Well done to the Passion Studio in Fuengirola

Returned on Tuesday to pouring rain at East Midlands, having spent a fantastic 16 days in Spain!

Met Carol and her family - lovely lady who is already settling in and doing well in her new business.  Can definitely recommend Carol's services to anyone wanting a good, reliable property manager - she is very organised and has a fantastic understanding of the services that people need.  I am sure she will do well - good luck Carol!

Don't believe Carol when she says she drinks sangria watered down with lemonade - after a couple of nights with us, we had her drinking it neat without the lemonade!  Will progress to the "winey stuff" next time we are over!

The resort is looking fabulous - and everyone is so friendly.  We were busy for the first week, as our furniture arrived from the UK and we then spent a few days sorting everything out, assembling furniture, putting up light fittings, curtain rails etc but everything went according to plan.   We then spent the rest of our time relaxing and chilling out.

We were able to order the large electrical items from  Carrefour and had them delivered within three days, which was a relief as I had read on the forum that people were struggling to get things delivered in August.  The Carrefour guys also installed the washing machines and dish washers for us when they delivered!   We found Carrefour to be the cheapest for the large electrical items (we managed to get all silver goods - tall fridge freezer which fits perfectly into the space in the kitchen, washing machine and dish washer, all for 1200 euros) with free delivery and installation.

Have taken loads of photos of the completed apartments and will be posting these at the weekend when I have more time.   

Other areas of the resort are really taking shape as well now - the Golf Suites and La Isla all seem to be well on their way, and Los Naranjos is looking stunning.  There is no sign of greenery on the golf course yet but the views will be fabulous once the golf course is complete.

Good luck to all in Naranjos with completion dates coming up - it's certainly a stressful experience but it really is worth all the hard work!

Debbie

Hi Debbie & Paul

So glad to hear you had a good holiday and that Carol is doing well, we've missed her here.  Dread to think what she'll be on when we go in 2 weeks, I was going to take her some ty-phoo!!

Interesting info on Carrefour, thanks, that is our first shopping trip to get fridge, just hoping the beds are delivered before we arrive, then get everything else while we are there.   Can't wait

Hi Debbie,

We've also just returned to a dull & dreary Lincolnshire I think we must've just missed you.

I have to agree the place looks amazing, even though it's still a massive building site, which never seems to stop.  I was totally blown away with the size of it all & if the 'start' of it is anything to go by, then bring on full completion of the site whenever that may be.  What I will add is that the Jardines have a really nice feel to them, they are big, but because of the design each Jardine feels private & yet welcoming, in all it has a great 'feel' to the place.

We also met Carol & her kids.  Lovely woman & I wish her all the luck in the world for her venture.  We hope to get a drink with her next time (will you have her on the winey stuff by then??).  We met our neighbours Ken & Maria, what a coincidence that they were there at the same time & what a nice couple.  Ros & Peter (also Jardine 11), mad as box of frogs, beware as Peter likes to 'potter' & 'do' stuff, so if you're lucky he might paint your walls or hose your patio down !!

We spent a very, very, very long day at 'Torregrosa' furniture in Torreveija, but the end result was ALL furniture, white goods & Air con, sorted,  !!  We did look around at other places  & researched Murcia Furniture, DFS, PW homestyle etc.  But my opinion is that they all offer much the same thing, fitting, installation etc, & they are all similar prices, its just personal choice.  So we now can't wait to go out next month after its all been fitted, its going to look so good.  There are a lot of shops & eateries ( & watering holes  )in the area & Puerto de Mazarron is lovely, if you want any further info, PM me & I'll see if I can help.

Not sure if anyone else has picked up on this, but I thought that bedding, curtains & soft furnishing were a little pricey (even ikea not that cheap), so I will be buying over here to take with me next time.  Will be interested to know if it was just me getting totally frazzled & fed up with shopping (note that in the diary !!)  or not !!

As mentioned in other threads the bar is open, the supermarket is good for basics, tennis courts, squash courts & childrens play area still need a bit of work.  This is good to see, but I would like to see work starting on the Foro & Oasis early next year after the 'push' on Naranjos & La Isla as the small supermarket & bar will not be able to sustain 3-4 sites at once.

All in all a busy, but productive week & the upshot is..........  We can't wait to go back there !!!!  There's just a small matter of work.... mmmmm !!  (she runs off to check her contract !!)

Cheers all

Sara x

Thank you Debbie and Sara for the update.

No matter how much or how little or how many times an update has been repeated it is still great to hear news!!!

It keeps me going until I can get out there and enjoy myself!!

Hi Sara, 

Thanks for all that info, sounding really terrific, can't wait to get over there and see it all for myself ( never been to site before, bought offplan from PW head office.) I bought all my bedding from John lewis, Debenhams in their sales and got some good quality stuff for a fraction of their normal price.  What is concerning me is the visualisation of the furniture in the apartments, too big and it will look crowded, too small and it will look empty and unlived in.  I am also struggling with colour schemes as I personally think the apartments look quite bland with cream walls and flooring. This will be my  our dilema and this will be what frazzles us, but I am sure it is all worth every difficult disicion.

Good luck with the rest of your purchases
Alison

I too have a 'bottom drawer' made up of all thoses lovely sales bargains!!  I've decided when I go out next time the clothes etc I need for the 4 days will go in my hand luggage (somehow) and the suitcase will be full of all the bedding towels etc!!!

Hi Scapa,

Great minds, we have paid for an extra suitcase on our flight over to acommodate all out bits and bobs. Your hand luggage will acommodation leggings and a top no problem.

Alison

Pink of course!   

Hi everyone,

I read on an earlier thread that the beds are different sizes to the ones in the UK.  I was planning on taking over the bedding but am not sure now.  We have ordered a 150 cm (kingsize) bed and 2 x 90 cm (single) beds for the apartment. Does anybody know whether our single/kingsize sheets will fit on these beds?

