For those people who are planning on living in Spain or an Hispanic country, the main task to accomplish is to find an ideal property to call home. Whether you are looking for a place to rent or buy, the following useful Spanish phrases are sure to come-in very handy and they'll help to ensure you find the perfect place to enjoy the fabulous Spanish way of life!

So, first of all, you're going to need to locate un agente de la propiedad inmobiliaria and ask them for details about the kinds of properties you're seeking. This first phrase will do the job nicely:

Hola, me gustarÌa que diese informaciÛn sobre los pisos/las casas en venta/alquiler - I would like to get some information as regards  apartments/houses for renting/buying.

You will probably be asked:

• øQuÈ busca usted? or: øBusca usted algo en particular?
• Just respond by stating the kind of place you're searching for, for instance:
• Estaba buscando un piso/·tico/una casa con al menos dos/tres habitaciones una de ellas de matrimonio, y con terraza o balcÛn - I'm interested in an apartment/a studio/a house that has a minimum of 2/3 bedrooms, one a double-room and with a terrace or balcony

Other key words you can include here are:

• A estenar - brand new
• amueblado - furnished
• con un ascensor - with an elevator (I'll be sure to add this phrase if the property is a third floor flat or higher)
• bien situado - well located. You could possibly see this as bien comunicado in several agencies.

Should the agent have a suitable place and you'd like to ask for further information, the Spanish is so easy:
øPuede darme un folleto informativo? - Can you provide me with a brochure?

One thing that can cause confusion for non-native speakers relates to the usage of two terms for the word "deposit": Una entrada and Una fianza.

Here's a nice example to bring some clarity:
øCu·nto es la fianza del alquiler y cu·l es la duraciÛn del contrato? - How much is the deposit for the rent and what is the length of the contract?

Para firmar las escrituras de la casa, es necesario dar una entrada del 20% y tener un aval bancario - In order to sign the deeds of the property, you need to give a 20% deposit and to have a bank guarantee.

Two more valuable Spanish phrases for you in that sentence: un aval bancario, a bank guarantee and las escrituras, the deeds.

And here's one or two more useful phrases you are bound to hear:

• Soleados y amplios - Sunny and spacious. Even if the apartment isn't big enough to accommodate a cat you're going to see this phrase without a doubt!
• Tiene humedades - If you see this be on your guard because your dream place has damp!
• CalefacciÛn general - This is one to look out for when searching for an apartment. This signifies that there is just one boiler servicing the entire building and it cannot be regulated by the tenants, all of whom will pay a share of the heating costs. A shrewd move is to make certain the flat has calefacciÛn individual, so the heating remains under your control and you only pay for what you use.

To conclude, another Spanish expression that may cause confusion. This term relates to making arrangements to pay the rent or the mortgage and when you check through the documents, you could come across this:

Se puede pagar por transferencia bancaria o solamente mediante talÛn

You've no doubt easily got most of the Spanish there but then you'll have hit the final word, talÛn the term for "heel" in Spanish. What a curve-ball! What does this mean, to pay by heel? It just means to pay by check so that's another vibrant Streetwise Spanish phrase to bring into your growing Spanish vocabulary.

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