The Costa Property Podcast

Hosted by Warner and Sandra Laurie - Costa Del Sol, Spain

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121

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The Costa Property Podcast is your first step to making your dream home in Spain, on the Costa Del Sol a reality! We are Warner and Sandra, founders of WL Costa Properties. Ten years ago, we relocated from Ireland to Benalmádena, chasing our dream of owning a home in the sun and living an outdoor Mediterranean lifestyle with our family. Our business was born from our own relocation journey, inspired by the advice, services, and support we wished had been available to us. Now, through this podcast, we’re here to help you turn your dream into reality. Join us each week as we share expert insights from life in spain, property lawyers, real estate agents, and relocation specialists, alongside practical advice and personal stories (with a dash of mindset along the way!) From navigating Spanish property laws and securing financing to choosing the right location and building your ideal expat lifestyle, we cover it all! Including the highs and lows. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, an investor, a retiree, a digital nomad, or a family seeking a new adventure, this podcast will empower you to confidently make your move to the Costa del Sol. Click ‘Follow’ now to start and keep up to date!

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October 27, 2026Episode 12024 min

120: Torremolinos vs Benalmádena: Which Costa del Sol Town Is Right for You?

Torremolinos and Benalmádena sit ten minutes apart on the same train line, they share the same beautiful stretch of coast, and on paper they look so alike that choosing between them has started to feel impossible. Torremolinos or Benalmádena is a decision our international buyers often get stuck on, and after our Fuengirola versus Benalmádena episode so many of you told us how much you loved this kind of comparison. So in this episode we take you through the key questions we ask every buyer weighing up these two towns, from ten years of living here and hundreds of buyers helped through this exact choice. You’ll hear: ✔ The #1 question that decides this before budget even comes into it ✔ The Torremolinos neighbourhoods built around holiday homes and the one we would point a family towards ✔ Who your neighbours will actually be in Torremolinos ✔ Why some streets in August feel very different in January ✔ Can you rent it out? What the change to the community of owners rules means for a tourist licence in both towns ✔ When we would steer you away from Torremolinos completely and when it’s the right call ✔ The train line both towns share and how close the airport is ✔ Where new build is easier to find and how we match your budget to the right barrio ✔ Sandra’s honest verdict on both and the reasons behind it Recommended next episode: Fuengirola vs Benalmadena: Where Should You Buy in 2026? (Episode #114) Work with WL Costa Properties 📘 Take the FREE Costa del Sol Location Quiz, find your perfect location: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=quiz 📞 Book a complimentary property consultation: https://calendly.com/wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=consult_call 📧 Email our team: info@wlcostaproperties.net 📱 Call / WhatsApp: +34 602 42 89 28 📍 Visit our office: Avenida Bonanza Local 21, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena, Malaga by appointment. Click here: https://wlcosta-bookings.netlify.app/ Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you’ve been loving the podcast, we’d really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What’s been your favourite episode? ✔ What’s the most helpful tip you’ve learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

October 13, 2026Episode 11911 min

119: The Secret's Out! What's Next for the Podcast and Our Business in Benalmádena

Something has been sitting on our vision board for well over six months, and today we finally get to share it publically. This episode is a little different from our usual format. There is no guest and no deep dive into one topic. Instead, we are filling you in on everything that has been brewing behind the scenes at WL Costa Properties and here on The Costa Property Podcast, and why every one of these changes is going to benefit you. You'll hear: ✔ The project that has been on our vision board for over six months, and why it is a first for Benalmádena ✔ What it means for the podcast, including the guests we bring you and where those conversations will happen ✔ Why our new website is a complete rebuild and not just a lick of paint ✔ The inventory news I have been waiting a very long time to share ✔ Why prices in parts of Benalmádena are still rising even though there are fewer buyers in the market ✔ How you can get involved, whether you are buying, selling or have a story of your own to tell Be the first to hear what comes next 📩 Join the WL Costa newsletter for first sight of new listings and our Q3 market update: https://wlcostaproperties.net/ 📍 Take the FREE Location Quiz, 30 seconds: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/ 📞 Book a call with us: https://wlcostaproperties.net/book-a-call/ 🎙 Follow The Hub: https://www.instagram.com/thehubbenalmadena/ Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you've been loving the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What's been your favourite episode? ✔ What's the most helpful tip you've learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

September 29, 2026Episode 11827 min

118: Moving to Spain With Kids? 6 Honest Truths After 10 Years Here on The Costa del Sol

