In Lleida, prospective flat buyers need €40,214 to cover the deposit and related costs for a 90 m² property, according to a new report from property portal pisos.com. That is the lowest amount among Catalonia’s provincial capitals.
The study uses May reference prices and says the savings needed amount to 30% of the property value. That includes a 20% down payment plus another 10% for expenses such as taxes, notary fees and registration.
The gap with other Catalan capitals is wide. Barcelona requires €140,361, Girona €73,670 and Tarragona €48,111. The report says these upfront sums are often out of reach for many young people, who frequently rely on family help or inheritances to buy a home.
Across Spain, only five provincial capitals allow buyers to purchase a flat with less than €40,000 in savings. They are Jaén, Zamora, Cáceres, Ciudad Real and Ávila. The study says most of these cities are in areas often described as empty Spain, where depopulation is a concern.
Barcelona is among the cities with the highest savings requirements for a property purchase. It is behind only San Sebastián at €178,487, Madrid at €172,987 and Palma at €145,074.
Ferran Font, spokesperson and director of studies at pisos.com, said in a press release: “For years, we have focused the debate on the monthly mortgage payment, when the decisive obstacle appears much earlier: gathering the deposit money. Those who do not have this initial cushion do not even sit down to negotiate with the bank.”
For more Catalonia housing coverage, see our news page and related reporting on the regional property market.