Deals at Polaris World

I visited the site  on 2nd July, wouldn't say I am impressed as it obviously not completed and I was very open minded. On a good note I believe it will be impressive if and when its finished.  Except that some bits like the finishing as per Roys comments i feel that Corvera skimped on the finishing e.g. painting my 8 yearold would have been smoother with the brush. The skirting is cheap mdf.

So in comparison to Roda and I know some people don't like marble but I would rather a decent marble finishing than cheap mdf, that absorbed water (in my 2bed tilo).  Also in the second bathroom there is no basin unit (I am not happy with this either), it does not look finished and you will have to put one in. In contrast Roda has both marble wash basin base units. These may seem small gripe but times are hard, on top of shutters, shower units, fittings etc. it all adds up.

I stayed at Roda, the quality of the housing unit at Corvera is  no where near that of Roda.  I still prefer the Corvera site and in terms of layout and golf views I believe its better views than most of  those in Roda is too dense.

That is my main gripe, it looks cheap inside and I kind of expected more, so did Corvera skimped on us or was that the specification?

Hey I have a few pictures and a video of the course if someone knows how to upload these then send me a pm and I will forward it to you.

Guys whether you are going ahead  or not before you walk away take a last look, I am happy I went to see it.

Roy, Loraine, Linda and Veronica. Thanks  very much and I will be in touch. 

Sherylg.

Thanks for the feedback Sherylg, overall it sounds like you were impressed, but to hear comments about a poor and cheap internal finish is disappointing. We bought at Corvera as we were led to believe  it was a 'high quality' development so I think we were all expecting a high quality finish, it sounds a little like it has been rushed and corners cut. Roy I have always valued your opinion, in part due to your considerable experience at this development and Roda, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind  giving  your opinion on the finish at Corvera ( and compare it to Roda). I would also appreciate anyone elses comments especially those who have seen the finished apartment.

kev

Further to Sherylg's comments has anyone snagged and completed on  2 bed Laurel?

Agree fully with KEV 2  that we all expected a high quality finish having paid a premium price .

Was led to believe Corvera was to be superior to  Roda-hopefully corners were nor cut to get a quick finish to enhance cash flow at expense of quality.

hartyd

First of all I have completed inspections now on all tyoes of Laurel and Tilo, I have sample reports which I have provided to a number of people, and the defects that we are finding are the normal type that we wpuñd expect to find in these types of properties

Most of the defects are related to paint and plaster finish, especially ceilings and yes I checed Sheryl´s property and yes some of the paint finishes could have been better but they are on her snagging list and I will be checking the repairs on the 2nd inspection

The general build quality is good, but varies as they employ different builders and teams, between phases again very normal

Before you would have contracted you would have been given a detailed specification sheet but this doesn´t always register with people, especially if they have seen, or if they are comparing the properties with RODA, as there are some significant changes to the properties and these include

• Floor and wall tiles throughout the property are not marbleand yes the skirting boards are white MDF, matching the doors
• There are no mirrors in bathrooms but shower cubicals were not included at RODA
• The quality of the baths, shower trays and basins is the same as RODA, plastic shower heads have been used
• The specification and type of windows and is better, more practical but the design on one large window does not allow for a shutter to be fitted. One thing that is no loss are the electric shutters that were a pain at RODA
• The external finish, the tilimg on the patios etc is the same as RODA
• The exterior finsh on pools gardens etc looks excellent with pools fenced this time and Jacuzzi ares in some pools 
• Better quality boiler have been installed

To directly therefore answer the question the properties have been built to the agreed specification, which is very different to the specification of the properties at RODA, finished to a good standrad,  and as far as things like marble are concerned more practical, if not as attractive, for day to day use

Things like the lack of the vanity unit in the bathroom are normal for most developments but yes it would look better with a vanity unit as in the en-suite

The big difference on the sites is the feeling of space at Corvera, the properties are less densly packed with more attractive views from most of  the properties with many more front and 2nd line golf 

In summary normal

Thanks for the feedback Roy

kev

hi,

the marketing info (blurb + photos) show a high std for the development - if corvera are expecting you to complete you should be expecting the high standards offered --- calidona know how many people are not completing and have known (at least indication) for years so they needed to cut costs in the is environment---- this however is not what you paid for and is against condumer law if you can prove it!