Raising our family on the Costa del Sol is by far the best decision I have ever made. Our children are bilingual and they spend most of the year outside, and that is a childhood I could never have given them back in Ireland. However, there are a handful of things I wish somebody had sat me down and told me in my early days here. So that is what I am doing for you today. Ten years on, and after helping hundreds of international families make the same move, these are the six truths I see play out again and again. You’ll hear: ✔ Something that happens with your children in the first year that catches nearly every parent off guard ✔ The assumption almost everyone makes about school fees here and why it’s wrong. ✔ The one number thing you need to know before you come as a family that we wish we knew earlier. ✔ What a normal week actually looks like once the holiday feeling wears off ✔ How will your kids learn Spanish and what that looked like for us ✔ The mistake I made in my own first two years here thatI have not talked about it on the podcast before. If you are working out whether this coast fits your family: 📘 Take the FREE Location Quiz, 30 seconds: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=quiz 📞 Book a call with us: https://calendly.com/warner-wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=consult_call Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you’ve been loving the podcast, we’d really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What’s been your favourite episode? ✔ What’s the most helpful tip you’ve learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

September 15, 2026Episode 11730 min

117: How Will I Make Friends in Spain? The Fear Nobody Admits Before They Move with Ali Meehan of Costa Women

Of all the questions we get asked, and we get asked a lot of them, this one comes up again and again. Will I make friends out there? Will I fit in? Will I have somebody to actually go for a coffee with? Because you could live in the most beautiful apartment in the world, and if you do not have a community around you, you will still feel like this was not the right move. So this week Sandra sits down with Ali Meehan, founder of Costa Women, a community of women living in and moving to Spain that now spans the Costa del Sol, Gran Canaria and Mallorca. Ali arrived in 2002 as a remote worker, before anyone called it that, and for a long time the only person she saw apart from her husband was the courier man. She joined a book club to fix it. That book club became Costa Women. You’ll hear: ✔ The real reason why finding your community and making friends is so important ✔ Ali’s own first years in Spain as a remote worker in 2022 ✔ Why Costa Women was born and who it’s for ✔ The myth that everyone who moves here ends up in the bars and what is actually happening now ✔ How to start building your community months before you get on the plane ✔ How to find the right group and community for you ✔ What your first few weeks should look like, and the mistake that turns a move into a long holiday ✔ What has changed about who is moving to Spain, and why ✔ The negative press about Spain, and the reality on the ground ✔ The fastest ways into the language and the culture Find Ali and Costa Women Costa Women is a community for women already living in Spain and for women still thinking about it. Local groups, business networking, book clubs, an annual conference and an online space, all of it built by women who have made this exact move. Costa Women: https://costawomen.com/ Costa Women Business Growth: https://costawomen.com/businesses/growth/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CostaWomen/ Ali on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alimeehanspain/ And when you are ready to work out where in Spain you actually fit: 📘 Take the Location Quiz: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=quiz or 📞 Book a call with us: https://calendly.com/warner-wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=consult_call Recommended next episode: Fell in Love With the Costa del Sol This Summer and Want to Make the Move? Start Here (Episode #115) Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you’ve been loving the podcast, we’d really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What’s been your favourite episode? ✔ What’s the most helpful tip you’ve learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

September 1, 2026Episode 11626 min

116: The Real Cost of Buying Property in Spain Right Now: Here’s What You Actually Need in the Bank

You are scrolling Idealista. There is a two bedroom in Benalmadena at 350,000 euro, the terrace looks lovely, there is a bit of a sea view in the background, and you say to yourself, we could actually do this. Here is what nobody tells you while you are sitting there scrolling. The number on the screen is not the number you pay. So what does it actually cost to buy a property in Spain in 2026? Not the listing price, the real number. If you are buying property in Spain, comparing Costa del Sol towns, working out a Spanish mortgage as a non resident, or just scrolling Idealista wondering whether a 350,000 euro apartment in Benalmadena is within reach, this is the honest breakdown from two people who do this every week. In this episode we take you from the listing price to the keys in your hand: what actually gets added on top, what needs to be sitting in your bank before you book a flight, what the same money buys you in different parts of Benalmadena, and whether prices here are going to keep climbing. You’ll hear: ✔ Why the number on the listing is not the number you pay, and exactly what gets added on top ✔ The 10 to 12% broken down: transfer tax, notary, lawyer, and why we always tell you to plan for 12 ✔ The mortgage trap: why you cannot borrow the tax, and the real cash a 300,000 euro purchase needs sitting in your account ✔ What frontline beach in Benalmadena Costa costs per square metre against ten minutes back inland ✔ How to tell whether the listing you are looking at is even still available ✔ Why a property listed with four agencies is worth less, not more ✔ The full timeline from offer to keys: reservation, contrato de arras, notary, and how fast it can really go ✔ Whether prices are going to keep rising, and Warner’s honest answer ✔ The client who still has nightmares about the apartment he did not buy If you take one thing from this episode, take the budget calculator. It is free, it is a spreadsheet with every cost already plugged in for cash buyers and mortgage buyers, and Warner has recorded a short video walking you through how to use it. 👉 Get the FREE Budget Calculator: https://wlcostaproperties.mykajabi.com/offers/eGi7pjBC/checkout 📞 Book a call with us: https://calendly.com/warner-wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=consult_call 📘 Not sure which town suits you yet? Take the Location Quiz: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=quiz Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you’ve been loving the podcast, we’d really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What’s been your favourite episode? ✔ What’s the most helpful tip you’ve learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

