TOP 10 REASONS WHY BUYERS CHOOSE MARBELLA
More and more people are choosing Marbella as a second residence, and many are also buying for investment purposes. I have summarized the 10 most popular reasons for choosing Marbella in the points below.
I have been living on the Costa del Sol for 13 years and many people contact me about buying real estate. In recent years, especially many Hungarians have come to start a new life in the southern Andalusia region. What I am describing here is the experience that people tell me who have traveled away from home because something made them uneasy. Covid brought the first big wave, because due to the sometimes excessive measures, many people were trapped between the four walls, they wanted to live in a more pleasant environment, where it is more pleasant to endure an epidemic. After that, Hungarian foreign policy caused serious concern among some, what will happen if Hungary leaves the European Union? - several people asked and looked for a place further away. At the beginning of 2023, another fear spread, the fear of war, many were afraid that Hungary would drift into war in some form. Thousands of Hungarians live in and around Marbella, who have told their friends about the high-quality healthcare, cheaper food prices and the quality of life they live here. Many are driven by curiosity to get to know what it's like to start a new life in a foreign country, while others want to know the market environment before relocating their investments to the Costa del Sol.
In this post, I summarize the aspects that visitors emphasize, which make Marbella an optimal place for both investment and starting a new life.
With this symbol of the sun, I would like to illustrate that the ten rays of the sun illuminate each aspect. If you are ready to learn about this day, that is, if you are "up-to-date", then familiarize yourself with the individual rays of the sun in the following:
1) PLEASANT WEATHER
What makes people move to Marbella from Sweden, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium or Norway is the special and unique microclimate. At the southernmost land point of Europe, the sun shines 320 days a year, the summers are pleasant and the winters are mild, there are no frosts. The high humidity and salty sea air have a particularly good effect on the respiratory tract, and depression is much rarer due to the sight of the blue sky and sunlight. There are stretches of coast in the Mediterranean Sea where the sea is warmer in summer, but the heatwave comes with it. The cold ocean currents flowing in through the Strait of Gibraltar cool down the summer heat in the summer, so the temperature is a maximum of 29-30 degrees. The next point from the top 10 list is transport:
2) EASILY ACCESSIBLE
You can get from Budapest to Malaga with Wizzair and Ryanair flights, flights depart every day in the summer and 2-3 times a week in the off-season. Another solution is to board the Budapest-Madrid flight that runs every day and arrive in Malaga by the super fast AVE (Renfe) train from Madrid. There are flights to Malaga from all major cities in Europe, and even a direct New York - Malaga flight was launched last year. More and more American tourists and shoppers are coming from overseas. The highways are of high quality, a highway connects the major cities of Spain. When there were no flights during Covid, many people simply got into a car and drove to the Costa del Sol in 36 hours with a couple of breaks. This can also be a consideration for those who don't like to get on a plane, since the southern Spanish Mediterranean zone can be reached by car on land.
3) STABLE ECONOMY
In December 2022, inflation was the lowest in Luxembourg and Spain (5.7%), well below the EU average, while inflation in Hungary was 24.5%. The inflation rate is now lower, but Spain has maintained its advantageous position.
In terms of gross national product (GDP), after Germany, France and Italy, Spain ranks 4th among European countries. (Hungary 20s).
4) AFFORDABLE FOOD PRICES
Those who have already been here on the Costa del Sol and bought basic food, were shocked to find that they paid less for each purchase than back home. Of course, you can spend a lot of money in Marbella - in fact, you can get all top-quality food here - but if you pay attention, you can shop much cheaper than in Hungary. If we compare the minimum wage in each country, the difference becomes even more apparent.
5) EXCELLENT HEALTHCARE
I can only confirm that the standard of healthcare is extremely high (both my daughters were born here in the state hospital). I have already accompanied patients who needed urgent treatment to the hospital, so I could see the operation of the system from the inside. Originally, I have a doctor's degree, I worked in a hospital ward and in emergency patient care, so I can confirm with a professional eye that there are very well-trained professionals in the Spanish healthcare system and the institutions are equipped with an advanced infrastructure.
