Buying an Apartment in Barcelona

Yes. I do not see a down side.

How high are the taxes in BCN? Do you get air conditioning in summer?

Yes, of course! Just tell your boy where!

[quote]How high are the taxes in BCN?

Do you mean property taxes, R2? Sellers pay a 10% transfer tax (ITP) when a property is purchased; after that, property taxes are next to nothing. In Barcelona I think it is 0.66% of the cadastral value of the property (the government tax basis, which is usually well under half the fair market value: €500,000 property might be appraised at €220,000 x 0.66% = €1452/year.)

[quote]Do you get air conditioning in summer?

Usually; it's fairly standard in more expensive houses and apartments of any age. 56% of Barcelona homes have air conditioning. A/C is not so critical in Barcelona as in some other cities in Spain, but it does get hot and more importantly humid. It is not difficult to find an apartment with a/c, and much less expensive than you might think to add a/c if you are buying an older property without.

Does the apartment have an extra bedroom for me to stay in?

Thanks R4, very useful. I looked at some real estate sites, looks like one can get a 750 square feet apartment in Barcelonetta for 250.000 Euros.

Lived there for two years and loved it.

Are you 55 but look like 35, R5?

Any first hand experiences from Americans?

Everybody sing!

Very good idea if you have some money.

Absolutely overrun by tourism and increasingly sleazy underclass. Port city ambiance.

I've lived there on and off for a few years. I have to say that I agree somewhat with R12. WAY TOO MANY TOURISTS, and a thieving underclass of gypsies. It's also the most polluted city in Europe. Most of the other Spanish cities are much nicer.

I agree, they do milk the Gaudi stuff too much. Too many tourists indeed. They come to BCN for a reason. But there are still lots of local Guappos, especially in the university quarters.

R9: I'm an American who moved to Spain and bought property, not in Barcelona but it's only the fees and charges that vary somewhat by location.

Buying is straightforward and without hidden turns.

There is no MLS equivalent. Most people use Idealista.com as a search engine that covers the greatest number of properties. Be aware that you may see multiple listings of the same property. Sellers typically engage one firm to list the property and other firms act as cowboys of a sort and create duplicate listings - the idea being that whoever brings a buyer to the seller will be able to extract some reward for having done so. It's a mix, then of exclusive listings and these copycat listings. The real estate firm exists only to find you the property, and represents only their own listings - they do not act as Buyers' Agents, though you can find a few such specialists in Barcelona that target forign buyers.

A deposit of 5% or 10% or some reasonable amount will secure a contract and a hold on a property while the buyer arranges his finances. In this time a notary firm is selected to arrange contract finalization (equivalent to 'closing'); they are responsible not only for the sales contracts but for due diligence in determining that there are no outstanding liens or other complications. Through them you can get a copy of the latest Technical Report for the building in which your apartment is located. Completed periodically, every 5 years or so depending on where you are, it addresses structural and other issues that could potentially result in a large expense to the building. These are consulted in lieu of home inspections which is not really a thing here. If you are buying a place that you intend to renovate in significant ways: structure, plumbing, AC/CC (air conditioning/heating), electrical, find a good contractor and arrange a time for him to visit the property and advise you as part of your purchase agreement.

For the notaries you chose to finalize the sale, use a large, long established, and reputable firm that specializes in property settlement.

Financing is not as common in Spain as in the U.S. The minium down payment is typically 20% -- and 40% for foriegn buyers (who will have a difficult time if they cannot demonstrate established patterns of employment and income.) Spain does not have a credit score system, though some of the larger banks, particulalry in BCN, may consider your American creditworthiness scores as part of their decision. Commission based salaries and widely variable annual income may be a problem. If at all possible, it is much simpler to buy a property outright, which can see a deal closed within only a few weeks.

Property values in Spain vary by location of course but buying a home is not seen as a matter of financial investment so long as a commitment to establish a long-term home. If you sell your apartment within three years there are capital gains taxes; after three years, you can apply income on the property toward purchase of another. Don't buy in Spain thinking that you will make a great windfall; property values are flat compared to the U.S.

Property alterations are wildly cheaper in Spain than in the U.S., and the quality of work better. Provided you find a good contractor. The idea of spending 60,000 or 40,000 or 20,000 on a kitchen renovation would be quite remarkable in Spain except in the very grandest of houses. Things cost less.

There are no condos or co-ops. Apartments are a specifically defined space within a building plus a % of shared spaces. Buildings operate as a group of neighbors, and usually hire a management company to hire a cleaner for the public spaces and to collect monthly fees from residents and distribute them to pay various utility bills, taxes, etc. It's simple, and monthly fees tend to be very little: something under 100 Euros a month usually, often under 50.

[quote]I looked at some real estate sites, looks like one can get a 750 square feet apartment in Barcelonetta for 250.000 Euros.

For me, Barcelonetta would not be a first choice, Hemmed in by the sea and a sea of tourists, it's not a location I would want to settle in. It has more urban disadvantages than benefits; noise and chaos, and everything you would want to do at some mostly unwalkable distance. Eixample and Poblenou and Gracia are more central neighborhoods, more residential, leafier, greener, less touristic, and more in the center of things.

