Valencia Property Blog

Before starting let's just say that not "everyone" wants the same thing. Some people want the standards that we will talking about in this post and some people want a wreck at the end of a rutted track away from everyone else and they are good to go (as long as they can get really fast internet). What we are talking about here is managing expectations. If you want the type of property that we get asked for typically, how much will it cost in different areas in and around Valencia? We'll talk about apartments, villas and townhouses and take a look at what you might expect to pay in different places and then take a quick look at alternatives.

What People Want in an Apartment

The average request is for three bedrooms, two bathrooms, on a higher floor, spacious (meaning at least 100m2 for this type of property), with a lift and generally a terrace. You can add other factors like good views, a modern build, a garage and more into this and sometimes common facilities such as a pool, gym etc... but we'll stick with the basics for today.

Where Can You Find This and How Much Will it Cost in 2024?

If you only want city living and Valencia is therefore your option then you have not much choice. If we just put filters of 3 beds, 2 bathrooms, 100m2 and a lift into Idealista (Our portal of choice for doing these things) then we find that out of the 4008 properties available for sale in the city of Valencia that there are 764 available in total. However if we put a filter in for a price of under 200k then we find that the number drops to 7 (Five of which are first floor apartments) and none of which you can actually buy as a foreigner coming into Valencia. They are VPO or bank properties)

If we change that filter to 300k maximum price then we are given a choice of 72 properties, however only one of those is in central Valencia, which is often a request, and that is first floor on a very dark street. Most of the properties with terraces are first floor. If we ask only for upper floors to get rid of the first floors then we get... 4 available places! If we take out the requirements for a terrace then we are up to 8 properties on the top floor. When we go to a price up to 500k we get 65 properties but still only two are central. It's not that things are massively expensive it's just that the lack of supply is exacerbated by the fact that there are just not many upper floors with terrace and when they come on the market they fly (To be totally honest there are not that many with terraces at all on or off the market). So in the city of Valencia with those requirements you need to lose the terrace to have a decent choice under 500k.

However, if you look outside the city limits then with the same criteria you can get a lot more for your money. In the areas that we cover then we are up to 208 properties, so more for sure, but not too many more, and that's because of the style of building. In the Pueblos around the city there are many more townhouses and villas as the centres of the towns are smaller and therefore there are fewer flats. We will get into the townhouse and villa markets below. Some good examples can be found though in Lliria if you don't mind being 25 minutes from the city where this type of property can be bought for just over 150k. In Betera you will need around 250k and in La Pobla de Vallbona around 220k. L'Eliana is a bit more expensive from 280k up but again there are not many choices.

What People Look For In a Villa

Villas tend to have quite different requirements. People generally want at least four bedrooms, two bathrooms, from 120m2 minimum with a pool and a garden of around 1000m2 and importantly, but usually deal breakingly, walkable distance to a village or town. However we'll take that requirement out for now. Currently there are 1901 villas with pool available in the Valencia region and just over 900 in the area we cover. But where you are can mean a lot to what the prices are.

Where Can You Find This and How Much Will it Cost in 2024?

As a rule of thumb, the further away from Valencia the less you will pay. Who knew? However there are particular features of towns and villages around Valencia that make certain places more popular and therefore more expensive. For those requirements in L'Eliana expect to pay at least 500k. There are a few under that price but they usually are on smaller plots. Around Betera, closer to Valencia but not as impressive a package perhaps, prices start around 400k but if you are by the Escorpion Golf Course towards San Antonio and the CV35 into Valencia then prices start around 795k. A bit further out to La Pobla de Vallbona and certain areas allow you prices for 300k and above and by the time you get to Lliria then 250k and above. It is only once you get further inland that prices come down to below 200k

However you can get cheaper and to do this you need to go to semi detached houses or even terraced (Or row) houses with shared facilities. A semi detached house around the golf course at Betera may only cost you 350-400k rather than the starting price of 750k for an independent villa. L'Eliana prices are similar and in La Pobla when things are available you might even get things under 250k. However this type of property is difficult to find further inland, there are currently none available in lliria for example.

What People Want in a Townhouse

We have written before about townhouses about how they are all or nothing meaning either totally reformed or needing everything doing to them and obviously there is a huge discrepancy in prices between one and the other. People looking for townhouses usually look for at least four bedrooms, two bathrooms or room to have them, two floors and with space to park a car.

Where Can You Find This and How Much Will it Cost in 2024?

When you consider that townhouses are generally older, larger, often on two floors and include patios and terraces it's unusual to be able to reform them for under 100k and if structural work is needed then you may find that a 100k townhouse may take 200k to modernise. Careful out there with townhouse "bargains". You can get townhouses as close to Valencia as Lliria for 70k but they are in a rather undesireable area and require full modernisation in an area difficult to get machinery to, so the reform cost may go off the scale and be well over 1000 per m2. In Benissano there is currently an excellent townhouse at 155k but that's a small sleepy town. In Olocau there is one at 179k, again a small but rather lovely town. In La Pobla you'll be looking at 200k and upwards now and the closer you get to Valencia then the more expensive land prices get so townhouses tend to be higher in price too. Don't forget Burjassot though on the edge of Valencia with plenty of townhouse options from 150k but you will need to effectively start again as they require full modernisation and often structural reconstruction, and also opportunities come up in Godella at times.

In the city of Valencia itself sometimes townhouses come up for sale especially in the Cabanyal but expect now to pay 500k and then to have to reform totally. Other areas such as Benimaclet and Old Campanar have townhouses too and sometimes one comes up for sale but don't hold your breath for an absolute bargain. Wherre there is a lack of supply and a huge demand then prices are inevitably higher.

Are There Other Alternatives?

So apart from apartments, villas and townhouses are there other alternatives? Well yes, but you really need to know what you are doing and what you can do with the property. Rustic houses in the middle of nowhere might be very cheap but will miss mod cons like insulation, heating, cooling, internet, electricity, a water supply and sometimes a roof and good luck with getting a licence to renovate them.

Converting commercial spaces in towns into living accomodation is a possibility where you may get a lot of m2 for your money but then run into Spanish bureaucracy to be able to do what you want.

Equally living off grid in a caravan, mobile home or camper is now a possibility if you can find some land to do it on. Solar panels, wind power, batteries, satellite internet and water wells can get you close to modern day living but it's not everyone's cup of tea.