Hello, I'm new and need information about shipping pets to Spain

Hi all.Visited again yesterday. Here,s what we saw.----Water feature now being lined in black, with ground alongside flattened.---Communal area now becoming squared off.The rocks are nearly all in position with mound of top soil ready for spreading.---The picket fencing atop the perimeter walls is finished----some A/C units ready for installation------Halfway down 21 to 40 theparkin areas are finished----more work done generally inside & out.

Here,s what we heard. Met a man called Roger who lives on Los Rosales.He is Vice President of a joint committee of H N. ,Los Gallardos & B.M.S.with latest proposals.B.M.Swere not going ahead with Water feature because the water was too dear,but have now dug down & found water,hence recmmencement of work.

B.M.S have been given until 28 feb to complete Los O.readyfor hand over,by Local Government.B.M.Sare not building onthe land below us ,but have given the to Los Gallardos who will build a childrens nursery with play areas & parkland

Los Gallardos will adopt H. N. around May time.--

If these proposals come to fruition we think they can only benefit us.

The Commercial Centre is on hold until the builder starts 6 luxury homes at the lowerend The opinion is this will be shelved & new ideas introduced.

John & Pam--looking out of your bedroom you look directly onto the palm trees--the toilets are at 10 past.

Linda -had a terrible journey .Slept  in the car one night, cases behind front seat ,dogs inback seat ,softtop car .minus 2 temp.Third day did 800 miles to arrive in Garrucha.Taken to our appt &the alarms would not switch off .The police came and stayed until midnight when the alarms were finally switched off.All forgotten now with nearly 3 weeks Spanish sunshine & meeting so many pleasant & helpful people--Spanish & British

Hope our optimism is passed on to everybody

Best wishes Haydn & Judy

Haydn and Judi, thanks so much for that information - it all sounds better and better!    I am really sorry to hear about your journey though.  Are the dogs ok now?

Best wishes, Linda 

Hi everyone

We have been on holiday the past 2 weeks, got back yesterday & could not wait to see if any up dates had been posted. I think the news all sounds very positive & wanted to say thanks for all the information & pics.

Linda & Rob (31a)

Hi again. Rained last 4 days & cold. Went up Sat. &bottomed  halfway up inthe muddy quagmire .It was raining heavily ,so turned back. Went yesterday-Sunday- & walked up in light rain. All the parking areas are finished except one which is being used as a builders service way to access the commmunal area. The top half  has been levelled with top soil.--the pools have the top edging in place .all the rocks have been positioned .thestructure for the toilet is finished --the pathways around the area are  3/4 done.The roads are being prepared--most of the kerbs are done.More work done onwater feature.

Spoke to Maria at B.M.S.who said should be finished poss ibly 3 weeks but definitely end of Feb.Paperwork &services almost there .The roads will only take a few days now they have the heavy machinery there.

there is a lot of debris about i.e. packaging ,workers rubbish &general building rubbish, but skips have just started to be filled so here,s hoping.

Terry picked up your voice mail late Sunday,sorry about the puncture.Will meet on site soon we hope.

that,s it for now.Hope it gives you all good feelings  Haydn & Judy

P.S.  Maria said NO plans for the land between L .O . & waterfeature until Commercial Centre is finished, & work will start shortly & there are a lot of people with names down ready to start  business.----H & J.

Hi All. 

Janice and I are just back from a short trip up the coast a bit around Murcia.  We had hoped to go down to Los Gallardos one day and meet up with Haydn and Judy.  However, lots of things conspired against this happening, including torrential rain and getting a puncture on the way.  After two and a half hours sat on the motorway in the rain waiting for a recovery lorry (we weren't being girly about changing the tyre ourselves but the car was not equiped with the right spanner for taking off the locking nut) we were eventually rescued and taken to a local garage where we watched with amusement to see just how many mechanics it takes to change a wheel.....about 5+management! 

So, we didn't get to see Los Olivas but a phone chat with Haydn filled us in on all the latest developments, as he has now posted here.  Our Parador rep called us shortly after to say that BMS had just given a new completion date of 1st March.  So that seems to be quite realistic.

The next month or so will whizz by pretty quickly I expect and, before we know it, we will all be sipping sangria on our patios. 

Salud

Terry 19b

According to our Atlas contact, the date of completion (i.e. 1st March by latest accounts) is when the property is released to them to begin the inspection/snagging exercise and prepare paperwork etc.
If the inspections don't bring to light any major problems then we are put in contact with the Atlas "Moving In" department at which time we have a 4 to 6 week window in which to arrange a suitable completion date.
So, assuming something like 2 weeks for inspections and no show-stoppers then we would be looking at arranging a completion date of late March through to early May.
Moving in by Easter is therefore a distinct possibility !
On the other hand there may be delays if rework by the builders is required.....

Dave (2A)  & Ailsa

Hi again. This weeks visit at first seemed disappointing, but we managed to gain entry to numerous properties & were delighted. Half have the kitchen units fitted,--- inside painting nearly complete --more electrical work completed inc. fuse boxes--radiators fitted for those with C.H,-- some boilers fitted.

