jonpolley

Hello,

I have recently been offered a job working in Valencia. My wife and I are now looking for a place to live.

Having looked at a number of websites it seems that there is quite a lot of choice and for a reasonable price (not very surprising)

However we also know that actually going out to Spain is the best way to find somewhere to live.

My question is how far in advance should we visit? If we go a month in advance would landlords be happy to have their property sitting empty? Or would we be better going out a week before the move to secure a place?

The one thing that is not really an option is staying in a hotel once we have moved and then looking for a place to live.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

cricketman

Sure, looking 1 month in advance is pretty normal

That will also give them time to get the place ready for you if needed e.g. painting, cleaning etc.

Give yourself plenty of time to look around because as rents are very low in Spain there are lots of properties for rent but very few where the landlord has actually made an effort to make the property attractive

The good thing about Valencia is that they have 10,000s of new build flats empty, but just be careful about living in a ghost neighbourhood

chrisjolly

Its a buyers market. Stay in a hotel for a few days or even better a small hostal and have a look around. A good search will only take a couple of days and if you like the place take it and move in. Any small changes or repairs that need doing can be done after. Try not to use an agent as they charge and will take a commission possibly from both you and the Landlord. Ask in bars and have a look in the local newspaper. If you dont like the place move out after a couple of months. You will probably have to pay one month in advance and a months deposit. Stay firm as they might bully you into thinking otherwise! and also do not accept the rent that they ask..make an offer! if they dont like it go somewhere else..Good luck

cricketman

That depends on the contract you sign!

Most contracts ask for a commitment for the first 12 months and then one month notice

The best properties tend to be signed up to agencies. If you are not too fussy then sure, you can find poperties marketed directly from the owners on segundamano and idealista.

Personally, I think the good estate agents earn their commission and am happy to pay it, especially as they are very useful during the negotiation stage.

As you may know, many owners are not very realistic about their own properties!

chrisjolly

I agree that many contracts are for longer than two months but there is nothing to stop you from walking out after two as it would be a very long legal battle through the courts which landlords cannot be bothered with. There are good estate agents but they always overcharge and the negotiations are easy...I'm not paying 500 I will offer you 400!

cricketman

I'm glad I don't have any business dealings with you! What you suggesting is illegal and immoral

For negotiating, sure everything is up for negotiation but be aware that if you push hard then some people will say no.

amideislas

What your suggest not only is pretty dodgy as Cricketman suggests, but also represents common ignorance of newbies assuming that they can somehow get away with "more" here, and is precisely why landlords don't trust tenants. Especially foreigners.

Besides, there's always a deposit, and you'll never get that back, and you'll have to come up with another deposit for the next place.

And although you may like to believe you can get away with it, for petty things like this, the landlord can easily file a standard-form denuncia that will come back to haunt you for some time to come - especially if you ignore it.

And it's fairly easy for your next victim to find out how many denuncias have been served against you.

If you intend to operate this way, then my recommendation is that you should never open a bank account, never have a job, nor have any legal status whatsoever. Otherwise, the landlord can most definitely get their retribution, if they feel like it.

Although I agree that many estate agents charge a lot, and many of those do precious little for it, there are some who actually work for it and are worth every penny. Of course, exhibiting an attitude such as yours would bring the "naive newbie foreigner" opportunists out of the woodwork.

I can't speak for other regions, but around here, the asking price for rents is only *occasionally* ridiculously high (the exception, not the rule, but expat areas are always dearer).

Locals know that any owner asking 2x or 3x market price has already resolved themselves to letting the property sit empty in anticipation of someday landing that one naive newbie foreigner, and are more often unwilling to negotiate at all. So, it's just not worth trying.

Rental rates (in non-expat areas) are ridiculously low anyway, so you should either agree or not agree. Arguing about price will usually get you nowhere.

But agreeing to a year and then deliberately engaging in breach within 2 months is not only impractical, but simply... unethical. No wonder so many locals see fit to gouge newbie foreigners.

Horlics

Horrible attitude. If you agree to something like a term for rental but feel like there are circumstances that would make you want to change them, then you should agree a contract that gives you the flexibility you need.

If you think it's OK to walk away from an agreement you made because it will be too much hassle for the other party hold you to the agreement... well.

If you've done this in the past then I hope the old "what goes around" saying comes true in your case.

jonpolley

Thank you,

Some very good advice and some that personally is not for me.. I will leave it up to you to decide which is which.

Can anyone suggest areas of Valencia that are quite nice and not too expensive. We are looking to live amongst the locals.
At the moment looking for a 2/3 bedroom apartment. Not necessarilly looking to live directly in the city centre.
And ideally stay for a year, after that depending on circumstances looking to buy. But obviously we will have a much better idea of the lay of the land by that point.

missile

Where will you be working? I would suggest you start your search in that location. Commuting to work will become tedious.

jonpolley

I will be working in La Cañada, Paterna.
So are there any good locations around there?

Also we are now somewhat confused. As we seem to be getting conflicting information.

Some things we have seen say we cannot get a place to live without an NIE. Others say we cannot get an NIE without a place of residence.

snikpoh

You do NOT need an place to live to get an NIE. Simply think of the thousands who get an NIE to look for a holiday home.

Many places will rent to you with just a passport. However, if you are going to be living and working here then you will need to get a 'certificate of registration' (commonly called a 'residencia'). This will show your NIE on it - so why not get it anyway? Some landlords/agents will ask to see your 'residencia' or your NIE or your work contract - it just depends!

whitelinen

If the company operates usual Spanish working hours you will need to live as close as possible to your place of work.