Dénia’s housing market tilts: new build sales more than double as resales decline

Dénia’s housing market is visibly shifting. Sales of new build homes more than doubled last year, while the number of resales has now fallen for three years running. Behind those two lines sits a town that keeps on growing, with by now almost as many homes as registered residents. These are the figures, and this is what the tilt means if you want to buy in Dénia.

The figures: 534 versus 216

The numbers come from the Valencian statistics institute IVE and were lined up this week by regional paper La Marina Plaza. In 2025, 534 new build homes were sold in Dénia, well over double the 216 of 2024, making it the third consecutive year of growth for that segment. The second hand market is moving exactly the other way: transactions there have fallen for three years in a row. The balance has not flipped, though: seven out of ten home purchases in Dénia still involve an existing property.

A town with nearly one home per resident

The doubling fits a town that has been building for years. Dénia counts 47,568 registered residents and had 46,876 homes at the end of last year: nearly one home per resident. That striking ratio betrays the large share of second homes, owned by Spanish city dwellers and by foreign buyers who spend part of the year there. New projects sell briskly, partly because the existing market has become tight and expensive: according to valuer Tinsa, a home in Dénia costs on average 2,676 euros per square metre, more than 14 percent up on a year earlier.

The flip side: buying locally gets tough

For people who live and work in Dénia, the same market is far less festive. Tinsa earlier calculated that a household on a local income would spend well over half of it on an average home, far above the one third that counts as healthy. La Marina Plaza also points to the role of the second home market and investors buying property as an asset, which pushes prices up further. It is exactly the tension the town hall is wrestling with in its holiday rental policy, which was recently finalised.

What it means if you want to buy

For foreign buyers there are two lessons. If you are considering new build, Dénia offers more choice than a few years ago, but you often buy off plan: expect longer delivery times and check the bank guarantee on your deposits. If you are after an existing home, know that fewer transactions does not mean falling prices; supply is tight and good homes go fast. In both cases the usual homework applies: your own lawyer, a structural check and a reservation only after the due diligence. Start with our guide to buying a house in Spain, and if you plan to let, check the new Dénia holiday rental rules too.

About the authorLeonie

Leonie lives on the Costa Blanca. She writes about daily life on the coast: the markets, the walks and everything you only discover once you actually live here.