Fitting electrial appliances and lights.

If anyone could give us a little bit of advice on this we'd be grateful. When we take ownership of our apartment later this year would it be straight forward for my husband to fit the lights in each room or would we need to employ an electrician? Are the connections very different. We know the plugs are different and the power and we are not talking major DIY of adding or moving light fittings just fitting the centre ceiling lights.

Then with that query is fitting a washing machine or dishwasher as standard to the UK or do the delivery people generally fit those?

Many thanks, we're just looking ahead to those first few visits, which for us, may be just 1 or 2 night weekends in the first instance and therefore difficult to get someone in.

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'Morning JH.

We bought our place 'todo unfurnished' from a Spanish family, and when they say 'todo' in Spain, they REALLY mean 'todo'! Not a light fitting in sight! However, fitting new lamp holders etc was simple and straightforward and I did it all myself with no problems at all. You may find that the standards of installation are, shall we say, not QUITE up to UK standards, but take care and you will be OK.

With regard to appliances - we bought our dishwasher from Garcia's in Torre. They delivered, unpacked, plumbed it in and even ran a test cycle, all at no extra charge. We bought the washer from a discount place (Megahogar) and I installed that myself, again very straightforward and as in the UK.

Hope this helps.

Steve.

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Morning JH & Steve. (How R U doing Steve, regards to both you & Jan)

JH.. shops deliver &  install washers etc included in price so no worries there. You could find that if you buy your light fittings all at same shop or with some furniture the shop will send someone to fit lights free for you, some do. My OH fit ceiling fans with lights etc. (They work too ) Amazing what you find you can do when you've just completed on property in Spain.

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Thanks for the information.

As I say we are just looking ahead and it may be we will sort of 'camp' in the apartment the 1st visit or so, just because this is an expensive period and if we can save on hotel fee's we will try to. However not in the dark! Also we know that we are likely to only have an option of  a few weekends initially and co-ordinating some one for those dates might just be really difficult. We shall see,  but at least we now know we can have light! After that we can order our appliances for the next time we visit and know that its straightforward fitting/or getting them fitted.

Many thanks.

 

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Last weekend, on a market stall in Spain, I saw those little "night lights" that you just plug into a socket & I thought how ideal they would be initially, then just for leaving plugged in in case you didn't want to put main light on for whatever reason.

NIGHT LIGHT Very cheap too.

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We had thought we can arrive and stay in a hotel for the 1st night then make some essential purchases- like lights (even the bedside lights and a standard light will do because they plug in) an airbed and some patio chairs then at least be able to stay in the apartment. But ideally fitting the main lights as soon as possible, after that we'll have to do it bit by bit. Would be excellent to be able to have it all arrive when we're not there but the bigger things will have to wait until we can spend more than a couple of days there. Exciting planning it though.

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Usually you cannot stay first night in your property when you go over to complete as various things need doing first (before going to the notary) & I'd check that. It was suggested to us that at least one night be in a hotel as you need to snag before completion, which we were asked to do day before completion.

 We treated ourselves to prearranged four nights in a hotel half board to ease us into completion, which was just as well as our STUPID agent hadn't given our builder our bank details to arrange for electricity contract so we were without electricity for first FIVE days & only got it put on after we spotted someone from the electricity company reading the meters outside our property after we'd spent one night in the dark. (He was very amused we hadn't a meter !) And if anyone says "how romantic" I'll duff 'em !!

I tell you, JM, if you can afford a hotel or cheap B&B it makes for a much more pleasant completion. To be able to get away from it all, to go back to hot showers & a meal & bed then breakfast before tackling more at the villa was so good.

This message was last edited by morerosado on 4/13/2008.

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Just to expand JH’s question a bit.

Can I do my own DIY in Spain?

I would like to know what Spanish regulations allow you to do in Spain.

Can you do your own electrics like install your own lights, ceiling fans, Air conditioning, add additional electrical outlets and thing like that?

Or do Spanish regulations exist similar to the UK Part P Regulations restricting the work that can be done by the homeowner.

Can you do your own plumbing like Air conditioning, sinks, washers and things like this?

