Garden Centres

We completed this morning - very exciting, can´t wait to get in and start getting organised. Had to come to an Internet cafe to pick up an email, hence couldn´t resist posting this!

It´s so hot out here and so relaxing. The site is the busiest we´ve ever seen it, lots of activity, lots of holidaymakers. We´re staying on PM2 but spent the day at PM4 pool on Sunday, which was lovely. The children and Andrew were in their element and the water was lovely and warm - even for me! We spent the day feeling that we´d done the right thing, not sure how many holidaymakers we´ll get, I´ll be here myself as often as possible!

The sales are on here, so plenty of bargains to be had for furniture, etc.

Anyway, promised the children a swim this afternoon, they´re waiting patiently on site with Grandma, and I´ve bought floats, etc for the pool.

Regards,

Emma

Thanks for the PMs, we're now back at home for a couple of weeks before returning, and will hopefully be able to stay in our apt for some of the next trip, waiting for elec and water though, and Spain in August is a whole new concept, I've discovered! Are we the only ones to spend ages choosing mop, bucket and cleaning materials, etc in Carrefour only to get them back and realise they're no good without any water?!! Anyway, it turned out that the apartment was really clean when we got in the next day, so not required urgently.

I also had a mishap with the garage door the first time I went though it with great excitement with my new zapper - it closed while the car was still half way under it! Such a shock, but when we finally managed to escape from under the door and stop laughing, the damage was minimal and the door still worked. Anyway, having spent some time examining and timing the door over subsequent days, we came to the conclusion that I must have been dithering / talking too much / having a blonde moment and the door was not at fault, but getting in and out of the garage is never going to be quite the same again - always taken at great speed and "Open Sesame" has now become a family joke. Car hire company didn't notice the marks on the roof this morning. No dents, I'm sure it will polish out!

We met Steve from Paintbusters and Blair; they are organising a few bits and pieces for us and also an excellent curtain lady, recommended by Brutus. All our snagging was done. Our store room keys didn't work, but Miguel changed the lock the next day. Other than that we don't appear to have any problems.

Has anyone had the shiny marble floor buffed and would you recommend whoever you used - if so can I have details please?

Completion at the Notary was an experience not to be missed, I was quite worried about doing it on my own; a last minute delay meant Andrew flew back the previous evening and I had a PoA for Andrew, but it was fine, everyone was really nice and very helpful. I got the impression it was quite unusual to have the actual owner present! What an odd process though - a room full of senior lawyers, bank director, developer representatives, etc, and it took all morning for everyone to check the facts, paperwork etc and then the bit with the actual Notary took about 5 minutes. What a waste of high-level time, how do they ever get any real work done?! There were about 3 people who came and went at various points and I never actually found out who they were or what their involvement was, they just gabbled away in fast Spanish, signed bits of paper and disappeared again! I really wouldn't have missed it for the world though.

We completed July 2006 and have been getting things sorted over the past year.  Snags are pretty well resolved and the fine tuning has been done.  We would have been lost without the help of Steve Garrot (Paintbusters) who we brought in to paint our  apartment a cream colour.  Since then Steve put up our  light fittings and electric shutters, and recently installed bathroom fittings.  He also installs utility enclosures and breakfast bars, which we found out later.  Steve is an absolute star and a gentleman as well; we would heartily recommend him - his phone number (I hope this is allowed) is 0034 670 885 219.

Goce de su experiencia española.

Michael

I have been very lucky too in finding a local English lady who is prepared to do cleaning for me.  Her name is Jo and she lives in Sabinillas. She has an excellent system for getting my apartment ready for any friends, family, or other rentals. I found out that Jo already looks after two apartments at CDS. The owners have told me that they are delighted withe her.

I'm not sure that if Im allowed to quote Jo's teleephone number so, if you want it, send me a PM.

we were out for 5 days from the 13th, all the family thoroughly enjoyed our stay, the pools are good, for once we got sun beds!

speaking to several people mainly guests they really liked the development and there apartments. the food down at the chinguito is excellent and reasonably. all in all i am optimistic in the long tem. only sour note i understand there have been squatters.

within 15 mins comfortable drive casares is as yet a fairly unspoilt spanish village and well worth a visit. already looking forward to actally stay in our apartment inoctober half term when hopefully can meet up with other families for a glass or 2

noddy

Dear All,

I believe I predicted the problems with an open public site and now you have got them, they should not be minimized.

Squatters, burglars, dumped cars, an active scrap yard, damp apartments, scrub gardens etc. If this makes you happy then I must find a way of bottling and marketting the sunshine. It is clearly the most powerful drug around.

 I would urge you all to take Brutus's advice and get the security sorted out, it surely is an essential for everyone when the sun goes down.

Good luck.

Norman

Dear Emma,

thanks for your input re. the endemic corruption existing and your description of the completion "event".

Given that you were paying for it all, did you get anything positive from it, other than amusement?

Did you actually identify who you were really dealing with, did you receive any sort of guarantee from anyone, did you establish who if anyone owed you any duty of care?

Did you penetrate the multi-layered saga involved and establish who, if anyone was accepting responsibility for anything to do with your purchase?

Just a thought.

Regards

Norman