Construction and refurbishment of top-end homes in Marbella is massively on the up

The proliferation of high-end homes in Marbella is becoming an ever-growing trend. Although the Costa del Sol town has been an icon of luxury for years, the rehabilitation of ostentatious villas and the construction of properties of the highest standard have been the common trend in the first quarter of 2025 in the town planning department of the Marbella town hall.

After the local government council meeting on Monday, 3 June, the councillor for urban planning, José Eduardo Díaz, said that "investments in the town have grown by 34% compared to the same period, from January to March, in 2024".

This number is calculated with respect to the indicator of the material execution projects (PEM), which indicates a higher cost in the qualities of the houses that are being built. In just three months, the investment amounts to 72 million euros, 18 million more than last year. "This shows the growing interest in our town for investors, builders and developers of new projects," said the councillor.

The number of building permits granted also increased in the first quarter, reaching 427, compared to 400 in the same period in 2024 - an increase of 7%.

Díaz highlighted that his department received 39,000 consultations throughout the whole of 2024, while 17,000 have already been held from January to March this year.

New permissions

The town hall also gave the green light to new permits for three single-family homes and a 1,500-square-metre shopping centre in the southern area of La Campana (Nueva Andalucía). The private funding for the shopping centre amounts to 3.2 million euros, while the total between the three homes is 2.2 million euros.

Díaz commended the Marbella town hall for the efforts it has put towards urban planning, despite working with outdated plans (the current version is just an update from the one published in 1986). He highlighted that his department has proved to be "innovative and ahead in terms of administrative simplification". With that in mind, he stressed the importance of working towards putting the new general municipal development plan (PGOM) in force before the end of the year.