Communal areas starting to emerge--- the pools have been concreted around the outside ready for tiling--topsoil ready for spreading around bottom area. The roads are still muddy but appear to have had more prep. done .The water feature main pool is half full but i think this is the rain.

P & J and Maura & Dave thanks for your P.M.s

Dave & Ailsa ,i hope we are not in the famous fool,s paradise but the impression we got from B.M.S., Parador, & our solicitors was that , if there is no mortgage involved, the initial snagging is done before we start completion ,& the final snagging after, so the paperwork will take the lesser time .Incidentally another job completed is that all the electricity cables have been joined to the wall meters .

Eco Meubles are adamant that they will not exchange or upgrade any furniture-they suggest we seell what we dont like to a second shop.

All the best H & J.

Thanks for update, glad to hear apts are all still at top of hill after all that rain!!!   

Do you know if you visit Eco Muebles if they will show you the furniture? (And am I right in thinking this is the big store by the T junction at Los Gallardos?)  I (Ali) will be out late Feb so would like to see it. Strange that we will all have same furniture, could get very confusing after a few sangrias!

Haydn & Jude - can you remember if there is wiring for outside lights on veranda & terraces? Also plumbing on roof terraces?

I have obtained a definitive () list of what is included from BMS:

ITEMS INCLUDED IN LOS OLIVOS

 Salon

Sofa – 3 seater x 1

Coffee Table (wood & glass) x 1

Dining Room Chairs x 6

Dining Room Table 110x90 x 1

TV Unit x 1

 Dormitorio Principal

Headboard x 1

Bedside Table x 2

Bed Base x 1

Mattress x 1

Pillow x 1

 Dormitorio 2

Headboard x 2

Bed Base x 2

Pillows x 2

Mattresses x 2

Bedside Table with 2 Drawers x 1

Curtains

Bed Covers

 Dinner Service for 6 people

Cutlery for 6 people

Glasses for 6 people

Frying Pan

Saucepan

ELECTRODOMESTICOS – Washing Machine, Dishwasher, Fridge, Oven, Ceramic Hob.

Hmmm, a lot still to buy - maybe we should all get together and bulk buy? Does anyone know the Spanish for 'how much discount will you give me for 48 mops and buckets'?

Hope you are right about the snagging - I would like to do an initial inspection if possible when I am out later this month. Does anyone know if Parador will do the snagging if you are not in their members club?

End in sight folks!

Ali & Ken 11a

NOt to be pickey, since I think the furniture was a good deal, our original glossy brochure listed a fridge FREEZER and extractor fan.  Also lists lights, and mentions granite worktops for the kitchen.  I hope they are going to stick to all of this.

Anyway, it is good to hear that progress it being made.  Did anyone see the BBC programme about the illegal builds in Albox?  It was terribly sad.  Almanzora Country Club was included on the placards visible during the early scenes, and is again mentioned on the BBC website.  People have been waiting years, and they say there will be no building again this year.

It puts our delay into perspective.

Best wishes, LInda

It does seem that we are finally getting closer to completion, which is good news & thanks so much for the up dates.

When we was last over, we asked Michelle about the fridge freeza & she said that was also included with the white goods, because do you remember the fridge freeza was the reason the upstairs appartments are not having a door in the kitchen as it would open on to it.

I also asked about lights & she said she was trying to get the boss to include lights as the appartments were sold to us as ready to live in. I do not know how far she got with this. Do not know about the extractor fan.

I have now finished work & we are just waiting for the cat's blood test results to get thair passports, then we are ready to go over, so fingers crossed it will be soon.

Linda & Rob (31a)

We have just got back from a long weekend in Mojacar so here is our report.

 Photos: We have posted a selection of photos on the site for everyone to see, also included ones of the lake and bridge which now seems to be taking shape.

 Apartment Report: As you can see from the photos the apartments look both great and good quality. We went to site on the Sunday afternoon so had a really good look around. Regarding completion at the moment all the apartments are at different stages of completion, some have kitchens, some boilers, some bathrooms, some internal doors and even some have curtain rails. The only thing is that we didn’t find one apartment that appeared to have a combination of everything. We would have imagined for instance that all the boilers were fitted at the same time etc, not so I’m afraid.

To answer some of the questions raised on previous threads:

 Fridge/Freezer – the fitted kitchens include an area where this is located so we can assume that fridge/freezers will be fitted. 

Worktops - the ones we saw were definitely granite and were a very nice speckled grey colour

 Wiring on Verandas – we think this is included, which may be evident from the photos, no sign of any plumbing on the roof terraces though.

 Snagging – we e mailed Parador to enquire if we could purchase the snagging element of the Owners Club separately and received a curt reply to say the Owners Club is not available in “portions”. Subsequently spoke to a Parador Rep who said the snagging that is carried out by Parador includes making sure everything is working OK doors, window shutters etc, rather than a structural inspection carried out by a surveyor. We have no building expertise but if it’s just a case of making sure everything is working OK we will probably do this ourselves before signing. Unless anyone has any better ideas.

