Piso Hunters: Pt. I

I’ve officially survived my first week in Madrid and the piso hunt is in full swing. If we’re being real here: it is not easy. There are a lot of places that just don’t fit what we’re looking for, and we really aren’t being that picky. Between a piso where the entire place was a hallway with rooms off it, one was a little dirtier than expected, and one asking for a 10,000-euro security deposit on a contained construction zone (shockingly that was scam) our piso hunt has been far from easy. However hard it is, though, there are some valuable lessons coming from it.  Here are some of the ones I’ve learned so far:

It is mentally, emotionally, and physically draining.

It’s mentally draining because you’re constantly using your brain to communicate in a different language, register what you’re seeing, crunching numbers, etc. It’s emotionally taxing because you’re going to send 30 messages to potential landlords and hear back from 2. That’s just how it is. Also, pisos may not look like they do in the pictures. You could also find yourself in a situation where you LOVE the piso, but the price does not love you. Physically tiring? Yes. Absolutely. It’s common to have multiple showings in one day, so you will be running around the city, and, even though there is a great public transportation system, sometimes that can’t even help you and you’re left to your own 2 feet.

Pisos may not look like the pictures.

I mentioned that above but it’s important to know. Some pisos may look better in person than in the pictures, some pisos may look worse in person than in the pictures, and, if you’re lucky, they’ll look the same. 1 piso we saw was great in the pictures and even better in person, but it was way over budget and we all cried a little. It’s fine. One that we saw was decent in the pictures, and then when we got there had junk from the previous owners still in the apartment, a water stain on the ceiling, and was quite dusty. There was one we saw pictures of, it became unavailable, the landlord said he had another unit to show us that was similar, and then we walked into a construction zone (there was a toilet in what was supposed to be the living room and uninstalled cabinets in the kitchen). You never really know what you're going to get.

Commute can be compromised.

Unless you’re a lucky, lucky soul you are most likely not going to live a 15 minute walk away from your school. A former auxiliar said he had a 1 hour 20 min commute. It’s fine if that’s the case. Realistically, you’re only going to be spending 16 out of 168 hours a week at your school. You’re going to be spending significantly more time in your neighborhood, so pick one that you like and figure out the commute later. I’m personally trying to keep mine to an hour, but generally just be open to a less-than-ideal commute.

Don’t budge on the budget.

This is so important. You get $1000 euros/month. Do you really want (more than) half of that going towards rent? You will be drowning in private lessons to make ends meet if you are not realistic about the budget. Sure, the gorgeous piso in Sol for you and your new best friend is $500 for each of you, but does that include gastos/utilities? Does it include the security deposit most places ask for? Are you planning on cooking for yourself or eating out? Do you want to travel? What about transportation? International phone plan? All of these things need to be taken into consideration when you’re thinking about a price-range. My froomies (friend roommates) and I ended up decreasing our budget because we were finding that most of the places we were looking at didn’t include gastos, so the final price was way more than our initial budget because we weren’t taking gastos into account.

Don’t settle.

It may feel like everyone already has housing, but most people are in the same boat. It takes an average of 2-3 weeks to find something, so don’t stress too much if you haven’t found anything in the first week of being in Madrid. Yes, it’s pretty intense in that if you like a place you need to be ready to sign the papers (even if people are still touring—that has happened to a few friends) and even possibly put down a little money to secure your space in the piso. However, if you really aren’t sure if you want to sign the papers or keep looking, you should definitely keep looking. Don’t settle for something you’re unsure about just because it feels like everyone else around you has housing figured out. Stay positive and you will certainly find something.

It’s one of the best ways to get to know the city!

Yes, there are these things that make it sound like some form of hell, but I promise this is one of the greatest things about the piso hunt. It may be physically draining but because you’re moving all over the city you get to see a lot and piece together all the different neighborhoods and see how they connect to each other. You get to learn about the ~vibe~ of each neighborhood, discover new places, and learn the ins and outs of the transportation system. It’s tough searching for a piso, but it will all be worth it and along the way you get to learn about your new home!

See you next time on Piso Hunters: Pt. II...