Styles of property in Galicia

Galicia has many differing styles of property and you will hear a house referred to as anything from a casa, villa, chalet or casa rustica, to a finca or casa rurales. However, they are all names for the same thing – a house.

Traditional Galician town houses

The most traditional and popular style of home in Galicia is a stone built town house and these appear in terraces in the older districts. Although interconnected, these houses are rarely identical and were often built at different times by different builders. Most are 80 to 200 years old and often often extend back significantly.

Most of these houses are being (or can be) refurbished.

Traditional town houses make good restoration projects. They offer the amenities of the town or village, are located in the most historic and atmospheric parts of the town and are low maintenance.

Country houses

The most popular properties with UK and USA buyers are the rural stone houses. These houses are usually constructed of traditional granite and they have pitched slate roofs and they often include a reasonably sized plot of land. These houses now make ideal restoration projects.

These properties make ideal and economic restoration projects, they offer an escape from the busy way of life that most none city dwellers are accustomed to. They are the most popular property type with British, USA, Irish, French and German house hunters.

Apartments (flats)

Apartments offer low maintenance living in the hub of activity that is a Galician town. Apartments are cheap and easy to maintain and they do not require a gardener or maintenance company to look after them if you are out of the country.

A new build

There are two kinds of new build, those constructed by a builder and those commissioned by the land owner. Both offer the most modern of facilities with styles and designs ranging from the ultra modern to the traditional.

If you want a house constructed to your specifications this can be achieved by buying a plot of land and then commissioning an architect.

Houses by the sea

90% of Galicia’s population live in a major city or less than 10km from the sea, this means that there are plenty of seaside residences available.

The kinds of property that you will find close to the coast vary from small old fishing houses to modern architect designed residences.