How can I find this perfect apartment to buy in Madrid ?

Real estate market trends for 2012 reveal that average home prices in Madrid will fall another 20 percent, at least between 2012 and 2014, after having already dropped by an average of 20 percent since 2007.

The market being full of risk and opportunities, I recommend you follow these 5 tips – a short summary of what I would recommend to clients and friends:

1)   Beware of the market variations in Madrid, and buy now only if you plan to hold the property for more than a minimum of five years.

2)   On top of the purchase price, you will have to spend 10 to 15% in taxes, commissions and fees.

3)   Real estate agents in Madrid usually charge commission to the seller: 6 percent is the average. This is different to other parts of Spain. However, some agencies, such as Red Pisos, charge 3 percent to each party, the seller and the buyer. Just be aware that, in most cases, you will not have to pay commission, but it may occur.

4)   Negotiate with patience and preparation. All real estate professionals know that average advertised prices are 20 to 30 percent higher than the final sale price. To negotiate well in Madrid, you need to be patient, have alternatives and be prepared.

5)   Get help, you will need support, and keep in mind that real estate agents payed by the seller are not your friends. It’s recommended that expats use the services of a flathunter: a professional who can help get the best property at the best price.

If you want more advice, do check my website Moving2Madrid with the detailed version of this post, all the interactive maps to choose the best neighborhoods and more advice.

If you have a specific questions, do not hesitate to send me an e-mail – I will come back to you within 48 hours.

Yours Madridly,
+Pierre-Alban Waters

Pilar Orti runs the creative learning company Unusual Connections in London and is the author of The A to Z of Spanish Culture.  Yes, she loved Madrid, and lives now in London. She shares with us the five restaurants off the beaten track that make her miss Madrid – and not all are Spanish surprisingly ! And so different from the typical trendy places we see in all guides. All yours Pilar …

I left Spain over 20 years ago out of choice. What I didn’t expect was that I would never get used to not having excellent food within arms’ reach.

I go back to Madrid often and spend most of my time eating out with friends or buying food to bring back to London with me. The relación calidad-precio is difficult to beat anywhere else.

I usually go back for just a weekend, but if I’m there for a week or longer, I make sure I visit the following places. If you have some time in the city this summer, you might like to try them too.

La Terapia.

Let’s face it, this is just a cafeteria, but the food is really superb. And so is the service.

It is located in the relatively new neighbourhood of San Chinarro, in the North of Madrid. The barrio is populated by young couples and so there is a really laid back feeling to the neighbourhood. La Terapia has a large terraza and this is for me, its main attraction. The terraza is situated on a large bit of sidewalk and so you can comfortably enjoy your food without the traffic bothering you.

La Terapia. c/ Príncipe Carlos. San Chinarro.

(Located around the middle part of the street.)

Entre jamones.

As its name suggests, if you fancy tasting some quality jamón, this is the place to go.

Entre jamones is situated near Avenida de América, and like La Terapia, it has a decent terraza (although this one is quite close to the traffic). If you are the kind of person that likes hopping from place to place, this might be a good choice as there are plenty of other bars and terrazas in Corazon de María to choose from.

Entre Jamones. Corazón de María, 46. (Note that there are two restaurants, pick the one on the corner.)

Chin-Chin

This might be an odd suggestion, but if you want to spend hours talking with your friends in a quiet terraza, while you taste different kind of Asian dishes, this might be the place for you.

Chin-Chin has a sitting-down all-you-can-eat buffet. This means that you sit at your table and order the different dishes as they take your fancy. It is the best way to have a bit of sushi with a bit of rice, some meat dishes, some noodles…

I can’t really say that it is the best Chinese restaurant in Madrid, but if you find yourself in the Arturo Soria/Avd de America area, it might be worth a try.

Chin-Chin. c/ Torrelaguna, 69.

El Automático

As you might have guessed, I like quiet places and one of the reasons why I continue to visit the three other places I’ve mentioned, is because, unless I turn up at a particularly busy times, I can always find a table.

This is not the case with El Automático. This bar is located in the middle of the neighbourhood of Lavapiés, bang in the centre of Madrid. However, what this bar has that makes me cross Madrid at the risk of having to sit uncomfortably while I eat my food, are its croquetas. They really are pretty amazing. And if you also order dátiles con bacon, then your culinary paradise will be complete.

El Automático. c/ Argumosa, 17.

Jamón José Jiménez

Lastly, I have to mention this charcutería.

The thing I miss most in London is the jamón. Even since I was a student, my mother used to order jamón from José for me to take back. It meant I could always prepare a decent meal in a few minutes: eggs with ham, pasta with ham, peas with ham, rice with ham or just ham and bread, the best way to enjoy this ham.

Twenty years ago I used to travel with a kilo of sliced ham wrapped up in its own fat, to make sure it didn’t dry up. Now I travel with five or six vacuum sealed packs, which last me much longer.

