Barcelona is one of the world's most vibrant metropolitan areas and its combination of vibrant city life, beaches, history and futuristic spirit make it a very fascinating place. However, due to these reasons, the prices of housing here are generally very high. Guide to Barcelona.

Despite this, the city is in the top 10 for searches from Sweden in the category Abroad/Spain on Blocket. Interest in buying a home in Barcelona is high.

However, despite the eternal interest in buying a home in the city, there are few Swedish brokers who invest in Barcelona. This is simply because prices there are markedly much higher compared to the rest of Spain (although prices here have also dropped significantly during the crisis). The average Swede would also like to have 2 bedrooms with a sea view in a central location. However, this segment is unfortunately something only the really wealthy can afford in Barcelona.

But there are alternatives . Our close partner, the major bank La Caixa (now Holabank) has a major focus on Barcelona as it has its origins and headquarters in the Catalan capital. They also lend between 70-90%, and you can apply online.

They have hundreds of bank properties, houses and apartments (as well as commercial properties) in the database. New ones are constantly being added. They also have Swedish-speaking brokers on site who work directly with us.

We also collaborate with one of the larger players of resale in the area (they also have investment properties with licenses for rental).

Note, a superbly exclusive area for an investment is Sitges, “Spain's St. Tropez”.

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About the prices and restrictions on renting

The market in Barcelona reached its peak in 2007 with an average price per m2 of 4732 euros and was at its lowest in 2013 with an average price of 2957 euros. A reduction of approx: 40%. Since 2013 until the turn of the year 2016, the market in Barcelona has risen approx: 6-7%.

Now the prices differ quite a lot between the different districts and different sources have slightly varying data on the average square meter price, but the percentage is the same, i.e. approx: 40% between peak and bottom.

Because they stopped giving new licenses to tourist apartments, they have given tax breaks to investors who buy apartments and rent them out to long-term residents instead. It realized that the interest of foreign investors dropped quickly and is trying to compensate for this. The return is often not as high, but the investment is at the same time much lower.

Most Scandinavians do not buy in Barcelona anyway with the aim of renting out the apartment. There are better markets for this specific purpose. If you have a bigger budget to move around with, there is, however, big money to be made in this enormously popular market (the reason for introducing the restrictions was after all because they wanted to dampen the ever-growing tourism).

As for "cheap bank properties", it cannot be emphasized enough that this concerns exclusively more or less renovation properties on the outskirts of Barcelona. It is simply not possible to get hold of a "fresh one-bedroom apartment" with a terrace in a central location for around one million SEK.

Read about which areas in Spain give the highest return when investing.

Write to info@spanskafastigheter.se if you are looking for something in a specific area and we will let the Swedish broker scan the market for exactly this. If we possibly recommend bank objects instead depends on what and where you are looking.

Invest in a house or apartment on the outskirts if you are moving to Barcelona

Eixample is a good district as it is very central, but still outside all the "worst" downtown areas that are teeming with tourists. The houses are also more modern but still in a classic fine style if you compare with, for example, Borne, which is in the middle of the city and consists of very old houses. Poble Neu is also becoming more and more popular. Poble Neu is relatively close to the city and it is close to the beach. The difference here is that there is more new construction, so the standard is higher.

A cheap alternative is to bet on an apartment or house in one of the towns outside the city.
A good example is Roda del Ter, which is an hour's drive, about 80 kilometers from central Barcelona. The town is located in the municipality of Comarca de Osona, near the Ter River.

At the time of writing, for example, there are newly built apartments for sale in Roda from 45,000 Euro up to 95,000, (1-3 bedrooms). All apartments have aluminum windows, fully equipped kitchens, heating, etc. Some also have a terrace or garden. There are 6 pieces left for sale, but this is, as it were, just an example.

There are still plenty of bank properties in and around Barcelona. In Barcelonés itself, there are apartments from 43800-241000 Euros.

Zones that the bank has in its portfolio : Alt Penedes, Anoia, Bages, Baix Llorbregat, Bergueda, Barcelonés, Garraf, La Selva, Mareseme, Osona, Valles occidental and Valles Oriental.

The most common approach is for you to enter your criteria: approximate location, type of accommodation, number of bedrooms etc. and then come down to viewing. Read more about how to buy bank properties in Spain.

Write to info@spanskafastigheter.se for more information.