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Ministry Of Development: House Prices Rise For First Time Since 2008

27 February 2015 – El Correo

House prices rose by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2014; and the average price per square metre amounted to €1,463.1.

Average house prices increased by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2014, the first quarterly increase since the beginning of 2008, the year in which the crisis began. Meanwhile, the average price per square metre amounted to €1,463.10, according to reports from the Ministry of Development.

Despite the quarterly increase, house prices closed the year (2014) with an inter-annual decrease of 0.3%; although this percentage was negative, it was more moderate than the -4.2% recorded in 2013.

In this way, house prices recorded seven consecutive years of decline, during which time the cumulative decrease from the peak prices recorded in 2008 amounts to 30.4%. In real terms, after accounting for the variation in CPI, this decrease rises to 36.9%.

Also, despite the slight quarterly increase, the average price per square metre was still at similar levels to those recorded at the beginning of 2014.

By type of property, both new builds and second-hand homes ended 2014 with price increases. Homes that were less than two years old became 1.2% more expensive, to reach €1,517 per square metre, and second-hand homes rose by 0.2% to €1,441 per square metre.

In the subsidised housing segment (vivienda protegida or VPO), the price per square metre amounted to €1,099.90 in the fourth quarter of 2014, representing a year-on-year decrease of 0.3% and an inter-quarter increase of 0.2%.

In this way, the general price index registered a rise of 0.3% between October and December last year, with respect to the previous three months and a year-on-year decrease of 0.3%. With this year-on-year decline, the general price index has now recorded 25 cumulative quarters of negative growth.

Prices decreased the most in Asturias and Navarra

By autonomous region, five regions experienced year-on-year increases in the price of (unsubsidised) homes: Cantabria (+3.6%), the Balearic Islands (+2.4%), the Canary Islands (+1%), Valencia (+0.6%) and Madrid (+0.5%).

By contrast, the largest year-on-year decreases were recorded in Asturias (-5.2%), Navarra (-4.2%), Castilla y León (-3.7%), Castilla-La Mancha (-3.1%) and Galicia (-2.8%).

In terms of towns with more than 25,000 inhabitants, the highest prices per square metre were found in San Sebastián (€3,117/m2), Getxo (€2,696.40/m2), Calvià (€2,526/m2), Alcobendas (€2,477.2/m2), Pozuelo de Alarcón (€2,471.6/m2), Barcelona (€2,416.3/m2) and Majadahonda (€2,399.7/m2).

The lowest prices in towns with more than 25,000 inhabitants were recorded in Elda (€557.3/m2), Crevillent (€597.3/m2), Tomelloso (€600.8/m2), Jumilla (€605.2/m2), Ontinyent (€606.7/m2), Villarrobledo (€609.6/m2) and Hellín (€618.5/m2).

Original story: El Correo

Translation: Carmel Drake