How to sell houses to foreigners in Barcelona

The city of Barcelona was one of the 10 most visited cities in the world in 2022, according to Euromonitor International. Every year, the influx of tourists increases and, in recent years, business trips to the Catalan capital by foreigners have been consolidated and continue to grow.

It is no secret that Barcelona has qualities that make it a desirable destination. It is a Mediterranean city open to the sea with a privileged climate. Gastronomy is another decisive factor because it combines a healthy diet with attractive flavours. It also has 4 restaurants with 3 Michelin stars.

The cultural and architectural offer is extensive and worthy of admiration. Cinemas, theatres, dance halls, orchestras and emblematic buildings known the world over. Music festivals, exhibitions and a wide range of museums and leisure activities complete a varied, eclectic and prestigious offer. In addition, it combines urban beaches with snow just 2 hours from the city centre.

On the other hand, Barcelona is a consolidated business city. Major trade fairs such as the Mobile World Congress, the Automobile Show and Alimentaria are just a few examples. The geographical location is unbeatable and the city is well connected by land, sea and air with Europe, America, Asia and the rest of the world.

The latest data provided by the Barcelona City Council states that 22% of the population of the city of Barcelona is foreign. Furthermore, according to the INE (National Statistics Institute), 13.8% of property sales in Spain are to foreigners.

All the qualities of the city that we have reviewed above mean that the influx of foreigners is increasing.

Many of them decide to settle in the city and it is becoming more and more common to sell houses to foreigners in Barcelona.

At Molins Design we have many clients coming from abroad and we know that there are essential questions when selling them a property or a renovation project. Here we explain them to you.

These are some of the fundamental issues to achieve a complete understanding with the foreign client when closing the sale of a property.

Speak in their language

The saying goes that people understand each other by talking, but if it is in the language of the buyer, so much the better. It is important that communication is fluid and for this it is necessary to speak the language of the buyers. If necessary, an interpreter can be hired to act as an intermediary. However, it is important that he or she has some knowledge of the real estate market and interior design. In this way, he or she will be able to clarify concepts and give more concise explanations.

Knowing the client

This is an extremely important factor. Knowing the client’s tastes, habits and priorities is essential in order to offer them a property that meets their expectations. Nordic foreigners know the cold very well and know what type of insulation is best for a home. The British value the hours of sunshine they receive, and Americans always look for large, XXL spaces.

Of course, you can’t generalise, but you can look for common traits depending on nationality. The help of native people from these countries can be very valuable when designing and working on the interior design of a home.

Providing full information

Selling homes to foreigners in Barcelona means dealing with cautious, demanding and meticulous buyers. This does not mean that Spanish clients are not, but making a purchase in a country that is not their own can create certain doubts and insecurities.

Therefore, one of the seller’s missions is to offer peace of mind in this regard. To do so, they must provide the most complete information possible. It is imperative to share exhaustive reports that include all the details of the project. This documentation should include plans, measurements, distances, materials, demolitions, works, professionals involved, maintenance tasks, etc. In addition, the deadlines for the execution of the work and the delivery date must also be included.

We must not forget that it is also necessary to inform about all the legal procedures, permits and details of the economic transaction. All this information will bring confidence and peace of mind to foreign clients.

Highlighting the location of the property

Another important factor when selling houses to foreigners in Barcelona is to provide information about the location of the property. It is essential to provide information on the orientation, hours of sunshine and location of the property. Barcelona’s favourable climate is one of the most important reasons for foreign clients to invest in property.

We insist once again that no generalisation can be applied to the type of customer. The reason is that each person has their own particularities and preferences. However, we can sketch out a brief portrait-robot of the foreigners who buy property in Barcelona.

Normally they are retired people, artists or professionals with a technical profile. Eighty per cent of them are looking for a second home outside their country of origin. These are people with financial solvency who are looking to expand their wealth and spend time in Barcelona.

In recent years, teleworking has become normalised and new technologies make it possible to continue working from anywhere in the world. Well, people who are looking to improve their quality of life in a place where prices are cheaper and their salary allows them to achieve a good status are settling in Barcelona.

In terms of nationalities, the British, French, Belgians, Americans and Scandinavians are particularly fond of Barcelona.

In order to sell houses to foreigners in Barcelona it is important to know what type of property they are looking for or prefer. In this sense, the age of the buyers seems to play an important role.

Older and retired people have a predilection for buildings with history. They are certainly open to renovations, but there are historical elements such as the façade or roofs that they prefer to keep. This desire leads them to commission care and restoration work on many elements. In short, they value, respect, care for and restore historic buildings.

On the other hand, younger clients prefer newly built properties. They appreciate the central location of the property but they are not reluctant to move away from the capital and move to neighbouring cities of Barcelona if the project is attractive. They opt for domotic homes, modern villas with gardens and swimming pools, open-plan kitchens and modern furniture by prestigious designers.

Finally, the latest studies carried out in the real estate sector indicate that the preferred areas of the city are the Eixample, Pedralbes, Sarrià and Sant Gervasi districts.

If we are looking to establish an ideal type of property for foreigners in Barcelona, we could specify the following aspects. Foreign clients are looking for a luxury property located in the upper part of the city or nearby towns.

The surface area of the house is usually no less than 130 m2 and it should have large, open spaces. Likewise, they tend to include a well-conditioned garden among their preferences. Finally, they value very positively the good natural lighting of the property.