N#34

Everybody wants the ático

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At Ahead we have all the time clients that ask us to find them an ático, the rooftop apartment of a building, with a nice, big terrace, please.

Of course, you want the ático, it seems a no-brainer. These places tend to be extremely attractive; views, outdoor space, less or non neighbours, you name it.

But, often, when people see the price of a penthouse, they compare it quickly to the prices of ‘normal’ apartments in the same neighbourhood, even in the same building and they get somewhat astonished.

So today’s article is about the value of an ático. The market’s value of one of the most demanded – and less offered – real estate property categories.

A matter of preference

People like to live in high flats. The higher the floor of the property, the higher the price. The price of the flats varies according to the characteristics.

The reasons are no other than:

• Less dirt as it is farther away from the street
• Better views allowed by a higher height
• Greater entrance of natural light. The higher a house is, the fewer obstacles it presents for good lighting
• Less noise pollution
• Better ventilation

Disadvantages of living on an upper floor

It is important to know that there are also disadvantages to living in a penthouse.

Take note:

• Dependence on the lift and it’s good functioning
• Noise from the machinery of the lift that is usually located in the upper part of the building
• Worse evacuation in the event of an emergency
• Greater exposure to weather conditions (it will be hotter here, colder, more wind, and more rain). You will have to deal with the extra cost of energy

A quick comparison between the ground floor and the ático, two contrasting typologies, carried out by the real estate portal Idealista puts figures on their differences.

The standard penthouse flat in Barcelona costs today 5.554€/m², while the ground floor flat costs 3.612€/m2. The ático is roughly 53% more expensive.

And this is just generalized because in more prime neighbourhoods the price of ático can be 100 to 150% more expensive than a flat in the same building.

But if your pockets are big enough to pay for one, it’s worth considering it because they are good investment products.

In addition to being a whim, it is an almost armored asset that beats times of crisis like no other. In the last crisis, the price of penthouses fell by a maximum of 15%, while the rest of the houses were devalued by 30% or 40%.