Buying a Holiday Home in Javea – Tips for First-Time Buyers

So. You’ve been to Javea. You’ve eaten the prawns, drunk the wine, and watched the sun go down over Montgó like it was all put there just for you.

And now, after one too many glasses of something chilled and probably too strong, the idea has struck:
“What if we bought a place here?”

Which is how it usually begins. A dream, a tan, and a loose grasp of how Spanish property law works.

Now, before you start measuring up the balcony for a hammock, there are a few things worth knowing. Buying a holiday home in Javea isn’t the same as buying one in Surrey. Or Swindon. Or anywhere else with drizzle and bins that get collected every Tuesday.

Let’s start with the basics described on the Valuvillas website.

1. Location Is Everything (Unless You Can’t Sleep)

Javea is a town of parts. The Arenal is full of life, music, tourists, chips, and inflatable unicorns. Great fun in July. Possibly unbearable in August.
The Port is charming, busy but calmer, with a year-round local feel.
The Old Town is all stone walls and narrow streets, good for shade and baked goats’ cheese.
And then there are the urbanisations—quiet hillside spots with pools, locked gates, and neighbours who might be German, Belgian or a bit of both.

If you want peace, don’t buy above a tapas bar. If you want nightlife, don’t pick the top of a hill where the taxis don’t go.

2. Work Out When You’ll Use It

Are you thinking of summer holidays only? Or long winter stays?
Will friends use it? Will you rent it out when you’re not there?

The answer affects everything. A south-facing villa with a pool is lovely in August but may turn into a suntrap in January with nowhere to hide. A ground-floor apartment is great for mobility but might not feel very private when your neighbours walk past your bedroom window holding pool noodles.

Decide your rhythm before you buy the drum.

3. Don’t Trust the Listing Photos

Estate agent photos are their own art form. Wide lenses, clever lighting, and a suspicious number of lemons in bowls. You can see some examples on this website.

That sea view might need binoculars. The ‘quiet location’ might mean you’re four miles from the nearest loaf of bread. And the ‘five-minute walk to the beach’ often applies only if you’re Usain Bolt on rollerblades.

Visit in person. Twice. Once in daylight, once at night. Listen for dogs, mopeds, and overenthusiastic karaoke.

4. Get a Lawyer. A Spanish One. With a Face.

Not your cousin’s friend who once sold a flat in Marbella. Not the nice chap in the bar who says he knows a guy.

You need an independent lawyer. One who reads fine print for fun. One who checks that the house was built legally and that nobody’s uncle has a forgotten claim to the land.

And make sure they explain what you’re signing before you sign it. Spanish contracts have been known to contain surprises. Not the fun kind. 

5. Understand the Costs

The price you see is never the price you pay. Add roughly 12%–15% for taxes, fees, and paperwork. More if you’re converting it into a full-time holiday rental.

You’ll also need:

• Notary fees
• Property registry fees
• Transfer tax or VAT depending on the property
• Bank fees (because of course there are bank fees)

And don’t forget insurance, utilities, maintenance, and someone to check the roof tiles don’t fall off in a storm.

6. Think About the Practical Bits

Who holds the keys when you’re not there?
Who fixes the boiler when it stops working on Christmas Eve?
Who cleans up when your guest leaves a half-eaten pizza under the sofa?

Whether you rent the place or just use it yourself, you’ll need someone local. A good property manager is worth their weight in sangria.

7. Ask Yourself Why You’re Doing This

It’s easy to fall in love with the idea of a holiday home. But it’s still a house. With costs. With paperwork. With occasional plumbing problems.

Make sure it suits you. Make sure it makes sense.

Because Javea is beautiful—but even paradise has ants.