Our library of independent, founder-written guides to the Catalan and Spanish property market — the process, the costs, relocation and schooling, area comparisons and where the market is heading. Clear, current and free of jargon.
Buying & selling
The process, the real costs, and the contracts — from first offer to completion, and selling when the time comes.
Buying Property in Spain
The complete 2026 guide: the process from offer to completion, the costs, buying as a non-resident, and residency after the Golden Visa.
The Cost of Buying Property in Spain
Taxes and fees in Catalonia — ITP, IVA, AJD, notary, registry and legal — with a worked example. Budget roughly 10–12% on top of the price.
Buying as a Non-Resident
The NIE, a Spanish bank account, taxes, mortgages for foreign buyers, and buying remotely by power of attorney.
The Arras Contract Explained
Spain’s preliminary contract — the 10% deposit, the three types of arras, the penalties, and what to check before you sign.
Selling Property in Spain
For sellers: capital gains tax, plusvalía, the 3% non-resident retention, agent fees and the selling process, step by step.
Spanish Property Glossary
The key Spanish and Catalan property terms in plain English — NIE, arras, ITP, IVA, AJD, plusvalía, nota simple and more.
Residency & relocation
What you need to move to Spain — visas, paperwork, healthcare, tax, and schooling for the whole family.
Moving to Spain: What You Need to Know
The 2026 relocation essentials — residency for EU and non-EU citizens, NIE and TIE, the padrón, healthcare, the Beckham Law, driving licences and tax.
Residency After the Golden Visa
The Golden Visa ended on 3 April 2025. What changed for buyers, and the routes that remain — Non-Lucrative, Digital Nomad and Entrepreneur visas.
International Schools Near Sitges
British and international schools for families — BSB (Sitges & Castelldefels), The Olive Tree School and Richmond International — with curricula, ages and fees.
International Schools in Barcelona
The full directory of British, IB, American and national-system schools across Barcelona and its metropolitan area.
International Schools in the Maresme
International and bilingual schools along the coast north of Barcelona — Montgat, Alella and the wider Maresme.
International Schools in Girona
British and international schooling in the Girona area and the Costa Brava.
Relocating to Sitges
For movers: the visa, the costs, healthcare, the practical setup and your tax position.
Moving to Sitges from the UK
After Brexit — the residence visa, exchanging your driving licence, healthcare, pets and shipping.
Cost of Living in Sitges
Housing, utilities, everyday costs, schools and transport, and how it compares with the UK.
Healthcare in Sitges for Expats
Public (CatSalut, S1, convenio especial) and private cover, and the hospitals nearby.
Setting Up Home in Sitges
The padrón, transferring utilities, opening a bank account and your TIE residence card.
Becoming a Tax Resident in Spain
The 183-day rule, the Beckham Law, Catalonia wealth tax and the Modelo 720 declaration.
Sitges
Living and buying in Sitges, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Living and Buying in Sitges
A local advisor’s guide to Sitges — lifestyle, the neighbourhoods, property prices, families and schools, getting to Barcelona, and the cost of buying.
How to Buy a House in Sitges
The 2026 process step by step — NIE, choosing an agent, the arras contract, notary, costs and timeline, for residents and foreigners.
Apartments for Sale in Sitges
What apartments cost and the best areas — Aiguadolç marina, the old town, the seafront — with what to check.
Houses & Villas for Sale in Sitges
House and villa prices by neighbourhood, from family homes in Vinyet to seafront villas in Terramar.
New Developments in Sitges
Obra nueva — the tax difference (10% IVA + 1.5% AJD), off-plan protections, and where new homes are built.
The Best Neighbourhoods in Sitges
Every prime Sitges neighbourhood — character, prices by area and who each suits — with links to each.
The Most Beautiful Streets in Sitges
A walk through the prettiest lanes of the old town — Davallada, Carrer Major, Port Alegre and more — and what it means to own one.
Terramar vs Vinyet vs Levantina
Sitges’ three prime neighbourhoods compared — character, property, prices and who each suits.
Buying a Modernista Townhouse in Sitges
Heritage protection, what to check, renovating sensitively, prices and pitfalls in the old town.
How to Choose an Estate Agent in Sitges
How Spanish agents are licensed (API and AICAT), what the REALTOR® Code of Ethics adds, and the questions every international buyer should ask.
Sitges Beachfront Property
What €2m, €5m and €10m+ buys on the Sitges seafront, the prime enclaves, and what drives the premium.
Holiday-Let Investment in Sitges
The HUTB tourist licence, Catalonia’s 2026 rules, realistic returns, and why an existing licence is the asset.
Buying in Sitges
For buyers: the paperwork, the financing and the checks that protect your purchase.
How to Buy a House in Sitges
The 2026 process step by step — NIE, agent, arras contract, notary, costs and timeline.
Getting an NIE to Buy in Sitges
What the NIE is, why you need it, and the three ways to get one — including by power of attorney.
Mortgages for Foreign Buyers in Sitges
How much you can borrow (60–70% LTV for non-residents), fixed vs variable rates, costs and the process.
Buying in Sitges from Abroad
Running an efficient viewing trip and completing remotely by power of attorney.
Off-Market Property in Sitges
Why the best villas and plots sell privately, and how buyers register to see them first.
Due Diligence Before You Buy in Sitges
The nota simple, debts and fees, licences, certificates and boundaries — the checks that protect you.
Selling in Sitges
For sellers: the fees, the taxes and the timeline, all Sitges-specific.
Selling Property in Sitges
Valuation, marketing and negotiation to completion — how we sell property in Sitges for owners.
