Blog & guides
Plain-English guides on buying, renting and living on the Spanish coast: NIE, taxes, mortgages, Costa Blanca neighborhoods and more.
Property TypesWesna GroupPharmacy in Spain 2026: Farmacia de Guardia and What's Behind the Counter
Spain has roughly 22,000 community pharmacies, about one for every 2,100 residents. For foreign buyers used to Boots or a 24-hour supermarket chemist, the Spanish farmacia looks familiar and behaves differently. Here is how it actually works in 2026.
Property TypesWesna GroupSpanish Public Healthcare 2026: What Residents Actually Get
Spain's Sistema Nacional de Salud covers roughly 47 million residents and ranks in the OECD top ten on life expectancy. For foreign owners on the Costa Blanca, it is also the system you are enrolled in the moment your paperwork clears.
Property TypesWesna GroupSpanish Private Healthcare 2026: Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV Compared
A healthy 40-year-old pays roughly EUR 55 to 90 per month for a mid-tier Spanish private policy in 2026, rising to EUR 180 or more at 65. Here is how Sanitas, Adeslas and DKV actually differ for buyers settling on the coast.
Property TypesWesna GroupSpanish Pool Maintenance 2026: Monthly Cost by Pool Type
A private 32 m2 chlorine pool on the Costa Blanca costs EUR 90 to 140 per month to run in 2026 once you add chemicals, electricity, and a weekly pool man. Saltwater, infinity, and community pools shift that number in ways most brochures gloss over.
Property TypesWesna GroupAir Conditioning in Spain 2026: Split, Ducted and Real Running Cost
A 1x1 split installed runs EUR 800 to EUR 1,400 in 2026, ducted systems for a 100 m2 villa land between EUR 5,000 and EUR 9,000, and a Costa Blanca summer of heavy use adds roughly EUR 150 to EUR 350 to the electricity bill.
Property TypesWesna GroupHeating in Spain 2026: Aerotermia, Pellet and the A/C You Already Have
A 90 m2 Costa Blanca flat needs about 2,000 kWh of heat a year, and the reversible A/C already on the wall delivers it for roughly EUR 115. Aerotermia costs EUR 9,000 to EUR 16,000 to retrofit and saves almost nothing on that bill. Here is what each option actually costs.
Property TypesWesna GroupBenidorm New Build 2026: What the Premium Actually Buys
All 37 of our Benidorm listings are new or near-new, starting at EUR 275,000 while the town's resale market starts near EUR 80,000. What the extra buys, the 10-year structural guarantee that is the real value, and three situations where new build does not pay.
Property TypesWesna GroupSouth vs North Facing in Spain 2026: Orientation, Heat and Resale
The sun over Torrevieja climbs to about 75 degrees at midsummer noon, against 62 in London and 53 in Oslo. That gap is why the south-facing rule Northern European buyers arrive with is only half true on the Costa Blanca, and why west is the aspect that catches them out.
Property TypesWesna GroupCommunal vs Private Pool in Spain 2026: What Each One Really Costs
A private 8 by 4 m pool on the Costa Blanca costs EUR 1,150 to EUR 3,350 a year to run. Your share of a communal pool is nearer EUR 100 to EUR 150, and you pay it whether you swim or not. Which one suits you depends on how many days a year you are there.
Property TypesWesna GroupSemi-Detached in Spain 2026: Pareado vs Adosado Explained
Wesna's median listed house is EUR 459,000 against EUR 319,900 for an apartment, and one word in the listing decides where yours lands. What adosado, pareado, chalet independiente and dúplex really mean on a Costa Blanca urbanisation.
Property TypesWesna GroupPlanta Baja Spain 2026: Pros, Cons and the Burglary Question
A planta baja usually sells for roughly 5% to 12% less than the identical flat three storeys up, and comes with 20 to 60 m2 of private terrace or garden. Here is what that discount buys, what the community rules allow, and what securing the floor costs.
Property TypesWesna GroupPenthouse (Ático) in Spain 2026: Terrace Law and Noise Rules
An ático on the Costa Blanca costs roughly 10% to 20% more than the same flat three floors down, and the terrace is usually a common element the community owns. Who pays when the membrane fails, whether you can glaze it, and the noise nobody mentions.
Property TypesWesna GroupSelf-build Budget in Spain 2026: Per Square Meter
Spanish self-build costs per built m² in 2026: €1,200-€1,500 basic, €1,500-€1,900 mid-tier, €1,900-€2,600 high-tier, €2,600-€4,000+ luxury. What each band buys you, where the cost variance comes from, and the 10-15% financial buffer to budget.
Property TypesWesna GroupBuying a Plot and Building in Spain 2026: Legal, Timeline, Cost
The complete Spanish self-build path: plot purchase legalities, architect and planning permission stages, 22-32 month total timeline, 15-20% cost premium over resale, standard construction cost per m² (€1,200-€2,600), and the delay causes non-resident buyers should budget for.
Property TypesWesna GroupOff-plan in Spain 2026: The Law That Protects Your Deposit
Law 20/2015 protects off-plan buyer deposits in Spain via mandatory aval bancario or insurance policy. What the developer must deliver at contract signing, buyer verification checklist, what happens on developer insolvency, and standard red flags to refuse.
Property TypesWesna GroupNew Build (Obra Nueva) vs Resale 2026: Pros, Traps, Tax
The Spanish new-build vs resale decision in 2026: sales tax load (10% IVA + AJD vs 10% ITP), 18-24 month wait vs 6-10 week close, deposit protection via aval bancario, 10-year structural warranty, and the practical trade-offs across price, timeline and finish choice.
Property TypesWesna GroupFinca, Masía, Casa Rural: Spanish Country Property Types Explained
Five Spanish words that come up over and over in rural listings – finca, masía, casa rural, cortijo, caserío. The regional map, the legal distinctions, the building-permit catches, and what each one actually is when you read the deed.
Property TypesWesna GroupTownhouse, Dúplex, Adosado: Spanish Property Terms Explained 2026
Spanish property listings use casa adosada, dúplex, chalet, ático, bungalow and other terms inconsistently. This 2026 glossary clears up what each word actually means in legal and architectural practice, with examples from our current Costa Blanca catalog.
Property TypesWesna GroupBungalow in Spain 2026: What the Word Actually Means
British buyers picture a detached single-storey house with a private garden. Spanish 'bungalow' listings usually deliver something else: an attached row of two-storey terraced units, with a 'bungalow bajo' on the ground floor and a 'bungalow alto' above. A short guide to the real definition, how bungalows compare to chalets and villas, what they cost on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida, and who they suit.
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