La Coruna – for and against

Here is a list of points to consider if you are looking at buying a house in La Coruna province for holidays, as an investment, for vacation rental or as a permanent residence.

You can also be assured that if you choose to buy property in la Coruna you will be in good company. A 2007 Spanish newspaper survey found that approximately 52% of all British exp-pats now living in Galicia reside somewhere in la Coruna province.

For (why you might want to buy in la Coruna)

• The province has spectacular scenery with a long and beautiful western coastline featuring several rias (bays). La Coruna has mountains, valleys, rivers and meadows and is considered by Galicians to be the most desirable province in which to live.
• La Coruna has major cities like Santiago de Compostela and la Coruna city, but it is best known for the dozens of coastal towns and (former fishing) villages which many foreign house hunters now seek to buy into.
• With boundaries extending from the western coast, to the centre of Galicia and the provincial border with Lugo, la Coruna has many rural houses in its inland areas. As with Lugo, many of these make perfect renovation projects. Unlike Lugo however, most of these houses are never far from one of the province's pretty towns or villages.
• House prices in la Coruna province range from cheap "Lugoesque" like prices for the rural homes in need of repair (casa rustica), to the heftier price tags of newer properties in the major cities. La Coruna can claim to offer something for every budget with prices moving steadily upwards as you travel coastward from the inland districts to the beach side properties.
• The rural or rustic houses usually come with good sized land plots and you may get an horreo (traditional grain store) and possibly additional buildings on the site. There are a great many rural houses in need of repair and renovation, so those looking for a potential property project will have plenty to look at.
• La Coruna probably has the largest and most extensive selection of sea facing and coastal village based property in Galicia. Prices can also be very fair.
• Although restricted to the summer season, houses and apartments in la Coruna offer good vacation rental prospects. Occupancy and weekly rental values increase if the property is near Santiago, la Coruna or one of the better known coastal districts like Porto do Son. These property rentals are also attractive to Spanish holiday makers in July and August.
• Because of its regional popularity, la Coruna has new builds and a large number of new and resale apartments. These apartments are located across the region. They are built to high standards and allow the ownership of a Galician vacation home without the hassle of a maintenance contract, or someone to look after the property when you are not there. These apartments are also easy to sell and have seen their values escalate by over 100% in the last 8 years. Long and medium term projections of the markets suggest that this trend will continue.

We ourselves live in la Coruna province and selected this region for many of the reasons stated above.

Because provincial la Coruna combines massive areas of near uninhabited rural beauty with a higher population density around coastal and city areas, it can be all things to all people. It offers all the rural and house buying benefits of Lugo or Ourense, but with the pleasures of being able to access modern amenities and enjoy the relaxed lifestyle of cafes, tapas bars and eating out (without having to travel miles for the privilege).

La Coruna is well serviced by roads, rail, international airports (2) and medical centres (capable of procedures like broken limb setting) as well as major hospitals. These were access, communication and personal security issues that we placed a high value upon in our decision to live in la Coruna.

Against (really just some considerations to be aware of)

• Prices for rural properties are fairly comparable across all four provinces, but houses in cities and large towns are more expensive in la Coruna than Lugo or Ourense. They are also better investments and easier to sell on.
• House values in la Coruna are rising and this makes the province worthy of consideration for long term property investment. The exception to this rule is of course rural properties which have a limited domestic market. Refurbished rustic houses will sell and will increase in value (provided that they are not in the middle of nowhere), but their appeal remains mainly confined to the overseas market (at least for now).
• Buying a house in a remote district of la Coruna (and there are plenty of them) will have the same perceived advantages, or negative degrees of isolation, as Eastern Ourense or Northern Lugo. Property values will make these houses highly affordable, but be conscious that you will see very few neighbours.
• Many of the houses in rural aspects will have or require cesspits, will access water (through the house's plumbing system) from local springs, and may not have access to telephone lines. But remember, these limitations are also often true of houses in rural Britain and Eire.

La Coruna has rural beauty, masses of history and heritage (Santiago city is a "World Heritage" site) and its main cities are the most cosmopolitan in Galicia. Once you have moved to, and settled into Galica, a location in la Coruna province will ensure that you are never short of things to do or places to visit.

Quick reference summaries of the other 3 provinces

Buying a house in Lugo Reasons for and against.

Buying a house in Pontevdra Reasons for and against.

Buying a house in Ourense Reasons for and against.