They say that what you put in is what you get out. The same goes for real estate. Some of the best locations to buy real estate in Croatia aren't necessarily the cheapest, but in the long run, they can bring about the most joy.
Because of their location, it comes as no surprise that some of the most famous locations for real estate are situated in city centers because of their proximity to everything that a person can need in their day-to-day. Besides these, real estate by the sea or on islands is also up there on the list since they can offer some calm, as well as almost direct access to the sea (and often an actual, direct entrance into the sea!).
You might have the ideal location for your property envisioned in your mind, but it’s necessary to compare this image with the actual state of things – your budget. We're here to get you acquainted with the basic factors that influence a property’s price and to emphasize some of the best locations to buy real estate in Croatia based on their location.
When we refer to the price of real estate, we're primarily thinking of it's estimated value, which is the price you’ll see in advertisements. Its market price might be lower (or even higher!) than the estimated one, depending on your negotiation skills and priorities. Either way, the estimated value chiefly depends on the following three factors: the location, size, and age of the land/building.
Even though real estate located on very practical locations such as city centers or more peaceful locations by the sea are very desirable and thus go for higher prices, these aren’t the only locational factors which define a property’s price.
It’s well known that the price of a property rises along with the rise in value of its neighboring buildings. Therefore, the overall image of a part of town in which the property is located affects its price. So, districts with better infrastructure (better roads and road infrastructure in general, those that include kindergartens, schools, shops, parks, coffee shops, restaurants, and so on) generally fetch higher prices on the real estate market.
The real estate's location inside a specific part of town will also influence its price. For example, it isn’t all the same if the property is located right beside a busy highway, near a school, or a park, alongside a secluded private beach or one frequented by tourists. However, if the property is relatively near to the city center and is not too far from a bus stop (i.e. It’s easy to get to), it will be more desirable and pricier than a property to which it's harder to get.
Besides its position within a part of town, the property’s location within the building in which it’s located is also important, unless we’re talking about a private house. The most expensive apartments are located on the 1st or 2nd floor of an apartment building, as well as those that are surrounded by apartments on most sides (which lowers the cost of heating), that have a good view and balcony, and those in which you can have at least some privacy (for instance, when you’re not directly looking into your neighbors’ windows).
And vice versa – apartments that sell for the lowest prices often include those that offer little privacy (e.g. In basements or on the ground floor, or which are extremely close to other buildings), those that are hard to access (have no elevator), or which will need more upkeep (e.g. those on the top floors due to leakage from the roof or on the corners of buildings due to higher heating costs).
Overall, more square meters mean higher prices. However, the more square meters a property has, its price per m2 will generally be relatively lower.
Still, the layout of the rooms might mean a lot more than overall size – quality over quantity. A 30 m2, one-bedroom apartment is not the same as a 50 m2 one-bedroom apartment. When you enter a badly-utilized space with an awkward layout, you’ll definitely notice some modifications that you’d like to make in it.
The property’s area also includes its accessories, including a garage or reserved parking spaces, a terrace, storage unit, or anything else that might come with it. The positioning of these accessories might also affect the price. All in all, it’s necessary for the buyer to weigh what's most important to them and choose the piece of real estate, along with its amenities, based on their personal needs.
There’s a Goldilocks zone when it comes to a property’s age if you want to sell it asap. The most desirable properties are those that are only a couple years old, that have ideally only had one owner, which don’t require too many further investments and can be moved into straight away.
Any possible further investment into the property is a turn-off for buyers and is a common issue with (a) low-quality new construction and (b) very old pieces of real estate which have simply deteriorated with time. However, if the primary owner has already invested in some prior adaptations to an older property, and if it really is possible to move into it immediately, it can be equally as desirable as the “ideal” property describe above.
Although the notion of an “ideal” property will vary from person to person, there are some locations that are simply more desirable and sought after on the real estate market than others.
Even though it is possible to find a rich selection of real estate throughout Croatia and almost every region has its perks, cities in Dalmatia and on the islands along its coast by far have the most attractive pieces of real estate for several reasons: the proximity of the sea, the clean air, calm surroundings, mild climate, and beautiful landscapes.