Estate Agent Fees in Sitges
Who pays, how much (3–5% + IVA), what the commission covers, and how it reduces your capital gain.
Capital Gains Tax When Selling in Sitges
How the gain is calculated, the 2026 rates (residents 19–28%, non-residents 19%), and the 3% retention.
Plusvalía Tax in Sitges
The municipal land-value tax the seller pays to the Ajuntament, and how it is calculated since 2021.
Selling as a Non-Resident in Spain
The 3% retention, your 19% capital gains tax, plusvalía, reclaiming overpaid tax and selling by power of attorney.
How Long Does It Take to Sell in Sitges?
A realistic timeline from valuation to the keys (offer to completion in 6–10 weeks) and what speeds it up.
Investing in Sitges
For investors: yields, the rental routes, off-plan, taxes and where to buy.
Sitges Property Investment
Where to buy for capital growth and rental return, yields and the tourist-licence rules.
Rental Yields in Sitges
Gross vs net, holiday lets vs long lets, and what drives the return by property type.
Long-Term Rental Investment in Sitges
Steady year-round income, the LAU rules, rent-control status and which homes suit long lets.
Off-Plan & New-Build Investment in Sitges
Buying obra nueva for growth, deposit protections, the 10% IVA + 1.5% AJD, and La Plana.
Property Investment Taxes in Sitges
IBI, tax on rental income (19%/24%, Modelo 210) and Catalonia wealth tax for landlords.
Best Areas to Invest in Sitges
Where to buy for holiday-let income, long-term tenants, or capital growth.
More Sitges guides
Costs, timing, representation, valuation, tax and getting around — practical guidance for buyers, sellers and owners.
The Cost of Buying Property in Sitges
ITP, fees and the 10–12% rule, worked through with a Sitges example.
Is Now a Good Time to Buy in Sitges?
Demand, supply and prices in the 2026 Sitges market — buy now or wait?
Buyer’s Agent vs Estate Agent in Sitges
Who represents you, and why conflict-free buyer representation matters.
Common Mistakes When Buying in Sitges
The pitfalls international buyers make in Sitges, and how to avoid them.
Best Neighbourhoods in Sitges for Families
Where families buy in Sitges, with guide €/m² and the schools.
How to Value Your Property in Sitges
What drives a Sitges valuation, and how to get an accurate one.
Inheriting Property in Spain: A Guide for Owners
Succession tax, wills and planning for non-resident owners.
Getting to Barcelona from Sitges
Train, road and airport links from Sitges, with times.
Barcelona
Prime Barcelona — the Zona Alta, the Eixample, new-build and relocation.
Prime Barcelona: Pedralbes, Sarrià & Turó Park
The Zona Alta and the Eixample compared — 2026 prices, character and who each suits.
Buying a Classic Eixample Apartment
Modernisme, heritage protection, the ITE and cèdula, community checks, prices and pitfalls.
Barcelona Property Investment & the 2026 Rules
The tourist-licence phase-out, the rent cap and what it all means for yields, by district.
Barcelona Penthouses with Terraces
Where the best terraced àtics are, what they cost, and what to check before you buy.
New Developments in Barcelona 2026
Where the new-build is, what it costs, and the off-plan protections every buyer must insist on.
Relocating to Barcelona
Neighbourhoods, international schools, getting around, renting vs buying, and the paperwork.
Costa Brava
The prime coves and towns of the Girona coast, and the Empordà behind it.
Best Areas of the Costa Brava
Where to buy in 2026 — Begur, Cadaqués, the Palafrugell coves, S’Agaró, Pals and the Empordà — with prices and character.
Begur Property Guide
Sa Riera, Sa Tuna, Aiguablava and Fornells — the blue-chip coves, with prices and who each suits.
Llafranc, Calella & Tamariu
The Golden Triangle of Palafrugell’s prime coves compared — character, prices and who each suits.
Cadaqués & Cap de Creus
The coast’s most expensive, most protected village — Dalí, Port Lligat, prices and who it suits.
Masías of the Empordà
Restoring a Catalan country estate — the catàleg de masies, rural-land rules, permits, heritage and prices.
Costa Brava Rental Investment
The HUTG licence, the town-by-town caps, the EU registry, returns, and why you buy the licence with the house.
Girona
A heritage city at half Barcelona’s price — value, gastronomy and the world’s cycling capital.
Why Girona Is Catalonia’s Smartest Bet
Roughly half Barcelona’s price, a 38-minute train, year-round living, heritage, food and cycling.
Living in Girona Old Town (Barri Vell)
The Jewish Quarter, the Onyar houses, prices, heritage and renovation rules, and what to check.
Girona’s Gastronomy Belt
Buying near El Celler de Can Roca in a world food capital — where to buy and who it suits.
Girona for Cyclists
Buying a base in the world’s road-cycling capital — the roads and climbs, and what to look for.
Compare areas
Weighing two locations against each other? Independent, side-by-side comparisons.
Sitges vs Castelldefels
The two prime Garraf-coast towns compared — character, property, prices, families, beaches and connectivity.
Sitges vs Barcelona
Coastal-town life or the city? Property, prices, lifestyle, families and the commute, compared.
Sitges vs Cascais
Spain’s Mediterranean coast or Portugal’s Atlantic? Property, prices, climate and the 2026 tax changes, compared.
Inland Girona vs the Costa Brava
Country or coast? Restored masias and villages versus sea-view villas — prices, lifestyle and value.
Market intelligence
Where prices are, where they are heading, and what is driving demand.
Tools & calculators
Run the numbers before you buy.
Spotted an error, or a guide we should add? Let us know here — we keep this guide up to date.