Transferring a german plated car to spanish plates

Hi Everyone,

can anyone give me some information on keyholders, cleaners and locksmiths? Also has anyone found any information on sky TV? When we were over last we were speaking to a couple that think there will be a central aerial for Spanish TV only.

Any info much appreciated

Gina

 

Hi Gina

We have a great company who hold our keys and check the property every week for us - they also have a cleaning service. WEB Address - www.casacomforts.com   EMAIL clean@casacomforts.com TEL 0034 627 059 904

We have found him most reliable.

Regarding installation of Sky - we've heard permission has to be sought from your top floor neighbour to install it on their solarium- but check this out. Central area is only for Spanish TV as far as we know.

Don't know anything about locksmiths!

Looking forward to meeting you - we'll be over April too

Hi MD

I was beginning to think there was no one elase about. Thank you for info. Have been reading in general chats, a lot of bickering going on but also a lt of good advice from people. I'm still trying to get an answer from Maria as to whether or not we can have grilles fitted on our front windows. Put my solicitor on it now. Have started a little thread of my own called Mar Menor under What's the Area Like main thread. Had a lot of nice replies and info. Did you have grilles on your front door? Is there a need do you think? Ant info greatly appreciated. We are coming over April 1st for a week to furnish. Hope to see you then.

Regards Gina

Hi All,

Just wondered if anyone has had the grilles put on front door. Going to have the front windows done but do you think necessary for front door? In a dilemma, our next door neighbour has one but haven't met them.

Gina

Hi all,

We have grills on the windows and patio doors but not the main doors. 

We are using a company called Ribera Rentals for our key holding and cleaning. They seem very good so far.  They are also liaising with Maria to complete all the snagging, which is proving very painful indeed.  She arranges meetings and then doesn't turn up etc!

As for locksmiths, the aftersales contact of the agent we went through to buy the property arranged for our locks to be changed and this proved a very smooth process.  It poses a slight problem once thay have een changed as the builders can't get in to do bits of work (such as putting in the intercom device) but now that it's fully furnished I'm much more relaxed that only I and the management company have a key.  That's where a good management company comes in as they are tidying up all the lose ends very well.

As for the buyer completion packs.  I certainly haven't received one and we completed back in January.  Should we have one? if so, I'll have to chase Maria, but I certainly don't hold out much hope of her doing anything anytime soon!

Sky - Don't know anything about this.  The standard ariel only picks up Spanish TV, so if anyone finds out anything more about Sky, please let me know.  I understand that Sky do a package that allows anyone in a complex to hook up to it if they want.  They have to pay obviously, but I don't know what the cost is likely to be.

Regards,

Gary.

 

 

 

Hi Gary,

Don't worry about the buyers pack, it's just that all new buyers over here get one when we give them their keys but my agent says they don't do them in Spain. I too had trouble with maria, I asked about our leak in ceilng and also asked her to check our water heater. When I asked about a quote for the grilles she said that usually they do them when building but she would ask builder. Heard nothing since so organised my own with my agent,. I was in a dilemma about front door so going to have it done. Have you got an e mail address for your management company, have contacted a few so shopping around. When you mentioned you had received a copy of the deeds I contacted my building society and solicitor but apparently the deeds won't be registered for sometime yet, when they are they will be lodged with BS. Yours must have been registered sooner than ours. How was the electric over there, when I spoke to another couple when we were over last they had completed but kept having power cuts. Are you going over at Easter?

Gina

Hi all

Got back yesterday from a very busy week at Los Balcones. The weather was great, you can see how sunny it was if you check out the photos, they were taken at around 10am!!. Wore shorts & T's. it was about 70+ every day but cool in the evening.

We are all signed up. We did the snagging on Monday & by the time we signed on Tuesday almost everything was sorted. Still some minor things, to sort but not major as far as we can see. Our agent was great. She is arranging grilles to be fitted over the doors, should not need the locks changing now. Had air con fitted & all furniture delivered. Still need a couple of lights but we can sort those later.

Disappointed that the garden is up to us, as Alba had told us it would all be done. There was also a cupboard under the sink in the shower room in the show appartment which Alba said was standard, but we do not have one, so tht's something else. Lifts were not working but Maria did have a play with the intercom to show how it worked. You do need a key to get into the complex. We have so many keys that we went to Brico & got some coloured key tags so we would know where we were up to.

Does anyone know how to clean the tiles, indoor & out as ours are quite a mess?

We can't wait to stay there, the beds are all made up ready for our arrival!!

Gina, I will e-mail you tomorrow with some of the other stuff you asked about.

