I know at least one person who loves apartment hunting, and I suppose if I could afford to pay more and didn’t have a deadline then I might feel less stressed about this. I think I’ve seen over a dozen places now and not one of them felt like it could be home, and I’m getting worried as time runs out that I’ll end up in somewhere I don’t like at all.
This is also hugely time consuming and entire half-days are lost going off to see places when I should hunting for clients.
I guess if I were just looking for another apartment, and not a home, then it would be easier. But I really don’t want to live just anywhere and I sure don’t want to end up in some place with a red kitchen or purple bathroom… there sure are a lot of ugly places out there, at least in my price range.
casa azahar 
I hear you. I’ve done my share of home hunting, too, and it’s stressful and depressing. And my brother & SIL just came back from apartment hunting in Van and they came back severely depressed…Keep your chin up, though! Something will come through!
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I’m sorry you have to go through all this. Wish I could help.
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Well, I’d try and make a choice soon before you have choices thrust upon you.
Am I wrong that the idea of both a red kitchen and purple bathroom don’t fill me with horror? Magnolia, however…urgh. Paint of choice for people with no imagination.
Ah well. Look on the bright side. Pepe was an asshat anyway, maybe the next one’ll be saner.
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I have a red bathroom. It’s actually pretty nice.
But I hate this sort of thing too, and can only echo a client of mine who said succinctly: “When you go to buy [rent], you become strange.” The whole world becomes strange. I have only really had to do it twice but both times I had a minor breakdown when it was over.
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When I say red and purple I’m talking about tiles and fixtures, not about wall paint (which I could change). Last place I saw had glossy red kitchen cupboards which clashed horribly with the antique blue and orange tiles on the walls. And the purple tiled bathroom I saw (dark purple with a grotesque flower print) was like walking into a bad dream. I don’t understand what’s wrong with white or cream bathroom fixtures … pink or avocado green ones send chills down my spine.
It’s really not a case of me not having made a choice yet – there hasn’t been one place so far that I wanted to live in. And I’m not actually being overly fussy. There just isn’t much out there in my price range. Also, the nicest looking ones (online) are through agencies which charge one month’s rent as a commission, and I can’t afford to hand over 650-750 euros to someone for showing me a nice apartment.
Well, off to see if any new listings have been put up since last night…
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Aaack! Another one! I mean, seriously…
Nightmare Kitchen
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Moving home is definitely one of life’s more stressful events & the process of searching & choosing certainly contributes greatly to that stress, as does the time taken when your life is already busy. I’m afraid all you’ve described is pretty much par for the course & you begin to wonder whether you’ll ever find anywhere suitable … & then it happens! So don’t give up hope & keep looking at anything that just might fit the bill!
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Intriguing. Why would anyone ever think this colour scheme is a good idea?
I’m sure you will find something good. Sometimes incredible offers just pop in unexpectedly. For example, I found my flat at a time when I wasn’t looking for one*, and it turned out to be actually even better than what I been looking for (the best I’ve ever had so far, actually). It just popped out of nowhere and, contrary to my usual procedure, I actually didn’t let the opportunity pass. I guess that work was boring me.
* I mean, I was generally looking, but not on that specific day, ‘cos of busy with work.
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My first apartment in Sevilla was a tiny but pretty studio with a great terrace that was the first one I looked at when I took a three-day trip from Salamanca to find a place to live. Then one day I saw a for rent sign up on the building across the street and that’s how I came to live here. So my previous home-hunting experiences in Sevilla have been very different to this time. I wasn’t even looking for my present place when I found it, but when I saw the sign it made me think about moving to somewhere with more space. And that’s what makes this extra hard – that I am being forced to move against my will. Grrr.
Anyhow, got another appointment this afternoon. I’m not crazy about the neighbourhood but will make do if the place looks as nice in person as in the photos. Then all I’ll need is for them to agree to remove the existing furniture and lower the rent a bit…
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I couldn’t view that picture so I’ll be forever wondering about the terrible solour-scheme!
This is probably really obvious advice but don’t discount something you see online becauce it doesn’t look good. Sometimes photos can be so misleading as to be almost unrecognisable when you actually see the place in person. I remember when I was selling my last place, the pictures they took made it look a bit dingy and cramped, and it really wasn’t.
Hope something ideal crops up soon.
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Just saw this place ….
pros:
nice and clean
okay decor (even though the kitchen area is RED)
they will remove all the furniture
they do all repairs and maintenance
lovely terrace
not a bad area
cons:
expensive (750 – shouldn’t really go higher than 700)
central air/heating rather than room-controlled (more expensive)
kitchen in livingroom (weird, but that may end up being kitchen/dining/office space)
not much cupboard/storage space
spiral staircase potentially dangerous for cats
no lift
What do you think?
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Az, the price (if it’s too high for you) is the only issue I can see. Cats will be fine with the stairs. Kitchen in the living room is common over here, and you can put a divider between where living area is and kitchen (although I agree about that much red!). Terrace is great! All in all, see if you can work them down on the rent.
