Flat to renovate in El Raval
· El Raval, Barcelona75 m² · 3 bed · to renovate€145,000
Vera tells you about itThis 75 m², 3-bedroom flat in El Raval is meant for buyers looking beyond its current state: built in 1930, it needs a full renovation -- structure, systems and finishes included -- and that's reflected in a price of €145,000. The neighbourhood's median income in 2023 was €16,416, one of the figures worth weighing up if the plan is to renovate and rent out, or sell afterwards. If you'd like to go over the numbers or the margin on the deal, I'm here.
01The building
A 1930 building in El Raval, its façade still untouched -- the age shows in the damp stains and the flaking paint, but the structure and the location are the real asset here. This is the kind of purchase where the margin isn't in the asking price, but in what you do after signing, with a clear head and a proper budget.
02Living room (current state)
Wallpaper peeling off on its own, damp stains on the ceiling and a floor that needs lifting entirely -- this is what's there right now, no dressing up, no flattering photo. The worse a room looks before renovation, the more margin there tends to be afterwards: here the potential is in what you can't yet see at a glance.
03Kitchen (mid-works)
The kitchen is already halfway there: new units wrapped in plastic, extractor hood installed, just the finishing touches left. When the renovation is already this far along, working out what's still left to invest is far more reliable than starting from scratch -- ask Vera if you'd like a breakdown of what part of the budget is already sorted and what's still missing.
04The structural work
Here's where you see the real work: props holding up the ceiling, rubble on the floor, the wiring exposed. This is the stage that scares off most buyers -- and the reason this flat costs what it does. For anyone investing with a clear head, today's mess is exactly the margin no one else has spotted yet.
05What it could look like
This is how good a flat like this one can look after a full renovation -- new flooring, open-plan kitchen, light everywhere. This isn't a photo of this specific flat, it's a real example of a similar project, so you can see where it could end up. Vera can walk you through the rest of the numbers -- budget, timeline, returns -- in detail.