The Pros and Cons of living high and low in barcelona

When deciding on an apartment to move into in Barcelona, there are various things to take into consideration: how close the apartment will be to your work, shops, public transport, parks, the beach, etc. etc. All of these things can have a massive effect on your decision making, but there's another aspect which can lead to happiness and harmony within your new apartment, or dispair and disaster - height.



You may have found the ideal neighbourhood in Barcelona, and have your heart set on living in the old town, for example. All good, except for the fact that you can't find anything within your budget that isn't an old converted shop, or a backward facing bat-cave with no daylight. Here are a few tips to get you started when thinking about any typical apartment block within the city:

As mentioned, bajos/locales are the ground floor properties usually destined towards shops or cafes, etc. They are often noisy, with little to separate the actual building from the street, and are rarely triple-glazed or insulated to the max, meaning traffic noise and people noise can be a problem. There is no garden or patio - the street is literally behind the front window/door, which offer the added risk of flooding when there is heavy rain, etc. especially if the actual apartment is a step down, which is often the case. Lower floors tend to have poor natural light, so dependence on artificial light is a must, almost all day and will hike your electricity bill up, too.

On the flip side, many ground level apartments have have terraces, meaning you can maximise your use of the sunshine before you go to work/when you come back, and why stay indoors if you have a terrace?! You have easier access to the street (almost direct), and have no dependance on lift/elevator, for example. You'll also likely only have one neighbour - those people above you, meaning that noise levels from people within the building will be at a minimum, and you won't annoy anyone else apart from them, either!

Moving up a few floors to the middle height of a building can sometimes solve those natural light problems, although most apartments will only receive light during certain parts of the day - when the sun hits the street. Looking for an apartment which faces the sea is a great benefit in this respect. A possible downside is that you will likely have neighbours on all sides - be it within your own building or those adjoining buildings in the same street as you. Again, noise levels can be a tricky subject, if the neighbours are not within your own community.

Finally the high floors, attics and the like, generally tend to be smaller than the apartments within the same block, but with a terrace or big blacony to compensate. You obviously are heavily reliant on the building's lift/elevator, and in some places the narrow staircases can be a royal pain in the backside. However, the pros in these situations generally outweigh the cons - the vantage and views you will have for such evenings as Sant Joan, Barça games, La Merce, New Year, etc.), and the bake of natural light you'll receive almost all day will surely compensate!


If you're looking for an attic to rent, or an apartment within Barcelona and the surrounding area, then Luxury Barcelona Real Estate Agency Modus Vivendi have a selection of the best properties for sale in Barcelona as well as an ample portfolio of long term rentals in Barcelona.