Jordi Amela, Director of Renovation at the Housing Consortium, receives constructors’ guild award

Housing Glossary

You will find information here on all topics relating to housing in Barcelona

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Accrued interest

The interest applied as a penalisation when the debtor does not comply with repayment obligations. The amount must be established in the contract.

Active supermortgage

This allows the client to choose their loan's benchmark index (MIBOR at three months, six months or a year) so that payment can benefit from lower interest rates sooner.

Adaptable instalment

Characteristic of UCI superloans that allow the borrower to not pay one instalment a year for the first three years if there are problems due to holidays, extraordinary expenses, etc.

Advanced cancellation fee

A commission arising from the financial risk involved in the advanced cancellation of an operation. The applied commission compensates the financial institution for its financial losses.

AEDE

Direct state aid for paying the deposit on a property.

Affordable housing

Group of social housing or dwellings from social renovation projects that are sold or rented at below-market prices.

Affordable rent

The cost of renting these dwellings is below market prices after being included in operations concerning the rented flat pool, social renovation or social housing promotions.

Amortisation

Payment made to repay a loan.

Amortisation period

The duration of the loan. The contract establishes the date of the first and last payments. The longer the period, the lower the payments are, but the higher the interest. You therefore pay more in the end. The monthly instalment should not exceed 35% of your net income.

API

Estate agent. A qualified professional who acts as an intermediary between the two interested parties to facilitate the signing of a real estate contract, which can be a rental agreement, a sales agreement or another similar contract. They usually charge a percentage of the sales price as compensation or commission.

Applicant

A citizen who makes a registration application to the Barcelona Social Housing Applicants Registry, and who represents the other members of the dwelling unit included in the application.

APR

Annual Equivalent Rate. Effective annual cost of the mortgage in terms of interest, commissions and the repayment period. To compare loans, it is not enough to just look at the lowest APR, you also have to compare the conditions, the repayment period and the distribution of instalment payments.

Arbitri municipal de plusvàlua

Former denomination of the capital gains tax on landed property.

Assessment

The value of a dwelling certified by a specialised assessment company, in accordance with the mortgage market law. This certificate not only indicates the real value of the property, it also serves as a reference for obtaining the necessary financing.

Authorisation

Document in which the owner authorises the tenant to carry out building work in the dwelling's interior.

Recognition. The Constructors’ Guild pays tribute to the professional career of Jordi Amela, Director of Renovation since 2006.

This year the Gremi de Constructors d’Obres de Barcelona [Barcelona Constructors’ Guild] has given an award to Jordi Amela, Technical Director of Renovation at the Barcelona Housing Consortium, for his work as head of urban renovation policies at Barcelona City Council.

The constructors’ association wanted to acknowledge Amela’s professional career because he has supported numerous association initiatives, notably the Building Renovation and Maintenance Commission (RiMe), which has more than 300 member companies and works to promote the quality of renovation work.

Amela, who has been the Director of Renovation since 2006, was also one of the promoters of the CONSTA construction quality label, which is now included as a requirement in City Council tender specifications.

The president of the Constructors’ Guild, Joaquín Osorio, presented Amela with “The Three Pillars of Construction”, a figure that symbolises the three basic building materials: iron, wood and concrete.

Renovation, a key part of housing policies.

Aware of the importance of renovation and the current housing emergency, Barcelona City Council has launched a number of publicity campaigns and subsidies to promote these kinds of urban regeneration policies.

Barcelona has an old and much reduced housing stock, on top of the geographical restrictions which impede the city’s growth. Maintaining housing in a good state of repair is also a vital factor in tackling social inequality, as run down buildings have a knock-on effect on the public space, resulting in a poorer quality of life in the community.

For this reason, the Barcelona Housing Consortium (Barcelona City Council and the Government of Catalonia) has launched a new round of renovation grants. Applications can be submitted at any Housing Office until 31 December 2016.

The housing renovation and maintenance grants are designed for buildings built before 1991, but there are exceptions for improving accessibility and energy efficiency alterations. The Housing Consortium also has special grants for areas and neighbourhoods that require specific attention given their characteristics.

Share this content