Homesmith.es

This week we ran a quick poll for our 300+ house hunting community to find out how many people had decided if they want to own a car here in Spain.

It might sound like a small decision, but it's actually one of the biggest lifestyle decisions to make up front because it fundamentally shapes where you can focus your search.

So we've thought long and hard about what walkability means for house hunters and selected 4 towns which we know can realistically deliver a car-free lifestyle here on the Costa Dorada.

👇 Read more here:
https://www.homesmith.es/post/walkable-beach-towns-catalonia

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Discover the best coastal towns in Catalonia where you can live car-free, enjoy seaside promenades, and easily reach shops, cafés and services on foot.

Read our quick 3-minute guide and find the neighbourhood that fits your walkable lifestyle.

https://wix.to/g4NShei

Which beach towns West of Barcelona are the most walkable? Looking for a walkable beach town in Spain? Compare Sitges, Vilanova, Calafell and Cambrils using Homesmith's exclusive 2km walkability maps. Discover which towns make it easy to reach the beach, train station, supermarkets, cafés, banks and medical centres on foot before deciding where to buy or r...

This is Rachel and me on the rooftop of her new long-term rental in Sitges yesterday.

The apartment has been an adventure from the beginning. I found it off-market through my local agent network and Rachel reserved it off-plan based on a floor plan and a few renders.

So yesterday was the first time either of us had seen it in the flesh. And also the moment Rachel realised Spain is her new permanent home. She's been bouncing around Airbnbs whilst working remotely full-time on a Digital Nomad Visa.

There were a lot of emotions yesterday. Frustration that one of the kitchen cupboards didn't have shelves. Panic that a dishwasher wasn't included after all. Anger that she has to buy light fittings. Then relief and acceptance. The pure joy when she discovered her local Caprabo sells Dr Pepper.

Honestly, I have a huge amount of respect for her. Moving to a new country on your own takes lady balls of steel. Navigating an unfamiliar and often unpredictable real estate process takes bucket loads of patience.

We're not quite at the finish line yet. Spain has one final curve ball for us in the form of a missing water connection.

But we're getting there.

https://www.homesmith.es/services/property-personal-shopping-renter

I got asked if my real name is Homesmith yesterday.

It isn't. But my surname is Smith, and for most of my life I thought that was pretty boring as it's one of the most common surnames in the UK. But when it came to naming my business, I started thinking more deeply about what it means to be a Smith.

A wordsmith works with words. A goldsmith works with gold. And a Homesmith? That's someone who works with homes.

Not by building houses, but by helping house hunters put the right pieces together: budget, lifestyle, location and property.

Because finding houses is the easy part. The portals already do a decent job of that. The harder part is working out which house, in which location, actually fits your lifestyle and budget.

That's why I'm Homesmithing.

Helping house hunters find and buy or rent the right home on the Costa Dorada.

https://www.homesmith.es/services

I Found this attached to my postbox at the weekend

I’d already been renting in Ibiza for 5 years so when it came to buying and settling down I knew I was looking for a much more local, Spanish vibe rather than a super touristy “expat bubble”.

Somewhere people actually know their neighbours. Somewhere community still exists.

And whilst urbanisation living definitely has its pros and cons… moments like this really make me smile.

Because the right home is so much more than just a house!

Find out how we helped Meli & Steve find the right lifestyle and location fit for their future home here:

https://www.homesmith.es/client-stories/choosing-the-right-town

One thing I’ve realised after house hunting myself across 5 different countries, is that we can often get stuck trying to find a unicorn combination that probably doesn’t exist. Or if it does, it’s over budget.

And look, I get why. We’re constantly sold the idea of “dream homes” and “perfect properties” when actually what most of us really need to do is prioritise our wishlist and work out where we can compromise.

Sometimes the breakthrough doesn’t come from looking at more houses.

It comes from getting clearer on what's important to you.

If you'd like my help to get your priority matrix ready I can do it with you during a video consultation:

https://www.homesmith.es/services/consultation See less

Off to Barcelona for the day 🚆

One of the things I love most about living in Calafell is the variety it gives me. Most days, life is pretty simple. Beach walks, sea air, coffee on the terrace. After years of renting in cities, I realised I didn’t actually want the intensity of city life around me all the time anymore.

But equally… I still love cities.

I love the energy, the buzz, the people watching, the restaurants, the culture always so much choice. So for me, this is the magic combination. Living by the beach, but with Barcelona or Tarragona an easy train ride away whenever I fancy a dose of city life.

It actually reminds me a lot of how I used to live in Sydney. Beach or city depending on the mood. Having that balance suits me perfectly and that’s why I ended up buying my home here.