Glossary of Spanish Real Estate Terms
Posted: Friday, November 13, 2009
by David Brydon
BCN Rentals
If you're taking the plunge and opting to buy a property in a foreign land, there are some fundamentals which you need to know before you start looking. Faced with a foreign language, there are many terms you may need to get to grips with. Here's a Spanish Real Estate glossary.
First up, and if you're moving to a major city such as Madrid , Barcelona or Seville , it's likely you'll be looking to buy an apartment or flat within a block. In Spanish this is not particularly complicated to translate, being named as an "Apartamento" or "piso". These are usually self-contained dwelling spaces, with communal amenities such as stairways, lifts or elevators and patios or rooftop terraces. This is not always the case, with some private apartments on the top floor including a private terrace which belongs solely to that apartment. Don't automatically assume you will have access to these spaces.
A "Loft" in Spanish real estate lends its name from 50s New York and refers to a large living space with very few divisions, usually with very bright light from large windows. This term is often used misleadingly by owners vying for a "cool" angle, and is technically only reserved for industrial style spaces, generally quite large, and not necessarily high up on an upper level as the English language definition would suggest.
If you find a "Duplex" in Spain , then as the name suggests, this is a living space on two levels connected by an internal staircase. Often in apartment blocks, the top floor has a higher ceiling than those which precede it, allowing for upper levels to be constructed for additional bedrooms or living rooms, for example. In towns or suburbs, duplex housing can look very similar to a common house, but generally are slimmer in that they only have a maximum of two rooms up and down, as opposed to a house which can be constructed as wide as the plot of land allows.
Traditionally a "Chal" or "chalet" springs images of wooden farmhouses in Switzerland and Alpine mountains. In Spain , however, it can be used to describe a small house with little division between its neighbouring house and of similar dimensions to a studio apartment. Chalets are often in seaside towns, and are second homes or holiday homes for many Spanish residents.
A "Casa" is a traditional house, and is constructed on private land, exactly as in any place in the world. Houses are usually detached, but can be semi-detached and can include gardens and grounds, swimming pools and farming areas - there are no differences here in the generic term.
Finally a "Local" is that space which is usually reserved for office or retail space on the ground floor of a building. Shop fronts, cafes and restaurants are all housed in the "locals" which can occasionally be reformed and reconstructed to make living spaces. Permission is required for any of the above mentioned dwellings, in the form of a certificate of habitability - given by an architect and essential in any dealings of real estate, be it selling or buying. This is known as a "cedula de habitabilidad" and particularly "locales" often have difficulty in meeting the set of requisites and standards to obtain this certificate. If you ever fancy looking into this option, it's important to insist in viewing an up-to-date certificate.
David Brydon has been living in Barcelona, Spain for 10 years and writes for Luxury Barcelona Real Estate Agents Modus Vivendi, who have a wide portfolio of Long Term Rentals in Barcelona too.
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