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Interview with Tom

Hi Tom! Who are you? Tell a little story about yourself...

Well my name is Tom Vickers, 21 years old from Nottingham in the UK. I am a student at the University of Liverpool, studying Spanish and International Business. I have a twin brother that lives in Paris, so lots of holidays! My main hobby is skiing, and I am a fully qualified ski instructor and try to go at least twice a year. I also enjoy playing football, travelling and reading.

What is your Job @ Casamona?

A bit of everything! Focused mainly on sales when I first arrived and now split my time between sales and rentals (and anything else that needs doing!).


Why did you choose to come to Barcelona?

I chose to come to Barcelona as I think it is one of the best cities in the world, there is so much to do and I love the mixture of the city, the beach and the sun – there is no place quite like it.


How do you enjoy your stay in Barcelona and at Casamona ?

I have had a fantastic time in Barcelona and at Casamona. Barcelona is a fantastic city, and working for a real estate company means that I can see a lot of the city and meet a lot of people. We have a great team at Casamona, and that is what I am going to miss most when I end up leaving.

Come on Tom, please... Can you give us a little Insider tip about Barcelona?

A small bar on Carrer de Marquet (just off Carrer Ample) called Avesta – it serves a drink called leche de pantera (Panthers Milk) – a mixture of milk, brandy, gin and a secret ingredient! Absolutely fantastic!

Two Bedroom Apartment in the City Centre close to Sant Antoni Metro Station

This property is located in a traditional street of the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni in the very city centre, on the third floor of an entirely renovated building equipped with a lift. The apartment, with its original tiling, consists of one spacious double bedroom receiving plenty of light and equipped with large built-in closets. You will also find another interior and quiet single bedroom. Another small single bedroom is also available to receive a guest over a night or two. There are one complete bathroom with a shower and an extra toilet. You will enjoy a large and luminous living room with views on the street and equipped with air conditioning. You will also find there a nice dinner table, a sofa and a television. The kitchen is equipped with all that you will need when moving in: oven, washing machine etc. Possibility to install Internet.

1050 Euros per month + 2 month deposit + Agency fee

Contract between 1 and 6 months

More information and pictures here

Tourist rental clampdown in Barcelona’s Old Town

The drive to regulate short-term tourist rentals in Barcelona’s popular Old Town Gothic Quarter (Ciutat Vella) is starting to show results. 474 tourist rental apartments have been shut down since April last year, leaving 424 “illegal” flats still in operation, reports the Spanish press.

In the past, many of the short-term tourist lettings in Barcelona were illegal, which increased the irritation of angry neighbours disturbed by noisy tourists staying in their buildings. The outcry prompted a drive by the authorities to clamp down on tourist rentals in the Old Town. Many of the apartments illegally rented to tourists belong to foreign investors in Barcelona property.

With help from neighbours, town hall officials and officers from the municipal police (Guardia Urbana) identified close to 900 illegal tourist apartments in the Gothic Quarter. 474 have now shut down, 154 of them voluntarily.

There are a total of 683 flats with licences in the Old Town that can be legally rented to tourists on short breaks. No new licences have been granted since 2005.
The Spanish tax authorities are reported to have taken an interest in the investigation, as few, if any, of the owners of illegally-rented properties declared their income and paid their taxes.

Source: Spanish Property Insight - Property Buff

Website: http://www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/

The Unique and Different Casamona Team

What makes this team so Unique and Different? We are a young, innovative and international team, with employees from all over the world. Currently, we have employees from Denmark, the UK, the USA, Holland, France and Slovakia. Each member of the team brings their own cultures and unique qualities into our office, making it a fun and dynamic place to work!

Interview with Anthony

Anthony Kelly, Long Term Rental Intern in Casamona since September 2008, is a chilled guy born and raised in Liverpool (UK) and not so surprisingly, a fervent supporter of Liverpool FC. He is twenty years old and comes from a family of 5. He developed a strong interest in the Real Estate market and already knew Tom, another celebrity at Casamona with us since July 2008. He is currently studying Spanish & Business at the University of Liverpool and is doing his third year (year abroad) with us in Barcelona. He is undertaking his first internship with Casamona and has been focusing on the long term rental department since the very start. Even though his initial choice was to do an internship in Bogota (Columbia), he followed the advice of many of his friends and decided to experience the Catalan Capital (for obvious reasons...).