Based on the number of sunny days per year, islands in North Dalmatia such as Dugi otok (Long Island) take second place out of all the regions in Croatia, counting between 2000 and 2400 sunny hours per year. First place goes to central Dalmatia with its islands of Brač, Hvar, and the islands around Šibenik which have somewhere between 2300 and 2700 sunny hours per year!
Some of these islands have developed extremely quickly in the past few years and can offer almost everything that coastal towns can. On top of this, ever-improving connectivity to the mainland has also made these islands an even more attractive option for those looking to invest in real estate because it simultaneously enables you to retreat into your own peaceful sanctuary, but also to easily access the hustle and bustle of the city when you start to miss it.
We've listed a few of our top picks of real estate on some of these islands, as well as some of the cities in Dalmatia, which do not in any way lag behind these islands in terms of their beauty.
When searching for real estate on an island, as anywhere else, the location is important even though it might seem like you can’t go wrong no matter where you buy a property on an island.
This piece of land in Nerežišća on the island of Brač measuring 127 314 m2 and facing south is located near a charming pebble beach. And, as is crucial for any island property, it has good road infrastructure since it's connected to the nearby town of Bol by a newly-built road.
When looking at island properties, the most sought-after ones are located in quiet areas such as this house on Murter which is also located near a (sandy) beach called Slanica. A house by the sea just wouldn’t be complete without a balcony or in this case several balconies, which make it possible to bask in the beautiful view of the sea and the nearby Kornati archipelago. Maybe you can see Dugi otok from here?
Real estate located within National Park Kornati, or rather Nature Park Telašćica on Dugi otok is a real rarity. When you come across a piece of real estate here, you just don’t let it pass because construction is actually not allowed on these areas. This just proves how much a property’s location can really mean, as well as how many fairytale pieces of real estate are really hidden on these Dalmatian islands.
The price of real estate in Dalmatian towns, especially those in central Dalmatia, but especially Split, Trogir, also Zadar and around Makarska, have skyrocketed these past few years because of their popularity. It’s the law of supply and demand. What these cities have in common is the natural beauty that surrounds them, a fine balance between nature and cultural heritage, and the wonderful climate which they share with the island ambiance. However, one of the main reasons behind this rise in real estate prices is that the number of available properties here is limited, while demand is high. So ti's best to react fast before the prices go up even more.
We wanted to highlight this two-bedroom apartment in the very center of Šibenik which has just recently been refurbished. This, alongside its location, more than justifies its price. On top of this, it's far from any busy streets and is located by the old marketplace. Everything you'd want from an apartment in the city!
In contrast to this apartment in Šibenik which is situated in a somewhat older building, this modern apartment in Sukošan near Zadar is located in a new building (though we wanted to note that the quality of this new piece of construction really is top-notch). To appease you even more, the apartment comes with two garage spaces and is fully-furnished!
Finally, our story about properties in Dalmatia wouldn’t be complete without at least one mention of a villa. This villa near the city of Split is a combination of contemporary and traditional styles and comes with everything a real villa should have: a swimming pool, a cultivated garden (complete with gazebo!), and a grill! The ideal location for a summer vacation, though living in it all year round is something everyone probably dreams of.
Whether you're searching for a piece of farming land, or a modern villa with a pool, an apartment in the city center, or a beautiful stone house, you can’t go wrong with a piece of real estate in Dalmatia.
By far, the best place to buy a villa in Croatia is Dalmatia. These villas are descendants of a centuries-long tradition going back to ancient Roman times. The mild Mediterranean climate makes for a comfortable life in them all year round, and their location right by the sea makes them perfect for vacationing in the summer. And if they’re located a bit further away from the city center (which often is the case due to their size), you can completely relax in them in your own privacy.
The answer to this question largely depends on the location of the property you’re planning to buy. For example, the price of real estate in the bigger part of Dalmatia (plots of land, apartments in development, and old stone houses alike) are constantly rising because of their large tourist potential, but mostly because the demand for them is high, whereas space is limited. Buying a piece of real estate by the sea can be seen as a real investment because all the money invested in the property will pay off in the future be it in the form of personal enjoyment, a better quality of life, or perhaps financially if you decide to rent.