Investment approach
A Flat Without a Lift in Barcelona: A Fair Discount and Its Limit
There is no universal discount percentage: the upper bound comes from comparable sales without a lift, the lower from the flat's share of the lift cost if the comunidad installs one.
A discount on a flat without a lift is justified within limits set by two calculations: how much you would pay for a lift if the building installs one, and what comparable flats without a lift sell for if it does not. There is no universal percentage. Open statistics are old and general: per idealista for 2020, flats without a lift across Spain are on average 33.5% cheaper, but that compares different flats and is not a discount on one and the same flat.
What the market figures show
In the idealista study of 13 October 2020, 35.1% of flats for sale in Spain had no lift, and 21.5% in the city of Barcelona. Flats without a lift were on average 33.5% cheaper in absolute price.
The figures are unsuitable for calculating a discount for three reasons. They are six years old. They compare absolute prices of flats of different sizes, floors and districts. And they do not answer how much a lift would cost in your particular building. I found no recent open data that separates the effect of a lift from other differences.
Can a lift be installed and who pays
In Barcelona the regime of propiedad horizontal (condominium ownership) is governed by Book V of the Código Civil de Cataluña, and the general law on propiedad horizontal is not the main source here.
| Question | Rule | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| What majority is needed | Art. 553-25.2.a | A lift or removal of barriers is adopted by a simple majority of those present and a simple majority of shares, even if the title and bylaws change or the structure is affected |
| Can a court compel it | Art. 553-25.5 | An owner or holder of a right of use who is disabled or over 70 (or those who live or work with them) may ask a court to order the comunidad to act if the junta (owners' meeting) has not decided, and the measures are reasonable and proportionate |
| Who pays | Art. 553-30.3 | If the junta decided, all owners bear the cost; if the court decided, it fixes the amount, based on ordinary common expenses |
It follows that whether a lift appears depends on the neighbours: if the building has no consensus and no residents who can apply to a court, a lift may not appear for years. Physical feasibility (room for the shaft, the staircase, the facade) is assessed separately, as covered in the article on installing a lift. The timing and the size of the contribution cannot be predicted until there is a junta decision and a quote.
How to calculate the discount
Two scenarios are considered: there will be a lift and there will not.
Worked example, not a forecast. Assumptions: a comparable flat with a lift in the same building or block is worth 520,000 €, comparable flats without a lift have sold for 455,000 €, your flat's share of the lift cost is 25,000 €, and the allowance for waiting and uncertainty is 3% of the price with a lift.
| Scenario | Calculated purchase price | Discount to the price with a lift |
|---|---|---|
| The lift will definitely be built | 520,000 − 25,000 − 15,600 = 479,400 € | 7.8% |
| No lift | 455,000 € | 12.5% |
The larger discount, 12.5%, is needed if there will be no lift: the price is then set by deals without a lift. The smaller, 7.8%, is possible if there will be one: the price with a lift minus your share and the allowance for waiting. The real discount lies between them and depends on the probability that the lift appears. Shares and the lift cost come from a quote, not assumptions: someone else's figures for another building mean nothing for yours.
What to check before buying
- Junta minutes for recent years: was a lift discussed, how did the vote go, is there a quote (what to look for in the minutes).
- An arquitecto's (architect's) opinion on room for a shaft and the constraints of the facade and staircase.
- The condition of the building and mandatory works: if the facade or roof is coming up, the lift is pushed back.
- Possible accessibility subsidies: the programme terms are checked at the date of the junta decision (on Next Generation subsidies).
- Agreement on who pays for the works, recorded in the minutes and not given verbally.
If the building has someone over 70 or with a disability, they may apply to a court after the junta fails to decide (art. 553-25.5), and a lift may appear without the others wanting it. This is hard to find out before the deal, so such an outcome is not built into the calculation.
When the discount is not justified
If the exit is through a sale, the next buyer will make their own calculation and bargain with the same argument. If the lift never appeared, the discount will again reduce your exit price. Such a purchase also does not suit anyone who counts on the lift as a ready solution: without a junta decision it is only a hypothesis. You can sketch your own scenario in the investor calculator; questions on the bylaws and votes go to the abogado (lawyer).
Questions and answers
What discount should I ask for on a flat without a lift?
There is no universal percentage. The discount lies between the "lift will be built" calculation and deals without a lift, and both are worked out for your building.
Can the comunidad be forced to install a lift?
Not directly. A simple majority of owners is enough for the decision (art. 553-25.2.a of the Código Civil de Cataluña), and an owner or resident who is disabled or over 70 may apply to a court (art. 553-25.5).
Who pays for a lift in Catalonia?
If the decision was taken at the junta, all the owners. If by court order, the court fixes the amount (art. 553-30.3).
How many flats in Barcelona have no lift?
Per idealista for 2020, 21.5% of flats listed for sale in the city. The figure is old and cannot be carried over to today's situation.