August 18, 2026Episode 11526 min

115: Fell in Love With the Costa del Sol this Summer & Want to Make the Move? [Start here]

Ten years ago this month we packed up our house in Ireland, put two small children in the car and moved to the Costa del So from Ireland. Since then we have helped hundreds of international buyers make the same move and find their dream property from our base in Benalmadena. So if you were here this summer and you had that moment, the one on the last evening where you looked around you and thought, what if we did not have to go home, this episode is for you. You’ll hear: ✔ The exact moment we decided to move from Ireland to Spain ✔ How to tell the difference between holiday blues and the real thing ✔ Where to start, and how to work out which town actually suits the life you are moving into ✔ The questions a good agent should be asking you, and the red flag that means you are with the wrong one ✔ Our experience and advice on finding work here and the mistake we made ourselves in the first year ✔ Rent first or buy first, and why our answer has changed since we did it ✔ Language, community, and the honest truth about fitting in If you take one thing from this episode, take the Location Quiz. It is under 60 seconds and it sends a personalised location profile straight to your inbox. 👉 Take our FREE Costa del Sol Location Quiz. It takes 30 seconds, it's free, and we'll send your personal location profile straight over:https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=quiz 📞 Want to talk it through with us? Book one of our complimentary consultation calls: https://calendly.com/wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=consult_call Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you've been loving the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What's been your favourite episode? ✔ What's the most helpful tip you've learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

August 4, 2026Episode 11422 min

114: Fuengirola vs Benalmadena: Where Should You Buy on The Costa del Sol in 2026?

With 10 years living in Benalmadena and hundreds of international buyers guided through this exact decision, Sandra and Warner know the Fuengirola vs Benalmadena question better than almost anyone on this patch. In this episode of The Costa Property Podcast, Sandra walks you through the exact 5 questions we ask every buyer who's torn between Fuengirola and Benalmadena, the two Costa del Sol towns getting the most interest right now. They're 10 minutes apart on the same train line, but they'll give you two very different lives. Answer them honestly and, by the end, you'll know which one is yours. Here's what you'll hear: ✔ Question 1: are you buying a holiday home, or a home for good? ✔ Question 2: do you want to walk everywhere, or drive? ✔ Question 3: who is your property really for? ✔ Question 4: what your budget actually gets you in each town ✔ Question 5: what do you want within a 5 minute walk of your front door? ✔ The expensive mistake we watched one couple almost make and how to dodge it ✔ Why the life outside your four walls matters more than the property itself ✔ Our golden rule we share with all buyers Still not sure which town is right for you? 👉 Take our FREE Costa del Sol Location Quiz. It takes 30 seconds, it's free, and we'll send your personal location profile straight over:https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=quiz Want to talk it through with us? 📞 Book one of our complimentary consultation calls: https://calendly.com/wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=consult_call Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you've been loving the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔ What's been your favourite episode? ✔ What's the most helpful tip you've learned? ✔ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

July 21, 2026Episode 11321 min

113: Why We Chose Benalmádena - The Most Underrated Town on the Costa del Sol [Listener Favourite]

Everyone thinks of Benalmádena as a holiday town. We call it home. In this listener-favourite episode - back by popular demand because you keep asking us - Sandra and Warner go behind the scenes of daily life in Benalmádena and explain why they chose it over Marbella and Málaga to be their forever home on the Costa del Sol. From the marina to Arroyo de la Miel to the whitewashed Pueblo, we break down the three sides of the town, a real day in the life, the food scene, and exactly who Benalmádena suits best, from families to part-year investors who want walkability and a 30-minute train from the airport. You’ll hear: Busting the myth that Benalmádena is “just for tourists” The three sides of town: the Marina, Arroyo de la Miel & Benalmádena Pueblo A real day in the life: coffee, school drop, beach walk, client calls Raising a family here: international schools, sport & cultural immersion Where to eat & drink: Sandra's and Warner's favourite spots Why it's underrated: Málaga on your doorstep without Marbella prices The train line, the airport run, and the walkability factor Take the location quiz! Not sure if Benalmádena is right for you? Take our quick FREE location quiz . https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=quiz Enjoyed this one? Share it with someone who's been dreaming about their big move to Spain. Work with WL Costa Properties 📞 Book a complimentary property consultation: https://calendly.com/wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=consult_call 📧 Email our team: info@wlcostaproperties.net 📱 Call / WhatsApp: +34 602 42 89 28 📍 Visit our office: Avenida Bonanza Local 21, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, Málaga — by appointment only. Book here

