Moving with a family almost always induces some anxiety; moving with them to another country, and even continent, can increase the stress exponentially. But no need to worry. Madrid Estate is a full service buyer’s agent and relocation expert. Here is how we help families relocate to Madrid.
Advise on schools
If you have school age children, likely the first thing you will want to focus on is where they will go to school. There are many different options in Spain: private international schools, state schools, Catholic schools and concertados (hybrids between public and fully private education). Many of the private international schools offer a British curriculum, with co-validation of GCSE and A-Levels. There are also schools that offer an American curriculum; you can even find schools that offer French and German curricula.
Madrid Estate works with educational advisors to first inform you about the different types of schools available, then help you decide on specific schools that will be optimal for your family.
Once you decide on the school(s) to which you wish to apply, we can help you complete the applications and navigate the interview process.
Property search
Find your ideal neighborhood
After you decide upon a school, the next step is to help you find your ideal home in Madrid; we can help you whether you are renting or buying. In fact, we can guide you in making an educated decision on whether renting or property purchase is best for your situation. The Madrid property market is very dynamic and there are material differences in the rental and purchase markets. For example, rents in Madrid are some of the most competitive in Europe. Property prices have trended up strongly in recent years, which can look intimidating to those that don’t know the market. However, they are still some of the most reasonably priced properties in Europe. We can help you navigate these factors and make an informed decision.
Once you determine whether you wish to rent or buy, you need to figure out the neighborhood in which you wish to live with your family. First you must decide upon whether you wish to live in the city center or the suburbs. Many of our clients, particularly our US clients, wish to live in the center so they can have a classic European experience. However, Madrid is a very dynamic city with legendary nightlife and late dining is the norm. If you have kids, this might not be a priority for you. You may not want to have street noise wafting up into your home at 3:00 am. Luckily, there are neighborhoods in the center that are quite tranquil. Some of them even have excellent international schools, such as Chamberí. We can help you find the neighborhood in the center that meets all the wants and needs of you and your family.
Perhaps you want to live in the suburbs? Most of the high quality international schools are located in the suburbs; particularly those that follow the British curriculum. However, the suburbs of Madrid are vast and are very different. The suburbs to the north, such as posh La Moraleja, are leafy and green; many of the best international schools are located here. Suburbs to the south are definitely more affordable, but do come with their challenges. Suburbs to the west are further from the city center, but offer space and a relaxed, family friendly atmosphere. Madrid Estate has an intimate knowledge of the Madrid suburbs. We can help you find the one in which you will be most comfortable.
Dedicated property search
Now that you have found your optimal neighborhood, you can let us what we do best: find your ideal property. The Madrid property market can be tricky to navigate, whether you are buying or renting. Spanish real estate agents usually do not take a client-centric approach. Few of them speak English and they are certainly not used to dealing with people that are currently not located in Madrid. Moreover, as there is no MLS (Multiple Listing Service) like there is in the US, local realtors are only able to show you their in-house listings.
If you are renting, we will visit the properties and make sure they are exactly as represented in the listing. Then we will send you photos/videos so you can see the property for yourself before committing to anything.
Madrid Estate is a dedicated buyer’s agent. We focus exclusively on international clients. The entire team is composed of expats that moved to Madrid for personal and/or professional reasons so we intimately understand the needs of individuals and families in the process of relocating to Madrid.
Many of the best properties in Madrid are never publicly listed. They are sold off-market in private deals; this is particularly true of luxury properties. Madrid Estate has access to off-market listings, which will give you a plethora of options in your property search.
Most importantly, we have decades of expertise in working with clients that are located abroad. Once we discover your wants and needs, we develop a short-list of properties for you to preview. This can easily be done remotely. In fact, you don’t even need to come to Madrid before your family’s big move. We can do everything while you are still comfortably in your home.
Property purchase
After finding your ideal property, we can help you carry it over the finish line. If you are renting, we will have our lawyers look over the lease agreement and ensure everything is legal and as much in your favor as possible.
Setting up a Spanish bank account
To purchase property in Spain, you must have a Spanish bank account. You will also need a Spanish bank account for many other functions if you don’t have another SEPA account (euro denominated account). This is because, unlike in the US, many payments are made via direct bank transfers.
There is a level of complexity in choosing a bank because Spain has over 150 banks; many of these are small regional or local banks. Even the bigger banks, such as Caixa, have a strong regional element. Smaller banks are not supervised by ECB (European Central Bank) regulators so it’s important to choose your bank carefully. Madrid Estate can help you find the optimal Spanish bank. We can also:
- Assist in setting up your account
- Teach you how to make transfers to other SEPA accounts (it’s different than Zelle)
- Help you obtain a Spanish mortgage
- Help you find the optimal exchange rate for your property purchase
Ready to eliminate the stress? Schedule a call with our founder, Fabiana Greci, to discuss your family’s unique relocation needs with our dedicated Madrid relocation team. You can contact her directly at fabiana@madrid-estate.com or WhatsApp +34 680 306 337.
Negotiation
If you are purchasing property, we can help you negotiate the best deal. Once the property is selected and you have entered into a pre-purchase agreement, which requires placing a deposit on the property and simultaneously signing a contrato de arras, we will connect you with one of our trusted lawyers to conduct proper due diligence. Once all is clear, we will help you find a quality notary and pay the relevant taxes. If you give us power of attorney we can even sign the final agreement for you, or find a lawyer to assist you with this.
Organize your utilities
Once you purchase your property/sign a rental agreement, the next step is to sort your utilities. Spanish utility companies are notoriously difficult to deal with. For this reason, many Spaniards just keep the utilities in the name of the landlord, or even the previous owner. Obviously, this is not ideal. We can work with the utility companies to get the bills in your name and help you pay them.
There are many mobile phone providers in Spain, both Spanish (Movistar, Yoigo) and international (Vodafone, Orange). These companies tend to bundle mobile packages with fiber and television channels, including sports. There are premium providers, low cost providers and everything in between. There are family packages and myriad other options. Madrid Estate can help you navigate this potential minefield and find the package that gives you everything you want and need at the best price.
Furniture rental
Shopping for furniture can be time consuming; if you are only renting you likely don’t want to make big ticket purchases for a living space that is temporary. But moving with your family into a home without any furniture isn’t an option.
Madrid has some excellent furniture rental places with surprisingly high quality products. Madrid Estate can work with these businesses to provide you with a 100% turnkey experience when your family relocates to Madrid.
Assist paying bills
No one likes paying bills. It is time consuming and boring, but must be done. Dealing with Spanish utility companies adds a layer of complexity. Even if you are working with an international provider, such as Vodafone, it can be almost impossible to get someone to speak with you in English.
Madrid Estate can help you pay your bills and, in the case of utility companies, get you set up with automatic payments via your Spanish bank account.
Coordinate cleaning staff
Madrid Estate is not just a buyer’s agent. We offer our clients a complete portfolio of services, ranging from relocation services to property management. Because we manage so many properties, we have a network of trusted, high quality cleaning professionals that we work with on a regular basis. We can interface with them to arrange for an initial deep clean of your new home before you move in, then provide a regular cleaning service to keep your new home in Madrid sparkling clean.
