Of all things that could go wrong when buying a country house in Catalonia, this is perhaps the worst.
Not long ago, my real estate agency, Cottage Properties, lost the sale of a beautiful country house in the La Selva region of the Costa Brava.
We didn’t lose the sale because of our service.
In fact, quite the opposite.
Cottage Properties is the only real estate agency in Catalonia specialising in country houses that also has its own in-house rehabilitation team.
And that’s where the problem began.
After being involved in more than 700 country-house transactions, I would say around 90% of these properties require some level of rehabilitation.
That’s why we offer – free of charge – to accompany our buyers with our architect, project manager and co-director, Pere Crosas, one of Catalonia’s leading experts in rehabilitation of country houses.
The aim is to prepare a proyecto básico, or “basic project”.
This document gives buyers a clear idea of what the restoration might cost.
The buyer’s costly mistake
But that wasn’t what lost us the sale.
Let me explain.
In Catalonia, each of our 947 municipalities must catalogue its country houses, farmhouses and masías in an official inventory. They must define strict rules for any rehabilitation work.
Usually, that means preserving existing walls and structures, using appropriate materials, and maintaining original features such as arches and stone lintels.
As responsible professionals, we always manage our clients’ expectations.
But in this case, we warned the buyer that certain aspects of the rehabilitation they wanted would never be approved by the ayuntamiento (town hall).
The buyer didn’t like what they heard.
They went ahead and purchased the property through another agency, using a different architect and renovation team.
Two years later came the news: the town hall had issued a stop-work order when the project was only halfway complete.
The house remains uninhabitable.
Its capital, hope and dreams frozen in a bureaucratic nightmare that could have been easily avoided.
Three costly mistakes to avoid
After witnessing this experience, we decided to act, and to warn buyers of the real risks involved in Catalonia’s rural property market.
My colleague and co-director, Pere Crosas, recently published an article on our website sharing his philosophy after more than 30 years of buying, selling and rehabilitating rustic properties without a single stop-work order.
Here’s a summary of his advice.
Mistake #1 – Starting rehabilitation without approval
The first mistake is exactly the one I’ve just described.
In Catalonia, before beginning any works on a country house, you must submit a proyecto ejecutivo to the local town hall for approval.
This project must include detailed plans, materials, budgets and cost breakdowns.
In our experience, it can take up to two months to prepare and review the documentation and to receive the final licencia de obras (works permit).
But that time is extremely well spent — it’s the difference between a smooth project and a stop-work order.
Mistake #2 – Not understanding rehabilitation costs before buying
Serious problems can be avoided by obtaining a proyecto básico from an architect before purchasing a country house.
Unfortunately, that’s not always easy.
Earlier this year, a buyer contacted me after visiting a property in the Baix Empordà region with another agency. When he asked for a renovation estimate, he was referred to an architect’s studio charging €15,000 just to provide an initial idea.
You can imagine his frustration.
That’s why at Cottage Properties we offer this initial assessment for free to any buyer interested in a country house for sale.
In this case, we accompanied him to the property ourselves – and he ultimately purchased both the house and the rehabilitation project with us.
Because he had a clear idea of costs beforehand, he could move forward with confidence.
Mistake #3 – Buying a country house not valued by a specialist
Catalonia has many estate agencies, but only a handful truly understand country houses.
At Cottage Properties, we deal exclusively with masías and rustic estates, currently holding the largest portfolio in Catalonia, with 198 country houses for sale at the time of writing.
Because we focus only on this market, we know the true values and the pitfalls.
Sometimes we lose an exclusive listing because another agency promises the seller a higher price.
But when that agency doesn’t understand rehabilitation costs, the buyer often ends up overpaying for a property that still needs major work.
Sometimes the issue goes deeper.
Years ago, we were minutes away from closing a sale at a notary’s office in the Alt Empordà region. Then, the notary discovered two outbuildings on the property were never registered with the town hall.
The sale collapsed immediately.
From experiences like this, we decided to bring in our own in-house conveyancing solicitor and topographic engineer.
Before listing any property, we perform legal and boundary checks and require the seller to correct any irregularities.
Other agencies unfamiliar with country houses often skip these steps – and that’s where costly surprises arise.
Experience really does make all the difference.
Find your country house with Cottage Properties
Cottage Properties is Catalonia’s leading real-estate agency specialising in masías and country houses for sale.
With the region’s largest portfolio of 198 properties, we offer services designed specifically for rural buyers – including comprehensive legal verification and a free rehabilitation project proposal.
In our experience, these steps prevent the most expensive mistakes buyers make when purchasing a country house in Catalonia.
If you’re considering buying a country house, explore our portfolio of properties for sale on our website.
And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly — or simply call and ask for Àngels Sabater.
All contact details can be found at: https://www.cottageproperties.es/en
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