About Move to Malaga: 30 Years of Local Experience!
Move to Malaga is an independent relocation and property consultancy run by Lisa Sadleir. She has lived in Spain for more than 30 years and has been helping people relocate to the Costa del Sol since 2010. This page is for families, retirees, and international buyers who want to know exactly who they would be working with, how we differ from an estate agent, and whether a relocation consultant is worth the cost for their situation. The answer to that last question depends on your circumstances, and we explain honestly below how to work it out for yourself.
Who Is Lisa Sadleir?
Lisa Sadleir founded Move to Malaga in 2010 after living in Spain for over 20 years. She moved her own family to the region, went through the school search, the NIE appointments and the property purchase herself, and later wrote a book on Moving to Spain with Children (2026 version to be published soon) based on that experience. That combination, living the relocation herself before advising anyone else, is the reason clients come to us rather than reading a generic guide or relying on advice from whoever happens to be selling them a property.
Lisa works alongside a small team, including her colleague Sabine, who leads the in-person orientation tours. Keeping the team small and hands-on is deliberate. It means the person planning your relocation strategy is usually the same person who knows the area you are looking at, helping you get practical, personalised guidance rather than a scripted response.
What Makes Move to Malaga Different From an Estate Agent?
An estate agent is paid by the seller and is trying to sell you a property. A relocation consultant is paid by you and is trying to help you make the right decision, even when that means waiting, renting first, or looking elsewhere entirely.
At Move to Malaga, we are not estate agents, and we do not introduce clients to local agents and step back. We search the open market across multiple agencies, shortlist what actually matches your budget and lifestyle, and stay involved through the appointments that matter, including viewings, negotiations and the run-up to completion. If a property or an area does not suit you, we say so, even if that means the search takes longer than you expected.
Who We Help
Families relocating with children. Families need clear answers on schooling options, visa routes for dependents, and which towns actually suit family life day-to-day rather than the towns that look best on a holiday visit. This is the area Lisa has the most direct personal experience in, having relocated her own children to Spain and written about the process, so families get advice grounded in real relocation experience.
Retirees. Retirees are usually most concerned with healthcare access, the income requirements for the Non-Lucrative Visa, and finding a property that is manageable in the long term. We help retirees think through the practical realities of daily life here, not just the lifestyle appeal, so they can choose with greater confidence.
International buyers and remote workers. This includes anyone buying property from abroad who wants to avoid the costly mistakes that catch out first-time buyers, such as purchasing without independent legal representation or misjudging visa timelines. We help them reduce risk and make clearer decisions.
You can read what previous clients say about working with us on our testimonials page.
What We Actually Do For You
Our services fall into three areas, and most clients combine more than one depending on whether they are renting first or buying straight away.
The Orientation Tour is a guided, in-person tour of the areas that match your budget and needs, so you can make an informed decision about where to live before committing to a rental or a purchase. This currently costs €395 plus IVA, giving you practical local insight before you decide.
Property Finder Service for buyers. This covers searching the market, shortlisting properties, arranging viewings and negotiating on your behalf. The Standard service is €595 plus IVA. The VIP service is €995 plus IVA and includes video visits for up to 5 properties so you can see homes remotely before you ever travel, along with any relocation services you need along the way, such as help with your NIE number, bank account or visa paperwork, through to completion. For VIP service, we also receive a 2.5% commission on the purchase price, which in Málaga and the Costa del Sol is almost always paid by the listing agent and not added to your cost as the buyer. This allows us to view and act on properties on your behalf as soon as they come to market, often before you would see them yourself, helping you move faster and with more confidence.
Property Finder Service for renters. This covers the same market search, shortlisting, and viewings, but leads to signing a rental contract rather than a purchase contract. The Standard service is €595 plus IVA. The VIP service is €995 plus IVA and includes video visits for up to 5 properties, so you can see potential homes before committing to a viewing trip, as well as more hands-on support through to signing the rental contract.
