Usman'e place could be a good option if you're looking for a simple, no-frills place to crash for the night in Barcelona.
Great parts:
1. Location. You couldn't ask for a better spot. Walking distance to La Sagrada Familia, La Rambla, and lots of other spots. Easily accessible via metro from Barcelona-Sants.
2. Usman and his wife were very accommodating about letting me do laundry and hang it on their balcony to dry, which I appreciated very much.
3. It was easy to find.
Potential negatives:
1. The apartment is very small. It's not much space for three people (me plus Usman and his wife). It was fine for me for one night, but some people might be uncomfortable.
2. The bedroom is EXTREMELY hot. It's about 15 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the rest of the house and outside. It gets cooler if you open the window and turn on the fan, but it was SO hot when I arrived. Some people may find sleeping very challenging.
3. You have to go up five flights of stairs to get to the apartment. The stairs are tiny and crooked. As a twenty-something in good shape, I found them very scary to navigate. I do not recommend staying here if you are older or have limited mobility.
4. I woke up coughing and sneezing and wondered whether that might have been caused by mold or humidity in the apartment. It went away after I went outside.
Make sure to bring your own towel and laundry detergent if needed.