‘Barcelona’ blog category archive

There are only two certainties in life – death and taxes.

With tax levels for residents being among the highest in Europe, current inhabitants of Catalonia will definitely agree with the latter.

In a country where taxes differ from region to region, the Catalans seem to suffer the most for their hard work.

And with the recent announcement by Andreu Mas-Colell (economic counselor for Catalonia) that property transfer tax will rise from 8 – 10%, any future respite seems doubtful.

Property transfer tax, or impuesto sobre transmisiones patrimoniales, is a tax paid on the transfer of ownership on existing property, therefore payable on the majority of property sales in Spain. This tax does not apply to new build properties, where IVA (or VAT) is applicable.

With the price of city property reaching astronomic proportions in the 21^st century, and first time buyers struggling to even reach the property ladder, let alone put a foot on it.

The last few years have witnessed a growing trend towards the concept of micro-living. These spaces usually under 40m2, range in their complexities. Examples such as Gary Chang’s Apartment 24 and Simon Woodroffe’s Yo! Home, offer complex solutions to an age-old problem. The creation of space within limited boundaries.

However, does the solution need to be so complicated? With housing shortages now effecting American cities, the originators of ‘big is beautiful’ are now starting to think that good things really do come in small packages.

AdaptNYC, a pilot program launched in New York City to look at proposals for micro-units are searching for the new American Dream. The winners of the competition propose a mixture of pre-fabricated construction and snap-on architecture to deal with the chronic housing shortage in Manhattan.

Many of the suggested schemes follow the same concept of Kisho Kurokawa’s, 1972 Capsule Tower, a pioneer of the metabolist movement, using scalable and stackable modular architecture. Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67, being another famous example of a trend, now witnessing resurgence. With shipping containers the new theme currently replacing the asbestos boxes in many projects seen world-wide.

With property prices down approximately 30% in Barcelona and the coastal areas, opportunistic buyers are now starting to turn the pain into a gain.

It’s been common news that since the heady days of the Spanish boom, peaking in late 2006. The property market has fallen on difficult times, hit by the perfect storm created by the global financial crisis. Spain has suffered accordingly. But some say crisis and opportunity walk hand in hand.

City living is still thriving and Barcelona is buzzing. Catalonia unlike the rest of Spain has fortunately been spared the worst.

Whether you’re in search of a gothic ‘atico’ in the old town or a luxury penthouse on Passage de Gracia. Barcelona now has the availability with the bargain prices to match.

And with it’s enviable Mediterranean location, beaches, architecture and nightlife. There’s some factors even a ‘crisis’ can’t effect. Barcelona will never be down for long.

So if you are searching for that perfect weekend escape or long term life change. One tip, the advertised property prices are nearly always over-inflated. So negotiate well!

Studio P10 is a creative residential design studio based in Barcelona, specialising in property consultancy and interior renovations.With property prices down approximately 30% in Barcelona and the coastal areas, opportunistic buyers are now starting to turn the pain into a gain.

It’s been common news that since the heady days of the Spanish boom, peaking in late 2006. The property market has fallen on difficult times, hit by the perfect storm created by the global financial crisis. Spain has suffered accordingly. But some say crisis and opportunity walk hand in hand.

City living is still thriving and Barcelona is buzzing. Catalonia unlike the rest of Spain has fortunately been spared the worst.

Whether you’re in search of a gothic ‘atico’ in the old town or a luxury penthouse on Passage de Gracia. Barcelona now has the availability with the bargain prices to match.

And with it’s enviable Mediterranean location, beaches, architecture and nightlife. There’s some factors even a ‘crisis’ can’t effect. Barcelona will never be down for long.

So if you are searching for that perfect weekend escape or long term life change. One tip, the advertised property prices are nearly always over-inflated. So negotiate well!

Studio P10 is a creative residential design studio based in Barcelona, specialising in property consultancy and interior renovations.