He is now a long term rental consultant and his area of specialisation is flat finding.  In brief, he is looking for quality accommodation matching Casamona standards for all of you guys! In order to achieve this goal, he has been hard since the beginning... but most sincerely admits that your final satisfaction is a good enough reward to keep doing so!

A final tip from Anthony for the future trainees working with us @ Casamona: do not hesitate to ask for help and advice in the office about anything, we are more than a company: a family!

Holland at La Sagrada Família

The guys from Holland went to the Sagrada Família to taste the great Catalan culture -

it is their first visit along the many tourist spots. The Sagrada Familia was designed by Antoni Gaudi, who worked on the project for over 40 years. Gaudi devoted the last 15 years of his life entirely to the endeavor. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Rick and Maarten had a good time they even climbed one of the towers to see the beautiful view over B

arcelona. But before they started the climb there was only one problem Rick is a little afraid of heights, but he came through just fine. When you are in Barcelona they higly recommend you visit the Sagrada Família - it’s a great experience and certainly worth the effort.

Casamona Team Lunch

Who talked about crisis? Thanks to the recent success of the Casamona Team, we enjoyed a pleasant lunch under the sun today! A great reward for all our efforts. A special note to Amelia, Eva, Tom and Anthony! This was a great way to thank them all and to get to know each other better. We enjoyed our meal by the beach in Barceloneta, in a place called Kaiku. We cannot but recommend you this restaurant (Plaza Mar, 1 - Barceloneta). The location was perfect, the food as good as the one our Mom’s prepare and the sun shining above our heads. What else could you asked for? Seriously…

NEW PRICE!!! FROM MARCH Beautiful Two Bedroom Apartment in El Born with Elevator and Terrace near Jaume I Metro Station

Great two bedroom apartment located in the heart of the Old City in Barcelona, within walking distance of the Museo Picasso. It is also centrally located in the city in proximity to shops, restaurants, bars, the beach, and La Rambla. The apartment has access to a large terrace with a great view on the roof. The apartment fits up to four people with a well furnished living room. The kitchen is fully equipped with oven, microwave and washing machine. The building has been recently been renovated and has an elevator. Wireless Internet is included with the apartment. Available beginning of March.

1200 Euros per month + 2 months deposit + agency fee

More information on our website http://www.casamona.com/ with the reference number XC111

Holland is back to Casamona!

Following Kim's departure to her home country, we are welcoming Rick and Maarten from the Netherlands; both coming from the South of the country. They live in a small town called Vught, in the province of Noord-Brabant - the only province celebrating a carnival in the Netherlands and well known for its hospitality! They go to school in 's-Hertogenbosch, capital city of Noord-Brabant.

 

They are currently studying Marketing & Communications at Koning Willem I College where they are in their final year. They are undertaking their final internship with Casamona and will be with us for the next 5 months, focusing mainly on our online & digital marketing strategy aiming to improve the expansion of our brand name on the Internet. They will also, among many other things, help us build and develop Casamona Holidays, our new short term rental portal.

 

They are both excited to work for Casamona and we are also looking forward to working and learning from them!

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Impeccable 55m² Apartment in El Born

Newly renovated apartment in a historic building on a very quiet side street, next to the Picasso Museum, and a short walk from the Ciutadella Park and the Barcelona’s beaches. Comprised of one spacious bedroom with a double bed and large wardrobe, a new bathroom with a shower, a small and equipped kitchen, a luminous living room with integrated dining room and study area, as well as a storage room. The property has been finished with the highest quality materials, including parquet floors and double-glazed windows. Situated on the fourth floor of a well-maintained building without a lift.

980 Euros per month + 2 months deposit + Agency fee

Contract duration 1-5 years.

More information on our website www.casamona.com with the reference number XC108

Housing in Barcelona back to 2005 Prices

Over the last few years, Catalonia has appeared to be more affected by the property crash than other part of the Spanish peninsula. The Catalan capital has suffered more than other large Spanish cities including Madrid, Seville and Valencia. Property transactions have halved since 2005 and the prices are back to where they were at in 2005. Over the last year, property prices decrease by about 9%.

Therefore, it seems like the property prices in Barcelona are slowly adjusting to the new conditions of the market. May you be willing to invest; you will surely be able to find interesting opportunities in the marketplace. Visiting our webpage http://www.casamona.com/ will be good place to start doing so. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us and we will be delighted to assist you in your search!