Here’s a special post on what moving to Spain was like for Atsushi Sobajima, Spotahome’s very first customer!

Moving to Madrid: Atsushi Sobajima, Japan

Directly from Tokyo, this is the first time ever living abroad for Atsushi Sobajima. He came to Madrid to study an MBA at IE Business School and really liked his new city, expect for one thing: finding housing in Madrid can be exhausting. So he decided to look for an easier solution and booked a room online through Spotahome,** **just after we launched our site in March, 2014.

And we couldn’t have asked for a better first customer! We thank Atsushi for his faith in us as a start-up company. As part of our** “my move to Madrid”** series, we interviewed him on his personal experience when it came to moving to Spain and living in Madrid.

Now that you’ve been in Madrid for a few months, what do you think of the city?

Madrid is a really safe city and the food is also good. There are a lot of places to hang out at, and it’s a great place to study and live in. I love this city! I visited Barcelona and found a lot of nice places there too, but for studying, Madrid is the best!

How was the process of moving to Madrid?

IE gave me a lot of information about how to search for a place to live and I tried some of the webpages they gave me, but it was a little bit difficult for me because I don’t speak Spanish and it was really exhausting, until I found Spotahome. I couldn’t have found the apartment I live in now through any other webpage like *Idealista.*Another thing is the commission is much lower than through other sites. Other than that, the process was okay.

How did you find booking with Spotahome?

Booking online with Spotahome was really smooth for me. I didn’t have any troubles with that, so I’m very satisfied!

I was afraid that the room might not be the same as I expected because I couldn’t see it in person. So that was something I had to consider. But when I first moved into the apartment, it was exactly as I had expected. The video posted on the pages helped a lot because I could image what the apartment and room actually looked like. I remember that it was not so surprising for me to see the room in person for the first time, as there was no big difference between how I had pictured it. I like many things about the apartment – it’s spacious, affordable, and everything is included.

Would you recommend Spotahome?

Yes! Some of my friends were worried about deciding on a place without seeing it, but I didn’t care. It was a good option for me. And it was also affordable! I think many people are afraid about choosing a place without seeing it, but for me it wasn’t an issue.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found in Madrid?

I couldn’t get used to the meal times. They start lunch so late and it’s funny! But it’s good for me, because even in Japan I started dinner at 8pm or 9pm, after I finished work. So maybe Japanese people would say it’s good.

Do you have any advice for newcomers?

I’d recommend walking around, exploring, and meeting people!

What’s it like being Spotahome‘s first customer?**

**

It’s funny to be the first one, but I’m really satisfied with your service and I want to support you as much as possible!

*Thank you so much for your support, Atsushi Sobajima! *

If you’re looking for a home in Madrid, Spotahome can help you too!

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