Buying property in northern Spain

Over the last decade interest in buying a holiday property or second home in northern Spain has increased significantly, especially with British and Irish property house hunters.

For the last thirty years it has been the south of Spain that has attracted overseas property buyers, many looking for a summer escape or retirement home. But now interest is moving to the north of the country - a part of Spain that is still largely undiscovered by visitors from other nations.

Northern Spain, often called green Spain, has no distinct boundaries, but it is usually considered to include regions like Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. It differs from the south mainly through climate, but also through its culture, heritage and laid back lifestyle. The latter being an attraction to the increasing number of foreign buyers investing in this northern zone.

But why should you think about buying a house, or even an apartment, in one of these lesser known Spanish principalities? Well here are a few good reasons.

Styles of house to expect

From a property perspective, the northern Spanish territories offer something very different to those of southern Spain. Many of the properties targeted by English buyers are former farms, old rustic houses and often semi ruinous properties in need of some care and attention, or even full renovation.

These houses are comparatively cheap to buy, but often require one to two years worth of work to get them fully up to speed. At the end of the renovation process though, there is usually a large stone house filled with character and charm and often occupying a plot of land several hundred square metres, or even a few acres, in area.

Most of these houses lie in small towns and villages away from the larger cities and this explains their low asking prices - the Galicans themselves no longer enjoy rural living. To see samples of these property types see, GaliciaProperty.net, an English estate agency in Galicia.

Where to buy and what to expect!

What you can expect to get for your money depends on where and what you buy. Indeed one Galician town, Sanxenxo, has the highest real estate values in the whole of Spain and some of the districts around Aviles in Asturias also command high price tags.

In Galicia's more remote provinces of Lugo and Ourense you can sometimes pick up an old ruin in a fairly isolated, but beautiful location, for as little as 20,000 euros.

Realistically though, a price tag of 100k euros is more reasonable and this will usually get you something that is immediately liveable and with a sizable floor area. These houses are located away from the main municipalities in small hamlets and little villages and rustic charm is their big selling point. You can access several pages of Galician property buying information and advice from this Galician property guide page. If you are contemplating buying a house in northern Spain, do your research thoroughly and that means finding out about the area, the legal system and where you can find a good English speaking solicitor - not always easy in places like Galicia and Asturias.

In the more popular Galician provinces of la Coruna and Pontevedra, prices are "very" slightly higher, but civilization is closer to hand and facilities like "UK style" supermarkets are never more than a few kilometres away. Even so, the quaint towns, rural villages and stunning coastal locations are easily found and often very affordable.

Prices in many parts of Asturias mirror Galicia and this region has a similar appeal with the same rustic charm and a culture that feels secure and relaxed.

Both Asturias and Galicia have their own international airports with cheap carriers like Ryanair making travel quick and hassle free.

Running costs

The cost of maintaining a house or apartment in northern Spain is also a pleasant surprise with rates, electricity, water and refuse collection all totalling a fraction of their UK or Eire equivalents. Shopping bills are also lower, as is the cost of eating out, using public transport and just about any other spending occupation that you can think of.

The financial advantages of buying in areas like Galicia and Asturias speak for themselves and these clear incentives are resulting in an influx of UK buyers to these "green Spain" areas. Even so, this part of Iberia remains the property of the Spaniards and cheap sangria and 5 euro paellas are a world away.

Relevant to this article are the following e-guides Galicia Guide and Asturias Guide, both of which offer information on buying property in northern Spain and, of course, information about the areas themselves.