The economic crisis derived from the pandemic has generated a on supply of commercial premises. This excess of spaces means that those worst located spend long periods empty, generating losses for their owners. The Simple Rent, the network of independent real estate agents, calculates that in the last two years, the number of empty premises in Spanish cities has grown to 22%.
Given this situation, there has been a phenomenon which has become a growing trend in Spain; many of these premises owners have chosen to convert their space into one or more homes.
This is an increasingly common practice, both in Spain and abroad, of owners who have business premises that have been empty for months and that are difficult to obtain. a stable return in the form of rent. Normally, houses are built in those places with very little room for improvement in their profitability. That is, if it is a local Prime, it is not reconverted.
According to data from The Simple Rent, one in five empty premises has been converted into housing in recent years, thus being a trend that has grown 22% since 2020.
Although at the moment it does not occur in Spain, in other countries such as the USA, the United Kingdom or the Netherlands, they are the Public administrations those that are getting involved in favoring the reconversion of large office buildings into homes. These already obsolete buildings lack architectural or sustainable interest, but they can have a new life with proper planning and recovery.
Faced with this trend, the real estate franchise indicates what are legal requirements that must be fulfilled in order to change the use of a premises and allocate it to housing.
- The property must be built on urban land. It is possible to verify this information by going to the urban plan of the municipality where the premises are located.
- That the residual density of the actuation unit is not depleted. In other words, the limitation of dwellings per hectare established by each City Council cannot be exceeded.
- The reconversion of the premises into housing must comply with the Technical Building Code (CTE) in aspects such as lifts, accesses, doors, supplies… etc.
- The approval of the Community of Neighbors is necessary. For this, the statutes of the Community can be consulted.
- The regulations of the Autonomous Community regarding the minimum dimensions of a dwelling must be complied with. The usual thing is that this requirement is located at a minimum of between 25 and 35 square meters, depending on each Autonomous Community.
- Know and make the payment of fees and taxes established by each municipality for the building license.
- Carry out the cadastral change that establishes the reconversion of premises to housing.
- Manage the occupation license.
Price of the procedures
As explained by The Simple Rent experts, calculating an average price for the conversion of a premises to a home is complicated since it depends on many external factors, as well as the type of premises and work that you need. However, a rough estimate of the cost of a comprehensive reform for these purposes can range between €20,000 and €30,000.
The cost of the procedures is calculated around €2,500, while the technical projects of architects and administrative fees can be approximately €3,000. Where more conversions of premises into housing are taking place is in the big cities, with Madrid and Barcelona in the leadfollowed by Valencia, Malaga or Seville.
One of the most common uses is private home. However, it is becoming more and more common to also use it for vacation rentals. They are spaces located with direct access to the street and, in addition, they comply with some of the latest regulations imposed for this purpose.
On the other hand, in Spain there is another trend that is being imposed on a small scale and among private owners of small offices. These are premises located in strategic urban areas, that were originally built as dwellings. Their owners chose to give them a professional use, turning them into offices, medical consultations, offices or other activities.