Relocation packages cover property search, guidance, visa applications (including the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa), residency paperwork, school selection assistance, and practical steps for setting up daily life once you arrive, such as opening a bank account and registering at the town hall.
Why Work With an Independent Consultant Instead of Doing It Yourself?
You can relocate to Spain on your own, and some people do it successfully. But most of the problems we see did not have to happen. They happened because someone was making decisions about an area, a property or a visa route without the local knowledge to know what they were actually looking at.
We know these areas because we have lived in them for more than 30 years, not researched them from a desk. We know which streets flood in heavy rain, which developments have unresolved licence issues, which schools have waiting lists that stretch back a year, and which “quiet village” is actually a 40-minute drive from the nearest hospital. That kind of knowledge only comes from living here, and it is the difference between choosing a home that works for your life and choosing one that looked right on a single holiday visit.
The people who relocate alone tend to hit the same obstacles repeatedly, buying a property without an independent lawyer, misjudging visa income thresholds, or discovering months later that the area they picked does not suit their daily life at all. We have watched these mistakes happen, which is exactly why we can help clients avoid them. Our role is to get your move right from the outset, not to fix it after you have already signed something you should not have.
What Should You Realistically Expect From the Process?
Spanish bureaucracy moves slowly, and having a consultant does not always change that. Appointments for the NIE number, residency cards and town hall registration often involve queues and paperwork requirements that are not obvious until you are standing in line. School waiting lists, particularly for the more popular international schools near the coast, can mean applying months before your actual move date. Rental availability also tightens noticeably in spring and summer, so the timing of your search matters as much as your budget.
We tell you this upfront because starting with realistic expectations makes the whole process far less stressful than assuming everything will move quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. We are an independent relocation and property consultancy. We do not sell property on behalf of sellers or developers, nor are we paid by them. Our job is to represent your interests as the buyer or the person relocating.
Lisa has lived in Spain for more than 30 years and has been running Move to Malaga, a relocation and property consultancy, since 2010.
No, it is entirely possible to relocate without one. It tends to be most useful for people with limited time to spend in Spain before their move, limited experience with Spanish bureaucracy, or who want to reduce the risk of buying property from abroad, especially when they want more support and fewer avoidable surprises.
Both tiers cover searching, shortlisting, viewings, and negotiation for buyers or renters. The VIP tier adds video visits for up to 5 properties, so you can see homes remotely before travelling. For buyers, VIP also includes any relocation services you need along the way and support through to completion. For renters, VIP includes support through to signing the rental contract.
Yes. Both use the same market search and shortlisting process, but the buying service continues through to completion of a purchase, while the rental service continues through to signing a rental contract. On the VIP purchase tier, we also receive a 2.5% commission on the purchase price, which in Málaga and the Costa del Sol is almost always paid by the listing agent rather than added to what you pay as the buyer.
Yes, our relocation packages include support with visa applications, such as the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa, as well as the subsequent residency paperwork. We have experienced lawyers for each visa type, should you require their services.
Yes, the Orientation Tour is available as a standalone service for anyone who wants a guided look at areas matching their budget and lifestyle before committing to anything further.
Lisa leads the consultancy and works directly with clients on relocation strategy, and her colleague Sabine leads the in-person orientation tours. It is a small, hands-on team rather than a large call centre operation.
The most direct way is to book an initial consultation, where we can discuss your timeline, budget and priorities honestly and tell you whether our services are likely to be useful for you.
If you are weighing up whether to handle your move to Spain alone or with support, the most useful next step is usually a short conversation rather than more reading. You can book an initial consultation, join an Orientation Tour, or get in touch about the Property Finder service, and we will tell you honestly where we think you actually need help.
Contact Us Today!
Get in touch today to learn how we can help make your move to southern Spain a success. Let our expertise guide you to your new home and a beautiful Mediterranean lifestyle.