Spanish retiree Francisco Tortajada revealed during a television debate that he gave up all weekend leisure for four years and committed more than 44 percent of his salary to buy his first apartment in Spain.
Speaking on the Spanish television program laSexta Xplica, Tortajada stated that buying a property required personal sacrifice, responding directly to complaints raised by several young participants in the studio regarding current real estate prices.
Spain used the peseta as its official currency until adopting the euro in 2002. The program laSexta Xplica is a weekend debate show produced by Spanish broadcaster laSexta, focusing on current social and economic topics.
Tortajada recalled that when he purchased his first flat, he was earning 1,800 pesetas per month. Out of that income, he paid 800 pesetas each month for the property installment payment.
Based on the figures he shared, the monthly installment alone absorbed over 44 percent of his total earnings. He noted that this figure did not include additional receipts, community maintenance fees, or other expenses required to maintain the home.
Despite the heavy financial burden, Tortajada said those monthly payments enabled him to become the full owner of the property in less than a lustrum, or five years.
Four Years of Financial Renunciation
Tortajada stated that his housing commitment cost him four years without going out on a single Saturday, Sunday, or any other day because he simply could not afford it.
He described that four-year period as an intensive phase of spending restraint during which financial obligations linked to the apartment took total priority over leisure activities.
The retiree used his experience to argue that older generations also confronted severe economic hurdles when purchasing homes, highlighting a broader generational debate in Spain over property accessibility.
However, the broadcast material did not include comparative figures regarding current wages or real estate prices, nor did it offer an equivalent comparison between the two eras.
Bank of Spain Housing Market Data
According to the latest report from the Bank of Spain, the national central bank, a Spanish household today must dedicate more than eight years of gross salary to purchase a home.
The central bank statistics indicate that the financial effort required from modern buyers is double the amount needed during the 1980s and 1990s.
By contrast, in June 1987, less than three years of gross salary was sufficient for a household to finance a home purchase in Spain.
The central bank data provides context to the televised debate, where younger participants outlined their difficulty entering the property market while older homeowners recalled past personal sacrifices.
