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Property in Spain: What are the best areas of Barcelona to buy in right now?

If you’ve ever had dreams of owning a property in Barcelona or wonder what it takes to buy a property there, then this guide by Esme Fox will help you.

Published: 27 October 2020 12:15 CET
Property in Spain: What are the best areas of Barcelona to buy in right now?
View of Barcelona. Photo: AFP

Where to look? 

Barcelona neighbourhoods vary greatly in vibe, styles of properties and price, so it's important to narrow your search down to a few areas so you don't get overwhelmed or waste your time by looking at properties in neighbourhoods you don't like. Here's outline of some areas to consider:

Most popular areas to buy in Barcelona

Some of the most popular areas for foreigners in Barcelona include bohemian Gracia with its alternative shops, international restaurants and cocktail bars; quaint El born with its historic tapas bars, boutiques and galleries; and hip Poblenou with its start-up businesses, co-working spaces and craft beer bars. 

Roger Fernàndez from property agency and management company Söder, suggests Sants-Montjuic with its multicultural feel and many international restaurants “as a good cheaper alternative to crowded Gracia”, while Pia Hankö from agency Avenida Barcelona also suggests Sant Antoni as a good alternative to the most popular areas.

“Many people are talking about Sant Antoni,” she says. “It’s a lovely part of Barcelona that has gone through a big change and you can still find properties (many to refurbish) for a reasonable price”.

Fernàndez adds that Eixample also remains perennially popular for foreign buyers “It’s still the real centre of the city, and its big size means it offers lots of diverse properties”.

While the centre of Eixample around Passeig de Gracia is home to some of the most expensive properties in the city, go to the far edges of Eixample Dreta or Eixample Esquerra and they get slightly cheaper.

Best areas to buy in Barcelona to bag a bargain

Believe it or not, there are still lots of bargains to be had in Barcelona, however these are generally located in neighbourhoods on the edges of the city.

This does have its good points though, as these neighbourhoods are generally quieter at night, free from tourists and still have great transport links, enabling you to get to the centre in around 25 minutes on the metro.

Some of these cheaper neighbourhoods that we recommend include the family-friendly and village-like neighbourhoods of Horta-Guinardó and Sant Andreu.

Sant Andreu offers lots of new build options, as well as historic properties and even small houses (a very rare find in Barcelona). Another great local area is Nou Barris, just north of Sant Andreu, on the slopes of the Collserola Natural Park.

Although not as pretty as the previous two, it’s even cheaper still and is ideal for people who love nature and the outdoors, with easy access to the park.

apartments in BarcelonaImage: Alexander Awerin/Unsplash

Most expensive neighbourhoods to buy in Barcelona

The most expensive areas to buy in Barcelona are not close to the beach or even in the centre, they lie in the northwestern part of city, between the centre and the mountains. These include Sarrià–Sant Gervasi, Pedralbes and Les Corts.

Here you can find everything from luxury apartments to mansions. If you’ve fallen in love with these areas however, estate agent and developer Andrey Palchevskiy Voronov suggests the area of Putxet i el Farro, in between Sarrià–Sant Gervasi and Gracia. “The area is seeing a lot of movement. It’s well connected and easily accessible with reasonable prices and sweeping views,” he says. 

Other areas to consider

Some other areas to consider, which may be good for investment are the Gothic Quarter and Raval, as they lie at the heart of the Barcelona tourist area and contain many attractions.

One important thing to be aware though is that these areas do have some the highest crime rates in the city and certain parts of them are best not to be visited at night. The areas are slowly changing however with renovations and new businesses, so while they may not be an ideal option to live in now, they could make a good investment for the future.

Outside of Barcelona

Some of the towns just outside of Barcelona are also popular for foreigners buying homes, and can offer some great bargains. The beachside towns of Castelldefels and Sitges are the most popular with expats buying homes outside the city, and both lie around half an hour train ride south of Barcelona. Because of their popularity however, they’re also expensive.

A good cheaper alternative to these towns is Vilanova i la Geltrú. It has excellent beaches and lies just south of Sitges. Closer to Barcelona, the town of Badalona, just north along the coast, is essentially an extension of the city. While in the inland are of the town can feel slightly dodgy, the part close to the beach is beautiful and safe with great restaurants, shops and swathes of sand. It’s a great place to grab a bargain too.

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PROPERTY

BBQs, nudity and plants: What are the balcony rules in Spain?

Though many people hang laundry, plants, and flags from their balcony, in Spain the rules on what you can and can't do on 'el balcón' are not well-known.

Published: 8 May 2024 17:13 CEST
Updated: 11 May 2024 08:31 CEST
BBQs, nudity and plants: What are the balcony rules in Spain?

