How much does it cost to build a custom luxury villa in Marbella? There's no simple, straightforward answer. The final price is influenced by countless variables that can push the price up depending on the client's preferences.
Pure Living Properties, an agency specialising in Marbella's luxury real estate market, has prepared a complete guide detailing all the steps to build a first-class home and the project's total cost, taking into account the current situation and the recent price increases both in construction materials, plots and different professionals' fees.
According to this study, designing, building and providing technical facilities and furniture for a luxury villa with gardens and swimming pool currently costs around €5.1 million, a figure that has increased significantly in recent years due to the aforementioned parameters.
The study offers a complete guide to building a villa
“Many of our clients were wondering whether it is more cost effective to build a home from scratch by designing it to measure or buying a property and adapting it to their needs, which is why we decided to prepare this guide to help them obtain the home of their dreams in Marbella, whatever option they choose,” says Javier Nieto, CEO of Pure Living Properties.
The location will determine the plot's price
The first step when building a luxury villa is selecting the plot and area. A 1,300-m2 plot of land with sea views on Marbella's Golden Mile, one of the most coveted locations in the area, currently costs €1.13 million. Las Lomas de Río Verde, Sierra Blanca, Altos de los Monteros and La Zagaleta are the most expensive areas in the golden triangle (Marbella, Estepona and Benahavis) and among the most expensive in the country.
If the land has sea views and is located in some of these premium areas, the price can even exceed €20 million for a 10,000-m2 plot. “At Pure Living Properties, we have a wide catalogue of plots and land in the most coveted locations in Marbella, plus, our team is expert in advising the client throughout the entire process,” adds the CEO.
After purchasing the land, the most important step is designing the property, where the price varies significantly depending on the professional chosen, the villa's size and style. On average, the architectural project of a high-quality home represents between 6% and 7% of the total cost, so, for a medium-sized mansion with a price of about €2m, it would be around €130,000.
The most important step in the process, and the one that has become more expensive in recent years after international conflicts and inflation have caused raw materials to skyrocket, is constructing the villa.
Construction costs around €2m
The total cost of the operation may fluctuate depending on the materials' quality, the property's size and the extra elements added during the process. Taking into account the current market situation, the price of constructing a medium-sized luxury villa is around €2m.
As for the interiors, the interior design can cost around €35,000, as high-end furniture ranges between €500,000 and €600,000 and the kitchen usually costs around €60,000 and €70,000 on average.
Smart and connected villas
Most luxury villas now work with smart home automation systems allowing their owners to manage the lighting, temperature, music or security from anywhere in the world. Providing a home with these characteristics with SmartHome technological systems costs around €485,000.
On the other hand, the electricity system is around €80,000, to which are added other facilities such as air conditioning (€200,000), underfloor heating (€85,000) or smart lighting inside and outside of the home (€120,000).
One of the main reasons why exclusive-market clients choose the Costa del Sol is because of the good weather conditions with more than 300 days of sunshine a year. That's why, in this type of home, outdoor areas, gardens and swimming pools take on special importance.
Landscape gardening costs about €50,000
"We are aware of the complicated situation Malaga province is going through due to the lack of rain, which is why we always advise our clients to make their outdoor areas as sustainable as possible, opting for smart systems to not waste a single drop of water in swimming pools and gardens, where we also always recommend native plants with low water consumption,” says Javier Nieto.
The landscaping project to design a custom garden costs around €5,000, the execution and provision of green areas is around €50,000 and building a pool starts at €60,000, although it can even reach €250,000 for the most exclusive and equipped pools.
Pure Living Properties has vast experience and great knowledge of the high-end real estate market, factors that guarantee success in all its operations. The company has a team of experts to guide its clients throughout the entire process from purchasing the plot to constructing the villa.
“And when the villa is already a reality, we can also help them with everything they need, whether they want to enjoy their property or prefer to make the investment profitable and opt for short-term rental. Pure Living is a trusted agency in Marbella,” concludes the company's CEO.