This is a website for buyers, owners, and sellers of property in Spain, offering reliable information and resources to help you get things done with confidence. It is run by Mark Stücklin, author of the Spanish Property Doctor Column in The Sunday Times (2005-2008), and the book ‘Need to Know: Buying Property in Spain’ published by Collins.
Last year saw the biggest drop in prices since the crisis began, according to the official House Price Index published by the National Institute of Statistics.
Spanish house prices fell 12.8pc over 12 months to the end of December, and by 1.4pc in the last quarter.
That compares to an annualised fall of 10pc according to the other official index published by the Department of Housing.
The price of new housing fell by 10.9pc, whilst resale housing fell by 14pc.
Declines were smaller in both categories compared to the previous two quarters, but it’s too early to say if this is the start of a trend towards price stability or just a hiatus before prices dive down again.
However, the index has been falling since the beginning of 2008, and we are now into the sixth consecutive year of falls, with double-digit declines since the last quarter of 2011. Cumulative declines are now more than 30pc. It is fair to assume we are now somewhere near the bottom.
The following chart illustrates house price declines by region in 2012 (Q3 in orange, Q4 in dark red). Prices fell the most in Catalonia (-14.3pc), followed by the Valencian Community (-14pc) and La Rioja (-13.8pc). Prices fell the least in Extremadura (-9.8pc).
Juan says:
House prices?? The big picture is that supply greatly exceeds demand and in the real world that can only mean one thing, prices will continue to fall while the difference between supply and demand remains so great.
Optimistic false dawns can only take our eye off the real problem too many sellers and so few purchasers. Heaven forbid that banks after covering their loses begin to dump their toxic property. The bottom will then fall totally out of the market. Even the Russians covering their residence options will not be able to stop the meltdown. One one solution remains — return to the Peseta and take the pain out of the getting Spain into a competitive situation once again.