Real estate is a Spanish obsession.
It probably is elsewhere, too. But since I’ve lived my entire adult life in Spain, I know a lot about the Spanish property market.
Today I’d like to share a list of Spanish vocabulary – or really, several short lists – that you can use when searching for a house or flat in Spain.
A couple of caveats, to begin. First, this vocabulary is Spanish from Spain. And when I say Spain, I should clarify that I’ve only lived in Madrid and Barcelona.
It’s quite possible that in Galicia (or in Panama) they use different words for different types of real estate.
Second, you should probably find someone local to help you with the real estate search. Even if you have to pay that person… don’t just go in blind.
You might not need a lawyer but you could certainly get a friendly buyer-side agent to deal with some of the bureaucracy and the finer points of the Spanish language for you.
With that out of the way, let’s see some real estate vocab…
Types of houses and flats in Spanish
Here you have a few words you could use to talk about different kinds of houses and flats in Spanish. Here in Spain, people generally live in flats – even in smaller cities and towns. So let’s start there…
- un piso = a flat
- un chalé = a detached house
- una casa adosada = a terraced house
- un estudio = a studio apartment
- un apartamento = an apartment (usually one bedroom)
- una villa = a villa (house with land)
- una finca = a ranch or country estate (or a block of flats, in the city)
- un inmueble = a building (really, any kind of built real estate)
- un terreno / un solar = a piece of land
Of course, you should make sure your land is “urbanizable” before just buying something – are you allowed to build on it? Etc. There are a lot of nuances to this stuff.
Spanish vocabulary from Real Estate listings
If you’re online looking at listings, there’s probably some vocabulary you don’t know. Some of these are types of houses and others are descriptions of houses within blocks of flats.
- un bajo = a flat on the ground floor
- un entresuelo = technically, mezzanine level. (It’s just above ground floor on some buildings.)
- primera planta, segunda planta, tercera planta, etc = first, second, third floor
- un ático = penthouse, garret
- un sobreático = upper penthouse (the highest floor in a building)
- un loft = open-plan apartment on the top floor (probably similar to a penthouse)
- con ascensor = with elevator
- sin ascensor = without elevator (a walk-up)
- interior = facing the patio
- exterior = facing the street
- acogedor = cozy
- mucha luz = a lot of light
- un espacio diáfano = open plan space (without interior walls)
This vocabulary, of course, can combine in interesting ways: you might find yourself renting “un quinto sin ascensor” which is a fifth-floor walk-up. And you really need to see the places before committing to a piece of property.
“Interior”, for example, could mean it’s on a small airshaft with no light, or (here in Barcelona) you could have a patio the size of a city block. Our “interior” flat here in Barrio de Clot is great, with plenty of light – because the “patio” is huge.
Mortgage vocabulary in Spanish
These lists are by no means exhaustive. I’d lived in Spain for about 18 years by the time I finally bought a flat, and I learned new vocabulary in the process. So I’m assuming there are things that will come up that aren’t on this list.
Also, and by the way, we used a mortgage broker to get our mortgage, which turned out to be easier than asking for mortgages from individual banks. More about that whole thing in my article on buying a flat in Spain.
- una hipoteca = a mortgage
- una reserva = a reservation fee
- el pago de arras = a down payment
- el tipo de interés = the interest rate
- el TAE = tasa anual equivalente (basically, the real interest rate)
- el euribor = the interbank interest rate
- tipo fijo = fixed rate mortgage
- tipo variable = variable-rate mortgage
- el plazo de la hipoteca = the mortgage term (total duration of the mortgage)
The euribor, for example, is a word you’ll hear in relation to mortgage rates: a bank might offer you a variable rate of “euribor + 1%” or some such.
Make sure you calculate what a shifting interest rate will do to your finances… it could get ugly if high inflation comes back.
Of course, there’s a lot more to say about these things. You’ll have to go to a notary, where they’ll explain all the terms of your mortgage to you. There will probably be a mandatory cooling-off period. The laws can change.
When we did all this, we found that there are a lot of laws to protect homeowners that resulted from the Great Recession and the bursting of the early-2000s real-estate bubble.
But moving forward, who knows what’ll happen?
Real estate rental vocabulary
Let’s not leave renters out of this. These days, renting a flat in Spain is pretty difficult… at least for normal working people.
- un contrato temporal = a temporary contract
- alquiler vacacional = vacation rental (short-term)
- un contrato de arrendamiento = a rental contract
- el propietario = the owner of a property
- arrendador / casero = landlord (usually also the propietario)
- la fianza = the deposit (sometimes returned at the end of the contract)
- el alquiler = the rent payment
- alquilar = to rent
- una habitación = a room
- un piso compartido = a shared flat
- la inmobiliaria = a real-estate agency
That’s about all I’ve got for now. I’ll probably make a video about this in the next few days, so you can hear the pronunciation of some of these words. In the meantime, here’s a video about vocabulary you might need when dealing with Spanish bureaucracy.
That one’s more immigration focused.
Check out my channel on YouTube, if you want more… it’s called “Learn Spanish with Daniel”.
More Spanish real estate vocabulary?
Leave me a comment below if you have any questions about more Spanish real estate vocabulary… let’s call this article a work in progress, for now.
Of course, I can’t talk about real estate in Spain without mentioning the housing crisis. As I explore in that linked article, it’s complicated, but one way or another rents are through the roof, there’s very little new construction, and prices are generally out of line with salaries.
It’s a tough situation for a lot of people.
Meanwhile, Pedro Sánchez and his socialist government can’t do anything but make it all worse. Really, they’re busy with other things, like regularizing half a million immigrants.
So they’re passing the buck around and waiting for the next election.
Happy house hunting.
Yours,
Daniel AKA Mr Chorizo.
P.S. If you’re looking for a buyer-side agent to help you with Spanish real estate, check out Stellium Estates. Isaac over there wrote me a guest post a while ago. They do luxury flats in Madrid, Marbella, Menorca and more.
P.P.S. It’s possible that living in Spain is overrated. And it’s possible that you won’t find happiness living abroad. But I guess there’s only one way to find out. What do you think? Let me know in the comments, or hit me up on Instagram or whatever.
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