So, if you are a fan of jamón or any other pig-based ibérico products, pop in to see José and send him my regards.

José Jiménez. c/ Gaztambide, 68.

Pilar Orti runs the creative learning company Unusual Connections in London and is the author of The A to Z of Spanish Culture

This is a guest post by Maxine Raynor, a fellow Madrid expat, who launched Money Saver Spain to help us spend less !

For most people being a savvy shopper on their home ground and in their native tongue is second nature. However, moving to another country where you no longer speak the lingo means you often rely on the major department stores for shopping and the advice of well meaning friends regarding which companies to use for phones and utilities contracts.

Last year MoneySaverSpain.com was launched in order to help expats and long-term visitors save money in Spain, with info in English updated every week on the latest offers as well as more in-depth articles which give advice on a variety of areas, such as requesting grants from local authorities, how to deal with rogue salespeople and a lot more. Also we try to find new and innovative products or services in Spain that might be of interest, such as a website for creating your own fancy dress costumes – really useful for the many fiestas in Spain.

The most popular info is normally on meal deals at major Spanish restaurant chains and fashion and beauty discounts. Most offers are short-lived and so there’s an active presence on Twitter too (@moneysaverspain). Also for those who speak some Spanish we give occasional cheeky tips on how to save a few euros (such as asking for “muestras” in perfume shops – great for when you’re travelling with hand luggage only!)

This year saw the introduction of a weekly newsletter, out every Thursday, with a round-up of consumer news in Spain and deals & offers still on. The site is still in its early days, so feedback on what you’d like to see included is appreciated, just drop us an email to contact@moneysaverspain.com.

Here are a few tips on how to save in Madrid:

-       Most hotel lobbies will have a selection of MiniCards – these are aimed at tourists but some have great discounts for restaurants, leisure activities and more. So just pop into any hotel when you’re around town and pick some up.

-       Before you visit a museum, check out the conditions for free entrance. For example, at the Prado Museum it’s free if you’re a student under 25 years old, unemployed (need proof) or you’re under 31 and have a Youth Card (see the article on the Money Saver Spain website on youth cards and how to get them). And if you don’t fall under any of these categories, Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 20:00 and Sundays & holidays from 17:00 to 19:00 h it’s free for everyone.

-       Sign up to sites such as oportunista.com, put in your email and you’ll be informed of offers in the Madrid area. No prepayments, only discount coupons mainly for restaurants and beauty treatments.

-       And if you really want to buy something in El Corte Inglés, don’t forget to take your passport and request your 10% tourist discount – it’s available on items in plenty of departments.

Interactive map of the Best Schools for Expats Kids in Madrid

Today, I wanted to share an interactive map I did with the Best Private Schools for Expat Children in Madrid.

I wast trying to help an american family to choose the best school and realized how hard it was to get a global picture. So I worked on simplifying the decision process for the first criteria: location. After doing some good research, this map lists all the good schools, and really helps to understand to realize that, for instance, private expat schools are mainly in north-west madrid and the suburbs. Oh, and if you wondered about prices: from 4,000 to 20,000 €  a year.

As for other details or if you want more advice on how to choose the best school, head to my detailed how-to blog for moving to madrid tips: head to this specific “how to choose the best private school for expat kids” post on Moving2Madrid.

Of course, as always, if you need any help or advice for choosing a school and/or moving to madrid, do not hesitate to email me !

Madridly yours,
Pierre Waters – Moving2Madrid


+Pierre-Alban Waters

Recently, I have been getting questions from people moving to Madrid with their families. And the questions of parents organizing a move to Madrid are quite different to the questions of expats moving alone or as as couple. To make their search easier and give them a simple and visual guide to decide which neighbourhood would be the best for them, I created this interactive map of family-friendly neighbourhoods:

Just for you, my interactive map of the best family-friendly neighbourhoods in Madrid !

The best family-friendly neighbourhoods in Madrid have been indicated, with a short description, with also rental prices for those in the center of Madrid where prices are quite uniform.

I advise you do the following:

1. Take a look at the map, first to get used to how Madrid is distributed and what are the options.
2. Then try and calculate thanks to google how long would it take to go to work and to the very center of Madrid, Puerta del Sol.
3. Check if the rental prices comply with your criteria
4. Check detailed posts of these neighbourhoods: Salamanca, Retiro, Chamberi. As for the suburbian neighbourhoods, as they are so diverse, do a search on google images and do some google street view to get an idea of how it is to live there.

Of course, “your mileage may vary” and this selection is a reduction of reality : it is intended to simplify your search and give you useful tools and insights to feel safer and more confident about your move to Madrid. I know many happy families in other neighbourhoods and if you have any question, do not hesitate to email me or tweet me @pierrewaters.

Madridly yours,
Pierre Waters – Moving2Madrid



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