Help please... We're moving to Barcelona asap!

Long-term rental .... or short-term?
(If it's less than 11 months it's an entirely different type of rental...and agency)

Hitting brick walls? ... Welcome to Spain!
(sorry for the sarcasm ... but get ready to be tenacious and patient....)
Good luck, and drop any details on this post, I'm sure we can help out!

Thanks nj, never apologies for sarcasm...

Yes... I used to live and work in Andalusia so I'm semi-prepped for whats to come... However at least down there people were prepared to meet you half way, do a deal to everyones benefit, but so far CAT surprisingly seems totally wrapped in commi red tape...

Ideally looking for a long-term (2yrs+) live/work warehouse/space/setup in Poble Nou to use as a design studio, for projects, fun and exhibitions etc... I'm learning that the 'live' element of this is confusing any agents I get responses from, but they must be out there, no?

So where to find those more open minded, creative thinking, helpful landlords?

I'm in BCN this week for a final hunt before our move early next month... If nothing is found I'll need a short-term apartment for 1-2-3 months while we continue to look...

Massive roller-coasters, swindlers also at every corner, will continue to share my findings... Similarly, any additional help/advice appreciated

Hmmm.... I understand what you mean when you say that people are "confused" by the idea of living in a semi-industrial multi-functional space ... I spent some time in (old) Williamsburg, Brooklyn before coming here ... and when I was looking for a space in Poble Nou (about 12 years ago) very few people understood my "vision".  There are also restrictions on having Natural Gas in a commercial space, higher rates for city water, limitations on commercial mortgages (max 10 years, I think) ... etc... lots and lots of hurdles...   (Poble Sec ... right below Montjuic ... has been booming lately with spaces being adapted this way, perhaps you might want to ask around over there if you get a chance...)

I don't know where/how to point you on this one ... maybe rent a bicycle and ride up and down the streets of Poble Nou ... Poke your head into spaces that might be being used this way and ask ... those people who think "outside the box" are the most willing to help, and best informed ... usually

Good that you've realized there are swindlers... keep an eye out for that.
Watch out for the nay-sayers too! ... It's full of them over here!

I'll put out my feelers for you and get back to you on anything I may find out.

Good luck!

What floor area are you looking for?
How many m2? ... more or less....

So here's an update for anyone stumbling upon my plight and maybe in a similar position... I'll post any information/contacts/links as they come up, but here's a good place to start for anyone hunting for a corner of tranquility in BCN...

Watch out for scams!
Coming from London and having lots of scamming experience from many cities, I am surprised by the abundance of dirty tricks and scammers I've found praying on the BCN property market... Tho fairly scam savvy, I've already been lured in (momentarily) twice in two weeks, any very convincingly!  Sadly a quick google uncovers many stories of people falling victim to such parasites, loosing large sums of cash and likely adding huge amounts of gutting stress to what's already a very stressful process... With regards to house hunting in BCN, here's what I've discovered so far:

Craigslist:
Unfortunately, this is where I've been pulled in twice now.  I now see that around 40/50% of ads for sub-lets, holiday lets and private rentals (at least) are fraudulent.  WATCH OUT for ads with polished ambiguous photos, offering deals, with pushy 'salesy' language. It's also a red flag if the advertiser/respondent tries to get you off the Craigslist messaging platform.  In the flow and high adrenalin of the hunt, it's golden advice that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true.  Links to things to watch out for to follow.

Rubio00 wrote:

So here's an update for anyone stumbling upon my plight and maybe in a similar position... I'll post any information/contacts/links as they come up, but here's a good place to start for anyone hunting for a corner of tranquility in BCN...

Watch out for scams!
Coming from London and having lots of scamming experience from many cities, I am surprised by the abundance of dirty tricks and scammers I've found praying on the BCN property market... Tho fairly scam savvy, I've already been lured in (momentarily) twice in two weeks, any very convincingly!  Sadly a quick google uncovers many stories of people falling victim to such parasites, loosing large sums of cash and likely adding huge amounts of gutting stress to what's already a very stressful process... With regards to house hunting in BCN, here's what I've discovered so far:

Craigslist:
Unfortunately, this is where I've been pulled in twice now.  I now see that around 40/50% of ads for sub-lets, holiday lets and private rentals (at least) are fraudulent.  WATCH OUT for ads with polished ambiguous photos, offering deals, with pushy 'salesy' language. It's also a red flag if the advertiser/respondent tries to get you off the Craigslist messaging platform.  In the flow and high adrenalin of the hunt, it's golden advice that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true.  Links to things to watch out for to follow.

Here's an excellent article on the subject:
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how- … craigslist