get

Everything included in the fixed fee.

Included

  • Preliminary reservation review (before you pay a deposit)
  • Nota simple from Land Registry — checking ownership, charges, mortgages
  • Catastro report — checking the physical property matches the register
  • Community fees, IBI, utilities: outstanding-debt clearance certificate
  • Licence check: first-occupation, building, tourist rental (VFT) if relevant
  • Deposit contract (arras) negotiated in your favour
  • Power of Attorney drafted and translated so you need not fly for completion
  • NIE application and coordination if you do not have one
  • Mortgage liaison with your Spanish or UK lender
  • Attendance at the notary on completion day
  • Payment of transfer tax (ITP) or VAT + AJD, plus notary and registry fees
  • Land Registry inscription of the new deed in your name
  • Utilities transfer and standing-order set-up
  • Certified copy of everything, in English, for your records

Not included

  • Mortgage broker fees (we can recommend independents)
  • The Spanish taxes themselves — passed through at cost
  • Property survey by an architect (recommended for new-build and rural)
  • Currency exchange service (we can introduce a specialist FX broker)

Where a purchase involves off-plan, inherited, rural or business-owned property, we quote separately after reviewing the paperwork. No surprise bills.

Timeline

From offer to keys, typically 6-10 weeks.

0

Enquiry to engagement

Free 15-min call → fixed-fee quote by email → signed engagement letter within 24-48 hours.

1

Week 1-2: due diligence

We pull nota simple, catastro, urban planning report, community statements and licence checks. If anything is off we tell you before you sign anything or pay a deposit.

2

Week 2-3: reservation & arras

Reservation contract reviewed, negotiated, signed. Deposit contract (10% typically) executed. Deposit held in our client account or in escrow — never handed to the seller directly.

3

Week 3-6: pre-completion

NIE if needed. Power of Attorney signed. Mortgage completed if applicable. Bank account opened. Completion date coordinated with all parties.

4

Completion day

We attend the notary. You attend if you want to (many clients do not). Deed signed, keys handed over, taxes paid same day.

5

Week 8-10: post-completion

Deed registered at the Land Registry. Utilities transferred. IBI standing order set up. You receive a complete digital file in English.

Manilva knowledge

What is different about buying here.

Manilva sits at the western edge of the Costa del Sol, sharing its coastline with Casares. The town plan (PGOU) approved in 2018 introduced changes that still trip up outside lawyers. Three examples we see every month:

Puerto de la Duquesa community charges

Duquesa is not one community — it is a mosaic of separate urbanisations, some sharing marina infrastructure through a supra-community. Sellers routinely produce a certificate showing zero debt with the block community but forget the supra-community owes them €600. That debt attaches to the property and becomes the buyer\'s the moment the deed is signed. We ask for both certificates before the reservation.

Casares Costa boundary tax rates

Bahía de las Rocas and other Casares Costa developments straddle the border between Manilva and Casares municipalities. Property tax (IBI) rates differ. The seller\'s IBI bill is not always evidence of which municipality actually governs the plot — we verify against the catastro coordinates.

Rural land in the Casares hills

A "casita" advertised as "with agricultural land" in the Casares hinterland may sit on soil where no dwelling can legally exist. Andalucía\'s AFO regime can regularise pre-2003 constructions but not everything. We check the plot\'s urban classification before you spend on a survey.

Deed signed, keys handed over — completion day for a Manilva purchase.
Completion day

Deed signed. Keys in hand. Same afternoon.

Once due diligence is clean and the arras is paid, completion at the notary is almost anticlimactic — the deed is read aloud, both parties sign, taxes are paid, keys change hands. Most clients receive the keys before their flight home the same evening.

Start with a free consultation
Frequently asked

Practical questions about buying here.

Do I need to be in Spain to buy?
Not usually. A Power of Attorney signed at a Spanish consulate in the UK, or at a UK notary with an apostille, allows us to complete the entire purchase on your behalf. Most of our UK clients only come out once, to view the property before making the offer.
What is the total cost on top of the property price?
Budget 10-13% of the purchase price for taxes and fees on a resale. That covers transfer tax (7% in Andalucía for resales), notary (0.1-0.5%), Land Registry (0.1-0.25%), and our fixed conveyancing fee. New-builds attract 10% VAT + 1.2% AJD instead of transfer tax, so total is closer to 13-15%. We provide an exact breakdown before you commit.
What happens with the deposit if the deal falls through?
That depends on why. If the seller defaults you are entitled to double your deposit back (arras penitenciales default). If you default you lose the deposit. If a lender pulls out, we insist on including a mortgage-clause condition precedent, so your deposit is refunded rather than forfeited. This is one of the most-overlooked protections in DIY conveyancing.
Is off-plan riskier?
It can be, if you buy without the right protection. Spanish law (Ley 20/2015, replacing 57/1968) requires developers to hold your deposit in a dedicated bank account backed by an individual bank guarantee for each buyer. Many developers "forget" to issue the guarantee. We insist on it before releasing a single euro. If a developer refuses, we advise you to walk.
Do you help with mortgages?
We do not sell mortgages, but we liaise with your chosen lender — Spanish bank, UK international lender, or independent broker — and make sure the mortgage completes on the same day as the purchase. If you want mortgage-broker introductions we know two independents in Málaga who have not disappointed a client of ours in the last five years.
What about after completion — is that extra?
The core post-completion tasks (Land Registry inscription, utilities transfer, first IBI set-up) are included in the fixed fee. Ongoing services (annual Modelo 210 non-resident tax, Spanish will, letting a lawyer represent you at the community AGM) are quoted separately — most clients take at least Modelo 210 with us as an annual service.
What if the property has an illegal extension?
Common in Manilva and Casares Costa. Options: (1) walk away, (2) negotiate a price reduction reflecting the legalisation cost, (3) proceed with an AFO certificate (Certificado de Asimilado a Fuera de Ordenación) which lets the extension stay but not be enlarged, or (4) legalise properly if the town plan now allows it. We tell you which route makes sense before you commit money.
How do I know my money is safe?
All client funds are held in a dedicated client account governed by the Málaga Bar Association rules — separate from the firm's operating account. We are covered by mandatory professional indemnity insurance with a 30-year run-off. Every payment we make on your behalf produces a receipt in English delivered to you within 48 hours.
Ready when you are

Ready for a quote on your Manilva purchase?

Send us the property listing and we will come back with a fixed-fee quote and a timeline within one business day.

Book a free consultation +34 951 870 569 Email us