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So you are considering visiting or making a move to Barcelona, the sunny and funny metropolitan city of Iberian Peninsula? First things first, good choice, you will love it! And don’t worry everything’s gonna be great! BUT never underestimate the hustle of finding accommodation in Barcelona. It’s getting pretty competitive here and you may have to spend some time to find the perfect accommodation for you. Determine your budget, decide whether you want to have to your own accommodation or to share a flat with others and make an early start searching the city to see which neighbourhoods would suit you better. Check out our recommendations for mission (im)possible, finding accommodation in Barcelona! The Renting TrendToday, the housing market is showing us that first-time buyers are getting older and more working households are receiving benefits – trends pointing us down the path of renting rather than buying. That isn’t to say, of course, that the rental journey doesn’t hold its own set of hurdles along the way:
• High fees – Payments at practically every step of the bureaucratic process • Real estate agent commissions – Offers not being made in tenants’ best interests • Lack of transparency – Agents choosing to withhold certain information from tenants Which source to use when looking for an apartment/housemate?The old rules of the rental housing market are getting evicted. We live in the digital age where most of our queries can be answered at the click of a mouse, and dealing with people in suits is exhausting and outdated. The Present PossibilitiesWith these, and other problems encountered during the renting process, individuals are taking to much more creative alternatives when it comes to managing their lives within the rental housing market: • Subletting – Renting out additional rooms to help cope with costs • Social Media – Sharing experiences and available spaces around the world • Rental Housing Platforms – Simplifying the process between tenants and landlords Your Choice of SourcesSo, that just leaves this final question, which source should you use to ease the rental journey? This, of course, depends on your objective. Let’s say that, for example, you have just moved to Barcelona in search of work without any previous knowledge of the local housing situation. Airbnb If your intentions are short-term then a common tool that will fulfil your needs is Airbnb, this site provides rental listings around the world for travellers seeking to experience various cities like a local, and is also a good way of renting out additional space for people leaving for vacation but still needing to cover rent. An intuitive tool but, regarding the short-term, Airbnb is mainly targeted towards people on the move. Discussing longer stays is a possibility, but any sort of documentation and fiscal responsibilities will be up to you. Idealista A much more local option in this scenario would be renting/leasing via Idealista. This is a little bit like the wild-west of renting in Barcelona, it is what you make of it. It provides a large selection of living options that come-and-go like the wind, so don’t get frustrated if it can sometimes take up to a month before you find your place in the capital of Catalunya. Also, similar to Airbnb, you will be responsible for taking care of the documentation and finances with the owner/landlord. Badi Lastly, if assured peace-of-mind without paperwork is what floats your boat when looking for your new home, think about checking Badi. It is a trendy application that provides a free service connecting people looking for a room with their new possible flatmates. The best part about the Badi is the familiar user experience they use. The logic of Badi is basically being “Tinder for finding your flatmates”. First, you check the opportunities in the neighbourhood and price range you want and swap right the ones you like. If your future flatmates swap you right as well, viola, it’s a match! Badi secures the communication of parties. And it is not only popular among millennials! You will surely find the room and the like-minded flatmates through Badi. A room in a nice neighbourhood with loads of daylight is never gonna be the perfect home if you have annoying flatmates, choose wisely! Social Media Tried and true, white on blue, Facebook. Social media has affected much more than our ability to send messages to friends and families around the world. Keep in mind that accountability and a little bit more luck is needed as there may not be as many options as on Idealista, but where Facebook shines is in its communication capabilities. Direct messaging with landlords in groups gives the user the ability to develop dialogue, and comments from other users can help shed light on potentially shady situations. Check also other social media groups, Twitter lists and Instagram. Make a public post that says you are looking for a flat/room with highlighting your best personality traits and your specific preferences. Be visible and reachable, sometimes a friend of a friend can be your dream flatmate. Best neighbourhoods to live in BarcelonaHeart of Barcelona: El Gotico and El Raval The two neighbourhoods separated by the famous street of La Rambla can be considered as the very centre of the city. This means you will be able to enjoy city life in two steps outside of your flat. However, don’t forget that you cannot expect the city centre to be safe and quiet. 15 minutes to centre 5 minutes to green: El Born and Poblesec Do you want to enjoy the city centre as much as you want to spend your leisure time laying in the park? These are the best two options! Just note that El Born is still more central comparing to Poblesec. Take me to the beach: Poblenou and Barceloneta If you want to have quick swims in the mornings or enjoy the wild beach volley scene until the night, it’s better to live closeby to the sea. Poblenou is a quiet yet vivid area to enjoy the city, while for the ones who also want to be closer to the centre, Barceloneta will be the choice. Living like a local: Gracia You will enjoy Gracia if you want to experience the real expatriate, living like a local Catalan in Barcelona. Gracia is the trendy up-and-coming-neighbourhood of Barcelona. It is colourful and also close to the colours of Park Güell. For uptown girls and boys: Eixample and Sarrià If you are looking for a more quiet, safer and fancier flat to live, we are sure you can find it in Eixample or Sarrià. At the top of wishlist: Castelldefels It is a dream to live in such heaven close to Barcelona and you can find bigger flats with the sea sight for a similar same price in Barcelona. But you would need to commute at least for a half-hour to the city every day. Conclusion Going back to the beginning, which source should you use to ease the rental journey? Well, what are you looking for? Vacation? – Airbnb Local Delicacy? – Idealista Flatmates forever? – Badi Crowdsourcing? – Social Media And, if you do choose to stay in Barcelona, just remember to bring your sunscreen! # m a k e t h e b l u e x p e r i e n c e Comments are closed.
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