Property · Our pick in Barcelona
Buying in Barcelona: the back story
The back story
About Buying in Barcelona: the back story
Buyers in Barcelona choose between three very different cities. In the Dreta de l’Eixample, the Quadrat d’Or, apartments in Modernista buildings keep their hydraulic tiles, painted ceilings and balconies. In Sarrià, Sant Gervasi and Pedralbes, villas and gardens climb the hill towards Collserola. And in Poblenou, former factories have become lofts beside the 22@ innovation district and the beaches.
Where people buy
The Eixample for the Modernista flats, Sarrià–Sant Gervasi and Pedralbes for houses and schools, El Born for lofts in old buildings, and Poblenou and Diagonal Mar for new building near the sea.
The rules
Foreign buyers need an NIE (foreigner identity number). Purchases are signed before a notary and recorded at the Land Registry. In Catalonia, resale homes pay the property transfer tax (ITP), set by the Generalitat; new builds pay VAT instead.
Read our buying-property page, and take independent legal advice before you sign.
Holiday lets
The City Council says it will not renew Barcelona’s tourist-flat licences when they expire in November 2028. Don’t buy expecting to let a flat to tourists.
Our advice: use an agent registered with the Generalitat, and a lawyer who works for you, not the seller.
Why it's on our list
- Where people buy
- The rules
- Holiday lets
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Buying in Barcelona: the back story before you go.