Inheritance no solution: 61% of Spaniards see inheriting a home as almost impossible
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61% of Spaniards consider it unlikely they will inherit a home, as access to housing becomes increasingly difficult. Inheritances are gaining ground, but only one in five sellers received their property this way.
In the first half of 2026, inheriting a home remains a remote prospect for most Spaniards, according to a study by Fotocasa Research. Against a backdrop of difficulties in accessing housing, 61% of the population consider it unlikely or very unlikely that they will ever inherit a property, compared with 39% who do believe they will eventually receive one.
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This perception comes against the grain of an increasingly strained housing market, in which buying a home has become difficult for large segments of the population. In this context, inheritance is seen as an alternative, albeit uncertain, way of having a property in the future.
Among those who do expect to inherit a home, most still do not factor it into their life plans. Some 41% see it as a distant possibility that does not influence their current decisions, while 34% view it as long-term asset security. Only 26% say they are counting on that future home for concrete projects, such as living in it, selling it or renting it out.
Fotocasa's head of research and spokesperson, María Matos, says inheritances have become a "real lifeline" for getting onto the housing ladder. In her view, the rise in financial help from families – which exceeded 225,000 transactions in 2025 – shows how the affordability gap is widening and how buying a home depends increasingly on intergenerational financial support.
The study also shows that inherited homes continue to hold a steady weight in the Spanish property market. In the first half of 2026, 16% of owners putting a property up for sale or rent say they received it through inheritance, a figure that has remained virtually unchanged in recent years.
However, inherited homes are clearly more prevalent in sales than in rentals. Specifically, 21% of those selling a property are selling one they inherited, compared with 12% of landlords letting out an inherited home.
The reasons for selling or renting also differ. Among those who sell, the main motives are personal needs, fear of non-payment and problems with tenants, as well as the favourable price environment. By contrast, those who choose to rent mainly seek to obtain a recurring income and to avoid leaving the property empty.
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