The Government Awaits Support to Tax Home Purchases by Non-EU Citizens

New housing in Barcelona has become an increasingly exclusive asset. With prices ranging from €273,000 to €20 million, new developments in the Catalan capital reflect a dual market: limited in supply but with demand that continues to grow, driven by the city’s appeal and the lack of affordable alternatives.

In 2024, the average price of newly built apartments reached €689,000, with an average size of 83 square meters. Yet this figure tells only part of the story: behind it lies a stark territorial divide. While in neighborhoods such as Trinitat Vella it is still possible to find new homes for under €300,000, in areas like Pedralbes or Sarrià prices can multiply by up to 70, reaching nearly €20 million.

One of the main obstacles to real estate development in Barcelona has been the regulation requiring 30% of new housing projects to be reserved for affordable housing. Although the goal is to promote accessibility, in practice it has slowed down development activity and reduced profitability for many projects.

This challenge is compounded by limited available land and administrative hurdles, which mean that as of today, there are only around 85 active new developments in the city — a figure comparable to much smaller cities like Zaragoza.

As a result, many developers have turned to the comprehensive rehabilitation of older buildings, a trend that already accounts for roughly one-third of Barcelona’s total new housing supply. These projects modernize historic buildings to meet new demands: energy efficiency, open spaces, and contemporary design.

New housing in Barcelona is no longer conceived merely as a place to live, but as a complete lifestyle experience. Buyers now seek efficiency, aesthetics, and comfort.
Among the most consolidated trends:

• Open-plan kitchens integrated with the living room as the social hub of the home.

• Larger bedrooms with exterior access, emphasizing natural light.

• Communal areas with pools, gyms, or gardens — even in Eixample or Ciutat Vella buildings.

• Improved thermal and acoustic insulation using sustainable materials.

• Clean energy systems, such as aerothermal heating, which is gradually replacing natural gas.

The architecture firm Peris Toral Arquitectes highlights that new layouts increasingly adopt a “non-hierarchical” design: rooms of equal size, no corridors, and the kitchen as the central gathering point. This shift reflects a new social model dominated by smaller households and single-person living, without sacrificing space or design quality.

The latest developments, particularly in emerging neighborhoods such as La Marina del Prat Vermell or La Sagrera, now include pools, shared terraces, gardens, and bicycle parking.
Developers have realized that today’s buyers are not just looking for an apartment — they want a sense of community, well-being, and lifestyle.
Even in the Eixample, where space is scarce, new projects feature interior “urban oases” that blend luxury with functionality.

The reality is clear: Barcelona’s new-housing supply cannot meet existing demand.
In 2023, housing starts dropped by more than 10%, and although 2024 shows signs of recovery, the structural deficit persists. Prices are expected to continue rising as long as demand significantly exceeds supply and financing conditions remain stable.

Barcelona thus consolidates a real estate model where exclusivity and design set the pace, but affordability remains the greatest challenge.
The city continues to reinvent itself with more functional, sustainable, and modern homes — yet at prices increasingly out of reach for the average resident.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Government is still seeking parliamentary support for a proposal to tax home purchases by non-EU citizens, a measure aimed at curbing speculative investment and easing housing pressure in cities like Barcelona.