Why live in Mijas? And on Real Estate on the Costa del Sol

Mijas is a municipality on the Costa del Sol made up of Mijas Pueblo (in the mountains overlooking the coast) as well as the coastal communities making up what is known as Mijas Costa.

This is where Fadoua lives. In this interview she tells you all about Mijas and why it is a popular area for people to live. She’s also a real estate agent – she covers what you should know about buying property not only in Mijas but anywhere on the Costa del Sol.

Lots of great information below for anyone thinking of settling on the Costa del Sol.

Name: Fadoua Maher

Country of Origin: France
Number of years in Spain: 2

website

Hi Fadoua! Can you please tell me about how you ended up in Spain?

My In-laws bought a holiday apartment in Calahonda over 20 years ago. I used to run a self-catering management company in The Disneyland Paris area. I also managed their apartment. We would come and spend holidays here and fell in love with the area to the point where we decided we would retire here. I sold my company in 2018 and then Covid hit. We came to the conclusion that life was too short and decided not to wait for retirement to move to the Costa del Sol. I knew IAD (the company I work for) as it is a French company and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to work as an independent real estate agent within their IADespana network.

What made you choose Mijas as a place to live? Have you previously lived in other places in Spain?

I have travelled to a few places in Spain over the years: Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca, Seville, Granada. But Mijas caught my eye. It is well located, peaceful and quiet but close to both Malaga and Marbella if we want some entertainment. It is also a good base to visit plenty of lovely locations not too far away like Jerez, Ronda, El Caminito Del Rey, Gibraltar …

Can you tell us about Mijas? What makes this municipality special?

I love that it is a multicultural community. We get to meet people from all over the world, I love the board walk – the senda littoral – which allows you to have beautiful long walks all along the coast.

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What kind of people make Mijas home? What kind of demographic does it attract?

Mijas shines by its multicultural community. You can find all age demographics. I am part of a language ladies group that meet up every now and then to practice our Spanish speaking in exchange with English speaking for the Spanish members of the group. You have French, Canadian, Spanish, English, Australian, and American ladies from 40 to 70 years of age within the group which represents perfectly the variety of the community around here. My friends are Ecuadorians, Brazilians, Mexicans, Swedish, Danish, Irish, Iranian and so on. Everyone gets along and we seem to all feel that it works so much better here that it does back home. That’s what makes this place so special for all of us. Everyone contributes to enrich everyone else’s knowledge, acceptance and tolerance of others.

I felt that back home I was hanging out with my age demographic. Here I have friends that are 30 and others that are 70. For some reason it all works out.

What do people do in Mijas? What are the highlights and attractions?

The area is full of events. I am part of a group called Social girls Marbella and there is always an event posted to get together: whether a picnic on the beach, a yoga outing, or a cooking class up in a finca on the mountain. Each town here also has their little celebrations and ferias, each with different themes, whether it’s the Iberian ham cutters competition in Jerez, the Ferias in Boningale, or the Verdiales dance competition. There’s also La Feria de Los Pueblos in Fuengirola. The location of Mijas is central and allows you to be a short drive away from all these events and mix with a population made of locals and visitors from all over the world.

You’re a real estate agent. Can you tell me about real estate business in Mijas? How does it compare to other places on the Costa del Sol, both in terms of quality and pricing? (i.e. is it considered one of the more expensive areas of the Costa del Sol?)

Forbes just published a list of the 20 best towns to live in around the world. Spain has 4 cities on that list and Malaga ranked number one. The property market has been on a regular rise since Covid and keeps going up to get back to what it was about 20 years ago. The south of Spain is becoming more and more popular and attracting lots of expats and holidays makers. Developers are building new development all along the coast, with foreign developers investing in development on the Costa del Sol, such as Dar Global, a company better known for its luxury developments in Dubai.

Sales in Spain are on the rise, helped by Brexit in UK and the unsettled social and political situation in certain countries such as the US. It has contributed to making Spain very attractive to people looking to relocate.

