House hunting in Spain: the Spanish you'll need

¡Hola aventurero!

You find the perfect place online: ático acogedor con encanto, a reformar. Sounds lovely, ¿no? Then you go to see it and it's tiny, old and needs a new kitchen 😅

If you're moving to Spain, or just dreaming about it, think of this as your list of house hunting in Spain Spanish phrases: what you'll read in the listings, what to write in your first message and what to ask when you get there.

1Piso, ático, chalet: types of home

First, what Spaniards call the different kinds of home:

Most people in Spanish cities live in a piso, so when someone says Me he comprado una casa, they often mean a flat. Casa means "home" as well as "house".

And because piso also means "floor", you'll hear things like Vivo en un tercero (I live on the third floor). In Spain, the ground floor is el bajo, so the primero is one floor up 🛋️

2What the listing really means

Listings (anuncios) love positive words. Here are some you'll see a lot, and what they often mean in real life:

Teacher bit 🤓 A reformar is a + infinitive: the work is still waiting to be done. Reformado is the participle: the job is already done.

3Getting in touch

Your first message can be short. Say which home, ask if it's still free and say when you'd like to see it:

Tú or usted? Agencies often write to you with tú, especially on WhatsApp. With a private owner you don't know, start with usted (¿Cuándo podría ir a verlo? works for both) and switch if they use tú with you.

If they'd rather talk on the phone, have a look at Spanish phone call phrases first.

4Questions to ask at a viewing

A viewing is una visita, and it's usually quick. So decide on your questions before you go. Try to ask about three things: the area, the building and the home itself.

¿Por dónde entra el sol? might sound like a strange question, but in Spain it's a very important one. A flat that gets the afternoon sun can be lovely in January and an oven in July ☀️

La comunidad is the monthly fee for shared costs in the building, like cleaning the stairs or fixing the lift.

5Viewing a room in a shared flat

Here, someone is shown around a room in a shared flat by one of the flatmates:

6The money words

Whether you rent or buy, these words will come up:

If you're buying, you'll also hear la hipoteca (mortgage), el notario (the notary who signs the sale), las arras (the money you pay to reserve a home) and la entrada. Careful: when you buy, the deposit is la entrada, not la fianza.

For chatting with your new neighbours, see small talk in Spain. And for the rest of your first weeks, there's the Spanish phrases you'll use every day living in Spain.

7Before you start looking

1. 1

   Write your first message now

   Use the phrases from the "first message" table and write one message you could send today: Hola, he visto el anuncio del piso en el barrio de… ¿Todavía está libre? Save it on your phone.

2. 2

   Pick five viewing questions

   Choose at least one about the area, one about the building and one about the home, like ¿Por dónde entra el sol? Say them out loud until they come out easily.

3. 3

   Describe what you're looking for

   Practise one sentence that sums it up: Busco un piso de dos habitaciones, exterior y bien comunicado. You'll say it to agencies again and again.

Finding a home is one of those everyday topics that's much easier with a plan. My Roadmaps go through everyday situations like this one, with games, speaking prompts and cheat sheets 🗺️

Now I'm curious 👀 Are you looking for a home in Spain, or just dreaming about it? And which listing word would make you suspicious? Cuéntame in the comments!

Lucía · Linguist, translator, Spanish teacher and author of the Visual Spanish Grammar Book.
Come and learn Spanish with me and other aventureros like yourself at skool.com/learnspanish 🎉