Real Estate in the Costa Dorada

Our operation area usually extends from Ampolla (about 70 km South of Tarragona) to Alcanar (about 80 km North of Castellòn) and river Ebro up to Benifallet and Pinell de Brai.

We offer oportunities from 2. hand as well as brand new homes from planning phase to completion.

There are homes for every taste. From houses in need of renovation, priced from 8.800 up to villas for a million €, in the country, town or mountains.

Naturally, the closer you get to the coast, the higher will be the prices. Very close to the coast, the larger plots have become rare and those you can buy, are rather expensive. But, anyway, they haven't reached yet the price level of the coastal areas in southern Spain.

The further you get away from the coast, the larger plots you can find. Around Tortosa (30 km off the coast) we have properties to sell, with areas about 10 to 200 thousand squaremeters. Most of them have old buildings, that could be renovated and maybe enlarged.

We do not sympathize with the idea to have thousands of properties for sale, because there is no way to control them. There would be less knowledge about them and they usually are sold without telling us. In fact we try to have only the best properties, the ones that are worth to look at.

The procedure to buy a property in Spain is very easy. You come, have a look, check out the best buy for you. Next thing is you go for a NIE (foreigner ID number, you can't buy anylonger without this number, at least in our area!) and open a bank account. We can inform you about banks with english speaking personnel.  Then you pay a deposit (arras penitenciales) of about 10% of the total price. A few days / weeks later, head for the notary to sign the final contract (escritura) to register your property, pay the rest of the purchase price and get the keys. You are the new owner now. The costs for notary and taxes are approximately 10% of the total declared amount. The fee for the estate agency is included in the price and paid by the vendor.

Reservations, changes: Sometimes it happens that buyers can't make up their mind, though they love the property and wait too long, thinking it over and over again and the property is sold to somebody else by us or by another agent.

In other cases buyers called and told us they would come to buy a certain property and we reserved it for them, because we thought, it is hard to take a plane, do all the trip and five minutes before they could sign, the property might be sold to somebody else. But then, they just didn't buy, went away to see other properties with other agents and we lost a faster sale, because we could have sold before to another interested buyer. So: we can't hold back properties. We are very sorry, but the only way to hold back a property is to get a deposit.

The rule is: All properties are subject to prior sale or even removal from market. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Laws have changed by the 01.01.2005 in Catalonia. This is especially important for people who want to buy a finca and then build a home on it, without any permission from city hall. You should not do so, because you will pay heavy fines and your house might end up unfinished and/or will even be demolished. Always ask in the referring city hall, if you are allowed to build or not. If you are with us, then we'll ask for you. In rustic fincas normally you won't be allowed to build villas or homes. The only thing you might be allowed to do is to build an agricultural "store house" or as we say here, an "almacèn". But, don't be desencouraged, the almacenes also have their good points, the spanish owners always convert their store houses into habitable homes.

Lately we detected a legal gap in the laws and therefore a possibility to get permission for habitable houses up to 300 m².

Last not least a   W A R N I N G   for travellers  through Barcelona:

We are sorry, but we must say, that Barcelona has changed into a town where it is most risky to leave baggage unattended. Especially where the tourists are, there are the thieves. They snatch your bag and run to a waiting car and you will never see your bag again. So, please, be carefully, don't give them any chance. Watch your baggage, hold it tight, where it is crowded and put your money, tickets and passports, where they can't be reached easily by well trained thiefs. You wouldn't believe what experts they are!

The Tarragona/Tortosa area is calm. No criminality, that is worth to talk about. This is the reason for many people to live in that region and so it is for me and my family.

Now, I wish you have fun, looking for your new home using the  olive green buttons or the information you can find on the Costa Dorada in " information "  on the left side.

Gerhard A. Tomann