I’m Laura Leyshon and I’m Las Palmas’ resident property expert. I work for RE/MAX Cony Overseas, one of the city’s oldest estate agencies and the first RE/MAX office to open in Europe. Cony Overseas has an excellent local reputation and has helped hundreds of foreign buyers and sellers in Las Palmas and all over Gran […]
Guide To The The Main Las Palmas Property Types
You’re interested in Las Palmas property but what’s the difference between a piso and an apartamento. And what’s a duplex pareado when it’s at home?
No problem, here’s a handy guide to the main property types in the city.
Las Palmas property types
Piso
A piso is a flat designed for residential use. Most Las Palmas flats have no outside space but they do tend to have built in wardrobes and large rooms.
The standard of flats in Las Palmas varies depending on the building and the area. Some of the pisos in new areas such as La Minilla are large and spacious and even have terraces.
But new isn’t always best in Las Palmas. Many modern flats are small as builders crammed as many as possible into buildings. Older flats are often more generous and with a better layout (fewer corridors).
Apartamento
An apartamento is a flat built for leisure use. Apartamentos tend to have a terrace or balcony and an open plan living room and kitchen. They often lack storage space as they weren’t built to be lived in.
Most Las Palmas apartments cluster by the Las Canters beach front.
Ático
A top-floor flat with a terrace. Áticos are in high demand in Las Palmas as they often have large windows and open air terraces.
Many Las Palmas penthouse flats have been modified and extended. This isn’t a problem provided the work is a few years old. Most changes can be legalised and registered with the property registry.
Estudio
A studio apartment with no separate bedroom. Most are no bigger than 30 square metres.
Duplex
A two storey flat. Many Las Palmas duplexes are recent and in newer parts of the city like La Minilla and Siete Palmas. There are some duplex flats close to Las Canteras beach (in the Woermann building for example).
Sometimes, blocky chalets get divided up into duplex flats. While they may not be the most attractive option from the street, they are often large inside.
Triplex
A flat or chalet split over three floors.
Chalet
The word ‘chalet’ in Las Palmas describes any building that can loosely be considered a house.
They range from detached houses in the Garden City to blocky, three-storey buildings in Ciudad Alta.
A chalet can be ‘independiente’ (detached), ‘pareado’ (semi-detached) or ‘adosado’ (in a terrace or with other houses on each side).
Quality photos are essential when assessing the quality of a Las Palmas chalet.
Casa
Often used to describe a Las Palmas house that is more upmarket than the standard flat-roofed chalet; The city equivalent of a villa. Most are in the Garden City.
A ‘casa señorial’ is a mansion and there are several in Vegueta and in the Garden City.
Casa Terrera
An old-school house, often with high ceilings and some decorative work on the facade. Many have lovely internal courtyards and roof terraces.
Las Palmas casas terreras are disappearing as developers knock them down and build blocks of flats.
There are still pockets of quality casas terreras close to the beach in La Isleta and Guanarteme and plenty more in Alcaravaneras and Arenales south of the beachfront.
Finca
There aren’t many ‘fincas’ or farms left in Las Palmas, although there are a few within the city limits as you head towards Tafira and Bandama. The best Las Palmas fincas have old Canarian houses, land and even vineyards.
So, what’s the right type of Las Palmas property for you? There’s always good options if you want a piso, but áticos and apartments are in short supply, especially close to the beach.
Whatever you’re looking for, Las Palmas Property can help. We specialise in finding the right property for foreign buyers in Las Palmas and can show you almost any for-sale property in the city. Any questions you have, just let us know…
I'm Laura Leyshon and I help foreign property buyers and sellers in Gran Canaria. I work with RE/MAX Cony Overseas, one of the island's oldest and most prestigious agencies, and I offer a complete, professional service with a personal touch. If you want to buy or sell property in Gran Canaria and want to work with one good agent, please get in touch.