Is there a guide available that tells you what you can and cannot do in Spain?

If anyone has any knowledge about this please let us know

Regards

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Hi Janice

How's retirement going? Better than the bl**dy weather here, anyway!

Have fun.

Steve (& Jan)

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We were looking at after the snagging and completion because we know you cannot use the apartment until the utilities are changed over.

We intend to use a hotel at completion time or organise PoA with our solicitors- undecided on that one yet.

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Personally, we gave our lawyer POA and they completed and had our utilities connected (takes approx. one week more or less).  Then when we went out and bought all our light fittings, etc.,  we had them ALL fitted by our keyholder, and a friend of his supplied and installed an extractor fan in the main bathroom.   Not a problem at all if you want to do it yourself, it seems (and my OH said it wouldn't have been a problem for him to do it, although he preferred to play golf!!).

So, as long as your utilities are connected, you shouldn't encounter any difficulties installing all the fittings yourselves. I believe the power supply is, in fact, the same as the UK, although plug sockets are generally two-pin.

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Although you may not have light fittings, generally there is a cable through the ceiling with a bulb holder on the end so you can have "bare" light, so you don't have to be in the dark.

Mark

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Gosh, you were lucky then, Mark!  We just had the wires falling down from the ceilings!!  We just bought some lamps, which we wanted anyway, and used those until all the ceiling lights were fitted.

Even in our storeroom in the garage area they have just left bare wires!!

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I didn't explain that very well . One room (lounge) in our apartment had the wire and bulb holder, the rest of the fittings (except the recessed ceiling spots) were cable with taped off ends. Maybe the builders had to work when the dark evenings were about, but it certainly made it easier when we arrived at 7pm in December .

Mark

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Thanks to everyone for supplying information here- seems all clearer and more manageable.  We've not been given a completion date yet but others on our development have just had these start filtering through plus I believe they have been told the utilities can take 30- 60 days. Expecting just the bare wire, so anything more will be bonus.


This message was last edited by JHMurcia on 4/13/2008.

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Can you not arrange with the developers for electricity and water to be supplied on completion day? We sent the utilities form back to our builders who forwarded them and power and water were on the day before. We did buy key ready though, so not sure if that could be why, although others with the same builder on a new development were all up and running on notary day.

Mark

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I'm not sure (and open to correction) but, if all is in order (and the LFO has been issued) then once you complete, you are then liable for the utilities and you will have to take out contracts with the utility company(ies).  If you have water and electricity on the day you complete then, surely, it must be builders supply - and that would make me wonder why?  Unless you have extremely generous developers!  You can't take out your utility contracts until you have completed so there is no way they can be done on the day you complete unless you complete early morning and then rush off to the utility company!!  And then they have to come and make the connection at the property!

As I say, (there is a great possibility that I'm wrong  - not the first time!!), but I can't see the logic of the builder paying for your utilities until you get your act together!  You could take a couple of months to get your contract with the utility company!!   Unless things aren'tt all in order ......

Although, from what I've read, it most definitely should not take 30-60 days to connect your services - that sounds a little excessive!

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We weren't on builders supply (and I don't believe those on Thalassa are either), the electricity was supplied by Endessa and the water by Codeur. Electricity connection was paid for about 2 weeks after connection by direct debit and we are still waiting for our connection bill (4months now) from the water company, despite frequent remnders.

Mark

 

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That's an eye-opener, Mark.  You must have had really cooperative developers to arrange that for you!  Maybe it differs from region to region - or obviously developer to developer!!

Makes things a lot easier if you want to get in right away and deal with fittings etc., Great!

This message was last edited by Pitby on 4/13/2008.

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Pitby & Mark

We completed on Thalassa on the 18th October with both electricity & water connected. Key Mare provided us with application forms for both utilities about 3 months before we actually completed. On these forms, we had to provide our bank details & indicate which level of electricity supply we required.

The connection fees were debited from our bank account in November (don't have the exact dates to hand).

As Mark says, the water supplier is Codeur but the electricity supplier for Thalassa is Portillo.

So, although we had water & electricity from day 1, we were never on builders supply.

Noreen

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