Types of country house in our portfolio
At Cottage Properties we hold the largest collection of masias (traditional Catalan country houses) for sale in Catalonia, with an active catalogue of over 140 unique properties.
Our selection covers every kind of masía:
Many of these properties come with substantial land, made up of woodland, olive groves, almond orchards, kitchen gardens, vineyards or wheat fields. Every masía offers an authentic rural way of life, full of possibility.
Where our country houses are located
Our portfolio covers country houses and masias across all four provinces of Catalonia:
Whether you're looking for a masía close to the Pyrenees, deep in the rural interior or near the Costa Brava, you'll find options to suit every requirement and every project.
You can search within any of the provinces above to find masías for sale in a specific comarca or municipality.
About Cottage Properties
Cottage Properties is the leading estate agency in Catalonia specialising in masías for sale.
For more than 30 years we have helped Spanish and international buyers find, restore and preserve some of the country's most remarkable rural properties.
Our co-director, Àngels Sabater, is one of the most respected voices in Catalan rural property. Her work has featured on TV3, where she appeared alongside the buyers of the well-known Can Morgat estate in the Pla de l'Estany, and on Canal Decasa, where she presented the restoration of Mas dels Arbres, a project within the Cap de Creus Natural Park.
Our portfolio also appears in the national press, in publications including The Olive Press and others.
Free restoration projects
In response to growing demand for technical guidance, more than a decade ago we brought a team of architects and building surveyors in-house.
That made Cottage Properties the only estate agency in Catalonia to offer masía restoration as part of the same service.
Our co-director, Pere Crosas, is among the most sought-after professionals in the field. His work includes landmark projects such as the restoration of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona –widely regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world– alongside numerous historic masías and rural estates across Catalonia.
Thanks to our in-house restoration team, we are the only estate agency specialising in country houses able to offer buyers technical support from the very first visit.
As a client, you'll benefit from:
A free accompanied viewing with our building surveyor at any masía you'd like assessed.
Free indicative estimates covering restoration costs, challenges and possibilities.
A free preliminary restoration scheme, giving you a realistic early view before committing to a purchase.
What is a masia?
A masia is the Catalan name for a country house in the Catalonia region. More specifically, it refers to a country house that served as the centre of a farming or livestock holding in north-eastern Spain from the 10th century through to the 20th.
The word masía comes from Catalan. Catalan also gives us mas, meaning "farm holding", and masover/a, meaning the tenant who works and manages a mas.
Spanish has a number of words with similar meanings, for example:
Cortijo: typical of southern Spain, particularly Andalusia.
Granja: common in northern Spain, particularly Galicia and Asturias.
Finca: used throughout Spain.
Hacienda: common in Andalusia and Extremadura.
Casonas: found in Cantabria and the Basque Country.
For more on the history and curiosities of the masía, visit our blog: What is a masía?
Features of a Catalan masía
Few Catalan masías still operate as working farms today, as they originally did. Even where they have been converted into family homes, however, they retain architectural and structural features that reveal their historic purpose.
No two masías are alike, but most share a number of common characteristics:
Detached properties: a masía is always a standalone building.
Farming or livestock origins: masías are old buildings, put up to serve agricultural purposes.
Stone walls: built from stone, usually quarried locally.
Land: because of their agricultural origins, a masía usually comes with land –sometimes still in licensed production, sometimes parcelled off and sold.
Two-storey layout: the typical Catalan masía has two storeys, with the ground floor used for livestock or storage.
South-facing orientation: the façade generally faces south to make the most of natural light.
Farm buildings: masías for sale frequently come with a tool store, a barn, an olive press and even former workers' cottages.
Architectural features: larger masías on the market often have a central courtyard, a chapel and even defensive towers.
To find out more, visit our blog: 17 key features of Catalan masias.
Can you buy an abandoned country house to renovate?
Yes, you can.
It's one of the questions we're asked most often. In our experience, between 80% and 90% of the masías on the market need some degree of restoration, whether a partial update or a complete overhaul.
It does, however, need to be approached with proper knowledge and professional advice. Our own research indicates there are currently more than 22,000 country houses listed in municipal heritage protection catalogues across Catalonia. Under the official regulations, restoration is permitted – but only under specific conditions that respect the building's heritage value, its original structure and the protected rural setting around it.
To help buyers and investors understand the process, our co-director Pere Crosas – with over 30 years of experience restoring masías – has put together a complete guide to the five essential steps for renovating and restoring a masía in Catalonia.
Over the course of his career he has seen numerous outside projects issued with stop notices, but never one handled by our own technical team.
You can read the full guide here: Country house restoration: 5 steps to avoid cost overruns and delays.
How much does it cost to renovate a country house?
The cost of restoring a masía varies enormously. It depends on factors such as:
It's worth bearing in mind that restoring a masía isn't comparable to renovating a modern house or a city flat. You're working with natural stone, timber beams, thick walls and historic structures that call for specialist techniques.
In many cases, the regulations also require the use of local materials and traditional methods in order to preserve the building's authenticity and heritage value.
At Cottage Properties, our team of surveyors and architects specialising in masías can prepare a free preliminary scheme for any property you're interested in. It's one of our most requested services among buyers who want to assess potential and costs before making a decision.
Get in touch for more information or to request your free preliminary scheme.
Viewing a country house for sale with Cottage Properties
Once you've found a masía you'd like to view, simply complete the form on the property listing to request a viewing. A Cottage Properties agent will contact you within one working day to arrange a date.
Can't find the country house you're looking for?
We also hold a portfolio of off-market properties for sale. We may have exactly what you're looking for – and if not, you'll be the first to know when a new masía matching your requirements comes onto the market.
For more information, call our office on 872 009 515 or request a consultation on our contact page.