6) COLOR LINE EDUCATION
This is one of the main arguments when families decide to enroll their children in school in or around Marbella. There are 3 types of schools for Spaniards:
1) public 2) concentrado 3) private
Public schools teach in Spanish, the education is free, and they learn a foreign language as a subject. Children who are required to attend school must be admitted to the school responsible for their place of residence, where there are still places. Children do not wear uniforms in public schools.
The concentrado schools are bilingual (Spanish – English) and the children learn the main subjects in both Spanish and English. Education is free, you only have to pay for food and uniform.
Private schools are usually taught in English, but there are also several Spanish private schools. Tuition is between €600 and €1,500 per month, depending on which school. Those whose children already went to a private school in Hungary and continued their studies here in Marbella, unanimously reported (both students and parents) that the quality of education on the Costa del Sol is much better than back home. Students go to school enthusiastically, the environment is motivating.
Those who make the decision to move out because of their children's progress will not regret it, as their child will speak at least 2-3 languages at a native language level.
7) ADVANCED INFRASTRUCTURE
When we land at the airport in Malaga, countless impulses hit us. First of all, it is a huge airport, with 20 million passengers a year, which is a significant number even in European terms. The striking difference is that 90% of the advertisements at Malaga airport are about Marbella, Mamzel, Ocean Club, Nobu Étterem, Coya and I could list more. A poster of an international real estate agency states that they have 6 offices in Marbella (they have one in Malaga). If you look at the Kempinski Hotel, the Four Seasons, and Nikki Beach in the world, you will find Marbella in addition to the famous world cities.
8) SPORTS IN THE OPEN AIR
Based on 8 different aspects of Eurostat (including weather, air quality, humidity, pollen, wind, etc.), Spain is the most ideal for outdoor sports activities. Sport is especially popular in Marbella and its surroundings, some people take long walks on the beach, many people jump on two wheels and tour the surrounding mountains, golfers from all over the world come for tournaments, tennis, padel tennis, and even skiing in winter. may be in the Sierra Nevada.
The most popular destination for golfers
9) WELCOME SOCIETY
In and around Marbella, more than 160 nations live side by side in peace, there is no hatred, no ostracism. Already at school, children are taught that differences must be accepted, that no one is judged because of their skin color, body shape or gender. There is a synagogue and a mosque within 1 kilometer, but there have never been any disagreements between the peoples. The Ukrainians and Russians play a friendly football match at the Marbella Football Club, and afterwards they cook in a pot and the family members join in.
Nearly one and a half million people live on the Costa del Sol, more than 40% of whom are foreigners. A large number of Britons, Belgians, Swedes, Dutch and Moroccans live in the region. Officially, 1,800 registered Hungarians live in Andalusia, but approx. three or four times as many people live here, since not everyone appears in the register. The reason for this is that they live a double life, spending the summers at home, while from autumn to the end of May they spend time in Marbella. Many people go home to celebrate Christmas and then they can't wait to get back to Marbella.
10) VALUABLE REAL ESTATE
I arrived in Marbella in 2010, when the 2008 crisis reached here. While real estate prices fell in most parts of Spain, there were also exceptionally stable regions, e.g. Marbella. Even during Covid, prices did not decrease, rather the Mediterranean regions became more popular and prices continued to rise. A stable price increase of 4-5% per year could be expected, but in the last 2 years there has been a 20-30% price increase, which is much higher than the national average.
In summary, it can be said that the popularity of Marbella is the result of many factors. It is a European country with a Catholic culture and excellent facilities. I can hold my partner's hand in public on the street, and we can even kiss each other if we feel like it, it is not against the law, as in some Arab cultures. We spend most of our time outside in the open air, away from the noise of the big city, and instead of smog, we breathe in the high-humidity sea air. There are excellent schools, and it is even better to be sick here, because we can expect better quality care than in Hungary. Our office, Move2Marbella, also experiences that many people choose this small Andalusian town as their new place of residence, which has all the features of a big city. Bienvenidos! Be our neighbor!
