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es-housing.qxd 09/02/2005 12:28 Page 14 HOUSING 14 Where To Live: Barcelona continued from page 13 SARRIÀ AND THE ZONA ALTA Barcelona's most privileged address, Sarrià, and the larger area Zona Alta are home to mansions, elegant apartment blocks and the most expensive international schools. You'll need your own transport to get around comfortably, but the neighbourhood has a tranquil, residential feel impossible to find in other parts of the city. All housing here is expensive, but it's also newer and generally in better condition than many of the apartments on offer in more historic parts of Barcelona. For many people, a big plus of the Zona Alta is that it's close to the Ronda, the belt-like highway that circles Barcelona. SAN CUGAT An ideal place for families, the suburb of San Cugat is well connected to the city centre by the ferrocarril (regional train). The pace here is slower than in central Barcelona and while property prices are still high, it's possible to find a larger townhouse or even a small one-family home, something which is difficult in Barcelona. Forests of the Collserola mountain ridge make for great strolling, and the large park on the grounds of a Romanesque monastery is a good place for children to play. San Cugat's concentrated centre has all the services you need, including an international school. La Sagrada Familia, Antonio Guadi’s unfinished masterpiece in Barcelona. Looking for the lowdown on life in Spain? Visit the forum to talk to old hands: www.expatica.com/spain SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM
es-housing.qxd 09/02/2005 11:04 Page 15 Buying A Home When you are ready to take the plunge and enter the Spanish property market, where do you start? Town or country, there are plenty of property options. With average property prices in Madrid and Barcelona at €3,100 per square metre, you will be lucky to stumble across a bargain anymore (properties in provincial capitals and small towns are about half this figure). Such is the demand among foreigners for central apartments in these cities that Spanish families are increasingly selling up and moving into something far bigger out of town for the same price. Prices are predicted to continue to rise by about 10 percent in 2004, though venture slightly inland from the coast or just outside of big cities and there are far more affordable properties to be found offering greater value for money. The appeal of buying on the coast is obvious. Coastal properties, as well as apartments in cities, also profit from a strong buy-to-let market. In Barcelona, buying a central two-bed apartment to rent out for €150 a night during the summer months will cover your mortgage payments nicely. Compared with the UK, the house-buying process in Spain is quick and the entire transaction is often complete within a month or two. CHECKING OUT THE PROPERTY If you are interested in a new-build property, which by Spanish law must come with a 10-year guarantee, make sure you check plans for future developments in the area. Buying new-build off-plan is popular in Spain, especially on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, though if you are intending to rent it out, do not instantly take the agent's claims of guaranteed year-round income at face value. Also consider that when complete, the property may not be worth as much as originally anticipated. With resales, you must ensure that you collect and check all the relevant documents from the seller before you pay your deposit. Also check that the sale and purchase contract are carefully drafted as in Spain personal debts, tax bills, court judgements and mortgages are charged against the property rather than the individual. Check on the escritura publica that the seller's name corresponds with the person you are dealing with, that the description of the property matches what you think you are buying and that the property is free from charges, restrictions and court orders for seizure. If the seller has a mortgage, make sure the payments are up to date. Otherwise the bank could seize the property. The Property Registry (www.registradores.org/principal/indexx.jsp, tel. 902 201 200) can provide you with details of the owner and any charges on any property in Spain. You can pay by credit card to receive this information online, usually within 24 hours. The website also lists details of local branches (search under 'Localice su registro'). See below for the main branch in major cities. Make sure the house is not rented out as you will struggle to get rid of tenants. Ask the building's president or whoever is in charge of the community of property owners about monthly community fees, whether the current owner owes anything, and whether any major works on the building are due. Check that the owner has paid all municipal real estate tax (IBI- Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) owed, otherwise you will foot the bill and penalties. WWW.EXPATICA.COM SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE 15 HOUSING
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