HGTV International: Apartment Hunting in Madrid

No matter if you’re a new adult (fresh out of college) or a premium adult (you know who you are), adulting in a foreign country is overwhelming. There are lots of legal factors, budgeting concerns, a potential language barrier, differences in communication styles, and too many coffee shops to try. Trust me, I know. Pero ¡sí se puede! 

With this blog, we’re going to put the “how” in housing through five tips and mini tips (“consejos” and “consejitos”) on how to find a “piso” in Madrid, from someone who just successfully went through the process!

Consejo #1 - Prepare Before You Arrive

Whether you’re like me and you enjoy watching HGTV or you’d rather watch anything but, now is your time to jump in as your own real estate agent. Idealista is the website that’s recommended by CIEE and that most auxiliares use, with SpotAHome and Fotocasa as less common alternatives.  

I prefer Idealista because it has features where you can draw your preferred housing region, “favorite” apartments that you like, and add a variety of filters (furnished, number of bathrooms, monthly rent, etc). You can also send a direct message to the properties which will attach your Idealista profile. Although many of the places that you “heart” on Idealista may not be there by the time you arrive, it’s smart to start browsing neighborhoods, average costs, and apartment styles.  

Consejito: Personalize your Idealista direct message! There is an auto-populated message, but that won’t catch the eye of the property owner, especially since many of them know what the automated message says. Show interest and initiative by writing your own message. 

Consejo #2 - “I Want” vs “I Need”  

I want a stylish furnished apartment with two roommates in a safe and clean area next to public transportation with access to cheap grocery stores and the park. Ooh, having my own bathroom would be perfect. Of course, fun nightlife has to be in the area. Oh! And rent needs to be under 500€. Utilities should be included, too. Especially air conditioning! While I’m thinking about it—

Let me just pause you right there. 

To be completely transparent, you most likely won’t find all your wants in one place.  

I recommend listing your top three priorities (needs) and counting all the rest (wants) as bonuses, if they’re included in the place. For me, neighborhood, safety, and budget were my “big three,” or my needs. Other things worth considering are convenience, fees, utilities, amenities, pet friendliness, contract duration, furnishings, guest rules, maintenance, public transportation, and more. It can be frustrating to have to pick just three things, but it will help you to prioritize your needs in a search where you, unfortunately, won’t have it all. 

Consejito: Understand your roommates’ big threes. Like it or not, compromise is a huge part of the housing process—whether that’s compromising with your landlord, “wants,” or roommates. Have those adult conversations and work to understand what’s important to your roommates so that you can meet each other in the middle.  

Consejo #3 - Stay Organized

This, aside from actually signing for our piso, was my favorite part of the process (just a Type A girl and her spreadsheet). A friend who got to Madrid in an earlier orientation group recommended making a spreadsheet to keep track of the places that you’ve reached out to. *Cracks knuckles for dramatic effect.* Allow me to elaborate.

This is the spreadsheet that my roommates and I created, updated frequently, and lived by. We ended up creating nine columns to keep us organized during this process: 

• Listing Name
• Estimated Monthly Cost
• Neighborhood
• Link to Listing
• Utilities Included?
• Contacted?
• Who Contacted?
• Did We Hear Back?
• Notes 

A little long-winded, I know, but very helpful. As you can see, each of these categories had dropdown menus, hyperlinks, and general notes to ensure that we contacted the properties and that there weren’t duplicates. This is particularly helpful because we reached out to over 25 properties within the first week of being in Spain, so it can be very easy to lose track of who you’ve contacted. 

Long story short: staying organized served to keep us grounded during this high-stakes, anxiety-inducing process.   

Consejito: Have multiple people reach out to the same place. One of my roommates would reach out in English while myself and my other roommate would reach out in Spanish. Ironically enough, we got way more responses with our English message than our Spanish ones, even though we said nearly the exact same thing. Persistence is key! 

Consejo #4 - ¡Oye! Watch Out for Fraud 

Unfortunately, there are plenty of scams in the Spanish rental market. However, if you are vigilant and recognize common signs of scammers, you’ll make it out unscathed (and housed!). Here are some of the most common signs of a scam: 

• The photos displayed vary drastically in quality. We found a couple of listings where the images looked rather…AI generated.
• The listing refuses to let you tour the house.
• They ask you to pay rent in cash.
• There’s no written contract.

Of course, there are exceptions to these rules, and I’ve met people who are lucky enough to have not been scammed in these circumstances, but these are great to bear in mind as you search. Always maintain some level of skepticism, no matter how legitimate a listing seems, so that you don't get scammed. 

Consejito: Go in-person for everything. This is the best way to avoid fraud, as you will meet the landlord or real estate agent, be certain the apartment exists, and verify the quality of the apartment. I would also recommend sitting face-to-face when you pay the initial deposit so that the landlord can hand you the keys right away. In-person interactions will protect you, your money, and your peace from any fraud in the housing market. 

Consejo #5 - Smart Questions Make Impressions

When you go to tour the apartment or “piso,” have a list of basic questions that you want to ask the landlord or real estate agent. This is especially important if you don’t speak Spanish or aren’t familiar with housing vocabulary, so that you can gather as much information as possible while face-to-face with the person giving you your tour. Here are some examples to consider:

• ¿Son incluidas las utilidades? Are utilities included?
• ¿Hay una fianza? ¿De cuánto? Is there a deposit? How much?
• ¿Cuánto dura el contrato? How long does the contract last?

On a most basic level, it’s important to have questions prepared so that you get all of the information you need to make an educated decision about where you want to live. While you’re visiting a house, your adrenaline will spike, causing you to forget or overlook basic information gaps, and leave with more questions than you had before you toured. Having a written list of questions will help you overcome your adrenaline rush and stay practical.

Beyond practical information, the landlords are more likely to consider your application when you’re well-prepared and professional during your tour. The people who led our housing tours were consistently impressed by the evident preparation and effort we put into the process. In fact, I can confidently say that our list of questions helped us land the apartment that we signed on! 

Consejito: After you’ve asked all your questions and impressed the landlord, follow up your visit with a thank you message. Even just a quick “gracias por su tiempo y paciencia al mostrarnos el piso. Estamos muy interesados” will go a long way. Staying professional and courteous during this process will facilitate positive relationships with the apartment owners, which is especially important since one of them will be your future landlord. 

Finding Pisos

If you caught onto my sneaky writing, you may have noticed that the five tips spell PISOS—making it plural to manifest that you have multiple apartment options. And thus! To recap: 

P - Prepare Before Arrival

I - “I Want” vs “I Need” 

S - Stay Organized

O - ¡Oye! Watch Out For Fraud

S - Smart Questions Make Impressions

And there you have it, folks: five simple consejos to find pisos in Madrid! Once you’ve signed on your apartment, go treat yourself to a fancy latte at that one Madrid coffee shop you saved on TikTok three months ago. You deserve it!