Eileen

Just got back yesterday also. We had a lot of loose ends tidied up as follows.

Boiler leaks. Plumber removed the offending valve and connected the hot pipe directly to the boiler. He then refitted the original valve on the hot feed to the sink and added a small length of tubing which will allow any leaking water to drain into the waste pipe. It took about 15 mins and one wonders why they did not do this in the first place.   

The Intercom was fitted but the front gate mechanism does not open properly when the 'open gate' button is pressed. This may just need some adjustment.

Keys for the outside  main gates were also handed out on Friday and front door knobs (pomos) were fitted .

Landscaping, perimeter walls etc should be finished in a few days.

Swimming pool is now full of water as well as plastic bags and small piles of sand on bottom. Will need a clean out before use.

One major concern I have are the black metal railings fitted on balconies and perimeter. These are already rusting quite badly and will be a constant maintenance issue. I resorted to the Hammerite on our balcony but am glad that I opted for black plastic finish on window and door grills.

Hope this update is of interest.   

Hello Garland,

Thanks for the info. I am having our heater checked over. Could you tell me a little more about entry. Is the intercom system located on the main outside gate to the pool area or on the door leading to the stairwell and lifts? Also what about access from the parking area, is that a security entry system, we haven't bought parking but if they have sold parking off to non owners then how safe is security?

Eileen,

I was a bit miffed about the vanity sink units in both bathrooms which were in show apartment and promised by Alba as well as her insisting it would be an 18 metre pool (I wasn't expecting that for one minute with the space) but the cupboards on the wash hand basins would have been great. I knew we had no come back as the disclaimer on contract says the builder reserves the right to change things but disappointing all the same. Never mind looks lovely can't wait to get there.

Gina

Hi Gina

The intercom is outside the street entrance. There is a control unit on the wall in your apartment which allows you to view who is at the gate, then you speak to them via the intercom & press to release the gate. I don't know how you get into the garage area except by lift. Hope you have a key to get in the complex when you arrive!

Eileen

The security issue is an interesting one. (By the way there is a second set of access buttons situated at the bottom of the stairs in the middle of the larger block presumably for people coming up from the car park but it is on the inside of the access door).  Also, we have all this sophistication with intercoms etc to open the front gate but at the opposite end of the complex there is only a low wall linking to the existing house with a low gate fitted for access to the pigeon club.  Does anyone know if this is to be closed off in any way? It seems that the only people who would be deterred from entering are residents with luggage ! 

Hi Eileen & Garland,

All sounds a bit like fort knox. We'll have to check out the car parking access as I wonder if they have sold off the remaining spaces, when checking the internet last year regarding how many apartments were left, after they were all sold there didn't seem to be many parking spaces sold. Maybe we should offer them 500 euros if any left?? LOL. I didn't want to worry anyone about it but if we are supposed to be in a secure gated community I think we must look into it. Just a thought.

By the way, don't worry if I don't get a gate access key I'll do a Del Boy and serenade you all until someone lets us in.

Gina

 

I shall look forward to that Gina.

We did become the unofficial gate keepers when we were over!! various people kept asking our workmen to let them in, they referred to us every time!

Eileen

We were over as well last week.  Electric and water working fine - no power cuts.  However, we originally had no hot water to the kitchen sink but the builders got this done while we were there.  Apparently this has been a problem in other flats - the pipes are connected wrongly - don't panic if this is the case - it didn't take long to fix it. We have had our lock changed on the front door via our agent and have also got extra window locks on the patio doors. 

Watch out for going out of the flat without keys.  We locked ourselves out on the balcony - keys inside - this involved borrowing screwdrivers from some Spanish air con installers who happened to be around - it took us half an hour to dismantle the window and push the glass aside to get to the lock - so it can be done.  We then had to call out someone to put it back together and hence extra locks.  Also considering grilles. 

Cleaned balcony on hands and knees with scourer to get rid of the building blobs of plaster - the outside walkway was a job too far - we're hoping that the builders may do this - or back to the scourer if not!!!!

We did not get our gate keys - our agent is pursuing this.  While we were there the front gate was locked most of the time but the back gate was always open - it is a fairly easy job to get over the wall at the back if desperate and without bags.

Communal TV aerial is in place but is not connected. Two flats on the middle floor have got seperate outside aerials on the walkway.

Pool was cleaned last Friday and gardeners planted two palm trees and put down grass seed.

There is a rubbish bin at the front but it does not seem to be being emptied - it was overflowing when we left.  We resorted to leaving our rubbish in bins further away (ones that were being emptied) when we went out for a walk.

