Job Discussion Forums

Moore · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 730 Location: Madrid

Having just moved to Barcelona and gone through the flat-hunting process I thought I'd let people know what the situation is like.

First, there's a big supply of rooms, second, most of them are horrible so you need to read adverts carefully before making an appointment. Of course, it depends what you want, but there are a lot of rooms that look onto gloomy and echoey "light" shafts, and a lot of cramped single rooms.

Flats are very noisy here, I have no idea why, but having living a a good many cities and countries the noise levels here are quite impressive, so choosing a room that's (where possible) not on the lower floors, back from main roads, and if possible with double glazing (not common) are recommended.

Prices start at 300 euros per month (for something small and interior or far) going up through 450 for a double to 600 for a large exterior double. For an idea of prices click here... http://www.loquo.com/ce/housing/rooms-for-rent-shared/302 ...this website, Loquo probably being the best starting point for your search. Prices sometime includes bills and sometimes not, and can often add on 30 euros a month to the price.

There's a huge sub-letting market here, which is driven by the fact that while renting a whole flat is relatively cheap on a monthly basis (the set-up costs are about 3000 though), rooms are much more expensive, so people will rent a flat for 1000 euros per month, then rent a couple of rooms for 350 each and get the best rooms/s. This however is illegal, so you will not get a contract, and so you have to be extremely careful about what you agree to so you don't lose your deposit (usually one month).

All the students flood back to Barcelona at the start of September, so as demand rises looking for rooms gets a bit more competitive. Emphasising that your foreign accent is from the UK/USA/Oz/Canada can also increase your chances on the initial phone call. People often speak English and will always at least speak Castellano so you don't need a Catalan phrasebook.

You will obviously need internet access (there are tons of wifi hotspots in bars and internet cafes dotted around), a mobile phone with a lot of credit on it, and I strongly recommend a bicycle as the best way of getting to a lot of different places here quickly (you can pick a decent new mountain bike for 100 euros in Decathlon shops, plus 30 euros for a couple of essential good quality locks).

I'd recommend finding a relatively comfortable place to stay while you look as the process can take a bit of time, there are (on the same website) rooms that people rent out per night which can be shared, which can work out at a lot less than a hostel and are a lot quieter - that said, in a hostel you can meet a bunch of other people who are also looking for rooms and develop a social network before you go off to your flat.

Good luck, you'll meet some very nice people, some very odd people (you haven�t lived until you've met Hector the dreadlocked and pierced Peruvian hippy), and see some grim places before you find somewhere nice, but this is a very beautiful city and there are some lovely places to be found.

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jonniboy · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:20 am Post subject: Re: Finding a room in Barcelona

SirKirby · Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 261 Location: Barcelona, Spain

Moore · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 730 Location: Madrid

I suppose when someone places an advert for a flat they want to attract the most replies possible: logically as the biggest two language groups of people who would be looking for a flat in Barcelona would understand would be Castellano and English as all Catlans of the Loquo generation would speak Castellano.

So logically, putting an advert only in Catalan is sending some sort of message, no idea what, but definitely a message.

Anyway, don't want this thread to get too off-course, really supposed to be about flat hunting experiences...

_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona and Berlin... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona or Berlin in one hit with our c.v. sending service... www.lingobongo.com

SirKirby · Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 261 Location: Barcelona, Spain

jonniboy · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:23 am Post subject:

[quote="SirKirby"]

jonniboy · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:25 am Post subject:

[quote="jonniboy"][quote="SirKirby"]

SirKirby · Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 261 Location: Barcelona, Spain

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

Surely the logical way of doing it would be that which maximises your chances of letting your apartment. So it follows that the best language to use would depend on your target market.

SirKirby · Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 261 Location: Barcelona, Spain

So, that, for example, if you were living in the UK, you'd write it in Polish Laughing

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

Yes bejeezus! From what I hear, ads in Polish are not uncommon in some parts of the UK. Ditto Arabic and other tongues...

jonniboy · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:03 am Post subject:

SirKirby · Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 261 Location: Barcelona, Spain

Come and live in Barcelona for any length of time bringing with you an open mind and come into as much contact as possible with the locals and you'll understand my point.

I'd suggest, given the current state of the market, that it's extremely unlikely anyone is going to say, "No, we only want to rent to Catalan speakers".

Though it could also be that their experience of renting to "foreigners" has been a bad one... I can think of cases.

Catalan, in any case, is not so very different from Spanish and if you are looking for a flat, I reckon you'll probably understand from the context (newspaper, website, wall...) that the ad is for a flat/room, even if you didn't even know Catalan existed as a language.

Even if you are wearing Union Jack shorts.

jonniboy · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:47 pm Post subject:

Fair enough. In Valencia it was generally a different situation and such ads were generally looking for "locals only" but you'll know the current situ in Catalunya better than me.

Union Jack shorts incidentally are unlikely.. where I come from in Belfast I'd run the risk of physical attack in such attire.

Incidentally what's the current situation in Barsa for the current academic year? Levels of pay, kiddie classes obligatory? etc