Spanish-Style Homes in La Jolla: A Buyer's and Seller's Guide

Where the style came from

Spanish Colonial Revival took hold in San Diego after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park, where architect Bertram Goodhue's buildings popularized the look. Through the 1920s and 1930s, San Diego architects such as Richard Requa — who called it "the architecture of Southern California" — and his associate Lilian Rice adapted it, drawing heavily on the white-walled, tile-roofed buildings of Andalusia in southern Spain.

La Jolla grew quickly in the same decades, so the style appears throughout the older parts of town — in the Village, in the Barber Tract and Windansea streets, and among the 1920s homes on the hillside neighborhoods.

How to recognize one

• —Low-pitched roofs of red clay barrel tile
• —Smooth or hand-troweled white or cream stucco walls
• —Arched doorways, windows and loggias
• —Courtyards, patios and walled gardens
• —Wrought-iron railings, grilles and light fixtures
• —Decorative glazed tile on stairs, fountains and kitchens
• —Exposed wood beams and carved wood doors

Original, remodeled or new

"Spanish-style" covers three very different houses: true 1920s–30s originals, older homes remodeled with Spanish details, and newer construction built in the style. Buyers value them differently. Original details — tile, ironwork, plaster and doors — are hard to replace and are usually what a premium is paid for.

What to check before buying or selling

• —Clay tile roofs: the tile itself lasts a long time, but the underlayment beneath it does not — ask when it was last replaced.
• —Stucco: hairline cracks are normal; larger cracks or staining can signal moisture behind the wall.
• —Original systems: electrical, plumbing and sewer laterals in homes of this age are often due for updating.
• —Steel or wood casement windows: charming, but check for rust, rot and how well they seal.
• —Historic status: some older San Diego homes are designated historic resources, which can limit exterior changes. Designated homes may qualify for Mills Act property-tax savings. Check the property's status with the City of San Diego before planning a remodel.

Selling a Spanish-style home

Buyers shopping for this style tend to know what they want. Photography that shows the tile, ironwork, courtyards and light — and a listing that documents what is original and what has been updated — does a lot of the selling.

Our closing data tracks neighborhoods rather than architectural style, so we price these homes from the closed sales around them and then account for condition and originality. See the neighborhood pages for current-year medians.