Crg

I do not sell these propertues and i am not rushing to defend this developer but I think that there area couple of debates going on here that are confusing things

First of all when you buy a property the first thing you get is a specification sheet which includes all details of materials used, tyoes of finish, tiles flooring etc and we use this list to check for snagging and on this development meets the specation shown on these sheets. An example today was that the vanity unit was nit fitted into the en-suite bathroom

They have not used poor quality fixtures and fittings, simply used different items compared to RODA, and yes chances are the production costs of the properties may be less by switching items however the build density and sizes of the apartment and terraces are larger than RODA.

I believe from what I have seen the original specification for the properties has not changed, if they make significant changes then contract law requires that changes are notified in writing

Again based purely on consumer law and the delivery of the properties, compared to the agreed build specification, that I have seen, I cannot see any grounds for a claim

Now quality and expectations is a whole different story 

Roy,

Why are the electric shutters a pain in Roda? I've stayed there a good few times and always find them a good idea. I'd have guessed that the electric shutters would be deemed a higher quality than maual ones.

Frank

There have been lots of problems with the motors and switches and they will then be expensive to get repaired

If they go faulty then normmally they will be down and difficult to lift on occassions making the property not useable till fixed as they are difficult  to raise manually

Of course yes they are a nice fixture

We have just returned from an inspection visit and like Sherylg were very pleased with the feeling of space and general layout and landscape of the resort. Although there is still lots of work to do you can get a good feel for how good the final product will be ( fingers crossed it gets fully finished !!). 

Roy is correct the apartments do appear to completed to Spec but to be honest the workmanship is not what you would expect if compared to the UK. We had a long list of defects, mainly tiling issues and general cleaning off paint from fooring window sills etc. It is obvious they have been rushed to complete and unlike the UK are happy to handover a property with obvious defects and in need of a final clean. The up sides were the views from the balconies and space between the Blocks and Villas. Looking around the resort it appeared that most properties would benefit from this.

I agree Roda has a far superior finish inside the apartments but for me I purchased based on location so having a somewhere pleasant to sit and enjoy the views whilst enjoying a drink/meal are far more important to me on a holiday than having a luxury bathroom or marble floors. It would be nice to have both but having stayed on Roda recently I was a little dissapointed with the density of the apartments and small patio areas.

We have all paid a premium price for these properties so expect a good finish but priority I am sure for most of us is enjoying the setting and scenery and the developer has certainly delivered on this. 

I've been following this thread, as I imagine many purchasers have, with interest.  Roy carried out our snagging for us and, as others have said previously, I can highly recommend his services.  Roy took some photographs for us as we were not present, and I must say I was disappointed with what seemed to be a poor finish in places.    The floor tiles also seemed to look very dull, but our apartment had not been cleaned, as seems to be quite a common occurrence at Corvera from what I gather.  I'm hoping they were just covered in a film of dust.  Anyway, I was beginning to feel even more disappointed when I read sherylg's posting.  I didn't realise the skirtings were MDF.

Roy, your postings are obviously made on a professional basis, I was just wondering if you could put a more personal slant on things - what is your overall feeling for the quality of the finish, is it in line with many developments or do you think it is substandard in some respects, irrespective of the specification?

Pwilson, thank you for your update and personal view.  Made me feel a bit better.   Having not visited yet, and not knowing what you have purchased, what did you think of the size of the terraces?  We have purchased a duplex Tilo penthouse.

