Everything We Learned Buying Our Home in Spain
We're Paul Michael and Ann, North Americans who found our forever home on the Costa del Sol. Family commitments keep us in the US for now, so we're renting the property until we can finally make it our full-time home.
Along the way, Spain Home Buying is where we share what we've learned, so you can move toward your Spanish home with more clarity and confidence.
I've spent nearly 40 years as an architect, the last 30 focused on retail and hospitality development, with work for brands like Apple, Starbucks, and Lucid Motors. Ann's background spans interior design, including work with Starbucks, and six years in Los Angeles residential real estate.
Spain isn't our first chapter abroad. I studied in Florence, Ann studied in France, and together we've built a life that included years in London. Living internationally is woven into who we are.
When Ann and I decided to find our own place in Spain, none of that experience quite prepared us for what came next. Buying property here is a different world from North America, and while there's plenty of guidance out there, we wanted to share what the process actually felt like for us as North American buyers. Our search took us from Mallorca to the Costa del Sol, where we found the home we'll one day retire to, and it taught us just how much there is to navigate: the legal steps, the costs, the team you need around you, and the surprises no one warns you about.
We've gathered everything we've learned into two free toolkits.
The Spain Home Buying Toolkit is a clear, practical guide to purchasing property as a North American, covering the process, the costs, and the professionals you'll want to guide you.
The Spain Home Owning Toolkit picks up once the home is yours, with what to know about owning and managing it in Spain.