Dragu Estates

Buy with me

On your side, from the first call to the keys.

I listen first to your wishes and your doubts. Then I narrow the coast down to the areas that suit how you want to live, tell you what each listing leaves out, and negotiate for you. As a buyer, you pay nothing extra.

Start your search Message me on WhatsApp
Almost everything about a property, from who owns it to what's owed on it, is in a public record. My job is to check it before you commit to anything.
Horia DraguIndependent property advisor

What you get

Honest advice, even when it's to walk away.

Listening

I listen before I search

Budget and bedrooms are only the start. How you'll use the home, who it's for, what you can't stand and when you need it: that's what tells me where to look.

Area

The right area, then the right home

Estepona, Benahavís, the Golden Mile and Marbella feel very different to live in. I show you the difference before you fall for a listing.

Detail

What the listing doesn't say

Community fees and any extra charges the community has already approved (derramas), the valor de referencia your tax is based on, licences, what's planned next door. I check, and I tell you plainly.

Negotiation

I negotiate for you

I build the offer from registered sales nearby and the valor de referencia, not from the asking price. Then I negotiate the price and the conditions, and keep it moving to the notary.

How it works

From the first call to the keys.

Eight steps, at your pace. Where a timing is shown, it's the usual one, not a promise.

With a Spanish mortgage, allow 3–5 months from offer to keys: the bank sets the timetable.

  1. 01

    Your brief

    A call or a coffee: how you want to live, your budget, the areas and your timing. In English, Spanish or Romanian.

  2. 02

    Shortlist

    I search the whole market, including other agencies' listings and new developments, and send you only what fits, with my notes.

  3. 03

    Viewings

    In person, or by video if you're abroad. I come with you, or go on your behalf and report back.

  4. 04

    The checks

    For the home you like: the Decision Brief and the public record, before you commit to anything.

  5. 05

    Offer and negotiation

    We agree on the offer together: the price and the conditions. I negotiate, and everything agreed is put in writing.

  6. 06

    Reservation and contract

    A small reservation takes the home off the market while your lawyer checks. Then the private contract, usually with a 10% deposit.

    2–4 weeks in

  7. 07

    The notary

    The deed is signed, the balance is paid and the keys are yours.

    8–12 weeks after the accepted offer, for a cash purchase

  8. 08

    After the keys

    The tax is filed and the home registered, usually through your gestoría. I'm still a message away.

    Within 2 months

The Decision Brief

How I weigh up a property with you.

For any property you're seriously considering, I organise my thinking into a short, structured brief, so the decision rests on more than a good feeling during a viewing.

It's not a valuation, a technical survey or a legal report. It's a way of thinking clearly about a big decision, built for you.

Property Decision Brief

Prepared for you by Horia Dragu

  1. 01FitDoes it match what you said you need, and what you said you'd never accept?
  2. 02LocationWhat's around it, at night and in August, and what that means day to day.
  3. 03ValueThe price against the Catastro's valor de referencia and registered sales nearby, not just other asking prices.
  4. 04ConditionWhat state it's really in, beyond the staging, and what needs a surveyor's eye.
  5. 05PotentialWhat it could realistically become, and what the rules allow.
  6. 06CostsThe full picture: taxes, fees, community, IBI, and any extra charge the community has already approved.
  7. 07Open questionsWhat still needs checking, and by whom: me, your lawyer or a surveyor.
  8. 08Honest takeWhy I'd consider it. Why I'd hesitate.

Before you sign

What I look up before you commit.

Much of what matters is in public records. I start checking before you're committed, not at the notary.

Nota simple
Who owns the home, and any mortgage, embargo or charge on it.
Catastro record
The recorded size, the year built and the valor de referencia your tax is based on.
Community minutes
Extra charges already approved (derramas), disputes, and the rules on holiday rentals.
Community debt certificate
Whether the seller owes the community.
Licence of first occupation
That the home is legally habitable.
Planning status
Whether what's built matches what was permitted.
Energy certificate
Legally required to sell or rent out.
Tourist registration
Whether the home is already registered for holiday rentals, if you plan to rent it out.