Regards

Anita

I am happy t obviously relate this development to the hundreds of other developments that we have checked over the last 5 years but I  have to stick to the facts relating to what we find and not name names when it comes to quality on other well known developments

Starting out on your property yes the only reason that the tiles where dull was beacuse it had not been cleaned and of course will look much better once this is done

The quality of the finish does vary by phase, especially when you look at the finish on plaster, painting and tiling again very normal as different phases are built by different buiders hence  but the specification and brands of fittings doesn´t change

In your case Anita you were lucky to be in a good phase so you had a shorter list, plus the 2nd inspection will be based after the clean where sometimes thkings like grouting can be removed by the cleaning process

The buildings standards in Spain, not just on here, are never as good as a UK property, especially when it comes to plastering and painting, howvever the general quality of the finish at Corvera is better than a number of other local developments, the external areas in particular are much better

Yes they are rushing and yes not necessarily checking the properties well before completion but that´s why I have a job

In Spain real wood is quite expensive to it is normal that we see MDF used for internal doors, skirting, kitchen doors etc and if it were my property one of the first things I would do is change the kitchen cupboard doors as the carcases are fine

As I have said previously yes the quality of the internal fittings at RODA are better however what has been provided is what is in the contracts 

One thing that I would have liked to have seen are roller shutters on all windows and doors plus I have had a survey done by the Mozi screen man today and he has confirmed that there will be certain windows, the type that open outwards form the bottom, where it will not be possible to fit screens

I think the the large main window the first thing I would do is fit reflective type coating to the window, amybe the same on the patio doors, tp reflect the heat and protect furniture from sun damage

I do not feel that the finsh will in anyway detract from the rental opportunity and once furnished the properties will look good, certainly I stlll belive that the setting is great and has a very spacious feeling   

We have only had 3 people that have not completed and this was on the basis that the block, pools, access road and parking area were not finished. The properties themselves were finished and checked but Corvera did not apply any pressure to the buyer and the agreements is that we will check all of this prior to completion to verify that these areas are finished and send photographs to the buyers

We were told today that the utility connection would take 2-3 weeks the main issue being water bit agin this is normal for this area but again it means that you will not be able to complete and move in immediately

You should not really furnish the property until the snagging is done, period quoted by the developer 30 days

Again for the record if the property has a COH, if the snagging is the normal paint tiling etc type defects, you cannot legally refuse to complete

Thank you Roy for replying.  I do appreciate your personal opinion, as well as your professional one, as you have seen many developments.  This gives you the obvious benefit of comparison.  I would be interested in a quote for the Mozi screens and also the reflective coating on windows not able to have them fitted.

Anita

Just thought i would add a little comment to this thread.

it does appear that after reading quite a few posts on here and elsewhere that Calidona are sacrificing quality for quantity. Why is this the case? Why does everyone feel that RODA is a far superior product? I imagine that we are probably paying more for Corvera than what Roda cost so how come its not as good or better?

P.Wilson i am afraid that your comment  "We have all paid a premium price for these properties so expect a good finish but priority I am sure for most of us is enjoying the setting and scenery and the developer has certainly delivered on this. " kind of sums up why Calidona dont really care,  the bricks and mortar is what you own and you are happy to sacrifice quality of build for a view that nature gave you and not Calidona.

how many more times are we going to hear that its not Calidonas fault and they are trying hard..i am afraid its absolute shxt, they are breaking every promise that was made when we all bought 4 years ago. Roy makes 2 good points, firstly he says they are rushing to build these things..i guess they should be rushing considering these were meant to be delivered 2 years ago! (remember that was prior to the current recession) and secondly he says the following "Again based purely on consumer law and the delivery of the properties, compared to the agreed build specification, that I have seen, I cannot see any grounds for a claim

Now quality and expectations is a whole different story "...... Well its pretty simple , we were expecting a quality product because we paid more than the other shxt on the market  and we believed Calidonas sales pitch when they said it was going to be a fantastic place to equal or surpass Roda.. I guess that makes us stupid for believing them!!.. by the way does anyone have any idea where that hotel is? or when the PGA are going to take up residency? or the extensive sports facilities and shops??.. ..

oh well, never mind....at least the view is nice.

