Buy a House or Condo in Quezon City, Metro Manila

Quezon City is large and varied. Diliman holds the University of the Philippines campus and a relaxed, leafy character. Cubao is a major transport and commercial hub. Fairview and Novaliches sit toward the north and have more affordable family housing but heavy traffic. Eastwood City in Libis is a self-contained township with offices, condos and restaurants, popular with call-centre workers and expatriates. Tomas Morato and Kamuning are known for restaurants and nightlife.

Metro Manila traffic is the main downside. Check the distance to an MRT-3 or LRT-2 station, and consider travel at peak hours before you commit.

Philippine law restricts land ownership to Filipino citizens and Filipino-owned corporations. Foreigners cannot own land, but can own condominium units provided foreign ownership in the building does not exceed 40% of the total units. Some buyers lease land long-term (generally 25 years, renewable once for 25; 99 years only for approved investment projects) or hold property in the name of a Filipino spouse. This is why many houses are not an option for non-resident foreign buyers, while condos are.

Because of this, check title type carefully: condominium certificate of title versus transfer certificate of title. Our Philippines buying guide walks through the steps, and financing in the Philippines explains local mortgage constraints for non-residents.

• Verify the title with the Registry of Deeds and the tax declaration at the local assessor.
• Ask about homeowners' association dues and flood history, since parts of the city flood in typhoon season.
• Pre-selling condos are common; check the developer's track record and licence to sell.
• Expect capital gains tax, documentary stamp tax and transfer fees to be split between the parties by custom, and confirm the split in writing.

To model monthly costs, try the mortgage calculator. The Philippines market analysis adds regional context.

At roughly €1,155 per m², Quezon City is inexpensive next to Southeast Asian peers such as Bangkok or Singapore. A buyer with €130,000 is looking at a three-bedroom townhouse in a subdivision rather than a new condo in a central business district. The lower quartile of €96,488 buys older or smaller homes, often further from rail lines, while the upper quartile of €211,422 covers newer townhouses and condos close to Eastwood or Cubao.

Budget for renovation. Many resale houses are older and need new wiring, plumbing and waterproofing, and a property that looks cheap on paper can cost 10-20% more once fixed up. A local engineer's inspection is inexpensive compared with the risk.

See studios, apartments and affordable homes, or look at nearby Calamba, Angeles and Las Piñas. The Philippines hub page lists every city we cover.