Perhaps more nerve-rattling than the trip to the Spanish Consulate (more on that later), is the ongoing experience of distance apartment hunting online. People have recommmended different websites for finding a place to live in Madrid, but I have focused my energies at <http://www.easypiso.com/>. Hold your giggles about the name. Literally, in English, it means Easy Floor or Easy Apartment, but I think people find the similarity to the English saying "easy-peasy" somewhat silly.
This website is one of many branches of a company based in New York City that serves as a repository for domestic and international roommate listings. You can browse and have limited communication access with other members for free, but it seems to be worthwhile to pay for membership, especially as you evolve from a casual to a serious apartment hunter. A paid membership (available for different lengths of time) gives you get full contact information for all members of the site, the added insurance of knowing that people are serious about finding roommates and the ability to transfer money to your new roommates through the website, thus creating a paper trail.
Through a combination of random conversations and general research, I was prepared to spend 300-500 Euros for an apartment sharing situation in Madrid. I have been really impressed with the listings and have both sent and received emails at a good rate with potential roommates.
Wish me luck!
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