{"id":2021,"date":"2026-08-12T06:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/acheter-une-maison-sur-la-costa-brava\/comment-definir-un-budget-realiste-avant-de-commencer\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T10:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:03:09","slug":"how-to-set-a-realistic-budget-before-you-start","status":"publish","type":"amcb_kb_question","link":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/how-to-set-a-realistic-budget-before-you-start\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you set a realistic budget before you start?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Budget is where projects succeed or get bogged down. Many buyers start from listing prices; we suggest starting from the other end: the money you really have, all in. Here is the method, in four steps.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Start from the total amount<\/h2>\n<p>Add up your own funds and, if you are borrowing, the amount the bank is willing to lend. Get this figure confirmed before viewing: confirmed financing changes everything in a negotiation. If you are considering a Spanish mortgage, first read <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/what-deposit-do-you-need-for-a-spanish-mortgage\/\">what deposit you need<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Subtract the purchase costs<\/h2>\n<p>In Catalonia, allow around 12% to 14% of the price for a resale property: ITP, notary, registry, gestor\u00eda. In practice, an all-in budget of \u20ac350,000 lets you aim for properties at around \u20ac305,000 to \u20ac310,000. The item-by-item breakdown is in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/what-costs-are-added-to-the-purchase-price-in-catalonia\/\">purchase costs in Catalonia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Keep a reserve<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>For work: even a 'move-in ready' property often needs freshening up, air conditioning or bringing up to standard.<\/li>\n<li>For furnishing: furniture, appliances and linen, if the property is sold empty.<\/li>\n<li>For the first year: IBI, community fees, insurance, utilities. Our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/how-much-does-holiday-home-upkeep-cost-each-year\/\">annual upkeep<\/a> helps you cost them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Test the figure against the market<\/h2>\n<p>Once you know your net budget, the question becomes: what does it buy, and where? That is the time to look at <a href=\"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/buying-a-house-on-the-costa-brava\/costa-brava-prices-what-to-expect\/\">real prices by area<\/a>. If the budget does not match your original idea, there are several levers: another town, inland areas, a property needing some work, a flat rather than a house.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>A realistic budget is not the tightest possible budget. It is one that leaves room for the unexpected, and for peace of mind.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"menu_order":100,"template":"","amcb_kb_category":[24],"class_list":["post-2021","amcb_kb_question","type-amcb_kb_question","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question\/2021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/amcb_kb_question"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question\/2021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2114,"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_question\/2021\/revisions\/2114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"amcb_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/achetermalincostabrava.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amcb_kb_category?post=2021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}