Spanhod,

I very much agree with your sentiments.

I also think the statement 'based purely on consumer law and the delivery of the properties, compared to the agreed build specification, that I have seen, I cannot see any grounds for a claim' is only true if grounds for a claim were based purely on build specification. Fortunately, in Spain, consumer law and grounds to make a valid claim encompass many other areas apart from build specification. You don't need to hire a solicitor to advise you about this - just read Maria's blogs on this website.

Regards,

Ash

Thanks for running down the site I have just invested in.

1. When we had our air conditioning fitted the company that installed were impresed with all aspects of plumbing, both for pre install of airconditioning and general pipework.

2. We had a snagging list of about 15 small points e.g. patches of plaster etc.  In comparison to this country when we bought a new house we had over 50 snagging issues.

3. Prefer the floor tiles as they are less slippy when wet.

4. Pools are fenced for increased safety.

In general the finish on the apartment was as expected having seen the show house all those years ago.

I get the feeling that some on this site are now looking for any excuse not to complete, due to investment decisions and unforeseen circumstances.

Different sites are bound to have different finishes especially over the timescale some seem to be considering.

A satisfied completer looking forward to a Summer in the sun.

icspain

I've purchased new properties in the UK where snagging lists have gone into 3 figures.  It sounds like the snagging on Corvera is "par for the course" - unfortunately this is the only par you will be able to get at the moment - sorry!

Well played icspain

I too think there are far too many people detracting from the real issue in that we all HOPE that the development reaches its full potential

I have invested in  a magnolia villia on phase 2 due to complete in Dec 2009... so see you in the clubhouse for a beer... and very best of luck to you

a normal realistic buyer just looking for a nice holiday home with LONG TERM  investment and rental potential

Baloo

Hi Baloo

So a " normal realalistic buyer " waits for over 4 years (2 overdue) then thinks that is Ok ?

Dont you think thats a tad overdue, would you wait that long for a House in the UK ?( the extra 2 years )

Hi icspain, 

On your snagging did you check for the MDF ? I dont remember that on the list

If Calidona had finsihed as stated then there would be no need for your comment of people looking  for excuses to complete

I think Calidona has brought that on themselves , They are quick to use the recession as a weapon in their defence but when   a puchaser does they dont listen !

I truley wish you both the very best , but from my expierence at Roda I would not hold your breath , You will be told many things from Corvera regarding the Resort lets hope they can stick to their word because they havnt so far and i dont see that changing

I hope I am wrong but if i was a betting man

Regards

 hi,

russ are you apologising for the quality of joke or the quality of the site??

icspain , im sorry but your 4 points are a little toothless on the positive side of things..plumbing,tiles and a fenced in pool are hardly the things that we sooo excited about when we bought these places...but i guess thats all part of the process of  slowly but surely having your expectations and dreams reduced into being happy that "its not that bad considering"..

It is bad and i dont apologise for being one of those that is really pissed off that we are all ,whether investors,lifestylers,completors or non-completors getting  right royally ripped off by an unscrupulous builder who just wants to take our cash and deliver a product that we didnt sign up for.

Baloo we are all normal and realistic but i guess some of us are a bit more realistic than others...LONG TERM??please explain.. we all bought something that is not and will not be delivered as sold..we can all pretend that we will be onside in 10 yrs time but that is not the point..the point is we all expected there to be hotel,shops,PGA TOUR,sports facilities, etc etc etc....where are they?? If they are not being delivered then why the hell should we be paying for  them? because the prices we are paying are reflecting these promises. How can anyone be satisfied?

For the investors out there , how can you expect anyone to want to rent one of these places in the next few years ,with an incomplete resort and a real lack of facilities?.. for the lifestylers what sort of place is it going to be to have a holiday?... for all owners ..just look at the problems that have occured at roda(see roda site) and then imagine how bad it is going to be at Corvera (which is an inferior resort by all accounts).

not putting a downer on it just putting a realistic perspective on what we are all going through.