Housing is going to keep getting harder, what with developers tearing down old units to put up chi-chi new ones people don’t have the cash to afford. And, there’s just more people looking for living space. I’ve been looking, too — can’t find anything I’d feel *safe* in, for less than US$100 than I pay now. Good luck, hon! {{{hugs}}}
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The cat worry is real because Azar is mostly blind now and only has one usable front leg. I can see him being chased by Loki and skidding down the stairs and over the edge…
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Oh, and the heating? Hang some insulated or lined drapes. Is it convenient for transportation, and how many floors do you have to walk up?
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I’m more concerned about air conditioning than heating. One of the three things I wanted to make sure I got in the new place was air conditioning, but if I have to cool the entire apartment (instead of one room) whenever I turn it on I won’t be able to use it enough to actually benefit from having it.
Another thing I wanted was a lift and this place is two very steep and long flights up.
But it does have a terrace. So one out of three…
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I used to live in Santa Ana, Loved it!
About your pros and cons: I agree that a comfortable price is important if you feel all your needs are feasible within your comfortable prize. Don’t know seville prices, so I can’t advice about that one. With your illness I would worry about the lift. It would be so sad to become house bound just because of that….
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I expected to pay about 700 for something nice, and I guess 50 euros doesn’t seem much more. But aside from it being 100 more than I’m paying now, the electricity bills will also be much higher with that kind of heating/air system. Plus I have to pay for water. So I don’t know. Maybe if I can get them to lower the rent to 700 and include the water…
Yep, part of the reason I want a lift is in case I get sick again, need another op, have to go on chemo. The stairs here were awful last time.
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oh hey, if its just the cupboard doors which are a ghastly colour, then I’ve been there – my solution was to cover them with that sticky-backed paper, like the stuff you use to cover kids text books.
But I TOTALLY feel for you, flat-hunting is awful, until you find the right place. Good luck!
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Don’t forget – on the heating/cooling front, if the doors etc are in better shape then you won’t be sending heat straigth outsiode in the winter, and the cool air you generate will stay inside also.
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It sounds like you really like this place and you’re trying to talk yourself out of worrying about the cons. I think you need to take a step back and really look at them. How much time will you spend worrying about Azar and those stairs? Will you still be able to separate him and Loki when you go out? You don’t appear to like the open-plan layout of the living space, or the colour of the kitchen area (although I have to say, when I looked at the pic I thought it looked fab!). I’ve had that sinking feeling when you realise the negtives you thought would be completely outweighed by the positives actually aren’t.
Does look nice though.
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I’d probably be worried sick about Azar. He really is not sure-footed and being mostly blind now wouldn’t see that there’s a drop off the sides of the steps. When Loki starts chasing him Azar scrambles wildly down the hall here going this way and that so imagining him being chased up or down the stairs…
And yeah, separating them would mean sticking one in a smallish bedroom – there’s no door to the kitchen/livingroom. That would feel mean. Right now I can close the livingroom door, but it’s a big room and has two balconies, so it’s really not like a “punishment” for whichever cat (usually Loki) gets put in there. A small room with just a bed in it wouldn’t be so nice, especially if we are out for some time, or go away for a weekend.
In the photos the kitchen comes out looking kind of burgundy, but it’s actually RED and the finish has sparkles in it (seriously).
I could live with the kitchen, but it does seem the cons are more important than I first though.
*sigh*
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Well, off to see another place this morning. There were no photos posted on the website but it sounds very good space-wise. Again, not the best area (just off the calle Feria, Amiek), but not too bad. And the price is 700. No terraza, but there’s a patio. We shall see…
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Nice! with the hippies… Good luck.
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Heh, you’d be surprised. That area is becoming quite upmarket these days, lots of young professionals. Anyhow, 90 sq metres with a patio and “almost new” appliances sounds promising.
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OMFG!!! This place off Feria was the most filthy and depressing dump I’ve seen so far. And one of the rooms was locked because the owner was using it to store her mother’s things. WTF? I wanted to shower after leaving the place … and they were asking 700 euros?? Amazing.
Instead of showering, Nog and I went for a cheap & cheerful lunch at the nearby Feria market, where the fabulous La Cantina serves up delicious fish and seafood tapas. Where I got the inspiration for today’s blog post…
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Looks cool. As far as stairs go; When I lived in London there was a chap who lived two floors up who was in his late 90s. He walked up those stairs twice a day – I’m sure its what kept him alive!
A lick of limewash and a nice four poster daybed on the terrace and you’re away!
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Well, turned out I was dumped as a possible tenant. I was given the story that a woman who’d seen the place last week finally decided she’d take it, but I’m sure they found someone yesterday who had a “real job” (they know I work freelance) and who probably didn’t want them to remove all the furniture. Ah well…
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I´ve been googling with you: it’s hard. Lots of places that don’t accept animals. Good luck! And thanks, though I’m at times extremely jealous of living in Seville, this search made me extremely happy with my Dutch, quirky appartment/house…
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And I am happy with my quirky apartment … except I’m being thrown out. Crap.
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