Hola, amigos from Don y Martha in no 56 (or now no. 10 Calle Pedro Cano).
I´m writing from the internet cafe in Los Alcazares. We got the keys to our house last Thursday (2nd) and we moved in on Sunday 5th after getting the first of our furniture deliveries on Saturday.
The snagging has been minimal. A bit of pint work here and there, a chip out of the marble sink in downstairs bathroom and on the front step. And the site the production manager, Enrique, has ben very attanetive and had a squad in to the house to get everything fixed to our satisfaction toute suite. We had a little like this morning while the shower was being used and I´ve left Enrique and Martha to get it fixed. The only disapointment was the cleaners - they were useless - we have had to clean the house top to bottom ourselves. Oh - also, the white goods (provided in our case by Taray - benefit of not going through an agent) were delivered before we moved in and dumped in our living room - we had been promised that they would be installed for us. Taray did say that they would get the supplier to come back, but by this morning they hadn´t arraived, so I had to do it myself - we needed to use the washing machine! We do not have a habitation certificate yet - Taray cannot do this until the site becomes less of a building site! In the meantime we have light and water free courtesy Taray. They take 300 euros from you at the time of transfer of title to pay for the connection of light and water when the time comes.
There are quite a few owners moved in now - the row with the showhouse looks fully occupied, although snagging continues there. There is a family in the row behind our house (no. 38 I think) and there is another in the row of semis closest to the railway line. Lots of scots peeps by the way! The site is very much a building site yet. Our row is only have complete so there is a barrier half way down the street to prevent us wandering into a hard hat area. I have some photos but haven´t worked out how to get them loaded into this computer. I´ll try before we come back.
The church storage building at the end of the street is a bit of an eyesore, but I understand it will be ´disguised´ with planting - not a very good town planning move. The trains are more frequent they we thought (even through the night) but they´re not intrusive at all. There is no street lighting yet, but there are street waste bins and road markings and signs - v peculiar. There is also no TV antenna yet. Enrique says this will be available nearer the completion of our block as it is a communal aerial - and indoor TV aerials don´t work - the signal is too weak in our loacle. So bring DVDs with you.
The legal tranfer of title was a very slick affair - between ourselves, Taray, our lawyer, the builders banker (Caja Murcia - we decided to use the builders mortgage option that is available on our block or manzana) and the notary. Everyone was very helpful and friendly throughout the process. We did have to have house and contents insurance in place before hand and also life assurance for Martha and I (the beneficiary of this is the Bank). The notary was very impressed with/jealous of the mortgage rate we have and if you´re looking for finance, this is an option that is certainly worth considering.
We totally underestimated the amount of work that´s involved in furnishing a house from scratch. We bought most of the stuff in IKEA but this is a nightmare, the staff cannot help you gather all the stuff in store - you have to do it yourselves, which means several trolleys to maneouvre and then take to the transport desk before you know how much its going to cost and when it will be delivered. The best way to do it is to buy all the small things first and load them into your car and then return to the store to gather and put all the things to be delivered onto the flat-bed trolleys. It does take a long time and a lot of waiting so be prepared. Also don´t underestimate the amount of stuff that has to be returned because of damage nor the amount of time you will need for assembly - my suggestion - get someone to do it for you. We discovered a local (Balsicas Industrial Estate - just across the motorway) furniture store (recommended by Dave and Leona who have moved into no. 54 or no. 6 Calle Pedro Cano now - they put the house numbers on yesterday) called Inside Right who have been brilliant - they have a great showroom, can´t do enought to help and do most things - curtains, white goods, lighting and can organise things very quickly). We changed our mind about ordering leather sofas from IKEA when we saw their selection and prices - they delivered next day and the cost was 2/3rds what we had planned to spend in IKEA. They have a website - google their name to get it!! Highly recommnded! They do packages and will set everything up for you. Well worth it - believe me!!
Martha and I haven´t stopped shopping and working since we got the keys and haven´t had anything like a rest day yet. This is definitely not a holiday. Having said that we discovered a really nice restaurant (El Almazar - I think) in Santa Rosalia very close to Polaris World Mar Menor Golf and there is a good Indian in the same industrial estate as Inside Right - on the road to Roldan.
That´s enough for now - I´ve more furniture to put together and I´ve left M with the electricians installing lights. I´d better go rescue her. I´m planning to come here again at the weekend. If anyone wants an up to date photo of their house, drop me aline and I´ll see what I can do.
Hasta luego!!
an exhausted, Don!!