hello everyone

Hi there everyone.

We have just found this site by accident and thought we would introduce ourselves. We have purchased number 141 on Phase 3. We are John and Caroline McLarnon and will be coming out mid July hopefully to complete. We have two sons Jack age 7 and Luis age 3. Is there anybody else there with a young family?

We are a little worried by all the reports of break-ins. Are they still occuring? It starts to shatter your dream, so if anybody can give us some tips on alarms, grills and insurance etc we would be very grateful. However, judging by the reports of thieves breaking in through the grills are they worth the money?

My mum has a property in La Manga on the Costa Calida and visits regularly so we get plenty of updates from her. She spoke to somebody who claimed to have been charged 600 euros for the electric box., she said she did have to pay for hers but it was no where near this much. Can anybody shed any light on this and whatever other hidden costs there are when you come to complete.

Anyway enough doom and gloom. We are counting down the weeks until we come over and are looking forward to meeting everybody.

John and Caroline

Hi John & Caroline,

Welcome to this site.  We hope to be No 130!  Again completion due around the same time.   Brian (aka San Maguel) who is a regular on this site has just returned from the developement, with the good news that the break-ins may have stopped and noticed that the police patrolled the area also.  I think he and Lorraine may be your neighbours.   Lucky you - really nice people.

We are still going to have grills and other security installed - just peace of mind if nothing else.   The charge for the elec box seems very high - these are the extras that pile on - but we must be careful that we are not paying more than we should.   Also there is a thread on this site regarding this kind of thing - lots of information and some very knowledgable people who advise and share experiences.

Who have you purchased through if you dont mind me asking.?

We dont have any youngsters, but I am sure that you have selected a very safe enviroment for them and no doubt there will be others to play with.

Anyway, keep popping in here for contributions.  Looking forward to having our first bottle of wine (1lt  from the local supermarket on site - 1 euro - and it is good too!!) in our little place in the sun.

Cheers

Ellen & Jim

Hi everyone

We have been reading all the messages from people buying in La Matanza but have never posted anything before. We are Kevin and Becky Chester and we have purchased no.140.

We have two sons. Chas age 9 and Kalum who is nearly 7. Just read the message from John and Caroline and are pleased to hear that there will be other young children living on the development. Will your sons be attending the local Spanish School as ours will. Hoping our boys won't be the only English children there!

Everyone on the message board sounds really nice and we are looking foward to meeting everyone.

Hello all,

We are owners on phase 2 and completed last June, although we are not yet living out there we have visited several times since then and are due out again next Tuesday.

Just to confirm that the break ins have stopped and although someone did try to get in through a grill, they were not successful so it is probably still worth having them if only for peace of mind. If anyone wants details of who fitted ours just let us know and we'll send you a private email.

With regard to the electric box we did not have to pay anything for this when we completed, we did have to pay an amount for water and electricity which is normal practice until the whole site is finished and everyone has had their meters installed.

Just a couple of pointers about completion, one the final amount for charges amounted to approximately 12% of the purchase price, some of which goes to your solicitor who settle some of the bills on your behalf e.g.notary etc, and that when this is all finalised you may receive some of this back (as we just have ).

Also when we completed, although we were taken to the property by Atlas, we did not do the snagging report that day we were told that we had to go back ourselves to do this as there was not time on that day. This was a little bit irritating as we then had to hire a car for one day (we were coming home after that) which cost a fortune, had we known about this we would have had a car the whole time.

Finally as regards to children, there are at present a couple of other children that live there, one of whom is a boy aged 8 (Michael) who lives on the north facing side of phase 2 (as we do - we are at no 76). He goes to school in La Murada.

We absolutely love it out there and can't wait to go there permanently (hopefully next year), and we are sure that you will all love it too. Ellen and Jim - you will love having that bottle of wine on your terrace, we certainly do and we really enjoyed barbecueing on the roof terrace last year, it is so peaceful and relaxing.

If anyone wants any particular photos or information from when we go out next week just let us know.

Regards

Pete & Val

Hello all,

Lovely to see more people joining our forum, and to John and Caroline "hello neighbours" we are in No 143, next door to you. Looking forward to meeting you both, and Becky and Kevin. As Ellen says " sharing our first bottle of wine in the sun".

As Ellen said (thank you for the "nice people comment Ellen) the break ins have stopped according to full time residents living on the development. I think this is down to the fact that there are fewer workmen on phase 3 now, just finishing off the internal fittings, fewer strangers round means that anyone acting suspicously is soon noticed.

As Ellen also pointed out go on to the main site for good advice and info on things like insurance and security. Just try not to get into the doom and gloom merchants regarding crime in Spain, most of what is being talked about is on the sprawling urbanisations around the coast.

What do people think about the name for our village "Las Siete Casas" meaning "The Seven Houses" ?

Enjoy your time out there Pete and Val, if the weather is the same as ours '30 degrees' you will come back with a good tan.

Brian & Lorraine

Hi agan

Insurance company recomended by forum members is www.saltsbay.com

Brian

Hi Everyone,

Firstly Brian and Lorraine, you seem to have got all your neighbours - 140, 141 and Pete and Val across the road at 76 - on this site.   COME IN NO.142!!!!  Gonna be one good party eh??   Just dont forget us up at the top end at 130 (or I may take away that comment on you being nice people)  as if I would!

Welcome to Kevin and Becky and family - yes we do seem a pretty nice bunch of folk dont we.  Really looking sooooo much forward to meeting everyone.

Cheers

By the way Brian - I prefer the name La Siete Casas (the 7 houses) than La Matanza (the slaughter).

Hello again

GET TOGETHER?

Just noticed that we all seem to live in the Lancashire area, anyone fancy a meet up to discuss our development and swop tips and advice on completion?

Brian & Lorraine

Hi Brian,

GOOD IDEA!!

Will ring you soon.

Hi,

Sounds like a good idea to us too - just need to decide on a central point.

Pete & Val

Hi

and hello Pete and Val (sorry I never said hello in previous email)

Get together seems a good idea then?

up to now we have

Stockport

Bury

Maghull (near Southport)

Rochdale

and possible other(s)?

any ideas where and when for a central meet? myself and Lorraine are flexible and can travel.

Brian & Lorraine

Hi Brian & Lorraine

We could meet up with you and everyone else, the only problem for me is I work shifts so if it can be sorted out just let me know where and when and i can let you know if it's possible for us to get there.

Also thanks to Val & Pete for the info on the security grills

speak soon

John & Caroline