If in recent months you've found it harder than usual to balance a maintenance budget or get a trade to come on time to the community, it's no coincidence. The analysis of the real estate and home services market in Spain and Catalonia shows a clear trend: home services prices 2026 are rising, driven by a cocktail of factors that directly affect homeowner communities and property managers. We review the data and, most importantly, what to do with it.
A relentless real estate market
The starting point is the housing market itself. Leading analysts rule out a short-term price correction: the real estate market may moderate, but analysts do not expect a widespread drop in housing prices. In Catalonia, the average price is around €2,890/m², with an annual variation of +8.4%, while in Spain as a whole, reports agree that housing prices will continue to rise, driven by the lack of housing. Rent is also relentless: prices hover around €20-24/m²/month in Madrid, Barcelona, and coastal areas, compared to a national average of approximately €14-15/m²/month. An expensive and scarce housing stock has a direct effect on communities: when buying or obtaining new construction is more difficult, rehabilitation and maintenance of the existing stock become the main way to improve the home.
The domino effect: more demand for renovations and maintenance
This context is strongly pushing the demand for renovations. The sector confirms it: structural demand remains solid, driven by the aging housing stock, the scarcity of new construction, and incentives linked to energy efficiency. In figures, the average household spending on improvements was €2,700, while the average budget for a comprehensive renovation —including two or more rooms— was around €32,000, including materials and labor. For communities, this translates into:
- More requests for partial renovations (bathrooms, kitchens, installations) competing for the same network of professionals that attend community works.
- An aging building stock requiring more frequent maintenance interventions, not just occasional ones.
- Renovation budgets that, depending on materials and labor, follow the same upward trend as the rest of the sector.
The shortage of qualified trades, the real bottleneck
If demand rises, the supply of professionals does not keep pace. The sector's data is compelling: the construction sector in Spain has 95,000 vacancies, mainly in trades like plumbing, electricity, and carpentry, with a distribution of 70,000 unfilled positions in electricity and 25,000 in plumbing. The problem is not temporary: more than 30% of active installers will retire in the next decade, and the lack of generational replacement is already noticeable in the daily lives of professionals, who accumulate waiting lists of several weeks and, at times, must decline jobs due to lack of availability. This tension is also reflected in salaries and, therefore, in the rates paid by the end customer: average salaries are €26,965 gross annually, with peaks of up to €36,000 for expert profiles. In cities like Barcelona, the practical result is seen in hourly rates: €35-55/h during business hours and €85-150/h for night or holiday emergencies for an electrician, while plumbing prices move in similar ranges, with notable surcharges for urgent interventions.
What this means for property managers and communities
For those managing the day-to-day of a building, this analysis translates into very concrete decisions:
- Anticipate budgets. If labor and material prices follow an upward trend, delaying a maintenance item usually costs more than planning it in advance.
- Reserve margin in community funds. A reserve fund adjusted to the legal minimum may fall short if service prices rise above general inflation.
- Contract in advance. In a market with waiting lists of weeks, requesting a budget only when a breakdown occurs reduces the margin for negotiation and choice of professional.
- Work with verified professionals. The shortage of trades has also opened the door to intrusions and companies without adequate guarantees; having a reliable channel to find qualified installers is more important than ever.
In this scenario, having a directory of trusted professionals greatly streamlines management: it allows comparing availability and specialization without relying on a single contact that may be overwhelmed for weeks.
How to anticipate the market now
The analysis of the real estate and home services market leaves a clear message for 2026: prices will not drop significantly in housing or the services associated with its maintenance, and the shortage of qualified trades will continue to pressure deadlines and rates. For property managers and community presidents, the best strategy is not to wait for the situation to stabilize but to get ahead: plan with margin, properly size funds, and ensure working with serious and available professionals. If you want to start planning your community's upcoming interventions with guarantees, you can request a quote and compare options before demand strains the schedule again.