Masias for sale

Are you looking to buy a masia? Below we have prepared a summary of all the information you need, with links to relevant content.

What is a masia?

A masia essentially means a "country house" – and, especially, a country house that was once the centre of a working farm.

The word masía in Spanish comes from Catalan. In Catalan, there are also the words "mas", which means "agricultural holding", and "masover/a", which means "the owner or manager of a mas".

There are many words in Spanish with a similar meaning to masia, such as:

• Cortijo: Typical of southern Spain, especially in Andalusia.

• Granja: Common in northern Spain, particularly in Galicia and Asturias.

• Finca: Used throughout Spain.

• Hacienda: Common in Andalusia and Extremadura.

• Casona: In Cantabria and the Basque Country.

For more information about the history and curious facts about masias, visit our blog: What is a masia?.

8 key characteristics of a Catalan masia

The best-known type of masia is the Catalan masia. 

At the end of the 19th century, it's estimated there were 20,000 masias in Catalonia, and today the majority of our clients are specifically looking for a masia for sale in Catalonia. 

With so many properties spread over different terrains and uses, no two masias are the same. But they are all identified by some typical characteristics, such as:

• Independent properties: A masia always refers to a detached home.

• Agricultural or livestock history: Masias are old buildings, originally built to house the owner, workers and sometimes animals of a farm.

• Stone walls: The buildings are made of stone, usually from local quarries.

• Land: Due to its farming past, a masia is usually sold with extensive lands, sometimes over 100 hectares (247 acres) – but often the original land has been parcelled up and sold.

• Two-storey design: The Catalan masia typically has two floors, with the ground floor originally used to keep livestock or as a warehouse.

• South orientation: The façade usually faces south, to take advantage of natural light.

• Agricultural constructions: It is very common to find a masia for sale with a tool house, a warehouse, an olive oil mill and even old workers' cottages.

• Architectural elements: The largest masias for sale often have an interior courtyard, a chapel and even defensive towers.

To learn more, visit our blog: 17 important characteristics of Catalan farmhouses. 

Where can you find masias for sale in Spain?

Most of the masias for sale on our website are located in Catalonia.

If you're looking to buy a farmhouse in a specific area, you can look at the following pages:

• Masias for sale in Girona

• Masias for sale in Barcelona

• Masias for sale in Tarragona

• Masias for sale in Lleida

As our real estate agency has a headquarters in Girona, we have a large portfolio of masias for sale in Baix Empordà and masias for sale in Alt Empordà.

We also have masias for sale in Navarra.

How much does it cost to buy a masia?

The sale price of a farmhouse depends a lot on its condition. 

Due to a plague caused by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, and also rural depopulation, many masias are in ruins. For this reason, in our portfolio you can find masias for sale for less than €200,000.

But at the same time, some masias are among the most expensive properties in all of Spain. In fact, at Cottage Properties, our average sale price is over €1 million – as many of our masias are in a renovated state, with large plots of land, or in sought-after areas of Catalonia.

If you are looking to buy a masia, it is important to determine your budget, as the sale price can vary.

Buying an abandoned masia

Today, many people are interested in buying an abandoned masia – whether to buy at a more affordable price, or because they want to carry out a rehabilitation project.

You can find abandoned masias or masias in need of renovation on this page by following these steps:

• Go back to the page header and locate the search filters.

• Find the “More filters” part, where the “Condition” subtitle appears.

• Check the “To be reformed” and “In need of renovation” boxes.

• Click the “Search” button.

The relevant masias will now appear.

You can also go to our page properties to rehabilitate for sale.

Buying a masia as a real estate investment

At the time of writing, several buyers are speaking to us with the intention of buying a masia as an investment.

Is it a good idea?

Like all properties, the value of a masia grows in line with inflation and housing prices in general. But there are more options for using a masia as an investment. Among them are:

• Boutique hotels or restaurants: Rural tourism is booming, and masias offer authenticity, history and a unique environment.

• Agricultural holdings: Some masias have licenses to produce and export olive oil, wine, wheat and more.

• Wellness centres or retreats: The natural environment and connection with nature of a masia is ideal for holistic living projects.

• Rehabilitation project: Like other properties, you can also buy a masia to rehabilitate and resell it.

At Cottage Properties, we have our own team of architects and surveyors to carry out rehabilitation works on masias and country houses. 

If you are interested in asking for advice on a potential project, visit our rehabilitations page.

Legal steps to buy a masia

Buying a masia in Catalonia requires proper research and local knowledge.

Many farmhouses are listed with the government of Catalonia as buildings of cultural importance. According to the official regulations, rehabilitation is only allowed under specific conditions. Special care must be taken if the masia is included in the municipality's heritage inventory.

Due to the extra urban regulations, our team has a conveyancing solicitor and legal expert in real estate management, as well as an architect and a forestry engineer.

A summary of the legal steps to buy a farmhouse is:

1. Define your criteria: Budget, location, characteristics, state of conservation, etc.

2. Search: Visit masias that match your criteria.

3. Offer and reservation contract: Before reserving a masia, we recommend that you ask for advice on potential regulations, irregularities in the nota simple and irregularities in the cadastre, to avoid any nasty surprises.

4. Deposit contract: When creating the deposit contract, we recommend that you use the services of a conveyancing solicitor to request the resolution of any irregularity with the property registry, energy certificate, cadastre and charges or debts in the town hall.

5. Notary: If all the documentation is in order, you can now go to the notary to sign the public deed of sale and settle the property transfer taxes and the payment of the municipal capital gain.

6. Record the deed: You can now go to the Property Registry with the public deed, the ITP self-assessment form, and proof of payment of the municipal capital gain.

7. Change contracts: Now you need to change the electricity and water contracts in your name, and move in (or renovate) in your new masia.

At Cottage Properties, we accompany you throughout the entire process of buying a farmhouse. For more information, visit our page on services for buyers.

How to visit one of our masias for sale 

Ready to visit a selection of masias for sale in Catalonia and surrounding areas? 

When you have found a masia that you would like to visit, you can fill out the form on the property's page to request a visit. Within one business day, a Cottage Properties agent will contact you to set a date and time for the visit.

Can't find a masia that suits your needs?

We also have an off-market portfolio of masias for sale. So we may have exactly what you're looking for – and if not, you'll be the first to know when a new masia comes along that meets your needs.

For more information, request a consultation on our Contact page.

Who are we?

Cottage Properties is a luxury real estate agency in Spain with registered agents (API) and with an exclusive portfolio of masias, country houses, castles and luxury villas for sale.

Our directors – Angels Sabater Anell and Pere Crosas – have more than 30 years of experience helping clients buy, sell and rehabilitate farmhouses in Catalonia and other parts of Spain. 

We are a reference in Spain for the sale of masias and our director, Angels Sabater, has appeared on Spanish television channels such as Decasa to showcase unique rehabilitations of the most emblematic masias in Catalonia.