Málaga · Property law · International clients
Your property lawyer for Málaga
Buying, selling or changing a home in Málaga city? Check the property and your plans before you commit.
You can contact us before choosing a property, including from abroad.
Velasco Lawyers assists international clients with property purchases, sales, renovations and extensions within Málaga municipality. We review the legal position and coordinate with a local architect when protection, planning or technical questions need a current address-specific answer. You can begin the process remotely from abroad.
An independent Spanish law firm founded in 1993, serving clients with property in Málaga from our Almuñécar office.
Your property, your next step
Legal support from the first offer
to the next chapter.
The right enquiries depend on whether you are buying, preparing to sell, or changing a property you already own.
Buying: understand the building as well as the contract
We investigate ownership, charges, sale terms and the property's documented position. If your plans involve a protected building, a courtyard, garden, façade or extension, we bring those aims into the enquiries before an offer or deposit makes the intended project difficult to reconsider.
Discuss a purchaseSelling: resolve documentation questions early
We prepare the legal side of the sale and identify issues a buyer may raise. Where the property has been reconfigured or extended, early comparison of the physical home, deed, Land Registry, Cadastre and available permissions can prevent a document gap from becoming a last-minute obstacle.
Plan your saleRenovating: establish the relevant protection
For renovation or extension proposals, we identify the legal questions and work with a local architect on the property's mapped category, protection status and the design. Málaga's varied urban fabric means that a city-centre label, district name or nearby project cannot answer what applies to one building.
Understand the checksFor the wider purchase and sale process, see our Spanish property-law services.
Why the address matters
Protection beyond Málaga's historic centre
Málaga city has a distinct historic-centre regime, protected buildings and recognised residential ensembles outside the old centre, alongside other urban housing categories. The first task is locating the actual building within that framework.
The historic centre
The municipal PGOU states that the C1 Historic Centre is governed by the PEPRI Centro, except where the general plan modifies it. A renovation enquiry therefore needs more than a general city planning extract.
For your property: Establish the building's precise protection, applicable instrument and current criteria before relying on plans for façades, roofs, patios or internal restructuring.
Protected ensembles elsewhere
The published plan also identifies protected urban ensembles outside the PEPRI Centro, including Carranque, Girón and Colonia Santa Inés. Being outside the old town does not by itself remove heritage or townscape questions.
For your property: Confirm whether the property is individually protected, within a mapped protected ensemble, or subject to another detailed instrument.
Gardens and other residential forms
Málaga's plan distinguishes Ciudad Jardín zoning and several other residential categories. The Ciudad Jardín ordinance describes low or medium density housing and its relationship with private gardens and the street.
For your property: Do not assign an ordinance from the everyday neighbourhood name. Check the mapped subzone, building record and intended changes for the address.
Renovation, extensions and building records
Permission to build.
Paperwork that reflects the building.
A building may have one question about authorisation for future work and another about whether its present form matches its legal records. Define the proposed works carefully, identify any protection and community-consent issues, and check the existing building before committing to cost or completion dates.
Obra mayor and renovation works
New construction, extensions and structural alterations can require a technical project and the appropriate municipal authorisation. The scope of the work determines the route. Calling a job obra menor (minor works) does not automatically mean that no project or other permission is needed.
Licence or declaración responsable?
The applicable procedure depends on the works, the property and current rules. Some work may follow a responsible-declaration procedure rather than a prior licence, but that is not a general exemption from planning requirements or any other consent that applies.
Declaración de obra nueva
This is the formal declaration of a building or extension for its deed and Land Registry record. It is a separate question from permission to carry out the works. Recording a building does not, by itself, make unauthorised work lawful.
Two questions worth asking early
“Can I open up the courtyard or alter the façade?”
That depends on the building's protection, mapped zone, current planning criteria and the design itself. For a shared building, community consent may also matter. Obtain legal and architectural input before treating the change as part of the property's value.
“The seller says the extension is old. Is that enough?”
Age alone does not explain the permission history or whether the deed and Land Registry reflect the building. We investigate the records and coordinate technical work where the extent, age or status of an addition needs to be established.
People you can speak to
A Spanish legal team.
A clear conversation.
Maria Teresa Velasco provides the firm’s legal leadership. She is bilingual in Spanish and English, with an understanding of Swedish, Danish and French.
Our team can assist in English, Swedish, Danish, French and Spanish. Emmy coordinates our Scandinavian department, and Rebecca supports English–Spanish communication and client services.
Meet Velasco LawyersFrom a property client · Google review
“Their service has been very professional, efficient and helpful.”
Start with your plans
Tell us about your
Málaga property.
You do not need a complete file to make the first enquiry. Tell us whether you are buying, selling or planning works, and mention any offer, deposit or completion deadline.
- We review your enquiry.Share the location and a short outline of what you need.
- We clarify the next steps.Our team discusses the legal questions and whether technical input is needed.
- We explain the proposed work and fees.You can decide how to proceed with a clear scope.
Prefer to speak to us?
+34 958 630 114[email protected]WhatsApp +34 687 307 756Monday–Friday, 09:00–14:00, Spain mainland time. For a time-sensitive matter, please call during office hours.
Your first enquiry
How can we help?
A short outline is enough. All fields are required unless marked optional.
Our team will review your message and contact you to discuss how we can help.
Before you get in touch
Your questions,
answered.
Do you have an office in Málaga city?
Our office is in Almuñécar. We assist clients with property in Málaga city and coordinate with local architects for planning and technical input. You can start by phone, email or online enquiry, including while living abroad.
Is every property outside Málaga's historic centre free of protection?
No. The municipal plan identifies protected buildings and several protected urban ensembles beyond the PEPRI Centro. The exact map, protection level, later instruments and current criteria need to be checked for the property.
Does a Málaga address in Ciudad Jardín automatically use the Ciudad Jardín ordinance?
No conclusion should be drawn from the neighbourhood name alone. The ordinance is a mapped planning category with subzones. A local architect should identify the applicable category and assess the proposed works against current material.
Can I contact you before choosing a property or paying a deposit?
Yes. Tell us the area, your plans and any deadlines. If you have found a property, share a short outline before signing or paying so that we can discuss the enquiries and proposed work. If you have already signed, explain what was agreed and any dates involved.