The small block is looking nearly completed.  While we were there they put in all the fridges, cookers and washers into each flat and they were also being cleaned by the builders.

Overall we were pleased with what we found - the builders seem to be gradually doing the general jobs gradually but it will take time to get the community going and collective services established.  

C&R

    

Good to hear everything is working well. I am glad to hear it took some time to get in the window, makes us feel safer if someone tried to break in. Really glad we have grills.

I was wondering how to get rid of all the builder's plaster on the patio - guess it will be a hands & knees job after all!! May wait until we have sorted the rest of the garden (which we were told would be done by the builder, but now they say no!!) Did you use anything special on the outside tiles? What about internally? Ours has been cleaned 3 times but still has lots of marks on it.

 We did get our gate keys but the back (the poolside) would not work, so they simply fixed it there & then.

It is good that the builders are stil around to sort any teething problems, lets hope they are around a while longer.

Eileen

Balcony cleaning - Scotchbrite green scourer and elbow grease!  Improvised using corkscrew to chip at stubborn bits - hard work but worth it.  Most of the lumps are off and it looks much better.

In answer to previous queries - we have got a bathroom vanity unit - ordered it via the builders  - cost 300 euros.  We were definately told that it was an extra. It looks good and gives that bit of extra storage.  There are similar ones in Eroski - I think for about 250 euros but obviously you would need to fit it as well.

Also forgot to say that there was work going on to spruce up the back wall of the Pigeon Club buildings - plastering being made good and I assume it will then be painted.

Re car park - we haven't paid for a space - the outside door seemed to be locked while we were there and anyone with cars was parking on the side road.  Didn't explore from the lift shaft side.   

Chris & Ron

Hi All

Great photos Ron. I have spoken to our management lady Shelley today who is sorting out the keys for the gate hopefully. She says that there is a communal aerial going in, but am I right in thinking this is a Spanish aerial? Just wanted to check. We'll ask her to check out the pipework. Looking at the photos am assuming that there will be railings fitted on top af walls the same as other side? it's looking good now. Glad you warned us about the patio doors as I would have definitley managed to lock us out. Apparently we have no electric so Shelley is also sorting that out with Maria. It's so helpful to know about certain problems that are happening so the rest of us can try and sort them out before we get there (hopefully) .

Gina and Gerard

Just got back after a week at the apartment. Approx 10-12 apartments occupied whilst I was there. The place could do with a major clean- up of paved areas , walkways etc which the builder has not done at any stage.  My wife actually did some brushing up around the bottom of the stairs towards the lift on the ground level.

Lifts are not operational yet and it may be some way off I gather. Not sure why but they would be useful for people carrying luggage or other heavy items,  to/from the first or second floors. 

One note of disappointment, though probably inevitable, is that the local grafitti artist has already been at work on the walls either side of the main entrance. You see this all over Spain and nowhere seems to escape but it is an eyesore.

I understand that there is a meeting being held at the beginning of May to get a managment committee/chairperson etc elected. Not sure who has arranged this or how well it might be attended. (I can't make it).   

Finally, can anyway give an approx cost for their air conditioning inc installation so that I will have an idea of what is reasonable.

 

Hi Garland,

Yes we were all disappointed to see the graffiti as we arrived at the front gates. Seems it is an accepted pastime in spain. But a time and place for goodness sake. How did you hear about this meeting? I haven't heard anything has anybody else?

Regarding the air con/heating. Shelley and Mark at casa comforts has been organising air con/heating installations. If you go to www.casacomforts.com and e mail them I'm sure you will be very happy with their service. when we were over we were so lucky to have somebody to help not only  as keyholders but they have helped so much more with deliveries, cleaning, looking after our apartment, organising installation of sky and much more. We were glad to have the heating in April as it was a bit nippy in the nights. Give them a try, I know there are quite a few other residents that are just as happy with their brilliant service.

Regards Gina

Garland

I endorse what Gina has said re casa comforts. we are using them & they are brilliant.

Don't know anything about the meeting. I had been told it was in the Easter week we were there but nothing happened. The builder is supposed to inform everyone in writing of meeting dates etc. Since no one has access to their mail boxes in Spain, I assume notification will be sent to home addresses.

I agree the place is a mess. The builder had certainly not cleaned our property for us. Our agent had it cleaned the morning of sign over but the place was so dirty I did it again twice in Feb & again at easter. Since we are having the patio extended to cover the garden (can't stand it being used by cats) I shall leave cleaning the patio until our next visit. Thanks for the tips re getting the cement & paint off. I was worried about damaging the tiles.

Eileen