Understanding Real Estate Surveys

If you're about to buy a property in Spain, then you'll likely be arranging a mortgage/home loan for the new place. Any operation from a bank or caja is likely to insist on a survey being carried out on the property, in order to corroborate the value of the loan being offered by the bank - i.e. so they know the place you're buying is at least worth what they're willing to lend you.


This survey - known as "una tasación" in Spanish - is almost always paid for by the buyer of the property, and is taken as part of the costs involved in arranging a new mortgage. The financial entity that is financing the loan will either have their own branch of surveyors, or use a third party company who has ties with them. The actual surveyors themselves are usually architects with official and the price of these surveys range from around 200 - 400 Euros.

So What does the Actual Process Involve?

Well, from your part pretty much nothing. You'll have to let the surveyor into your home so they can measure (usually with a laser contraption) and they may take some photos. They then prepare a report, which gives the real market value of your property. The way this is calculated is a little more complicated and can include some or all of the following criteria.

Firstly, the surveyor looks at other property sales within an 800m radius of the property and then takes an average floor price. The minimum requirement of properties to consider is four - usually no problem in a city like Barcelona. If this is not possible, they take the last known floor price and compare that to the floor price of a new building, subtracting the normal devaluation of a second hand building.

Other factors are taken into consideration, such as the proximity of public transport, motorways, local commerce and schooling, etc. The building itself plays a big part, too, with communal spaces such as patios, garages and storage spaces (trasteros) being included in the price reflection.

Unfortunately, you cannot influence the surveyor the survey and its outcome. It has been known in the past for surveyors to receive a fat envelope to over-price the survey, and this way buyers who are struggling to make the budget of the price plus the usual 10% banks fees, have no problem. This is a little more difficult to find nowadays, however, and you usually have to rely on the results from the survey.

One way to find out if a property is valued correctly at the point of enquiry, is to let the professionals find one for you. A Barcelona Real Estate Agency such as Modus Vivendi are the perfect people to ask about a property, and if it's on the market at the right price. This can save you a great deal of time (and money) for over-valued properties where they have much more of an inkling that the surveyor is going to value the property lower. They also have a clear and concise list of guidelines for buying a property in Spain.

Sunny Spain Remains Top Choice for UK Investors

For many people, the dream of a place in the sun is often just that - a dream, although for the fortunate few who are able to realise that dream, it seems the Spain maintains itself as top of the list in a recent survey, especially for those living in thr UK.

Given the terrible weather experienced this year so far in the whole of the UK, it's no surprise that many people are looking for a second home in warmer climates. According to the survey, the Spanish lifestyle beat near rivals France, Portugal, Turkey and Bulgaria as preferred destination for investors looking for their home away from home. The study cites the possibility of tumbling real estate prices as a possible reason for the ranking as number one, in comparison to its sunny neighbouring countries.

This is perhaps an interesting find - while it's true that in the past the peseta and even the introduction of the Euro, made Spain a relatively cheap destination for other european countries with stronger currencies such as Germany and the UK, the current exchange rate of the GBPound against the Euro is almost equal.



Within Spain, it's likely that the favoured destinations will be the Spanish "costas" and the islands in the Mediterranean, assuming you can afford the prices. However, it's important to remember that Barcelona was also voted 5th best city in the world in 2009. There are many great real estate opportunities in Barcelona, and the best way to discover the gems is to contact a Barcelona Real Estate Agency such as Modus Vivendi. With over 5 years experience in Barcelona and the surrounding area, they also offer some secure and transparent guidelines to buying a property in Spain so rest assured you'll be in good hands.

Great Ideas for Decorating Your New Home in Barcelona

So you've found your dream home in Barcelona? Maybe it's a brand new building with apartments "a estrenar", or maybe you've decided to go for an older, second hand property and to do it up yourself, bit by bit. Either way, there can be some big decisions involved, and if it's a brand new but bare apartment - or an older property where nothing matches, it can be difficult if you dive in with both feet, and often things end up getting left half-finished while you move on to another job (we've all done it!).

So this month in Barcelona, Expohogar comes to the rescue! Forget IKEA and Habitat - this is the place for all of the cutting edge technology and decorations to spruce up your home or make it the most modern apartment in your block! In it's 42nd edition and still going strong, the ExpoHogar (home exposition, literally translated) is taking place at the Fira de Barcelona at Plaça Espanya, at the foot of Montjüic, from the 22nd to 25th January. Expect to see the new trends for 2010 from anything as small as knives and forks through lamps and prints all the way to the coolest garden furniture for this coming summer. The exposition showcases goods and designs from all over northern Spain and even from France, and despite the current financial downturn is expected to fare well yet again this year!

Are you having trouble deciding on whether to get a new place or refurbish an old classic with character? Modus Vivendi Barcelona Real Estate Agency has over 8 years experience, and also offer some secure and transparent guidelines to buying a property in Spain. Don't make any mistakes with your monay, give them a call or visit their website at www.mvbarcelona.com

Council Cencus Reveals High Numbers of "Macro Pisos" in Barcelona

Barcelona Council has released some interesting figures about the ownership of properties within the high rises of Barcelona. The local newspaper 20minutos, reported the news story which revealed that more than 27,000 properties in the Catalan Capital have less than 30m2. The council census includes 73 different neighbourhoods and a total of 805,739 individual properties. The average occupancy of a Barcelona apartment is the surprisingly low figure of 3.



Perhaps the biggest surprise is the number of small properties in the city. The Old Town neighbourhoods of Raval, Borne and Poble Sec had the highest concentration of these often dubbed "macro-pisos". The minimum requirement in Madrid for the issue of the civil licence of living quarters - known as a "cedula de habitabilidad" - is 30m2, and funnily enough, in Barcelona it's an incredible 20m2.

What also seems to surprise is the gulf between some of the properties in such a relatively small city. You can pass from the fairly squashed 20-30m2 in the Raval or Borne to almost 2000 properties which have OVER 250m2 - no surprise to hear that these lie in the Eixample Dreta and the uptown neighbourhood of Pedralbes.

The statistics also shed light on the number of foreign owners in the city with more than 15,400 properties registered to foreign owners - not to mention the number of rentals within the city - being a considerably high number. Again, it's no surprise to discover that the majority of those are located in the Old Town, a hub of immigration, where the highest concentration of old buildings are found. More than 84,000 buildings were built before 1901.

Are you looking to invest in proprty in Barcelona? Or are you thinking of moving here? Modus Vivendi is a Barcelona Real Estate Agency with over 8 years experience, and always on hand to find a solution to your needs - large or small. They also offer some secure and transparent guidelines to buying a property in Spain.