Andorra is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the Pyrenees mountains — something that many residents and expats look forward to especially when purchasing property here.
Unlike other tax havens, Andorra offers both affordable and luxury homes to suit every need. Properties start for as low as €55,000 for studio flats and can go up to €20,000,000 for luxury chalets.
There’s a catch, however. Buying a house here can get excessively complicated especially if you don’t know anyone here. It’s not as simple as logging onto an online property portal, browsing through hundreds of options, and finding your dream home. It’s extremely common to come across a listing you love only to find that it’s already been sold months before. The best options aren’t even listed!
In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the common challenges faced when trying to buy property in Andorra and how to find the right agents and portals to make your time worthwhile.
Challenges involved in Finding Property for Sale in Andorra
Regardless of where you’re moving, buying a house will be a challenging process. It all comes down to sound research, reliable support, and some luck. Here are the two most noteworthy challenges you might face when looking for property in Andorra.
Finding the Right House
There’s a lot more than meets the eye when you’re browsing for houses online, especially when buying in a place like Andorra.
Property hunting in Andorra is hard work — a lot of which you’ll have to do yourself. Unfortunately, however, you won’t feel spoiled for choice. In fact, the property market here has an undersupply of houses and an oversupply of agents.
Then there are other considerations such as style, finish, age of construction, location, views, and most importantly (believe it or not), how much sunlight the house gets. The latter is something you’re going to want to look into if you aren’t used to living in cold climate regions like Andorra.
Proximity to other services and ease of access is another important factor that will impact your purchase decision. Comfort factors such as heating, infrastructure, building quality, etc. will also have to be considered. To make sure that you find something that ticks every box in your checklist, you require a good agent.
Finding a Trustworthy Agent
When it comes to buying real estate in Andorra, the real challenge isn’t about finding the right house — it’s about finding the right agent.
In fact, you’ll probably find more agents than properties available here.
A common practice that many agents engage in is re-listing properties from other websites on their websites. This creates confusion when you get in touch with them, or find out that the property that you’re interested in has already been sold.
However, when you do find the right agent, you won’t have to look very far to find the property that matches your needs; Andorra is a micronation after all and there are only so many flats and chalets available here.
Estate Agencies
There are plenty of individual agents working for a great deal of estate agencies across Andorra, most of which have websites of their own where you can check the latest listings of the properties they deal with.
You’ll often find many listings of the same area since they tend to focus on one area at a time.
While you may be able to find a really good deal here, it can take a long time for properties to be updated. Either that or they get sold out to buyers who’ve been on a waiting list before you.
In such cases, it’s good to get on to their buying lists so you can constantly be in the loop.
Buyers Agents
Buyers agents can be more dependable than your average agent as they represent you, the buyer, as opposed to seller agents that represent the seller. In a nutshell, they make it their priority to find you the best property that ticks off all your boxes.
If you’re an expat looking to make the move to Andorra, consider an agency that can handle both your residency application and your housing needs.
Online Portals to Check Out
While the number of listings on online portals has a tendency to fluctuate, you’ll find some of the best options available here.
From Ordino in the North to Sant Julia de Loria in the South, from single room apartments to penthouses and chalets — there’s something for everyone if you dig hard enough.
Idealista
Idealista will probably be one of the top searches you come across in your search for property listings in Andorra.
This is probably due to the fact that Idealista keeps its listings up to date.
The website itself is easy to use and offers a wide variety of flats, duplexes, chalets, and even land too. All of this with high-quality images, of course.
Habitaclia
Another website with good images, Habitaclia covers much of the Andorran property market.
The only drawback here is that you may notice multiple listings of the same house posted by different agents. Finding the right person to get in touch with over here can be slightly tricky.
Busco Casa
While it isn’t the most user-friendly website out there, Busco Casa does have the most number of agents and listings.
As expected, you’ll have to do some digging around till you find what you’re looking for. Take into account that they don’t update their website regularly, which can get annoying if the property you’re interested in ends up being sold.