Where my job ends

I gather the public record, tell you plainly what I found and what I couldn't establish, and put it in your lawyer's hands. I am the person who notices. Your lawyer is the person who certifies.

No lawyer yet? I'll introduce you to independent lawyers I work with. You're always free to choose your own.

Every check, explained, in the buyer's guide

Buying from abroad

Most of it can happen before you fly in.

Viewings

By video, or I go for you

Live, room by room, with the questions you'd ask in person. Or I view it on your behalf and tell you what I saw.

Paperwork

NIE and a bank account

You need an NIE to buy, and a Spanish account for completion and the bills. Start early: appointments take time.

Signing

Without travelling

If you can't be at the notary, your lawyer can sign for you with a power of attorney.

Language

In your language

English, Spanish or Romanian, from the first call to the keys.

Questions buyers ask

Straight answers.

Message me on WhatsApp

No. Consultations are free, and as a buyer you pay nothing extra for my help, all the way to the keys.

It depends on the type of home:

  • Resale: about 9–11% on top of the price, including the 7% transfer tax, plus notary and registry (official tariff) and lawyer.
  • New build: about 13–15%, including 10% IVA and 1.2% stamp duty, plus the same fees.

The buyer's guide shows every line.

Yes, you need it to buy. Where to apply:

  • In Spain: book an appointment (cita previa) at a foreigners' office (Oficina de Extranjería) or a National Police station.
  • From abroad: at the Spanish consulate for where you live.

Start early: appointments take time. Your lawyer can also apply for you with a power of attorney.

Yes. Choose an independent lawyer, separate from the seller and the developer: it matters more than any other choice you make. If you don't have one, I'll introduce you to lawyers I work with, and to tax advisers and builders if you need them. You're always free to choose your own.

Yes. Spanish banks lend to non-residents, on their own terms. I can help you through it and introduce you to banks I trust, so you can compare their offers and get the best rate available to you.

Start early: with a mortgage, allow 3–5 months from offer to keys, because the bank sets the timetable.

Yes. You can view by video, or I go for you, and your lawyer can sign at the notary with a power of attorney. If you can, see your final choice in person before you commit.

  • Resale: you see exactly what you're buying and can move in sooner, and the tax is 7%.
  • New build: 10% IVA plus stamp duty, and you pay in stages while it's built. By law, once the building licence is granted, the developer must guarantee those payments with a bank guarantee or insurance, held in a separate account (Ley 38/1999). Your lawyer checks each one.

Not on its own. It depends on your passport:

  • EU, EEA or Swiss citizens don't need a visa. You can live in Spain, and if you stay longer than three months you register as a resident (the certificado de registro), showing that you work here or have enough income and health insurance.
  • From outside the EU, the UK included since Brexit, you need a residence visa that fits your situation, and a lawyer can tell you which.

Buying a home no longer gets you one: the golden visa, which gave residency for a €500,000 property investment, was abolished, and no new applications have been accepted since 3 April 2025.

Yes. I search the whole market: other agencies' listings through the Resales MLS and the other agent portals I'm a member of, new developments and private sellers. You get one shortlist, not five agencies.

Keep reading

Buyer's guide

What it costs and what to check

Every cost on top of the price, and the checks to make before you sign.

Read the guide

New developments

Selected and checked

New homes from Estepona to Mijas, each with my notes on what the brochure doesn't say.

See them

Exclusive listing

A villa I represent

Three bedrooms on the New Golden Mile, Estepona, presented in full.

View the villa

Tell me what you're looking for.

A few lines are enough to start: budget, areas, timing. I'll tell you what's realistic, and where I'd look first. Consultations are free.

Start your search Message me on WhatsApp

I reply personally, the same day.+34 697 919 108