Finestrat's new-build market is, in one line, a detached-home market with a wide price ceiling. Of the 32 new-build projects veritySpain tracks in this Costa Blanca municipality in the province of Alicante, 25 are villas. The remainder splits into 4 penthouses, 2 townhouses and a single apartment. Prices run from 299,900 euros to 3,950,000 euros, floor areas from 73 to 998 square metres, and bedroom counts from 2 to 8. If you are buying here, you are buying into a standalone-villa segment first and an apartment segment almost not at all.

What the numbers say about buying in Finestrat

A type mix of 25 villas out of 32 projects, roughly four in five, tells you more than any brochure. This is not a high-rise coastal strip of compact two-bedroom flats. It is a market built around private plots, detached construction and the longer build timelines that come with them. The bedroom range of 2 to 8 and the floor-area range of 73 to 998 square metres confirm it: the same municipality serves a buyer wanting a modest 73 square metre starter and a buyer commissioning a near-1,000 square metre family residence.

The price spread does the same work. From 299,900 euros at the entry to 3,950,000 euros at the top, Finestrat covers more than a thirteen-fold range in a single municipality. Practically, that means two different purchases live under one place name. The lower band behaves like a standard Costa Blanca new-build buy. The upper band behaves like a bespoke commission, with the legal and financial care that a multi-million-euro contract demands.

veritySpain's average editorial score for Finestrat projects is 7.2, against a Costa Blanca average of 7.4. That 0.2-point gap is small, and we report it plainly rather than round it away. It signals a market that is solid and slightly below the coastal mean on our scoring, not a standout and not a weak spot. Read it as a reason to compare individual projects on their merits rather than assume a uniform quality level across all 32.

New-build versus resale: the tax maths

The single biggest financial difference between buying new and buying resale in the Valencian Community, which covers Alicante and therefore Finestrat, is how the purchase is taxed.

• New-build (off-plan or key-ready): you pay 10% IVA (the Spanish VAT) on the price, plus 1.5% AJD (Actos Jurídicos Documentados, stamp duty) on the deed. Combined, that is 11.5% in purchase tax before notary, registry and legal costs.
• Resale: you pay 10% ITP (Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales, transfer tax) instead, with no IVA and no AJD on the purchase.

For a villa-led market like Finestrat, where a large share of stock is new construction, the 11.5% new-build figure is the number to budget against. On a 299,900 euro entry villa that is roughly 34,500 euros in tax alone. On a 3,950,000 euro residence it is roughly 454,000 euros. Notary fees, Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) inscription and independent legal fees sit on top of both.

Off-plan or key-ready

Finestrat's recorded delivery dates span 2023 to 2027. That four-year window is the clearest sign that both completed and unfinished stock are on the market at the same time, and the choice between them changes how you pay and what protects you.

Key-ready

A finished villa with a delivery date already past, say a 2023 or 2024 completion, is bought much like a resale in mechanics: you inspect the actual building, agree a price, and complete at the notary against a near-immediate handover. The new-build tax treatment of 10% IVA plus 1.5% AJD still applies on a first transfer from the developer.

Off-plan

A villa with a 2026 or 2027 delivery is bought before or during construction, on staged payments tied to build milestones. This is where Spanish buyer protection matters most:

• Bank guarantee or insurance: under Ley 20/2015, every amount you pay a developer ahead of completion must be secured by a bank guarantee or insurance policy. If the project is not delivered, those staged payments are recoverable. Confirm this is in place before transferring anything.
• Staged payment schedule: typically a reservation fee, a deposit on contract, instalments through the build, and the balance at the notary on completion. Read the schedule against the construction timeline.
• Specification and snagging: with no finished unit to inspect, the contract's technical specification (memoria de calidades) is your reference point. Budget time for snagging on handover.

The buying process, in order

The mechanics are the same across the Valencian Community and apply to every Finestrat project regardless of price band.

• NIE: obtain your Número de Identificación de Extranjero. No purchase, mortgage or utility contract completes without it.
• Independent legal counsel: engage a lawyer who acts for you, not the developer. On a market with contracts up to 3,950,000 euros, this is not optional.
• Reservation and contract: a reservation removes the property from sale; the private purchase contract sets price, payment schedule and delivery terms.
• Notary and Land Registry: the public deed (escritura) is signed before a notary, taxes are paid, and the purchase is inscribed at the Registro de la Propiedad to secure legal title.

Who Finestrat suits

Put the data together and the buyer profile is clear. With 25 of 32 projects being villas, only one apartment in the set, and bedroom counts reaching 8, this is a municipality for buyers who want detached space, whether as a primary home, a family second home or a larger residence at the top of the 3,950,000 euro band. Buyers set on a compact, lock-up-and-leave coastal apartment will find Finestrat's new-build supply thin and should weigh neighbouring Costa Blanca markets. A 7.2 average against the 7.4 coastal figure is the honest backdrop: a credible market that rewards comparing projects one by one.