You can place a factory-built home on a plot in Spain, Italy or Greece, but the plot and the permit come first, and both follow local rules: a building permit from the town hall, a local architect and, for foreign buyers, a national tax number. Design for summer heat as much as for winter: shading, airtightness, ventilation and active cooling. BioBuilds quotes transport for destinations outside its postcode calculator, so the delivery is planned with your project.
A holiday home in the south is a dream many northern Europeans share, and a factory-built home can shorten the time from plot to first summer. The order of the steps matters: land and permits decide whether and where you can build, the climate decides how the house must perform, and the distance from the factory decides how delivery is planned. This guide covers each step for Spain, Italy and Greece, with the local names you will meet.
Can you buy a plot and build as a foreign buyer?
EU citizens can buy land in other member states, but each country requires its own tax registration first:
| Spain | Italy | Greece | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax number for foreigners | NIE | Codice fiscale | AFM |
| Building permit | Licencia de obra (mayor), from the ayuntamiento | Permesso di costruire, from the comune | Building permit (άδεια δόμησης), via the electronic e-Adeies system |
| Who prepares the application | A local architect | A local architect or engineer | A local engineer |
| Key plot check | Classification as suelo urbano, or the rules for rústico land | Zoning in the PRG or local plan | Inside or outside the town plan and minimum plot size |
Check above all whether the plot is buildable. Rules for rural land differ widely, and some plots sold as building land carry limits on size, use or distance from the coast. A local architect or lawyer can check the planning status before you sign the purchase.
In the south, the plot decides more than the house. Pay for a planning check before you buy the land; it costs a fraction of a plot that cannot be built on.
How should a holiday home in a hot climate be designed?
A home in southern Europe must stay cool in summer as well as warm in winter. The principles are the same that make a passive house work, applied to heat instead of cold:
- Shading: roof overhangs, external blinds or shutters keep the sun off the glass before it heats the room.
- Insulation: the same insulation that keeps heat in during winter keeps it out in summer.
- Airtightness and ventilation: a tight envelope with controlled ventilation keeps hot air out by day and can flush the house at night.
- Active cooling: a heat pump that can cool covers the peaks. In a BioBuilds Turnkey home the heat pump heats and cools; in Mediterranean climates, supplementary cooling can be added to the ventilation system if needed.
- Orientation: place large windows where the sun is low in winter and easy to shade in summer.
Our guide to passive houses in hot climates explains the cooling side in detail.
How is the house delivered to southern Europe?
BioBuilds estimates transport from your postcode for Germany, Austria and Romania and quotes other destinations per project. The house travels as finished modules on low-loader trucks; islands and remote plots need a route plan, and some may need sea transport. The crane, site access and any road permits are planned with the delivery. On-site assembly is arranged separately by you with BioBuilds' local partners at no extra cost; the crane and other site works are arranged by you with local providers and paid separately. Our guide to delivery day covers what to prepare.
What does it cost?
BioBuilds publishes its prices: from €78,000 for the 48 m² Wanderlust in Exterior Finished and from €128,000 in Turnkey, including an illustrative 19% German VAT. The VAT for your destination is confirmed in the offer. Transport, foundation, connections and local fees come on top and depend on the plot. Our guide to buying a prefab home from another EU country explains VAT and warranty across borders. To see the models, configure your home.
