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Property in Spain: What can you buy in Valencia for €150K?

Valencia continues to be one of the property hotspots in Spain, with foreign buyers attracted to the region for the Mediterranean lifestyle, its sunny climate and the fact that it is still affordable.

Published: 27 January 2020 10:24 CET

Property in Spain: What can you buy in Valencia for €150K?

Valenica is proving very attractive to foreign buyers. Photo by Juan Pablo Gonzáles / Flickr

The Local spoke to Graham Hunt of Valencia Property, who said enquiries have risen over 60 percent since this time last year.

“One thing we always get asked about seems to be properties around 150k with at least two bedrooms,” he said.

“This is a logical question in the city but outside the city houses tend to start with three bedrooms and then get bigger. In the towns surrounding the city you can also get that third bedroom for your visitors or even more and you have easy access to a cosmopolitan city of almost 1 million people on your doorstep along with the more traditional delights of the local Valencia towns and villages outside your door.·”

READ ALSO: OPINION: Why Valencia is the best place to live in Spain

Lets take a look at six typical properties which offer great value and come within the €150k budget.

City Apartment Living in Valencia

People looking to move to the city of Valencia itself, are often looking for apartments in areas such as the Carmen in the Old Town, or by the beach, such as in the Cabanyal.

The sweet spot for city clients is between the €150/200k mark, so rising prices have seen them moving away from the usual haunts of Ruzafa and El Carmen and focusing on the fantastic beach neighbourhoods that in recent times have undergone quite a transformation.

Set on the best stretch of Cabanyal, thats between the Port and the Market, this 6TH floor Flat actually overlooks the peace and quiet of Calle Barraca and with some TLC could be a fantastic apartment for rental returns, (Think local university students and summer tourists) or as a holiday home just 600 Metres from the Arenas Beach.

So a slightly negotiable €150k with tax and renovation that still gets you in for under €200k, worth a look.

READ MORE: The beach areas of Valencia

Well located bolthole in El Carmen

If you are more into the old town in Valencia then this nicely situated Carmen apartment may suit you. It has been rented out for the last few years and now the owner wants to sell up. It has two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen opening into the living room and a good sized living room. Second floor without lift but easy stairs.

On a quiet street in El Carmen with shops, restaurants and bars all within a couple of minutes walk, you could have your place as your city pad or your rental apartment in Valencia right in the heart of the city. Just a two minute walk to the Riverbed and all of the central Valencia attractions.

READ MORE: Valencia's Old Town district

Duplex Penthouse With Views in El Puig

We’ve seen recently that people are starting to think outside the box to get what they want as prices in Valencia City have risen and some of our recent apartment sales have been in Naquera, Betera, Rafaelbunyol and Museros, all with a combination of great bus, metro and road links to the city in under half an hour and fantastic value for money. So here's another good one in El Puig, a pretty little town north of Valencia and just 15 Minutes on the local train down to the City.

This Duplex Penthouse is located in the heart of the town and overlooks the rather fetching Monastery and Esplanade which holds the once a week Street Market for local produce, big pants and towels.

On the 1st Floor we find a Large Living Area with good sized Terrace and open views, an Independent Kitchen, 3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms, then moving up to the 2nd Level a Study, Bedroom, Living Room with Terrace and Barbecue, perfect for guests or stroppy teenagers, above this is a solarium, so plenty of outside space to get your daily dose of Vitamin D.

Definitely worth a look if you want value for money and El Puig is a great place to live, just 10 Minutes from the nearest beach by Bike or Car.

Read more about the towns around Valencia and how long it takes to get into the city

Duplex Penthouse in Naquera

Just for comparison's sake we can also take a look at this second duplex penthouse but with added swimming pool. This time it is in Naquera one of our favourite hidden gems of a town in the hills of the Sierra Calderona mountain range but 15 minutes by car from the nearest beach and 25 from Valencia.

A Modern Duplex Penthouse in the centre of pretty Naquera, with large Terrace, Community Swimming pool, 2 parking spaces and Utility storage room for the bikes you’ll be using to explore the Sierra Calderona.

This 140m2 of property consists of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, well equipped kitchen and living room, whilst moving upstairs we find a large open plan area, perfect for an office, games room , or for your guests to have their own space.

An excellent investment with no work required and a perfect location to pop into the village for local shops, cafes and restaurants.

READ MORE: About Naquera

What If It's A House You Want?

For this price you won't find a house in the city of Valencia but most people looking for houses here are willing to go into the surrounding orange groves to look for a town or village that suits them and their budget. Let's look at a couple of examples.

Colourful Chalet in Lliria

This colourful property in Lliria is a great option for anyone looking to relocate their family to Valencia! Ready to move in, this chalet would bring a smile to anyone's face!

The villa features three bedrooms and two bathrooms (including one ensuite). In addition to the main floor living area, there is also a basement with a bar and bodega, a large private swimming pool, 2 storage rooms, a traditional paellero and outdoor kitchen with toilet.

Located in a great spot with public transport links to the city centre, schools and other essential local amenities.

Wonderful Views in La Pobla de Vallbona (Let's Cheat A Bit)

REDUCED PRICE ALERT

We can cheat a bit here by adding a property a smidgeon over 150k because it's in a rather wonderful setting overlooking the Sierra Calderona mountains around five minutes out from La Pobla de Vallbona in La Maquiva. The plot of around 1000m2 encloses a modernised house of 140m2 with four bedrooms, living room modernised bathroom, totally new kitchen and covered and open terraces enjoying the wonderful view.

On the plot there is a good sized swimming pool with excellent sun deck with views to the mountains, covered storeroom and toilet, gardens, and off road parking.

Sometimes it's worth paying for a decent view and the view here is more than decent it's glorious.

Graham Hunt is a real estate agent and relocation expert based in Valencia. Originally from just outside Liverpool he came to Spain as a student and never left. Read more at his blog or follow him on Twitter.

If you want him to show you around some properties in Valencia, drop him a line.

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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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