The problem of housing shortage affects a large part of the Spanish population. Currently there is not enough supply for so much demand, with only 0.5 homes being built for each new household, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Thus, Spain today leads the growth of prices in Europe, with an annual variation rate of the Housing Price Index (HPI) of 11.3%.
Meanwhile, nominal salaries have not experienced large increases, which worsens the purchase of real estate. Given the difficulty of finding a future home in recent years, a trend has grown: the purchase of occupied flats, which slightly increase the 'available' housing stock and at a more affordable price.
"In some cities and provinces, the value per square meter of occupied properties is reduced to more than half," explains Ferran Font, director of Studies at pisos.com. "An example is Seville, a province in which a typical 90 m2 home can cost 57,150 euros, compared to the 168,570 that it would cost under normal conditions; in other words, 66% less. In the capital of Seville, the price per m2 drops to 74%. This means that a property of 250,840 euros can be acquired for 64,350."
Another example is the province of Murcia, where an occupied flat is offered 64% cheaper, while in Madrid it is 58%. If we analyze the price in the Spanish capital, the discount percentage rises to 66%, which would mean being able to buy a 90m2 property for 206,370 euros instead of 609,930.
Even so, Font indicates that "we must not forget the added costs a posteriori, such as those of a judicial process or negotiation with the squatters, in addition to the renovation of the home, among others."
Catalonia, the most affected
Catalonia is the autonomous community with the most crimes of usurpation and trespassing in Spain, which accounts for 42% of the 16,426 cases that were registered in 2024, with the province of Barcelona accounting for 71% of these.
"In the Catalan capital, an occupied flat costs 67% less, which means that a typical home of 498,600 euros can be acquired for 164,430. In other towns such as Mataró we find a smaller reduction: 39% compared to free housing, with the price per m2 at 1,488 euros instead of 2,452," explains Ferran Font.
For their part, Badalona, Sabadell and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat offer reductions of 63%, 55% and 54%, respectively. This means that an occupied property can be acquired for 99,990 euros in the first case, 104,220 euros in the second and 131,580 in the third.
As for the rest of the provinces, both Girona and Tarragona reduce the prices of their occupied flats by 51% compared to free housing. In this sense, a typical property in Girona can be acquired for 101,970 euros and in Tarragona for 72,000. In Lleida, where the price is around 1,324 euros/m2, this is reduced by 57%, thus reaching 572 euros/m2.