 Furniture Store – Eco Muebles across from the HN site entrance. The lady in there speaks good English but is reluctant to exchange anything, this contradicts previous info we were supplied via Parador. I can't imagine that each apartment will be exactly the same in terms of colours and furnishings etc but you never know!!

 Communal Area: The main pool and pump house is concreted, smaller pool needs some additional work. Garden area looks great, palm trees are planted and area has been fenced off with the lawned areas levelled out. The access roads around the complex still need quite a lot of work to finish them off. The bridge and lake are now taking shape.

Completion Date:  Spoke to Maria in the BMS office, who said that BMS had applied this week to get the apartments valued and contract cleaners will be appointed in the next week or so. No further info on when they would be ready, but indicated that the communal areas will be done at roughly the same time. She said that the Commercial Centre would be started when Los Olivos is complete.

 Bulk Buying: As suggested by Ali we would be interested in this, especially for larger items like Satellite TV that could be quite expensive.

John & Pam

13B

Thanks Pam & John for the info & photos. I think the site is really going to look good when completed. However I am not sure all will be finished in 3 weeks. Let's hope the weather keeps fine so the builders can get on with it.

Did the Lady in the shop say if they have a date for delivering the furniture?

Linda & Rob (31a)

It's certainly good to get all this information and the photos are great. 

Can anyone tell me what the front doors are like on the side of the groundfloor apartments?  We were shown a wide wooden door elsewhere on HN and told ours would be like that.  It's hard to see in any of the photos but the doors look to be white UPVC.  That may mean quite a raised step over the entrance which would not be too easy for wheelchair access. 

Parador have always assured us that we could exchange furniture once we were out there.  I hope that will be the case.

Terry 19b

Hi Terry

All the external doors are definately UPVC, from our initial inspection at the weekend we commented that on all of the  apartments you could see daylight under the closed door meaning that it isn't like the conventional UPVC door and frame you get in England, however they must be installing a weather shield of some kind to the botton of the door to seal the door from the elements.

Parador also assured us that as long as we kept the furniture in the wrappers we would have no problem exchanging it. Apparently the store has had numerous requests to change sofas for sofa beds hence building up a surplus of sofas. Which begs the question why not put sofa beds in the apartments in the first place and save the hassle you get later.

John & Pam

13B

HI all

Just an extra bit of info regarding what furnishings are supposed to be supplied.

Looking at our contract the part showing what furnishings we would get was translated into english for us by BMS, this is what it says -

"FURNISHINGS. -The kitchen is equipped with base units, top units and the following electrical appliances:- extractor hood, vitroceramic electric hob, electric oven, fridge combi, dishwasher and washing machine all of which are a recognised make. Fully furnished of which as follows: Lounge/diner- sofa, table and chairs, table cloth, cutlery and dinner service, coffee table. Bedrooms- beds, bedside tables, covers, sheets, mattresses and pillows. Bathrooms- towel sets and bath mats. Curtains and lights."

Hope this is of interest

Carole & Steve(27B)

Hi again,another week has passed.The weather has been glorious, yesterday 27 C when paid our weekly visit to L. O. The top garden area of the communal area has been completely fenced off with round rustic poles.The lower entry to the pool area has now been made into the required walkway & private garden ,leaving only entry for big machines by top row of apartments.More work has been continueing with inside fitments-kitchen units etc. The insides have also had a 2nd coat of paint.The round tops of some of the windows on the outside have had a border put on in acontrasting colour., -very attractive.The roads have had a lot more work done on them & cant be too far off  surfacing. Unfortunately we were then asked to leave by security who happenedto pay a visit.It was the son of the usual man who is more tolerant when he gets to know that you are not a bandito, &that he will not need his hand cuffs ,which he shows on every visit.

We were definitely told that there would be a water tap & an electric socket on the solarium.Also it is a fridge / freezer in the kitchen.We visited the show house on Los Naranjoes & the dining table may be o.k. for the bottom apartments ,but because the stairs to the solarium intrude into the lounge /dining area, the table willbe much too large for the top apartments.When we asked at  the furniture shop she thought we were getting a round table ,which was far more suitable.

Part of our family are coming for a few days on the 18th so we will have an official viewlng then.Once again best wishes to all Haydn & Judy

Hi Judy and Haydn,

Thanks again for the uplifting updates, it is great to be able to follow the weekly progress. It certainly makes the wait more bearable. Enjoy the sunshine.

A big thanks also to John and Pam for the great pics and update.

We have a BMS promotion brochure which specifies a Fridge Freezer.

Looking forward to meeting you all soon.

Maura and Dave

Just in case anyone didn't see the furniture in the showhouse, I've posted a couple of photos (sorry about the duplicate!) that I took back in January last year.  We were told that our furniture would be very much in this style.  I recall there being a large wooden tv unit as well.

At the time I was a bit disappointed by the wardrobes which appeared to be nothing more than a large cupboard.   There was no hanging rail and no drawers or divisions other than a high shelf.  I remember thinking that it would take a bit of work to make it into an efficient space suitable for the task.

Terry 19b