Buying an Older Apartment in Durrës After the 2019 Earthquake: How to Check the Building

If a Durrës apartment near the sea is priced far below its neighbours, the first question is not the view or the floor. It is when the building went up and what happened to it in 2019. The earthquake did its worst damage on the beach strip, the market has priced old buildings accordingly ever since, and a low price per square metre usually reflects the building, not a seller in a hurry.

What happened in 2019

On 26 November 2019 an M6.4 earthquake struck with its epicentre near Durrës. 51 people died, more than 14,000 buildings were damaged and 2,500 were left uninhabitable; the damage exceeded €1 billion. Hotels and homes collapsed in Plazh and Shkëmbi i Kavajës in particular. Reconstruction cost more than €1 billion and ran on a fast track that drew accusations of favouritism, and four years later about 2,500 families were still without permanent housing.

What it did to the market

Since then Durrës has had two markets under one address. New buildings carry a lasting premium — buyers pay for confidence in the structure — and older stock trades at a discount or stands still. Most apartments on the beach strip are more than 30 years old, and the top prices you see quoted apply to a small share of new units.

The gap is widest in Shkëmbi i Kavajës: new builds ask €1,200–2,000/m², older flats €450–800/m². In Plazh the second line, mostly older stock, has traded far below new first-line units. Shkozet and old Plazh are where the discount on old buildings is most visible.

The ground is part of the picture too. The Durrës coast is sandy, and settlement has been confirmed even in brand-new towers at the Durrës marina — so a recent construction year alone is not a guarantee either.

How to check an older building

1. Construction year. Our working rule for Durrës is a building from 2020 or later, or an independent seismic assessment of an older one. Ask for the year in writing.
2. Post-earthquake assessment. Ask whether the building was inspected after November 2019, what category it was given and whether any repairs were made. No paperwork is an answer too.
3. Floors against the permit. Count the floors and compare them with the building permit. Extra floors added without permission are common on this coast, load the structure beyond its design and can cloud the title.
4. Ownership extract. Pull the ownership certificate (kartela e pasurisë) from the cadastre ASHK yourself: it shows the owner and any encumbrances. An occupancy permit (leje përdorimi) should exist for the building.
5. An engineer, not an agent. Pay an independent structural engineer to look at cracks, the stairwell, the ground floor and the roof. It costs little against the price gap.
6. Budget. A full standard renovation costs about €200–300/m² in Albania, mid-range €300–400/m², before windows, kitchen and appliances. Structural strengthening is a separate budget.
7. Insurance. Home insurance covering earthquake costs roughly €1 per m² a year — cheap, but check what the policy requires of the building.

When an older flat is still the right buy

An older flat makes sense for a buyer who plans to live in it or let it long-term, has budgeted the renovation, and has an engineer's report in hand — especially in the centre, where the city holds its value year-round. It makes least sense as a quick short-let buy on the strip that the earthquake hit hardest.

See current prices by district in the Durrës price table, compare Plazh and Shkëmbi, or browse apartments in Shkëmbi.