# Thinking of moving to barcelona 2012 looking for some info



## dreamer27 (Aug 17, 2011)

Me and my partner are looking to move to Barcelona next summer, my partner has a job that should cover rent for the first few months. I am aware there is high unemployment but can turn my hand to a lot of things, Joinery, cable pulling, DIY etc etc, would be willing tondo pretty much anything to get us started - any ideas on how to get started?! Also we are doin intermediate Spanish, to get us by at first, obv if we plan to stay then Catalan will be a necessity, has anyone found it to hard without the catalan?
Basically any info anyone can give me would be a massive help, have checked out apartments online and looks like 600 - 800 would be about the going rate for a bedroom, we are looking at barceloneta but any other areas that you would recommend? Thanks Andy


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## barca (Aug 18, 2011)

Hi Andy,

Not sure what to say on the employment part of your message. I'm afraid it is tough here at the moment and there are lots of people looking for employment - any employment. 
As to the other parts of your email - don't worry too much about the Catalan. As an "extranjero" the fact that you don't know it won't be a problem and shouldn't restrict your access to jobs (unless you are looking in the Public Sector).
As for Barceloneta - it's nice, quite expensive, and noisy because of all the restaurants and nightlife but maybe this is exactly what you want. There are lots of nice areas. I would really need to know more about what sorts of things you are after to be able to recommend more places to look at.


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## Manin_bcn (Jun 18, 2011)

dreamer27 said:


> Me and my partner are looking to move to Barcelona next summer, my partner has a job that should cover rent for the first few months. I am aware there is high unemployment but can turn my hand to a lot of things, Joinery, cable pulling, DIY etc etc, would be willing tondo pretty much anything to get us started - any ideas on how to get started?! Also we are doin intermediate Spanish, to get us by at first, obv if we plan to stay then Catalan will be a necessity, has anyone found it to hard without the catalan?
> Basically any info anyone can give me would be a massive help, have checked out apartments online and looks like 600 - 800 would be about the going rate for a bedroom, we are looking at barceloneta but any other areas that you would recommend? Thanks Andy


.. have totally NOT found it hard without Catalan. I speak Castillan which is sufficient to live, socialise and anything else with a foreign language. Of course, out of courtesy, Catalan would be nice, but I find it difficult!

Regarding accommodation: Barcelonetta is quite expensive purely because of the location. Yes, you'd get something, but it'd be rather small for a heft(ier) monthly rental. Why not consider Placa Espanya, Gracia or somewhere in E'xample? You'd get a two/three bedroom apt (roughly 80-100 sqm) for around 750-850€ per month (some include utilities!) I have a three bed apt in Placa Espanya (where las Arenas is, the reformed bull-ring, now shopping mall) for 850€!!!

Regarding getting started job wise: well, unless you are totally fluent in Castillan or Catalan, then you'd be hard-pressed to get a job with the skills you have listed. If you wanted to work in the public sector, within Catalunya, then you would need to speak Catalan! 

Considered teaching English?


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## sabrina & tasos (Sep 11, 2011)

HI
Is your apartment stil available for rent?


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## hkissezz (Oct 18, 2011)

*Lived in Barcelona*

Hello,
I lived in Barcelona for 4 months last summer & can give you tons of advice.
I came from Canada with intermediate Spanish & had some trouble at first.
Not speaking Catalan was not a problem, because everyone knows castellano too.



Give yourself about a week to deal with getting a NIE & numero seguridad social & to learn the metro system before looking for a job
I would recommend going in May/June where the tourist industry starts.
If you speak english it will be a big help because if you look for a job on places such as Las Ramblas/Plaza Catalunya, Paseo Juan De Borbo (by the beach) or around Sagrada Familia, you have a higher chance of getting hired. I admit it was hard at first without knowing Spanish that well, but thankfully I got picked it up quickly.
**USE loquo dot com (many of my job interviews were from sending my CV..with a picture..to these places)


Another option would be to teach english. You can put your own ads on loquo, or even go to english schools. I met many UK expats that went to schools & told them that they have their TOFEL (& the schools never check). This is good pay & good hours. 


You can also get english speaking jobs. Some of my friends worked on bikes, some on taxi bikes, some as english bike guides. And if all else fails, you can go down to Port Olympico & work as a club promoter. DONT BE TRICKED INTO PROMOTING PUB CRAWLS...these are very different. Just go down there & ask to speak to the manager in charge of promotions at opium, or shoko, or sotavento. You work about 4 hours a night handing out flyers. This gives guests free entrance. At the end of the night all the flyers get counted, & however many you gave, you get a certain amount of $. Its all commission based, so it can be rough, but on busy nights you can also make over 100 euros.


As for living, personally I would not recommend Barceloneta. I've heard it can be dangerous at night, and its not worth it for the expensive cost. If you go more north of Barcelona it gets a lot cheaper. A nice up & coming area is Gracia. It is filled with cafes, bars, & just in general friendly people. Plaza Espanya is also great, it is right by parc Monjuic which is an amazing, grand park. Honestly you will find that everywhere in Barcelona is crowded & loud & quite expensive (at least in the summer). If you want somewhere more relaxing, I would recomend Castelldefels, or Sitges. But then again these places are smaller, & have less jobs & more locals. So its up to you, weigh the pros & cons.

Good luck!


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## Jeannine Hoffmann (Nov 6, 2013)

How is it going now? Living in. Catalunya for two years, want to move below Barcelona. Do you have some tips?


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