Chapter

Buying a house in the Valencian Community

§ 1The region

The Valencian Community has three provinces: Castellón in the north, Valencia in the centre and Alicante in the south. This chapter belongs to the section on what to know about where to buy. It covers the region as a whole and the two northern provinces, while the Costa Blanca in the south has its own chapter, Costa Blanca in Spain.

§ 2What the registry shows

The property registrars report that foreigners made up 31.03% of home purchases in the Valencian Community in the second quarter of 2026, against 15.98% nationally. The statistics institute reports an annual price rise of 13.0% in the region. These are regional averages, and the Alicante coast pulls the foreign share up.

§ 3The storms of 2024 and 2026

On 29 October 2024 the weather agency measured 771.8 mm on the calendar day at Turís, in the province of Valencia. Its report counts 223 deaths, and the weather agency’s report of December 2024 cited an early estimate of 3,500 million euros for damage to homes and property, which later press reports of the insurance consortium’s own payments put well above that. Ravines and flat plains flooded far from the rain. The location checks section explains how to use the flood viewer, and every plot in the region needs the check. In October 2026 a second storm, named Adam, struck the Safor and Marina Alta; the location checks section describes what we could confirm.

§ 4Valencian taxes

The general resale transfer tax rate for housing in the Valencian Community is 9% from 1 June 2026, according to the Ministry of Finance table of September 2026. An undated regional agency page still shows the previous ten per cent. Ask the tax agency or your notary for the rate on your deed date. The costs section explains the change.

§ 5Tourist lets

The region requires authorisation, regional registration and, where there is a community, its prior express approval. The regional FAQ lists an occupancy licence, a single cadastral reference, liability insurance and a municipal report on urban compatibility. The section on renting and investing explains the layers.

§ 6The places

Valencia city covers Valencia city and its districts. Castellón covers the province of Castellón and its coast.

§ 7Licences and title

Check the registry note, the cadastral record and the planning status in writing from the town hall. A lawyer should verify the licences before any deposit. The legal process section explains the checks.

§ 8Who it may suit

It may suit buyers who want a big city with a beach, a quieter northern coast or a modern market in the south, and who accept flood checks as part of the job.

§ 9How to compare

Compare like with like and ask for registry data. The method chapter what best places means explains how we use official data. Affordable places step by step covers budget.

The basics of coast, village or city covers setting. Inland areas appear in a closer look at inland Spain.

§ 10The Mediterranean neighbours

The property market in Costa Cálida covers the Region of Murcia to the south and the section on Andalusia covers Andalusia.

What Costa del Sol means covers the Costa del Sol and Catalonia for buyers covers Catalonia to the north.

§ 11The islands and the rest

Balearic Islands for buyers covers the Balearic Islands. Canary Islands for buyers covers the Canary Islands.

Madrid for buyers covers Madrid. Northern Spain for buyers covers northern Spain.

§ 12What we could not verify

We did not read the municipal rules on lets or planning, and we found no town-level price averages.

§ 13Questions to put to the seller

Ask the seller or agent for the registry note, the cadastral reference, the latest property tax receipt, the energy certificate and the community certificate of debts. Ask about the flood history, the licence of the building and any works required after the storm. Put the questions in writing and keep the answers. A seller who cannot produce a basic document before a deposit is telling you something about the sale. The legal process section explains each document and who can supply it.

§ 14Costs beyond the price

Budget for the transfer tax, or VAT and stamp duty on a new home, then the notary, the registry, a lawyer and any bank or valuation costs. After the purchase come the annual property tax, community charges, insurance, utilities and maintenance. Insurance and community works can change the yearly cost. The costs section explains each item without giving a single total, because the total depends on the price, the region and the type of home.

§ 15Visiting in more than one season

Visit after heavy rain if you can, and in summer, because the flood history of a street matters as much as the view. Go on a weekday and at a weekend, in the morning and at night, and talk to neighbours and local shopkeepers. A viewing arranged by an agent shows the best hour of the best day, so return unannounced if you can. Take photographs of the street, the access and the neighbouring buildings, and compare them with the plans.

§ 16Working with advisers

A lawyer who works for you, and not for the developer or the agent, should check the title, the licences and the charges. A surveyor can check the structure, and a tax adviser can explain your position as a resident or a non-resident. Choose a lawyer who checks the flood viewer and the registry before any deposit. Ask each adviser for a written fee before they start, and keep the fee separate from any commission paid by a seller.

§ 17Deposits and timing

Reservation fees and deposits are common in Spain. Ask what each payment buys, whether it is refundable and under which conditions, and who holds the money. Ask in writing which transfer tax rate your quote uses, and check it against the date of your deed. Do not pay a large sum before the checks above are complete, and do not let an agent hurry you with a story of rival buyers. The legal process section explains the private contract, the deposit and the deed.

§ 18If you plan to let the home

Rental income is never certain, and the rules are layered: national, regional and municipal law, plus the statutes of the community. Valencian lets need regional authorisation and the community’s prior express approval, so check the statutes and the minutes. Check what the registry and the community allow before you buy, and budget for periods without tenants. The section on renting and investing explains the layers and what we could not read.

§ 19Reading the figures on this page

The figures here come from official sources and describe averages for a region or a period. They do not describe the home in front of you. Use them to set expectations, then compare with recent sales in the exact street. We record the source of each figure in the list at the foot of the page, and we say where we could not read a rule, so that you know what to ask a professional.

General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.