Buying a penthouse in Marbella: pluses and minuses16 Oct, 2019 Manolo Alarcon

Buying a penthouse in Marbella is the dream of many people, but is it justified?

At first sight, penthouses are the “kings” of apartments, something that is directly reflected in the price. Views are the factor usually mentioned at the top of the list and in Costa del Sol this is an especially relevant element, due to the beauty of the landscapes and the mythical sunrises and sunsets.

The terraces are the main object of desire: the possibility of enjoying them as if they were another room, for dinners or parties in warm summer evenings or for sunbathing during the day (in many cases they have a rooftop solarium in silver).

Many communities allow barbecues on penthouses’ terraces, contrary to ground and intermediate floors, due to the obvious discomforts caused by smoke. The enjoyment of a terrace is also linked to the greater sense of privacy provided by a penthouse, which in some cases can be almost the same as that of an independent villa.

And we do not forget the light. Not that in Costa del Sol light is a scarce asset, but there is no doubt that a penthouse allows a maximum use of natural light during almost all day.

Jill and Larry bought their penthouse in Marbella two years ago, in the inner zone of the Golden Mile, and they have never regretted it. The relatively high position of the terrain allows truly spectacular panoramic views and on an autumn day, in which the presence of clouds offers a much more interesting sky, the red, orange and purple colors of the sunset leave us open-mouthed.

No serious heat waves in Marbella

“Disadvantages?” Jill tells us. “As much as I try, I can’t think of any. We paid more than if it had been an intermediate floor, for sure, but it’s worth it. True, it’s quite hot in the middle of summer, in July and in August, and we had to buy the two pergolas to make it more bearable. Of course, air conditioning in each room is essential. Anyway, we are in Costa del Sol and here we know that the thermometer never rises beyond a certain limit. This year, all the heat waves have passed over us (laughs)”.

We don’t even mention the “cold”, since Jill and Larry hardly ever turn the heating on for a few hours in the months of December, January and February. That is one of the disadvantages of penthouses in the cities, especially if there is central heating: it is harder for hot water to reach the upper floors. However, mild winters in Costa del Sol are not something to be afraid of.

And the rain? That can be an inconvenience of penthouses, more likely to have leaks than the intermediate floors, but we must not forget that in Marbella and the Costa del Sol we enjoy almost 300 clear days in a year.

“It rains very little here, but when it rains, it rains,”says Larry. “Rain flooded our terrace once, but windows are very well insulated and no water leaked into the house. Good drainage is important. You have to make sure that, when it rains, they are clean, free of dirt that can clog them. If necessary, open an additional drain. Some neighbors here have done it, but we didn’t need it”.

Buying a penthouse in Marbella, Estepona, San Pedro de Alcántara or any other of the towns of the Costa del Sol? A little more cost and a little more care, but a long list of advantages for your enjoyment.