Sarah Nan in Spain: Home Sweet Home

June 29, 2012

I wake up and call Margarita (the real estate agent). I have three appointments this afternoon to see pisos (apartments) and I can’t wait. I am nervous about the logistics of the process in a foreign land, but excited and a bit relieved to know that I will have an English-speaking real estate agent (Margarita is from Puerto Rico and speaks PERFECT English…I thought she was American until she told me otherwise) by my side to help me through the process.

We arrive at the first apartment and although everyone has told me not to choose the first place that I see, I am completely smitten. It is the perfect size for me and WAY bigger than most of the places that I have seen online in my price range. It is right near the Park Putxet and only about a 15 minute walk to the train station to school. I try to stay calm and collected and tell the owners thank you and that we’ll let them know what we decide.

We head off to visit the second place and I can’t stop thinking about the first. I am hoping that the second place is even better and as we approach the street, I am hopeful. It is a bit more in centrally located and there is a lot of noise from the street. As we enter the apartment, I took one look at it and said “I’m not living here” to Margarita. She agreed and apologized. She has NO IDEA that it was so small. The entire place is maybe 200 ft2 with a tiny kitchen and the shower in the bedroom……and it’s even more expensive than the previous place…..HORRORS. I leave a bit discouraged, but still dreaming of the first apartment.

I ask Margarita if I can visit the first place again. She calls the owner and he agrees. We take on last look at the place and I tell him that I have one more visit this afternoon and ask him when I would have to give him a decision. He tells me that someone is coming to sign a contract this afternoon at 4 (probably a lie, but I’m nervous). I tell him that I will think about it and get back to him before 4.

It is 2:30 when we leave the apartment for the second time and I confer with Margarita. I tell her that I’m in love with the place, but that I’m nervous since it’s the first place we’ve looked at. She tells me that normally she would suggest that we look at others, but that in her opinion, this is the best of the three and a real bargain at this price in such a nice area.

I decide to quit worrying and be impulsive for a change. We go directly back to the apartment and the owner what we have to do to reserve the place. When he finds out how long I’ll be staying, he tells me that he will give me preference over the other guy (he was only staying for 6 months) if I can leave part of the deposit with him. Margarita assures me that this is normal. So, I pay him part of the deposit, we exchange information and set up a meeting to sign the contract on Monday. I can’t believe it!!! After months of searching online and worrying about where I would live, in less than 48 hours, I have found my ideal place =) I can’t wait to move in!!!!