• Affordable rental housing with government incentives is now the top housing option for 21.7% of Catalans. Although homeownership remains the most popular choice across all age groups, other alternatives are beginning to emerge, such as affordable rental housing and the 3.5% Public Housing Program.
• Culmia presents the second edition of its report, “The Homebuyer’s Journey in Spain,” which analyzes the current and future landscape for homebuyers in the country—and specifically in Catalonia—and explores market trends.
• Nearly 20% of those surveyed say they have not applied for this assistance because they believe they are not eligible, while only 4.7% say they have applied for an ICO guarantee. To a lesser extent, 1.6% have applied for the aid intended for home purchases in rural areas, as provided for in the State Housing Plan.
• 56.6% believe that housing options on the current market do not meet their financial expectations, and 14.4% say they do not meet their needs in terms of space and design.
• 43% of those surveyed say that whether a home is healthy is a determining factor in their purchase decision. By age group, those over 65 are the most influenced by this factor.
• When asked what the home of the future will be like, 34.7% closely associate it with sustainability and energy efficiency.

February 13, 2024 – Culmia, the real estate platform that fully concentrates the housing solutions of the market, has presented the second edition of the report ‘ Buyer’s Journey in Spain ‘ focused on Catalonia , in which it is revealed, among many other data, that 21.7% of Catalans consider incentivized affordable rental as their main option, followed by 3.5% who consider a Social Housing (VPO) as a possible future fit, 3.3% flexible rental and 2.1% coliving .

In any case, homeownership is the most popular housing option across all age groups, with 69.4% of respondents considering it a possible option for the future. The youngest respondents—those under 29—are the least likely to consider homeownership, at 39.5%. Meanwhile, those over 65 are the most likely to opt for homeownership, at 75%.

Similarly, 64.7% of Catalans say they have considered renting an affordable home or one that receives some form of public subsidy. By age group, the youngest respondents—those between the ages of 26 and 29—are the most likely (47.7%) to view affordable rental housing as their preferred option for the future.

In this regard, in line with current market needs, Culmia has just been awarded a surface rights lease for the development and marketing of 402 affordable rental housing units located in Esplugues de Llobregat, in the province of Barcelona; on land owned by the Institut Català del Sòl (Incasòl) of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In summary, Culmia now has more than 4,000 affordable housing units, many of which have already been delivered to families.

The report also reveals that 74% of Catalans who have looked for a home in the past year have not applied for any of the financial assistance programs offered by the government to help them begin the home-buying process. Although this is true for most people across all age groups, it is most prevalent among older adults—those aged 65 and older—where 83.6% say they have not applied for this assistance.

In the context of housing assistance programs, and with regard to those who have considered applying for them, the report notes that 19.4% of Catalans acknowledge that they did not apply because they were not eligible, while only 4.7% of them say they have applied for the ICO’s 20% guarantee. Finally, a mere 1.6% say they have applied for rural housing assistance under the State Housing Plan.

Among those who have applied for some form of assistance, such as an ICO guarantee, it is evident that this option is most popular among younger age groups, specifically those aged 26 to 29, with an average of 23.4% having applied for these potential benefits, compared to only 0% of those over 65 who report having done so.

The report highlights that the regulatory context—such as the Housing Law—has led to a temporary halt in home purchases for 41.2% of Catalans, with the greatest impact felt among younger people. Among Catalans who have considered buying a home in the past year but ultimately did not do so, more than 41% made this decision as a result of the Housing Act and its regulatory impact.

With regard to price, 56.6% of Catalans believe that the housing options on the current market do not meet their financial expectations. This figure confirms the trend outlined in the previous report, which noted that all age groups agree on the need for more housing with more affordable prices and terms, with a percentage exceeding 70%.

Meanwhile, 14.4% of Catalans say that current market options do not meet their needs in terms of space and layout, 9.4% say they do not meet their expectations for common areas, and 4.9% say the current offerings do not meet their expectations for complementary services. 14.7% of respondents state that housing options on the current market meet their expectations.

The Search and Purchase Process: Should You Seek Advice or Not?

As the sector evolves, preferences regarding advice before, during, and after the purchase of a home are also changing. 73.4% of Catalans identify areas where a real estate agency or developer can provide support during the home-buying process—a figure that aligns with the findings of the first report, in which support from the developer was one of the aspects that most helped clients during this process.

Specifically, 22.9% believe that a real estate agency or brokerage allows them to find more housing listings, and 20.3% believe it helps because of its better knowledge of the market and the advice it provides.

By age group, as Catalans get older, there is a growing preference for searching for housing without outside advice. While this preference stands at 32.4% for those over 65, the figure drops to 20.2% for people under 30.

