Real estate

Where it is always summer: How to buy an apartment or villa in Spain, Italy and Greece

Despite the fact that prices here, as well as the standard of living, are much higher than in Turkey or Bulgaria, the Mediterranean coast is always in high demand. In sunny EU countries, it makes sense not only to relax, but also to study and work.

The expression “nature has no bad weather” was invented as if specifically about Spain. In this country, on the Mediterranean coast, there are 320 sunny days a year, and the average annual temperature does not drop below 20 degrees. It would seem that only this is enough to want to settle in the homeland of Picasso and Dali, but a favorable climate is not the only merit of the southernmost state of Europe. The areas of Costa Brava, Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol are considered to be the most popular among foreign buyers, large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona are no less popular. Well-sold real estate of any class – and luxury villas on the first coastline, and more modest apartments in multi-storey residential complexes at a sufficient distance from the sea.

Spain is a steadily developing country, open to foreign investment and the development of private business. The choice of real estate here is great and very diverse. In addition, foreigners can get a mortgage loan relatively easily. And on favorable terms. Spain has a record low interest rate for Europe – only 6% per annum, and money can be received for up to 30 years. In this case, the acquired housing immediately becomes the property of the buyer, and does not remain with the bank until the loan is repaid, as is often the case in other countries.

“When buying an apartment in Russia, you become the owner of only the inner surface of the walls that mark the boundaries of the acquired housing,” said Stanislav Komov, a specialist in the real estate agency. – In Spain, in addition to the living space itself, you acquire a share of the public premises of the building and the land related to it, for example, flights of stairs, corridors, basement, attic, roof, internal and external courtyards and public parking. Therefore, when in Spain they talk about an apartment, for example, with an area of ​​100 square meters, they also mean the footage of all public areas, so the real area of ​​the apartment will not exceed 80 square meters. “

Housing prices in the sunniest European country are constantly growing, but even this does not deter many buyers. First of all, because, despite the rapid rise, they still remain lower than in many European countries. The average cost per square meter of housing in the country at the moment is 2.4 thousand euros. Apartments in a quiet seaside town on the third coastline can be purchased for 1.5 thousand euros per square. And in Madrid or Barcelona, ​​prices are quite Moscow – 6-7 thousand euros per 1 sq. Km. meter.

Roman holiday

Of all the European countries on the Mediterranean coast, experts identify Italy’s real estate market as the most promising. There are several reasons for this: firstly, a rich historical past that attracts foreign buyers and tourists. Secondly, the state is considered economically developed and socially stable. Thirdly, in Italy you can not only relax, but also study and work. Millions of applicants from all over the world annually come to the country to study design and art, and practically everyone can afford to conduct their own business here – the state authorities are very friendly towards foreign entrepreneurs and assist them in every possible way. In addition, the fact that Italian builders are considered the most professional in the world plays an important role. Since they work mainly with building materials of domestic production, it is much cheaper to purchase housing of the highest quality here than, for example, in England, France or Germany.

The choice of places to buy property in Italy is unusually wide: it can be Sardinia, Sicily, Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan, as well as alpine resorts or small coastal towns. “For those who prefer history, it is better to opt for real estate in the northern regions,” said Alla Zotova, director general of real estate agency. – Most of the cultural values, architectural monuments and museums are concentrated there. But for some, the south of the country, dotted with small towns, is more suitable. In the second case, the choice will be somewhat wider, because in the historical part most of the buildings are of cultural value, which means that they will cost significantly more and require appropriate care, which will also cost a pretty penny. ”

Making ownership of housing in Italy is not an easy task. All documents and procedures for the purchase and sale transaction will be made only in Italian, so you can’t do without the help of a Russian-speaking lawyer, even if you know the language well. The price range for houses and apartments in this country is very large – from 2.5 to 8-9 thousand euros per square meter, depending on the location and class of the object. A pleasant feature of the secondary market for Italian real estate is that before starting paperwork with the owner, you can bargain for the object you like. This is a common thing in Italy, in many cases the client manages to reduce the price by 5-10%.

Overlooking Athos

Greece is an Orthodox country, so Russians are happy to buy housing on the coast, based on a common cultural tradition. Particularly popular with our compatriots are Halkidiki, especially the Kassandra and Athos peninsulas, which overlook the main Christian shrines. In addition to Halkidiki, housing is in demand in Thessaloniki, the Peloponnese, Crete, Rhodes, Euboea and the city of Volos. The Greek real estate market cannot boast of a large number of new buildings, for the most part this is a secondary housing. Apartments in multi-apartment complexes are built mainly in large cities, as for the coastal areas, there are small villas and cottages in use. “Talking about prices for Greek houses is quite difficult,” says Maria Sorkina, a specialist in the real estate market. – Buildings by the sea is a piece of goods, which is measured not at all in square meters. Each object is individual and has its own historical past, therefore prices within the same zone can vary greatly. For example, typical townhouses on the first coastline of the Kassandra peninsula with an area of ​​80 square meters will cost about 200 thousand euros, and for a long time not a new villa in the same area, with an area of ​​only 200 square meters, will cost the buyer 1.6 million euros. And both of these amounts are fair. The quality of the beach, the view from the balcony, the prestige of the resort village, and, of course, the historical component of the land on which the building is located, play a role here. ”

As for the legal side of the execution of a purchase and sale transaction in Greece, the buyer here takes on all the costs. In this country, real estate tax is levied at a time in the amount of 1% of the cadastral value of the property. In the future, the buyer is expected to pay annual tax on property ownership. On average, this amount varies between 300-1 thousand euros. It is noteworthy that in Greece the fact of ownership of property does not give the right to obtain a residence permit, as, for example, in Montenegro. To do this, you will either need to open your own business in the country, or conduct investment activities, or show your high incomes sufficient to fully support yourself and your family in the territory of a foreign country.

But such problems will not arise for those wishing to purchase real estate in Montenegro: in order to acquire housing in this country, no special documents or permits will be required. Moreover, the process of processing a purchase and sale transaction takes only a few days and, most interestingly, does not require the personal presence of the buyer. The deal will have to be opened in court: in Montenegro there is no such thing as a notary public, and the registration of a new owner takes place in the Community, which allows you to entrust all administrative and legal efforts to a lawyer and arrive in the country as a full-fledged homeowner.

This post is also available in: English Русский (Russian)

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button
Top.Mail.Ru