We know how hard it is to start house hunting in a city you don’t know.
Hopefully you will have some referrals, friends who have visited the city, others who know someone who lived there years ago or even a family member who is living in that place right now.
—Sometimes it’s better not to have any reference at all —says Almu.
—You’re right! Instead of helping, it can get confusing —agrees Paloma.
—The truth is that any info is especially appreciated when you start searching from scratch.
—And, of course, everybody has good intention.
—That’s for sure, but the result is not always what we expected.
All cities, regardless of their size, have “specialized” neighborhoods. That is, depending on your lifestyle or interests you will feel more comfortable in one area or another.
If you’ve grown up in a city, it’s something that comes out intuitively, without realizing it, you know which area to go to depending on your tastes or needs and, of course, your budget.
—But there is a problem! If you’ve always lived in your hometown, you can’t even imagine what an international move means —says Almu.
—And your advice, which, of course, is always welcome, is not always right —Palo concludes.
—When arriving from abroad, there are many more factors that intervene and that must be taken into account.
—For me, it is essential to investigate a lot, not just keep the comments of someone you know.
On the other hand, it’s essential to focus early on one area. The benefits of an early election are many. On the one hand, it reduces the time you spend searching for housing, the larger the city the more essential it is to reduce the search areas.
There are thousands of homes available for rent in any city, it is an almost impossible mission to analyze them all. The more specific the search criteria, the closer you are to success.
—Of course! It is essential to know the area and the budget.
—And the number of bedrooms!
—Or any other essential requirement in each particular situation e. g. a comfortable garage if you need to take the car early every morning.
—But the first thing is to choose an area; as soon as we have it, the search goes smoother.
A second benefit is to get to know in depth the real estate offer of the area you are interested in, being a smaller area you can get to dominate it. This leads to the third benefit, making it easier for you to make a quick decision when choosing your home.
There are 21 districts in Madrid and several towns around the capital, each with different areas.
In each neighborhood there are different types of housing that allow different lifestyles and also a great variety of budgets.
To be honest, choosing the right area without knowing the city is not an easy task.
You can use these tips:
- Research and read about the different neighborhoods.
- Use a school or workplace as the starting point (the first helps more than the second).
- Recommendations from acquaintances, colleagues from work or school staff.
- Counseling with real estate agents or relocators.
—And the main thing, start your search in local real estate portals.
—Exactly! It always helps to discard areas where most homes don’t fit your personal tastes.
—Taking into account the geographical and cultural differences, especially in size of housing and decoration.
—And, very importantly, expectations become more realistic when you get to know the real offer.
If you plan to move soon, you will find all the relevant information in The secret of relocating to Madrid. If, in addition, you need help with the organization or even if we accompany you, check out our services.
In the meantime, you can receive regular information by filling in this questionnaire. And if you find it useful, we thank you for sharing it.