Meanwhile, when it comes to beginning negotiations for the purchase of a home, the report notes that more than 70.3% of those surveyed prefer face-to-face contact with a professional to interact with the seller and carry out the purchase process.

When Buying a Home: Design and Sustainability Define the Most Sought-After Homes

The ability to customize a home is an important factor for more than 70% of Catalans, although it is not a deciding factor in the home-buying process. Home design is a key consideration among respondents, with over 50% citing it across all age groups, and the percentage is highest among those aged 45 to 64.

Natural light, at 76.6%, is the most highly valued factor when choosing a home. This is followed by space and openness, at 73.5%, and the layout of the rooms, at 56.1%.

In addition, 43% of users say that whether a home is healthy is a determining factor in their purchase. For 64.3% of people over 65, whether a home is healthy is a determining factor in their home purchase; this figure is lower among people aged 45 to 64, who say that whether a home is healthy is relevant but does not determine their purchase.

Chemical pollutants(29.6%) are the aspect of home health that causes the most concern, followed by biological pollutants (23.4%) and physical pollutants (20.3%).

In addition, 23% of Catalans prioritize sustainability in the home-building process and consider it an essential factor in the home-buying process, with this factor being of greater importance to those over 65.

This is reinforced by the fact that 58.6% of Catalans say that energy certification is a deciding factor when buying a home, even though they are not willing to pay for it. The main reason buyers prefer homes with a high energy efficiency rating is to save on energy costs, cited by 67.7% of respondents.

Regarding home automation, the report also reveals that 56% are looking for homes that include smart home features for efficient home management. This trend was already evident in the first edition of the report, where these features accounted for 3.1% of the most highly valued factors for reducing a home’s fixed expenses.

The Home of the Future: Sustainable, Efficient, and Smart

The second edition of Culmia’s report, “The Buyer’s Journey in Catalonia,” also explores Catalans’ perceptions of the home of the future and analyzes emerging trends that will shape homes in the medium and long term. The report’s findings reveal that several ideals related to the home of the future are already being implemented today.

Among the essential values that Catalans associate with the home of the future are sustainability and efficiency, cited by 34.7% of respondents—an idea that is particularly prevalent among younger people. This is followed by affordability (27.4%) and energy self-sufficiency (18.1%). In this regard, nearly 60% of Catalans expect the home of the future to automatically adjust indoor temperatures based on outdoor weather conditions.

On the other hand, regarding the materials expected to be used in the homes of the future, the report reveals that most Catalans believe they will continue to be built with traditional materials, followed by other options such as wood, in second place, and solar glass, in third place.

In line with the rise of new technologies, more than 25% of respondents believe that the home of the future will be smart. As a result, 34.4% believe that computers, smartphones, or tablets will be the primary means of interacting with the smart home, followed by communication through virtual assistants.

Regarding the process of buying the home of the future, the survey suggests that it will involve hyper-personalized advertising, followed by viewing the home through augmented reality, and, third, the use of social media. It also raises the possibility that other channels may emerge in this process, such as viewing via holograms and the metaverse, as well as influencers.

As for advice, it is believed that in-person interactions will be the most common channel for customer service during the home-buying process in the future. This is followed by phone support and WhatsApp support. Across all age groups, people believe that in-person interaction will be the most widely used support channel in the future, although this view tends to decrease among younger age groups.

Finally, regarding financing for the housing of the future, Catalans expect it to come from bank loans, as opposed to other payment and financing methods such as personal assets, crowdfunding or crowdlending, barter, bare ownership, or digital currencies.

How do children envision the home of the future?

As a new feature this year, the report also analyzed children’s views on the home of the future, offering a new perspective from the standpoint of future homebuyers in Spain.

Children imagine a future where homes will be deeply integrated with artificial intelligence, with all devices and appliances connected to the internet. They envision automated homes, where lighting, appliances, and household chores will be managed by robots and controlled via voice commands or remote controls. Furthermore, they associate artificial intelligence not only with the convenience of giving instructions, but also with the efficiency and energy savings it will provide in the operation of smart homes.

They envision a future where the rooms in homes will be completely dominated by electronics and artificial intelligence. They envision more spacious and functional spaces, where everything—from televisions andgame consoles to the lights—will be voice-controlled. The lights, key players in this scenario, will be able to change color and brightness, and even turn off automatically when you fall asleep. They also expect cleaning and organization to be handled automatically. These smart rooms will create personalized environments, adapting the temperature, lighting, and space to the needs of the moment, all managed electronically via screens or voice commands.

Click this link to see what children envision for the home of the future.