Imagine the scene: you’ve just bought or signed the lease on your dream apartment. It’s bright and airy, with plenty of space, and even has a nice-sized balcony to get some fresh air on. You can do whatever you want there, right? 

Not exactly. In Spain the rules on what you can and can’t do on a balcony (even if it’s private) depend on a few factors, namely the regional and local rules, as well as getting the approval of the building’s homeowner’s association – known in Spain as la comunidad.

Some of them might just surprise you.

READ ALSO: ‘La comunidad’: What property owners in Spain need to know about homeowners’ associations

There are four main things or activities on balconies that could potentially put you on the wrong side of the local rules and even get you fined: barbecues, plants, laundry, and flags.

In all cases (even if you don’t think you’re breaking any rules) you’ll generally need to consider two things: firstly, does this affect or change the building’s façade? And secondly: will la comunidad allow it?

Barbecues

In Spain there is no national law prohibiting barbecues on private property, so in principle it is legal as long as the barbecue is lit in a private space such as your own balcony, garden or terrace, and not a shared space.

Often in Spain, the roof (usually referred to as la terrazza) is a shared space people use for storage and hanging their laundry, so be sure to check with the comunidad.

In terms of your own balcony, however, although there’s no law saying outright you can’t have a barbecue, you’ll need to take into account the rules and regulations in force in each locality or region. There may also be specific rules within the building that long-term homeowners have developed over the years.

As we will see, many of these low-level regulations are delegated to local governments and town halls in Spain, so the answer to these sorts of questions is usually: it depends where you are.

However, according to Article 7 of Spain’s Horizontal Property Law, “the owner and the occupant of the flat or premises are not allowed to carry out in it or in the rest of the property activities prohibited in bylaws, which are harmful to the property or which contravene the general provisions on annoying, unhealthy, harmful, dangerous or illegal activities.”

This basically gives your neighbours the right to complain about noise, smells, smoke and any possible fire risk in or around their building, which barbecues could plausibly fall under.

As with co-living anywhere in the world, regardless of the regional or local rules, employ some common sense: be reasonable, listen to neighbour’s concerns and take up any disputes with the President of la comunidad.

READ ALSO: What you need to know before having a barbecue in Spain

Plants

Again, with plants the responsibility falls on each local authority to set the rules. In Spain, most regions and town halls state that, as long as the architectural or structural elements of the building are not changed or weakened in any way, putting plants on your balcony is permitted.

However, note that many terraces and balconies do have maximum weight regulations that must be respected in order to guarantee their safety, which is 200kg per square metre. If this figure is exceeded (and it can be proved) you could theoretically be fined.

Laundry

Laundry lines criss-crossing the streets might be one of the more picturesque images of Spanish life, but the people doing it might actually be breaking the rules.

How do you know? You guessed it, it depends where you. You’ll need to check with your local authority on this one, though municipal regulations in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia all regulate hanging laundry from your balcony, which is again outlined in the Horizontal Property Law.

This principally seems to be because it affects the façade of the building (a common theme when it comes to balcony rules in Spain).

In places with rules about hanging laundry from balconies, you could be fined up to 750 euros if you don’t comply with the rules.

However, according to Foto Casa, even if you live in an area where there are no bans or penalties against hanging laundry on the balcony, you’ll still likely need the permission of la comunidad.

READ MORE: Spain’s weirdest laws that foreigners should know about

What about flags?

Whether it be the Spanish flag, the Catalan, Valencian or Andalusian flags, or LGBT, trade union or football team flags, flags proudly hanging from balconies is another mainstay of Spanish life.

It’s also one of the more controversial ones too, especially within comunidad meetings. Hanging flags on the balcony, as well as allegedly altering the aesthetics and security of the building (the same concern as with laundry) often has ideological connotations that can cause conflict.

Again, as with laundry, hanging flags on the balcony will require the approval of all the owners within the community, something that must be agreed at a meeting, as per the Horizontal Property Law.

However, if the flag is placed inside the property, as it is a private property, fellow homeowners cannot oppose it, even if it is visible from the street, according to Foto Casa.

Nudity 

Article of 185 of Spain’s Penal Code only considers being naked at home to be obscene exhibitionism and sexual provocation if it affects minors, in which case it is punishable with a fine or up to a year in prison.

Therefore, you could technically sunbathe shirtless or naked on your balcony in most cases without getting into trouble, although it won’t necessarily go down well with your neighbours and/or flatmates and you be reprimanded for it.

READ ALSO: Can you go shirtless or wear a bikini in the street in Spain?

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