July 7, 2026Episode 11230 min

112: How We Moved from Ireland and Built a Life for Our Family on The Costa del Sol [Our Story 10 Years On]

Ten years ago we sold our house in Ireland, packed up the car with two babies in tow and moved to the Costa del Sol in Spain. Everyone thought we were mad… In this very personal episode of The Costa Property Podcast, Sandra and Warner sit down for an honest, behind the scenes look back on ten years of relocating to the Costa del Sol. The fears nobody tells you about, how they actually survived, and what life really looks like a decade on. You'll hear ⬇️ ✔️ Why we left Ireland in 2016 and the moment on the beach we decided to go ✔️ The breaking point: childcare costs, long hours and a little boy whose health was suffering ✔️ How we actually survived financially and why you must know your number before you go ✔️ Why Spain is not cheap if you try to live like you are on holiday every day ✔️ The job hunt nobody believed in and building WL Costa Properties from scratch ✔️ The language struggle nobody warns you about ✔️ How our kids went from not a word of Spanish to dreaming in it ✔️ Why you get to choose your hard Enjoying the podcast? 🎧 Hit follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. It is free, it tells the algorithm to show this to more people just like you, and it is the only thing we ask. Still dreaming about a move one day? 👉 Take our FREE Costa del Sol Location Quiz and find out which part of the coast might suit you in 30 seconds. No obligation: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/) Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you've been loving the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔️ What's been your favourite episode? ✔️ What's the most helpful tip you've learned? ✔️ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review. Work with WL Costa Properties 📘 Take the FREE Costa del Sol Location Quiz, find your perfect location: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=quiz 📞 Book a complimentary property consultation: https://calendly.com/wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=consult_call 📧 Email our team: info@wlcostaproperties.net 📱 Call / WhatsApp: +34 602 42 89 28 📍 Visit our office: Avenida Bonanza Local 21, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena, Malaga by appointment. Click here: https://wlcosta-bookings.netlify.app/ Note: Our story reflects our own experience of relocating in 2016. Everyone's move and personal situation is different, so always do your own research before making a decision.

June 23, 2026Episode 11120 min

The Costa del Sol Q2 Market Update 2026: What Other Agencies Aren't Telling You

The Costa del Sol property market has changed in 2026 and almost no other agency on this coast is willing to say it out loud. In this Q2 2026 Market Update episode of The Costa Property Podcast, Sandra and Warner sit down for an honest, no-spin breakdown of what has actually happened on the Costa del Sol in the first half of 2026, and the buyer-profile shift every international buyer needs to understand before they take their next step. You'll hear ⬇️ ✔️ The Costa del Sol Q2 2026 market shift agencies are leaving out of their content ✔️ The fundamental buyer-profile change: investors down, relocators up ✔️ Why if you were competing with 10 buyers in 2025, you're now competing with 3 to 5 ✔️ The €1.2 million cash-villa we closed last week and what it tells you about leverage in 2026 ✔️ Why prices are NOT crashing despite the world feeling uncertain ✔️ What the lower transaction volume actually means (and why the average price is up) ✔️ Warner's specific advice for international buyers planning to act on the Costa del Sol in 2026 ✔️ The €100 million Tivoli World investment and Málaga Airport expansion driving Benalmádena demand Ready to speak to a human about your move? 📞 Book one of our complimentary discovery calls with our team. We offer a limited number of slots each month and they fill quickly: https://calendly.com/wlcostaproperties/property-consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=consult_call Still figuring out which part of the Costa del Sol is right for you? 👉 Take our FREE Costa del Sol Location Quiz and find out in 30 seconds: https://wlcostaproperties-quiz.netlify.app/ Contact Us 📧 Email our team: info@wlcostaproperties.net 📱 Call / WhatsApp: +34 602 42 89 28 📍 Visit our office: Avenida Bonanza Local 21, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, Málaga Walk-ins: 10am–2pm | After 2pm by appointment Enjoying the Podcast? Leave Us a Review! We know life is busy, but if you've been loving the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you could take just a minute to leave us a review. Tell us: ✔️ What's been your favourite episode? ✔️ What's the most helpful tip you've learned? ✔️ What do you want to hear more about? Every review helps us reach more people just like you who are dreaming of a new life in Spain. Just head over to Apple Podcasts, hit the rating, and drop us a quick review.

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