Trasladarse a Barcelona en familia o los hijos

Are you planning to move to Barcelona with your family? Either if you are moving to Barcelona with kids or not, we recommend you to read this article. Today, we will explain everything about the city and all the upsides of moving in as an expat.

Are you ready?

The language

Most of the people are hesitating if to live in Barcelona vs Madrid because of the language, but it’s something you shouldn’t worry about, because in both places you can live knowing only spanish. The only difference is, that if you really want to integrate yourself in mediterranean city, it’s important to know the catalan language.

And yes, we can all agree: is one of the biggest barriers for people who don’t speak Catalan at all, so we have to take it slow. The best recipe to learn a new language is to be patient, and also to put yourself in uncomfortable situations because that’s when we grow the most. We don’t mean that we have to do that from the moment we get there, take it slow.

One of the most famous ways to learn a language is by rewatching shows that you like, but in Spanish, this way will make you more comfortable hearing what it sounds like. Don’t wait until you’re already living in Barcelona to start learning, the sooner you start, the better.

Another thing that you must know in order not to find it as a surprise is that, in Barcelona, Spanish is not the only language that’s spoken. Like in many other regions in Spain, there are other languages. You won’t really need them, so you don’t have to worry. Catalan is the language that’s spoken in Barcelona as an extra one, that’s because it’s part of the region of Catalonia (Catalunya), and Catalan is the language.

If you’re only going to live there temporarily you won’t really need it because everyone knows both Spanish and Catalan, but if you have kids, there’s an obligatory subject, and they will have to learn it. Don’t worry, it’s very similar to Spanish and by talking to native people you’ll get comfortable with it sooner than you expect.

The area

Not all the zones in Barcelona are proper for kids: because plenty of characteristics will influence in your day by day. Maybe you already know that Barcelona is divided in districts (big zones), and inside them, this districts are structured in neighborhoods. So, obviously, not all of the 73 neighborhoods have the same characteristics in terms of wealthiness, environment or kind of people.

To make it easy, we will say that Barcelona is divided by the diagonal: the main street that divides Barcelona in 2 parts: the uptown area in Barcelona and the down one.

So, taking this into consideration, we must know that most of the best properties for sale in Barcelona are in the upper diagonal. It is there where we find the most expensive streets in Barcelona, and obviously, if we go close to Pedralbes (one of the richest area in the city), we will find the most expensive houses in Barcelona.

If you are looking for flats for sale in Barcelona, you will find a lot along the city, either if it is in the upper or down area, but obviously it will not be the same (in terms of cost) living in Sarrià (that is a good zone in the upper area), or if you want to live in Poblenou (that is in the down area, and closest to the sea). Because apart from that, you have to take into account the cost of living in Barcelona in general: the basics of the food, school of kids, entertainment…

So, if you want to a luxury property in this magnific city, we recommend you to take a look at our list of penthouses in Barcelona we have: most of them are near to the center, and you will take advantage of the incredible views of the deep city. Another option, is to take a property a little bit farest from the center: in this case we would recommend you to check out our luxury houses, mansions and villas in Barcelona. Most of them are in the peripheral zones (like Pedralbes or Sarrià), even if you can find some of the in the bests zones of the city, like Passeig de Gràcia. If you need help with properties in Barcelona, we offer you a real estate buyer agents services with whom you will can trust and ask for tips.

Moving in with kids

There are some topics that we must cover up in today’s article regarding the kids. As adults, we might not realize how hard it is moving to a completely different country and making new friends. Of course, it might not be as hard for a child than for a teenager, so we have to know certain things that will make the whole experience way easier.

School

Spain has really good public education; from the lowest grades to even universities. Deciding where our kid is going to study is very important. We can find public schools, subsidized schools and international schools. There’s no option that’s better than the other, we just have to check with them which one would be the right option for them, although it is truth that the best neighborhoods have the best colleges and universities.

Teenagers might have it harder to learn a language but children are quick to catch and learn new languages. By making them go to public schools and being in touch with native speakers will definitely speed up the process of learning.

Health

Like in the whole country, we have free health insurance. Free health insurance in Barcelona is great, taking into account that you don’t have to pay everytime you feel sick. Like everything, we also have some downsides about this. We have to think that all residents of the city can access this, therefore, the long waiting queues, and uncertain dates for doctor’s appointments is something that is expected

In order to avoid this as much as we can, we can pay private attention. The cost may vary depending on which one we get, but it’s not something that is insanely expensive.

Create routines

The best thing you can do is living like a native, don’t limit yourself and live as if you were local.

Food

This might be one of the biggest cultural shocks, and many people can agree. I’m not only referring to the dishes, but the schedule. Before you move to Barcelona, it might be a good idea to learn some new cooking skills, adding new seasonings, or even recipes, just to get used to it.

About the schedule, you don’t have to change anything, it’s just a good habit in order to soak into the culture and live as if you had been born there.

Live as if you were a local

As we’ve been saying throughout the whole article, getting involved in street life is really important and we must highlight this.

Get involved in events of the different neighborhoods, and surround yourself with the Spanish environment.

You won’t find it hard, people are very friendly and will always find a way to help you. At school, your kids will be very welcomed, everyone finds it interesting to have an expat in their class, they will make friends quickly. Enjoy this once in a lifetime experience, and don’t let the nervousness take over this, you will love it, in BCN Advisors, ¡we don’t have any doubts!

Moving to Barcelona with family or kids