Villas in Spain

Information and tips about holidaying in, renting, and buying a villa in Spain.

Villas in Spain are spacious residences that can range from a more modest (though still large) detached home to a fully-appointed, luxurious estate. Most villas have swimming pools or other features that make them unique from other properties and highly sought after.

Whether you’re looking for a beautiful place to have a nice holiday or to live in as your dream home, considering a villa in Spain could be a good option. Spanish villas are available in a variety of locations – from a more rural villa with views of the surrounding landscape to a villa located in a gated community that has many amenities. Many villas are located along the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, although villas are also found in places like the Canary Islands and along the Costa Blanca.

Villa Holidays in Spain

If you’re traveling as a large group or you would like to experience a unique luxury holiday, renting a villa is something to consider. Villas have several bedrooms and allow families or other large groups traveling together to enjoy a more unique, personal experience than a hotel might be able to provide. Villas may be offered for self-catering holidays or include meals prepared daily by the on-site staff.

For those considering a villa as a luxury experience, Spain has a number of villas with features like marble floors, landscaped gardens, large swimming pools, views of the sea or mountains, large terraces, outdoor fountains, nearby golf courses or tennis courts, and other amenities. For additional fees villas may offer the services of a personal chef, maid, driver, or masseuse. Villas sometimes offer concierge-like services such as booking local tours, hiring a car, and making local restaurant reservations. 

Holiday villas are generally rented by the week.

Renting a Villa in Spain

There are many attractive villa properties in Spain. Whether you would like to test drive the villa lifestyle before buying one, find yourself on an extended holiday in Spain, or are otherwise tempted by the thought of renting a villa for more than a holiday, then you may be glad to know that there are a number of villas in Spain that are available for medium- to long-term rent. Villas are generally rented by the month, although you can ask about a year-long contract if this would be of interest to you.

There are many websites in a variety of languages that offer villas for short-term holidaymakers as well as longer-term villa renters.

Buying a Villa in Spain

Before buying a villa in Spain, you will need to determine the purpose of your purchase. Will your villa be used as your primary residence, as a second holiday home, as a property investment, or as an investment for renting it as a holiday villa? If you will live there, your first priority should be finding an area in Spain that would suit your desires and needs, but if you plan to rent the property out, you should instead look for a tourist destination and nearby amenities. 
Once you have narrowed your search down to a particular area, you should then consider elements like how many bedrooms or how much space you will need, or the amenities you consider essential.

You could buy a villa direct from the owner, but it is more common to use the services of a real estate agent.

During the purchase process your real estate agent may recommend the services of a lawyer, which can be a convenient move; however, you may want to consider finding and hiring your own lawyer. This way you know that the lawyer is looking out for your interests and not those of the real estate agent. 
Besides the price of the villa itself, you will need to allow for expenses like VAT tax, legal document tax, legal fees, etc. As a general rule you should budget 10% of the villa’s purchase price to cover these expenses.

For the holidaymaker to the renter to the buyer, a Spanish villa is a property that can provide a host of unique experiences. 

Last updated 06 10 2009

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