What Type of Property Can I Buy in Andorra?
The property market in Andorra is quite diverse. Here you’ll find everything including flats, duplexes, townhouses, detached houses, villas/chalets, land parcels, and commercial real estate.
If you aren’t sure where to begin your search, Invico Andorra is a premier real estate agency based in Andorra that specializes in the purchase and sale of properties in the principality.
If you’re interested in purchasing property for tax residency in Andorra, we can assist you with the process and also help you out with your property acquisition including paperwork.
The property prices in Andorra are hardly ever affected by world economic recessions and they experience steady growth each year. As more wealthy residents move into the principality, attracted by its low taxes and high living standards, you can expect the value of your property to increase.
Many of our clients choose to settle in remote villages to enjoy pristine untouched nature and peace. For those who prefer a busier city with plenty of events, we have properties in the capital Andorra la Vella.
Flats
In Andorra la Vella, you’ll find high-end apartments, offices, and commercial buildings. Most residents live in flats while few enjoy chalets in the hills surrounding the city. Almost all flats in Andorra la Vella offer a full or partial view of the mountains.
The flat prices can vary greatly in the capital and smaller towns. The average price of a flat on the low-end is €2,500-3,000 m² while it can go up to €15,000 m² in the most exclusive buildings. It’s possible to purchase a small flat in the capital for €150,000 (including closing costs).
In smaller towns in the country (near ski resorts) such as Canillo, La Massana, Soldeu, and Ordino the prices are similar and you can find flats for €120,000+. Smaller studios can be purchased for €80,000 or less.
Houses, Villas, and Chalets
Detached houses, locally known as “xalets” are some of the many attractive housing options available in Andorra. They are common in the non-urbanized locations of the country such as villages near ski resorts and they provide some of the most beautiful views of the Pyrenees mountain range.
Villas and luxury homes for sale in Andorra and cost around €1-3M on average. Few chalets can be found in the €500,000-700,000 range. Many high-end chalets can exceed €10M+ and can include plenty of surrounding land.
We have a wide choice regarding houses and chalets in the principality and can help you choose the ideal home based on design features, location, building materials, and more. Consult us for advice on purchasing or building a chalet in Andorra.
Rustic & Historic Homes
Andorra has over 700 years of history as a principality and many historic buildings can be purchased. Most historic/rustic homes in the principality are built from materials like wood and stone and tend to be available in the countryside.
Rustic homes in Andorra have a high-mountain design similar to the Alpine region and can be purchased for €500,000-1M. We can help you purchase a historic home furnished and equipped for modern living.
Land for Sale in Andorra
If you want to build your own chalet, there are plenty of land and farm parcels in Andorra. However, building on your own can be quite an expensive endeavor as the average plot can easily run €500,000+. The price of land can be as low as €700 m² or five times higher, depending on the location and availability of infrastructure.
It’s possible to find smaller 400 m² plots for €200,000-300,000 in a decent location, but if you want a large 1000 m² plot where you can integrate a pool and a garden near a town, the price will exceed €1M+.
Can Foreigners Buy Real Estate in Andorra?
To avoid a surge in housing prices, the Andorran government had placed certain restrictions on foreign purchases, which were later lifted in 2012. Today, foreigners can buy property in Andorra, but each purchase has to be approved by the government.
The buyer and seller sign a contract called a “Promesa de compra-venda” — a promise to buy and sell.
Once the contract is drafted, the buyer places a 10% deposit that is placed in escrow by the real estate agent while the permission to purchase is approved by the government.
This deposit is non-refundable. Once the purchase is approved, the contract is notarized and the foreign buyer purchases the real estate in Andorra. For more information on the subject, read our step-by-step guide.
Get In Touch for More Information
Not sure where to begin? Contact us and we’ll take you through every step of the process. From picking a location suited to your lifestyle and finding the property you’ve been waiting for, we can help you every step of the way.
We also provide assistance in other areas such taxation, company formation, and banking — practically everything you’re going to need when moving to Andorra.
