Completed!

Well we finally completed on our Phase 2 apartment on Friday. We look forward to coming over and starting to use it. Has anyone else managed to complete yet?

Congratulations on the completion. Novo Arcos has changed quite a bit in the last couple of years and is still doing so. Enjoy your apartement.

Yes - We collect our keys on 9 December. It has been a long process but at least we are finally getting there. Has anyone got any idea how long it will take to have the utilities connected. Also, any suggestions for furniture apart from Ikea and Furniture Express? Finally, are there any plans re satellite TV connections or do we all just do our own thing?

Regarding furniture I am sorry to say that Ikea really was the best value for money and to be honest more to our taste as well. At least there is an Ikea in Jerez now. We had to go up to Seville. We choose to take it easy with the furniture purchase and only bought the essential stuff adding something every year. Easier on the budget. But if you don't want to buy the furniture there you can always get the pots , pans , baskets and cuttlery in the place. There is a huge Bazar Sol for bric a brac,cheap tools and things like that up towards the Carrefour. It's up to the right one round about before it. It's not particular obvious but can be found.

As for utilies, the lawyer took care of it. All the connections should be in situ so I can't see any reason for major delays.

Many Thanks - Ikea it is then.

Regds

Nigel

Enjoy. If you need transport there is a car/van hire up where Carrefour is. Alternatively ask Mo. We used a small firm called Don Campo but that was when you had to go to Seville. Might make less sense now to use them even so they saved our sanity when we got confused with the way Ikea works.

Regarding utilities, our lawyer informed us that the electricity (and water he thought) was still using builder's supply at the moment and they will transfer it over to the buyers in due course - i.e. for a time being we won't be liable for the cost. I just hope that it's all connected up properly as we'd like to have our kitchen installed on the first day we arrive which will be an issue if there is no electricity. When we did our snagging in August there was no electricity or water connected so we couldn't test it.

Regarding furniture, we're hoping to use Ikea Jerez. I have been trying to find out how you go about hiring one of their vans, but the Ikea telephone number 902400922 doesn't seem to work from the UK. Does anyone know how much the vans cost and if you need to book them in advance?

Many Thanks. I hope you are right regarding the electricity and water. We were led to believe that Ikea arrange delivery via a third party, i.e. they don't do it themselves. If that is right you might be better off doing a Robert suggests. It would also save waiting in for the delivery to arrive.

If your'e stuck talk to Mo. I'd say he will be able to organize a van for you plus driver which will give you an extra hand as well.( What I found an issue with Ikea was the language barrier. It felt like it was easier to breach the Berlin Wall.) We went up to Seville in the morning, bought what we needed, got it transported to Arcos, assembled the furniture and fell into the beds exhausted, all in one day.

Regarding water connection, we had an issue with the townhouses last year. Water was cut off at some of the houses even so all bills were up to date. A small sum was outstanding from between the time the water was put in the name of the owner and the beginning of the billng period. Why they did not just add the outstanding amount on to the first bill will be an eternal mystery to me. Even so the amount was small over the 2 years it accumulated enough interest to trigger cut off. The mind numbing thing is that no one ever had been made aware of the fact that money was owed. So it might be a good idea to check if you start with a clean sheet.

In the end the problem was solved fast after payment and the english speaking girl in the office could not have been more helpful. In the whole I have found it easier to deal with the various providers and authorities easier than I had expected. The name of the water company escapes me at the moment but the office is easy enough to find. Roughly up from the street were the market takes place around were the fire station is. Roughly.

"Roughly" - love it, you're sounding Spanish already.

For info, I managed to track down the direct number for the Van Rental place in Ikea Jerez. It's run by an independent operation called Furgonetas Demetrio who have a presence in the store, and their number is 856 813319. The prices are €73 for a 12m3 van and €59 for a 8m3 van - these prices are for 24 hours, but you can also rent for 4 hours. You need to book in advance.

I guess with this option you have more driving than if you rent a van in Arcos and take it to Ikea, although when I last checked out that van rental place in Arcos (in August) whilst the 'shop' was open there were no longer any vehicles in it, or round the back, so I assumed they were closing down?

Those rental prices are better then I would have expected. All you have to do now is excercise thumb , indexfinger and wrist action because you're gonna need them appendixes. Them Ikea tools are mighty small.

 hello every one, we have been living in novo arcos now for four months,we also have a van and can offer our services for man and van at 100 ,euros per day for anyone wanting transportation to and back from ikea,you can telephone dave or geoff on 645593002 or 635014908 these are spanish mobiles so you will need to add your 0034 before this,

any way good luck every one.

This message was last edited by happy go lucky on 02/12/2010.

Another place to try for Furniture in Arcos is Radio Hogar which is on the ring road, go up past the football ground and turn right at the third island it is sign posted. We completed in Novo Arcos just over 3 years ago and bought most of our furniture there, very reasonable (But the pound was a lot stronger then) and they delivered free of charge when they said they would. If you need electrical item Carrefour and also the electrical shop next to Voy Voy restaurant just before the turning for Radio Hogar. Good luck I hope you end up loving Arcos as much as we do and hopefully see you around.