I hope so because I can do my shopping here before I go and spend more time relaxing/sightseeing.

Alison

Hi Alison,
Not sure about other differences but IKEAs beds are certainly different sizes to the norm even in the UK ! This would be useful info though !

Hi Alison

Thats a difficult one about the sizes of the beds.  I have tried to buy more expensive duvets /sheets that have been  75% reduced in the sales etc but even that isn't necesarry fullproof!  I find bed linen here differ in sizes to the beds in UK.

HI ALL ARE THE BEDS BIGGER IN SPAIN? I HAVE A 3 BED AND WAS GOING TO BUY SINGLE BEDS FOR ALL ROOMS WILL I GET THEM IN OK?

Hi there,

I have seen it on a thread somewhere and I think that the width is same as uk e.g sinle is 3ft or 90cm., double is 135cm ( 4'6) I think the size diff relates to the length wihich I think from memory is about 10cm shorter than standard UK. Not sure about places like IKEA who may use 'international' sizes - google IKEA es and translate page.This should give you some sort of idea what they sell.

Hi Debbie

Thanks for your interesting article on your 16 days in Murcia. We were particulary interested in your comments about Silver (White) goods from Carrefour, was it the Murcia or the Cartagena Branch you dealt with and did anyone speak good English. Also can we ask what make you went for? We shall be out from the 17th to the 26th Sept. and your info could save us lots of time.

Many thanks 

Roy

Just to reply to Alison (Alison & Simon),

I think it best to start with the basics furniture wise & add more as you go on, the 2beds fit a 2&3 seater combo in fairly well, a coffee table & tv stand should fit in & a small dining table is handy, but not essential (had people trying to convince me we didn't need one, but kids need to sit at a table in my opinion (victorian values!!)).  We had long discussion of what combo of beds, 1 double, 2 singles or 4 singles or 4 singles that can zip up, but when you do the bedding calculations, it doesn't bear thinking about.  Settled with 1 double (kingsize) & 2 singles.  You are right about colour, you do need some colour & from what I've seen with other appts any colour looks good.  A bright accent colour in the bathroom goes well, as it doesn't get much light (although 2 beds have a small window).  I went for dark coloured headboards & bedsides in the bedrooms, just to give some depth.  I'm all for the 'mediterrenean' look, but it can be bland, so bring on the splashes of colour !!  
 
To all,

Glad I'm not the only one going to be scouring the shelves for bedding bargains, will definitly be travelling llight next time with suitcase left for 'housey' stuff.

As for the conversation about bed sizes, I will admit that I didn't ask...  (don't tell hubby !!)  But they all looked fairly standard sizes & you have to ask for the smaller 80cm beds, which I believe people have gone for to make the rooms look alittle bigger.  I've just got my receipt out & the sizes are 90x190 for the singles & 150x190 for the kingsize, am guessing thats all cm's..... Just had a quick look on John Lewis & Ikea sites & these look like they are standard sizes (to them anyway).  Hope this helps.

Cheers
Sara x

This message was last edited by Sazza on 9/5/2008.

I think we're bucking the trend here,  and going for a 6 foot bed (180cm) in the main bedroom of our 2 bed apartment, and no beds in the second bedroom. We can still get 2 bedside cabinets in, with the bed running from the window. I've done all the measuring and yes it will fit in ! Our sheets/pillowcases are going over in our suitcases and the pillows/thin duvet are coming from Yorkshire Linen Company in Puerto Mazarron.

Chris & Alison


This message was last edited by rockstarphotograph on 9/6/2008.

Regarding the question of sheets fitting the spanish beds.  To get round this problem we have just bought flat sheets rather than fitted sheets - nothing worse than fitted sheets which don't fit the beds (talking from experience).  This would mean you could buy the bedding here and maybe save yourself some money especially with the rate of the euro against the pound.

Linda

Hi Roy

It was Carrefour in Murcia that we bought from.  Have to say it was difficult to find - although it is close to Ikea it took us ages to find it and I couldn't even tell you now how we managed to get to it.  We just seemed to come across it by accident after driving round for about an hour!!

The items we bought were:-

Fridge freezer - make was Bluesky - 499 euros.  This is just the right size to fit into the gap in the kitchen.  A lot of the fridge freezers were either too tall or much shorter which would have left a big gap between the top of the fridge/freezer and the little cupboard above.

Washing machine - again the make was Bluesky - 329 euros.  1000 spin speed and about 14 different programmes.  

Dishwasher - Ice Cool - 289 euros.  

We also bought 32 inch flat screen TVs from Carrefour (make OKI) for 399 euros.  

All in all, a very successful shopping trip - once we managed to find the place.  We also managed to get DVD players, irons, etc from there as well.  

We ordered them on the Tuesday afternoon (quite late) and they delivered at lunchtime on Friday.  The delivery guys also installed the washers and dishwashers for us.

Hope this helps.  Perhaps someone else can help you with the directions though!  Near to Ikea there is a large roadside sign for Carrefour, which we followed, but the signs don't lead all the way there!

Debbie

Hi Debbie

Thanks for the reply re carrefour and the "white goods", I gave Elizabeth a Garmin Nuvi 250 for her birthday so I hope that we may be able to find Carrefour with that, proving what a wonderful present it was!!! Somewhere I think there is a thread with some co-ordinates for Murcia shops.

thanks again

Roy

Re: Bed Sizes

I emailed DFS who we have ordered the beds from and they are 190cm long which is the same as the ones in the UK.  So now I will be looking for bedding over here to take out with me.  This will save at least one day shopping over there and hopefully give us a day to relax a little and enjoy the apartment.

Alison