It’s just impossible to build in Andalusia now, it seems

– so what if you want to build a new house?

Recently, due to all the legislation that has been put in place over the last few years to stop random building in the Andalusian countryside, I find myself constantly explaining to clients why they should consider the houses they are looking at to buy for what they are now, and not with imagined large extensions of super-sized swimming pools.  It is practically impossible to build on rural land in Andalusia now, and that’s a fact!

But what if you do still wish to build from scratch, is it possible?

The answer is simple: it depends on the land classification.  Land here is divided into urban (residential or industrial usage, for example) and rustic (irrigated or dryland).  In most cases it is dryland (non irrigated plots) that attract the foreign house hunters, as this type of land is the cheapest and the plots are larger, but even if there is a house on such plots, extending, adding a garage, or a pool, would in most cases not be permitted by the local authorities.  So the key to building from scratch and creating your own, perfect dream home, is to buy residential, urban land.  On the whole, these plots are smaller (up to around 1000 square metres) so it is vital to understand this, and these plots are logically more expensive.  However, there are opportunities out there to obtain such plots at a reasonable price, and build your dream home, all within the budget of purchasing a ready-made house.  Once you have bought your plot, planning permission is usually not a long process (unlike on rustic dryland, where you need, in general, a minimum of 25,000 square metres and you would have to prove you need to live at the property in order to work the land, which is practically impossible, and then it takes up to one year to obtain your planning permission, if you are lucky).  On urban land it can take around 3 to 4 months to obtain a licence (varies from area to area).

So where are these plots?  They are around, and if you look in the right places, they are surprisingly beautiful, some close to or overlooking lake Viñuela or lake Bermejales, some within walking distance of the sea, or overlooking a town.  With a budget of between 150,000 and 400,000 Euros, depending on how ambitious your project is, and the location, this is all possible.

For more details on building and what is involved, contact Unspoilt Andalusia