Sitges, Barcelona is a great place to live! It has plenty of culture, wonderful beaches, International Schools and a well communicated International Airport.
Many people who come to Sitges, Barcelona on their holidays realise that this is not just a tourist destination and come back with a view to investing long term in the area. I guess that is why property has maintained its value better than other areas of Spain.
Buying a house in Sitges!
There are plenty of options to choose from when buying a house in Sitges. Apartments in Sitges town and there are the more traditional homes in the outskirts. These are houses which usually have a garden and a pool and you will find a number of good options in the area of Olivella – these are by and large defined by the urbanisations of Mas Mila, Les Colines, Can Suria and Mas Mestre.
These houses are very much suited to young families and tend to work well for those who are committed to staying in the area long term. Compared with Sitges town you will get significantly more value for your money.
Some advice on buying a house in Sitges
Be clear on what you want from your purchase. Investing in property is a big decision. You really need to be crystal clear about what type of property (style & function) you want but also you need to contemplate the medium to long term use of the property.
It is easy to get distracted by one feature and so having your wish list close to hand when you start to view properties is very important. Ask yourself each time you view a property if it is ticking all the boxes on your list
Some points to consider should be some of the more obvious points:
- Proximity to amenities
- General feel of the neighbourhood
However other aspect to consider are:
- the practicalities of layout e.g can you see the swimming pool from the recreational spaces
- is the pool, BBQ area connected to the kitchen/dining area
- The importance of a garage in hot Summers
- The aspect of the house in terms of sunshine in Winter and in Summer
- Additional costs such as upkeep of pool, aircon machines etc
During the house visit:
Take notes of all that you see in each house – in viewings where you are seeing a number of houses you cannot expect to remember all the detail – ask if you can take pictures.
Be really open minded during a visit – don’t let those awful tiles put you off – some aspects of a house may not be your personal taste but a small budget for cosmetic work may mean this is the house of your dreams
Make sure to visit the house as many times as you can – in our experience there is always pros and cons – even with what you might view as the absolute dream home will have some cons…. It’s just how it is!
Take note also of the machinery in the house – expenses such a pool cleaning, equipment, water bills, irrigation systems for gardens, airconditioning machines can be new to those coming from a different country. Make sure you know what kind of monthly costs are associated with the house.
Spanish Bureaucracy
The slow grind of bureaucracy is a reality in Spain. The systems and the paper trail within them is archaic and will for sure leave you scratching your head. That said, there is plenty of help available and it is recommended to not go it alone in this regard.
Utopia Villas can be a great help when buying a house in Sitges. First of all getting the best price and finding the house that matches your criteria as much as possible. But during the process it is important to have the right people to answer your questions be it in relation to the purchase process, mortgage process, Notario etc
As Spanish/Catalan can be a barrier, the fact that we have native speakers to help you make sense of it all can be quite reassuring.