I would be wary of Bajo and Attico apartments, in the first case for noise, in the second only to be sure that the construction is good and substantial, not a makeshift addition. Entreplanta floors can be low-ceilinged. It's Bajo, Entreplanta, 1st, 2nd, 3rd... so the 3rd floor may mean five serious stretches of stairway in high-ceilinged buildings. The presence of an elevator affects price. Be aware than many 70 square meter apartments will have 3 bedrooms; also be aware that many partitions interior within an apartment may be removed or relocated easily.

Here's something in La Dreta de l'Eixample, 75m2 (65m2 utilizable) with a few classic period details and a beautiful balcony. A few thousand Euros could make a huge improvement with better finishes, repainting, reworking or replacing the kitchen furniture....

And in Gracia, another at the same price range you mentioned

Hope you're financially ok. It's terribly expensive in Barcelona. My brother lived there for three months and said Barcelona has the worst infrastructure he's ever seen. Beautiful city with great food but I only like to visit.

If you are a foreign citizen property owner, I think the govt can seize your property if they feel like it.

I wouldn't buy in Catalonia until their separatist urges chill out or get resolved.

Maybe for Russian oligarchs yachts, R19.

Then you would never buy in Catalonia, R20.

If it is a city with a bunch of visitors, then you can rent it out or sell it if need be.

OP, perhaps you buy an apartment in La Casa Ramos, location of so many atmospheric movie and TV scenes.

Thanks guys, very useful, love you all, especially R15 and R16!

I trust you Tasteful Friends saw the Apple TV "HOME" episode on "Bene's House". My dream, but a bit out of range. Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue, btw, built the gorgeous San Caterina Market.

Bring mace in case you run into MPC.

"MPC" ?

Good luck, OP.

If you have only US citizenship, you're probably aware of the Schengen visa rules on how the 90 days in/90 days out calculation works (many half understand it, to their detriment.)

And get an NIE number if you don't have one already - that you plan to buy property is sufficient reason.

[quote]I've lived there on and off for a few years. I have to say that I agree somewhat with [R12]. WAY TOO MANY TOURISTS, and a thieving underclass of gypsies. It's also the most polluted city in Europe. Most of the other Spanish cities are much nicer.

Sorry to hear that. I was there in the early noughties and the water where the pontoon took you to the shopping isle was crystal clear. You could see fish swimming right to the shore. I can't believe it got from that to "most polluted in Europe" in 2 decades. The Gothic Quarter was a bit grim in the evening/night when all the needle junkies took over.

Barcelona is beautiful to visit, very aesthetically picturesque. I would seriously think twice before buying there though. It’s totally overrun with tourists and too chaotic in the high season, not to mention it has questionable infrastructure. Then there’s the other obvious draw back…it’s full of Spanish people. Think Raphael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Javier Bardem… Spaniards are not the prettiest people in the world (polite understatement). Of course there are exceptions! I’ve seen a few stunners, but very rare per capita. Then there’s the bizarrely inflated egos and sense of self importance, like they collectively ‘don’t get out much’. But a lot of nationalities have that problem.

If you like stunning seaside locations and swarthy men consider the Dalmatian coast, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Split, Pula. Or even Piran, Slovenia, it’s great. Slovenes and Croats are some of the most beautiful creatures to walk the earth and coastal areas on the Adriatic are unrivaled, simply unmatched. An alternative is the Amalfi Coast, Positano, Furore, Amalfi, Ravello... Southern Italians get a bad rap, mostly from Northern Italians. But I’ve found they’re charming and hospitable people (and beautiful) and the coastal mountains are majestic as they spill into the sea.

I was about to say I found the men - especially the salesmen, gorgeous and gay. The older ladies are dressed to the nines.

What are you talking of, R29??? Spanish guys are the hottest in the world.

R31 What do I know. I lived in Bilbao for 3 mos and Madrid for 19 mos. for work and I’ve been back since then. I could count on two hands the number of guys who turned my head. That’s not hyperbole. Maybe they were all out if the country while I was there. I kept hearing how beautiful the Spanish were, even though I didn’t care one way or the other, but I only heard that from other Spanish people. None of my friends from Europe ever said that, to my recollection.

But you know what they say about beauty and the beholder. Maybe I’m not blessed with the ability to appreciate it.

In my experience in country, she looks like most women over 55 y/o including my downstairs neighbor in Prosperidad who made amazing patatas bravas for me, because she knew I liked spicy food. Lovely women. Not easy on the ojos.

I wish i was a paid DL member so i could start a parody thread of this one and entitle it something like, Buying an Apartment in Daytona (Beach, FL).

Or this guy who looks like a more attractive cousin of the attendant who filled my tank at Repsol on C. San Nazario/C. Canillas for a year and a half. You’re right R31, the incomparable beauty of the Spaniard is hard to behold.

I would rather live in Mobile, Alabama. And I don’t have a high opinion of the rust belt.

It ‘s a great idea. Do it.

R33: Cayetana, the Duchess of Alba was maybe always a bit on the sturdy and severe side of handsome but she didn't always look like a joke of the surgeon's scalpel, and she was always enormously rich. Being Europe's most titled person came as a gift from a cousin, the publicity shy (for reasons) Duchess of Medinaceli, who, on learning of her status through journalists, pawned some titles off onto someone she knew would more appreciate the honor.