Real listings, real neighborhoods, no obligation. Browse what's actually available in Valencia before you commit to anything.
Know the city before you search
Valencia isn't one place. The right neighborhood depends on how you want to live — not just which one looks best in photos.
Godella is a village the city grew up to without swallowing, about twenty minutes north on a metro line that runs at street level through the middle of town. The center is walkable — bakeries, bars, a weekly market — and there are health centers in town, with the reference hospital about twenty minutes south in Valencia. Rents run below the city's. The train through the streets is audible, family-sized rentals are scarce, and you are a real distance from the beach and the concert halls.
Albors sits east of the center between the old town and the port, a flat grid of mid-century blocks with newer buildings mixed in that have the two things older Valencia lacks: elevators and parking. Bakeries, tapas bars and supermarkets are all on foot, three metro stations are close, and the riverbed park is a short ride west. A large public hospital is about ten minutes north. It is quiet after dark and short on charm; you go elsewhere for an evening out.
The quiet-and-desirable version: El Pla del Real spreads east of the center along a boulevard of plane trees, with wide sidewalks, low traffic and the old riverbed gardens running along its whole southern edge. Evenings are genuinely quiet. A large public hospital sits on the avenue at its northern side, minutes away on foot from much of the neighborhood. It costs more than Albors, restaurants are formal rather than casual, and the university campus at one end brings term-time noise and parked cars.
El Pla del Remei is the top of Valencia's market, a small grid of belle-époque apartment buildings between the main shopping street and the riverbed gardens. A wrought-iron market hall turned food and flower court sits at its heart, the good galleries and jewelers are on the corners, and everything — pharmacy, doctor, park, opera — is inside a flat ten-minute walk. A large public hospital is about ten minutes northeast. The tradeoff is pure city: traffic noise, no garden, and no parking.
Know the building, not just the listing
Most of Spain lives in apartment buildings, and its homes are built for long, hot summers more than cold snaps. Here's what the building, the climate and the paperwork will tell you.
About two people in three in Spain live in an apartment, compared with fewer than half across the EU, and nearly half live in buildings of ten or more homes. Buying one makes you a member of the building's comunidad de propietarios, the owners' association, so read its meeting minutes first. Since 2025, an owner needs the association's express approval before starting a holiday let, so the minutes show whether the building has allowed, limited or banned them. Getting in matters too: one household in three says its building isn't easy for everyone to get into, though a resident over seventy can require accessibility work such as a ramp or elevator, within a cost cap set by law.
In the Valencia region and Andalusia, about two homes in three have some form of air conditioning, against half nationwide; in Catalonia it's just over half. Heating is the bigger gap: only about seven homes in ten in the Valencia region and Andalusia have any heating system at all. In a recent national survey, one household in three said its home wasn't cool enough in summer, and more than one in four said it wasn't warm enough in the cold months, with both shares running higher in the Valencia region and Andalusia. Ask what cools and heats each room, not only the living room, and see a top-floor apartment on a hot afternoon if you can.
Homes sold or rented in Spain need an energy certificate, graded A through G. The label has to appear in every listing and ad, a copy is attached to the sale or lease contract, and the certificate is valid for up to ten years, or five if the home is rated G. Buying an apartment? At the deed, the seller must declare whether the building's community fees are paid up and bring a certificate of any debts, signed by the association's secretary. Don't waive it: the apartment itself stays liable for unpaid community fees from the current year and the three before it, even after it's yours.
The big decision
This isn't financial advice — it's the consistent experience of the expat community: don't buy before you've lived somewhere for at least a year.
The path most expats recommend
Worth it for the right circumstances
Before you sign anything
The US taxes worldwide income regardless of where you live. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) and Foreign Tax Credit can help, but this is complicated when you add Social Security, pension distributions, and investment income. An advisor who specializes in US expat taxation is not optional — this is different from standard tax prep.
Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) is the standard path for American retirees. Requirements include proof of passive income (roughly $2,600+/month (~€2,400) for a single person) and private health insurance. Initial permit is 1 year, renewable for 2-year periods. After 5 years you can apply for long-term residency. You cannot work for Spanish employers on this visa.
Americans can purchase freehold property directly in Spain without restrictions. You'll need a NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) before any purchase. Budget 10–12% above purchase price for transfer tax (ITP, 6–10% depending on region), notary fees, registration, and legal costs. A property lawyer separate from your agent is essential.
This is context, not legal or tax advice. Spanish property law, the Non-Lucrative Visa, and US expat tax obligations each require professional guidance. Work with a qualified Spanish gestor and a US expat tax advisor.
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Don't stop here
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