Emmis

Hello there!

I'm writing on this forum for the hundredth time as it's come to what seems to be our annual move again!

This time the possibilities are Sydney or Madrid!

We've lived in Sydney before so more or less know the pros and cons... but Madrid? Neither my husband or I have even visited so we feel very clueless. Unfortunately we don't think we have the time or means to jump on a quick flight with easyjet to have a quick nose around, so I'm depending on internet research, friend's opinions and my gut feelings at the moment!

Well, we're getting a huge mix of opinions on Madrid. Madridleños love their city and are incredibly proud of their home. On the other hand, other people we know that have lived there or still do live there are being pretty negative about it at the moment. Pollution, the obvious financial turmoil all seem to be clouding their views, and I'm just wondering if it's not quite the city we should be considering now. Being the 3rd largest city in Europe, I'm not expecting a village-like atmosphere, and at the moment am trying to compare it with Rome, which I know very well.

I'd love to hear some views. I know it's crazy over there with the riots, but I'm used to crazy in an Italian way. But on a non-rioting day, does one feel relatively safe there? Am I going to be attacked at cash-machines or mugged at knife-point?!

Also, is it possible to find a family sized (+130mq) apartment that isn't on a new housing estate? We've had a look at areas recommended to us, and that are close to the 3 schools we're considering (Hastings, St. Georges and City Country) but so far I'm worried that I'm missing something.

I was wondering if it's possible to live in a more character-filled neighbourhood and perhaps bus or metro to the school of choice - or would that be crazy?

As you can tell, I'm completely clueless , and the negative opinions from others are making the decision-making process even more difficult (or perhaps easy...)

Any advice, recommendations on schools, areas, general life in Madrid etc would be so, so appreciated.

cricketman

Hi Emmis

I was considering moving to Madrid a few years ago but ended up in Barcelona. Madrid is cool though, as long as you have the money to live a farily good lifestyle - and if you can afford to escape the city at the weekends and holidays.

I have a family member who lives in a 130m2 flat in Chanmartin, where the posh people live, and it is a nice neighbourhood with lots of character. But the rent is 2500 euros per month. In other areas you could get a flat at half that rate

I was looking around the end of Arturo Soria because there are some village-like areas out there, but it is still close to the metro. They looked to be fairly nice.

You need to get out and explore, and visit flats, there is no other way to learn. Madrid is a fairly safe place, especially away from the tourist areas.

I personally could think of many many better places than Madrid to bring up a family in Spain, and the people I know who live there would leave if they could find a job elsewhere. But there are also people who love it. It just depends what you are looking for

Emmis

Thanks for your reply. I'll check out Arturio Soria!

Emmis

Sorry, meant Arturo Soria. Thanks again. Will look at property tonight. In meantime just got a lovely message from an old friend, who knows Madrid well, telling me "it's a dazzler". Well, sold then!

Domino

Emmis, IMHO you aren't being clueless - just cautious, careful.
how many times have you heard of people who have seen absolutely marvellous properties in areas to die for - to find they were built illegally and you can't get utilities connected. Or it is on the main road to the largest and most heavily used industrial area that wasnt apparent as it was visited on a Spanish holiday or a Sunday.

I believe rioting is being kept to the same areas and those living a bit out of town will be untouched - unless the police are parking their vans outside your house.

But as Cman says, you need to get out and visit, look at it, sit down and assimilate - do you "feel" happy there ??
Many people laugh at the "gut feeling" that the place/property isnt right - but don't ignore it, it is probably more right than the head.

But there are many places in a very large country that don't have those negatives.
Spain is your oyster.
Enjoy

rgds

pierrealbanwaters

Hi Emmis,

Domino is totally right: you need to get there and have first gut feeling. The question mentionned is the right one: "Do you feel happy ?" and "Do you see yourself living here?"

I will first try to answer your questions, and finally give the key tips & ressources for your first key decisions.

Be very careful with opinions & advice from friends and family: they can be very misleading. They of course want to help you, but there are 3 mains aspects to take into account:
1) We are all very biased on the place we live in, and people living abroad biased by the news
2) We are all different and have very different values
3) Madrid is so different from place to place. Are we talking about the same Madrid.
I recommend you gather all the opinions, think about the bias the source has, and compare to your own objectives and values. +

Also, I can assure you Madrid is very secure, more than Paris, Rome and London. I would never let my girlfriend come back alone after midnight by train in Paris, and this never happens in Madrid. The streets are full of people, taxis everywhere.


Madrid, in a nutshell, is a "human capital city". You have everything you need, but still is walkable, and people still know how to take their time and live. A good mix between quality of life & business/entertainment. Have a look at my <snip> for more details.

By the way, speaking a new language is something that helps your for life !
I grew up speaking both French and English, which made it easier for me to become fluent in Spanish in 6 months.

As a family relocating to Madrid, I assume your main preocupations are:

* finding the best school for your kids, who will need support to adapt to this new environment and school system,
* selecting the best and safe family-friendly neighborhood for yourself and your family,
* to find the best home for your family, in the best and safe family- friendly area, located near these schools and your future office I suppose.
* make sure the transition to Madrid is not a stressful obstacle, but rather a stepping stone to a new happy Madrid life, with all the human, administrative and logistic side of the move.

