Finding Our First Apartment in Spain: A Digital Nomad’s Journey

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Signing the Contract

The contract arrived, of course, in Spanish. Once again, Google Translate became our late-night companion. We sat at the kitchen table of our Airbnb, reading every clause, highlighting words we didn’t understand, drafting questions to send over WhatsApp.

The landlord was patient. She explained, clarified, and reassured. Finally, on March 20, we signed. The ink on that paper felt heavier than any we’d written before — it wasn’t just a lease; it was a milestone.

The Hunt from Afar

Even before our visas were approved, we were already scrolling through Idealista like it was our daily newspaper. Each photo of a kitchen or balcony sparked daydreams of “maybe this will be our home.”

The problem? Almost no one replied to our messages. Without a Spanish number, we were invisible. From Manila, we felt like we were knocking on doors that would never open.

Still, we persisted. We made a list of non-negotiables:

• The flat had to be fully furnished (we weren’t ready to buy everything from scratch).

• If it was on an upper floor, it must have a lift.

• And, most importantly, it had to feel like home, not just a roof over our heads.

Landing in Spain

The moment we arrived in Madrid, one of our first errands wasn’t sightseeing — it was buying a SIM card. With a Spanish number finally in our hands, doors that were once closed started opening. Landlords and agents began replying. It was a small victory, but it felt huge.

Then came the language barrier. In Oviedo, Asturias, English is rare. Every call, every WhatsApp chat, every visit would happen in Spanish. Google Translate became our survival tool. We even practiced lines before apartment viewings, reading them off our phones like shy students before a presentation.

The Viewings

After dozens of unanswered messages, we finally secured two viewings.

The first was with a real estate agent named Nuria from Degrain. We were nervous — two foreigners with broken Spanish, about to negotiate something so important. But the moment she greeted us, she smiled warmly and even threw in a few words in Tagalog. That simple gesture made the entire process feel lighter, as if Spain itself was saying, welcome home.

The second landlord we contacted, thankfully, spoke English. At first, her mother answered our inquiry in Spanish, but then she directed us to her daughter, who could communicate with us in English. From that point on, everything went smoothly.

The Decision

Both apartments had their charm, but our hearts knew right away.

The first was a neat one-bedroom, but the kitchen was small and closed off. The second? A spacious three-bedroom, modern and open-plan, where the kitchen, dining, and living room flowed together like one big heartbeat.

It was on the ground floor (no stairs to conquer after long grocery trips), fully furnished, and came with all the appliances we needed. It wasn’t just practical — it felt right.

For two digital nomads who work from home, those extra rooms meant freedom: space to create, space to breathe, space to build.

Looking Back

Finding an apartment in a new country tested us in so many ways. It taught us patience when replies were slow, humility when our Spanish failed, and courage when decisions had to be made fast.

Today, every time we sit in our bright living room or cook dinner in our open kitchen, we’re reminded of the journey that brought us here. The stairs we didn’t have to climb, the Tagalog greeting from Nuria, the warmth of a landlord who answered all our questions — it all became part of our story.

And now, this apartment isn’t just a rental. It’s our first real home in Spain.

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