A few days ago I visited a flat in Las Lagunas, one of the areas where I’ve handled the most transactions in recent months. It had clear features: 3 bedrooms, garage included, communal pool, around 90 m². A profile I know very well, because I’ve sold many similar properties in this area.

The asking price: €350,000.

My market analysis, based on real transactions I’ve closed and data on properties sold in the same area of Mijas over the last year, tells me the real value of this flat is between €290,000 and €310,000.

That’s a difference of almost €40,000 to €60,000.

An owner who doesn’t really want to sell

The conversation with the owner was revealing. The flat has been for sale for almost 3 years. She’s in no hurry. She says she’s very happy living there, and if it doesn’t sell, she can wait. She needs this price to buy a house in the countryside, but it’s not an immediate priority.

Most striking of all: exactly one month ago, after several years advertising it without selling, she raised the price by €15,000.

When I explained that her flat is above market value and that at this price it will probably not sell, her answer was: “I don’t mind.”

The real problem: the ripple effect on the market

Here’s what really worries me as a professional in this sector.

This owner isn’t an isolated case. She’s a symptom of something more serious that affects hundreds of potential buyers in Mijas, Fuengirola and the surrounding area.

When a flat with these features is listed at €350,000 for 3 years, other owners see it. They use it as a reference to set the price of their own property. “If that similar flat is at €350,000, mine should be too.” And gradually, reference prices get distorted.

The local buyers I work with — young people, families looking to build a home on the coast, investors interested in returns — don’t understand why a flat with a real value of €300,000 is listed at €350,000. Some believe it’s really worth that. Others get discouraged and look in cheaper municipalities, missing out on opportunities in areas with a better future.

Platforms like Idealista amplify this problem. If you do a filtered search for “3 bedrooms in Mijas”, the algorithm will show you that €350,000 listing as relevant data. That false data point distorts the search for real buyers.

The impact on families who want to buy well

I work with many local buyers. People who have saved, who have pre-approved mortgages, who want to invest in a home for their family or as a real estate asset. For them, buying at the right price is critical. Paying €290,000 is not the same as paying €330,000 for the same property. That difference is 13% of their investment.

An owner who advertises but doesn’t really want to sell is, without realising it, hurting those families. It stops them accessing a property at its real value. It makes them doubt whether they’re buying well. It creates insecurity around one of the most important decisions of their life.

How I know you’re buying at the right price

I live and work in Mijas, Fuengirola and the surrounding area, and I know the area first-hand: Mijas Pueblo, Las Lagunas, La Cala, Mijas Golf. I know the real price of any type of property on the Costa del Sol, especially in Mijas, Fuengirola and the surrounding area. I know which areas are rising, which are stabilising, where there’s real demand.

That’s why I offer completely free, no-obligation valuations.

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Mijas, Fuengirola or the surrounding area, I want you to have complete certainty that you’re buying at market price. That you don’t pay €40,000 too much for phantom listings. That you invest in a property that makes sense.

The free valuation includes:

✓ Real comparative analysis of similar properties in the area that have sold recently ✓ Assessment of the property’s condition and factors that raise or lower its value ✓ Study of the surrounding area (local trends, current demand, future outlook) ✓ Clear recommendation: whether the asking price is fair or whether you should negotiate

I advise local buyers, and in most cases I manage to save them between €15,000 and €50,000 on their purchase, simply because they have certainty about the real price.

A 15-minute chat, a decision for years

You don’t need to commit to anything. No documents or paperwork needed. A 15-minute chat with me analysing the property you’re interested in. I’ll tell you the truth: whether it’s well priced, whether there’s room to negotiate, whether there are hidden risks.

Because buying a home is too important to leave to chance, or to prices inflated by owners who don’t really want to sell.

Want to know if you’re buying well?

Call me, no obligation. +34 613 075 633

Or visit www.fernandezariza.es

Specialist in Mijas, Fuengirola and the surrounding area.