{"id":60461,"date":"2016-01-23T19:44:03","date_gmt":"2016-01-23T18:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=60461"},"modified":"2016-06-10T14:42:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T12:42:00","slug":"how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find the perfect flat in Barcelona"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whether you are considering making the move to <strong>Barcelona<\/strong> for the first time or you just need a change of scene, finding a flat can seem like a daunting task. Here we\u00b4ve gathered some basic tips to help ease your search and to make sure you get the best value for your money.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona\/#Location_Location\" title=\"Location, Location\">Location, Location<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona\/#Pick_your_Price_and_stick_to_it\" title=\"Pick your Price and stick to it\">Pick your Price and stick to it<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona\/#How_long\" title=\"How long?\">How long?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-5\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-5\"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-5\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-5\"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-5\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-5\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona\/#Related_article_How_to_find_the_perfect_flat_in_Barcelona\" title=\"Related article:\u00a0How to find the perfect flat in Barcelona\">Related article:\u00a0How to find the perfect flat in Barcelona<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-find-the-perfect-flat-in-barcelona\/#Be_safe\" title=\"Be safe\">Be safe<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Location_Location\"><\/span><strong>Location, Location<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">First of all, you have to decide what <strong>neighborhood<\/strong> to live in. From the bohemian <strong>El Raval<\/strong> to the trendy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/video-el-born\/\" target=\"_blank\">El Born<\/a>, each <em>barrio<\/em> has its own personality.<br \/>\nDecide what\u2019s important to you, whether it\u2019s being near the beach (<strong>Barceloneta<\/strong>), proximity to your workplace, or in the center of the city\u2019s action (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ciutat_Vella\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Ciutat Vella<\/a><\/strong>). Have an actual walk around the area, talk to friends and do your research.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pick_your_Price_and_stick_to_it\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/flathuntingbcnroom.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-60520\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-60520 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/flathuntingbcnroom-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"room, flat, apartment, barcelona, barcelona flat\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><strong>Pick your Price and stick to it<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>price<\/strong> you see as listed is more than likely not going to be the final price you pay. Take into account: deposits, bills and taxes. There are plenty of reasonably priced places available but make sure you ask about any extras before you sign a contract.<br \/>\nLooking to get the best bang for your buck? Take your search a little further outside of the city centre. Up and coming areas such as <strong>Poble Nou, Sant Gervasi<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/poble-sec\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Poble Sec<\/strong><\/a> are all still within distance of the action but can generally offer bigger rooms at smaller prices. Also, look into sharing a flat. If you don\u2019t mind living with a couple of <strong>roommates<\/strong>, you could save a lot of money. Other benefits include potential built-in-buddies, someone to unlock the door when you\u2019ve lost your keys and if you are new to the city, a resource on where to eat\/drink in Barcelona.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long\"><\/span><strong>How long?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The length of time you plan\u00a0to spend here will greatly influence how you look for an apartment and what to watch out for. Turnover is high in this city, especially during the hectic warmer months (May-September). <strong>Summer<\/strong> sun-seekers will find an abundance of holiday homes aimed at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/short-term-rentals\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">short term <\/a>renters; however watch out for price hikes and extra costs aimed at this particular type of <strong>rental<\/strong>.<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-60519 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/flathuntingbcn3-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"flats, apartments, barcelona, barcelona flats, architecture\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visitors here for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/long-term-rental\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">little longer<\/a>, such as <strong>students<\/strong> and <strong>interns<\/strong>, will find it easier\u00a0to find a flat within a more reasonable price range. Most landlords prefer tenants that can stay longer than a couple of weeks and with recently changed Spanish<strong> rental laws<\/strong>, minimum contracts have come down from one year to a more manageable six months.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/yearly-rental\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Long term<\/a> renters may want to consider going through an <strong>agency<\/strong>, especially if you want a full flat where a lot of money is being exchanged in deposits. Nevertheless, watch out for the additional costs incurred when going down this route. Agencies usually charge one month\u2019s rent alongside a percentage of the annual rent, as well as VAT being charged on top of that.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_article_How_to_find_the_perfect_flat_in_Barcelona\"><\/span>Related article:\u00a0How to find the perfect flat in Barcelona<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Be_safe\"><\/span><strong>Be safe<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is always a demand for flats in the Catalonian capital and therefore people are always looking to capitalize on this. Watch out for <strong>scams<\/strong>. These are most common amongst classified websites and <strong>social<\/strong> <strong>media<\/strong> groups. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Landlords may also try and impose \u00b4extra\u00b4 rules and fees on tenants, especially foreign short-term renters, such as guest fees, unreasonable deposits (more than two months), and other seemingly random charges. If you don\u2019t speak the local <strong>language<\/strong>, make sure to bring a Spanish speaker along to viewings and contract signings. Know your <strong>rights<\/strong>. Check out websites such as barcelona.anglo.info which\u00a0has legal info for expats.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"60461\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate us!<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you are considering making the move to Barcelona for the first time or you just need a change of scene, finding a flat can seem like a daunting task. Here we\u00b4ve gathered some basic tips to help ease your search and to make sure you get the best value for your money. Table of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":60516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4595],"tags":[3394],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60461"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62093,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60461\/revisions\/62093"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}