Spain functions on the basis of Multi Listings, meaning that we all share listings. Any agent can sell any property on the market if he/she has a buyer. Exclusivity doesn’t mean the same thing here, you can still collaborate with a colleague if you have, or if they have exclusivity. I feel it is the way to function in the business and wish all countries functioned the same. It allows for buyers to have contact with only one agent, rather than contacting each agency individually depending on which one has a property of interest to you.

You have all sort of prices here and everyone can find their dream home whatever their budget.

Benahavis, a suburb of Marbella, is the town where properties are the most expensive, in the whole of Spain, per m². It is where developers such as DAR GLOBAL and BRIGHT are building properties ranking in the bracket of 4 to 8 million euros.

Mijas costa is a quiet area, away from it all. Marbella and Malaga, which have more going on, are just 20 to 30 minute away. These areas have a lot of affordable options for investment. They attract a lot of buyers looking to purchase holiday homes but also a lot of Europeans and foreign retirees looking for a better quality of life. It has prices to suit all budgets, whether a 1 million euro villa, a 190k two bedroomed apartment or a 300k townhouse with sea views.

I know “Mijas” is composed of “Mijas Pueblo” and “Mijas Costa”. How do they differ and what is more popular?

Originally there was Mijas Pueblo and the fisherman village of La cala de Mijas. Around the 1960s modern tourist development started along the coast of Mijas (known as Mijas Costa, which is approx. a 12km stretch of coast).

The municipality of Mijas includes Mijas Pueblo, Mijas Costa (La cala de Mijas, Sitio de Calahonda, Riviera del Sol, Torrenueva, El Faro …) and Las Lagunas which is the commercial district.

Mijas Pueblo is a very popular tourist destination, the typical white village lodged up in the mountains. But is also popular with foreign retirees as they get more for their money there. It is a lovely village, busy in the summer months but nice and quiet the rest of the year making it attractive for a retired clientèle.

Mijas costa will see a younger population, looking to be closer to the sea and with more entertainment options.

Do people buy in Mijas to live full-time or as “buy to rent” investments?

We see all type of buyers, the popularity of Mijas Costa over the years and the boom of short-term rentals has seen a lot of investors buying to rent. Their initial investment is cheaper compared to other countries such as France or England, and the rental income can be comparable.

A lot of people, who started by buying a holiday home, decide over the years to relocate here when they retire for a better quality of life. But we see more and more young families relocating here as well. Again, it’s about seeking a better quality of life. I met an American family with 3 young children who decided to relocate here from Alaska. The husband still spends three months out of the year there for work and that’s enough for them to live here all year round. The kids love their life here and that’s what matters to them.

We previously lived in Nerja and the housing market was very tight when we left in 2023. Is it the same these days in Mijas?

We have gone from a buyers’ market, where there was a lot of properties on the market and little buyers (especially post Brexit and Covid). Prices were low.

Now the market has moved to a sellers’ market with many buyers and little properties. Properties, if priced correctly, sell within a week or two, sometimes after only two visits. So yes, the market is still tight at the moment but unlike the rest of Spain who has seen their sales weaken due to the political climate (the war in Ukraine) and interest rates rising, prices and sales on the costa del sol are stable.

What tips can you give anyone thinking of moving and/or buying real estate in Mijas? Especially if they’re foreign buyers?

My first advice would be to use a lawyer, it could save you a lot of hassle down the line. They will make sure to do the legal checks on the property and check that it meets planning regulations. They’ll also make sure that the property is debt free.

Pick an agent you like and trust and let him/her do all the work (searching for your property, organising visits, gathering information, etc). It will save you a lot of time and you will get more accurate information.

Most ads don’t reflect what is available on the market. But an agent will have access to that information and will be able to present properties available on the market.

Be prepared and be realistic, holidaying on the Costa del Sol is not the same as living on the Costa del Sol.

Know the area, explore and spent time there, make sure you pick the area that suits you to make the final jump.

And prior to starting to look for a property, ask for your NIE number. It is mandatory in Spain to purchase property, open a bank account and sign contracts. The process can take a while so this should be your first step. You can usually ask for it at the Spanish embassy in your country of residence, it is an easy process, it’s just that getting an appointment can take time.

The buying process is quite fast in Spain, once you have found your property, you could be signing in under a month. So having your NIE number will save you some time.