My advice is then the following - a bit long, but the minimum to make sure your family and yourself move to Madrid zen and are happy here, covering these topics I assume are the most important for you and your family.

1. Best schools for expat kids in Madrid:


Unfortunately, there is no reliable open information to evaluate each school, as you may have noticed on the web. I have been working to solve this situation for the just-landed expat community, and I can share with you our map centralizing all the best schools for expat kids in Madrid - the first of its kind: http://g.co/maps/7tchy. Hastings, St. Georges and City Country are good schools, and would rather recommend City Country.


In a nutshell, all good private schools for expat kids are in the northern part of Madrid and its northern affluent suburbs.

* Therefore, if you live in:


* an affluent suburb in the north of Madrid, you will normally find one good expat school within 10-20 minutes car,
* Madrid city center neighborhoods we mentioned, you either have LEK in the center (10-15 minutes) or more choices of schools within 20-30 minutes metro in the north-eastern part of Madrid.

2. The best Family-friendly neighborhoods:


According to our experience, we recommend these family-friendly neighbourhoods : <snip>

For instance, I would not discard the centre, or I would make sure your children have a park and space close by to do what kids do !


3. Finding your new home sweet home:

* The best ways to find a flat in Madrid. In a nutshell, either find contacts, friends or a trustworthy professional. Yes, moving to Madrid is not as easy at it seems, and without support, it is too stressful, time-consuming and expensive in the end. For instance, apartment quality standards are not what you expect. Get to know the key conditions to rent a flat in Madrid

Bonus: All the other details to cover to make sure you move zen to Madrid

* Do you know how your family will adapt to his new culture and language ?
* Are you aware of all the administrative requirements, such as visas, taxes and legal specificities of Spain ?
* Have you thought about health insurance, and what level of service you need for your family ? public, private ?
* What bank account will make sure you do not waste money and that no spanish crisis will affect ?


To be able to cover all aspects of your move, I had to be a bit long - sorry for this. I hope it helps!
All the best,
Pierre

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Emmis

Hi Pierre,

I feel terrible for not replying with a huge THANK YOU! I haven't checked in to BE for an age, and now that the preparations for the big move are underway, here I am again!

Thank you so much for all your support!

Emmis

Hi there Domino,

I am so happy to read your "gut feeling" advice. I do try to follow my instinct. We do this so often, but sometimes you need a pat on the shoulder to remind you "It's ok"! So thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.

My husband moves to Madrid in less than 3 weeks, and then the kids and I follow in February. Wow - it's happened so quickly. We only had the confirmation on the Friday before Christmas.

I'm nervous but also cannot wait. Just looking at photos of temporary accommodation for my husband has got the excitement running through my veins!!

But must be practical and think of the kids ;-)

Anyway, thank you hugely!
xxx

steviedeluxe

Remember to take cold weather clothing with you if you're heading there soon. Madrid generally has temperature figures similar to London in winter (although sunshine figures are a lot higher) and it's normally not until May that the temperature starts to rise noticeably. But at least you'll have a view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance!

Domino

I went thru all that nearly 4 years ago when the BH got herself a job in Granada, with accelerated move in date.
All my fault, I found out about the job and got her to go for the interview.

But we were already looking for somewhere to settle, just at the time going thru the ranging shots all over the place, having already visited Granada, Barca and Seville.
I liked Granada from the first visit so when it came to it we came out a month before the start date, having found a Spanish estate agent online, he provided us with 5 properties to see and BH chose one there and then.
Since then she moved to a larger place after a year, feeling more confident all the time. Then there came a move out of town (30km) which hasnt been highly successful (the house is the problem not us) and would love to live in the village but not the properties for us. (NO we will not live in a 2 up 2 down town house halfway up a hill with parking a mile away)

So if you are finding the rental prices to your liking then do it for a while until such time as you feel you REALLY want to buy.

We have no kids to worry about, no parents alive either, don't have strong umbilical connections to other members of the family - a number of years at sea in the RN knocked any of that out of me. The BH feels the same way.

Its fine thinking of the kids BUT remember who it is that is at home after they have left for the day at school. You are all a team, you need to be the strong one perhaps but just remember that it is all about the strengths and weaknesses of all of you that will allow you to move forward in a foreign land, not another county of the UK.

kr

jackytoo

Wow you certainly move around a lot. Did Amsterdam not work out, or Portugal, Australia, Paris etc Thought my parents moved a lot but at least they got 3 or 4 years in each position

Domino

Hey Mrs Nasty why the negativity ??????

If you look back at previous posts, Emmis says they only spend a year or two in one country due to husband's work

Please back off Jacky and let things flow as they should
Even if the family haven't ever left sunny Surrey or wherever there is no need to start getting nasty - there are many outside the forum looking in who get put off by such attitudes.

jackytoo

Nosey maybe but why is it nasty. Just interested as to why they only stayed a few months

Keep your nose out of my posts...we have moderators

Domino

nosey can easily be taken for nasty - which is how I read your comment, which had no positivity for the new year.

you know by now I never go behind anyone's back Jacky
and unless I have misread something it is an open forum


kind regards & Feliz año nuevo

`