12 Mar 2007 1:04 AM:

 Peter C    I have a property on La finca and have spent the last 6months over there and my experience is that if you are in your property then that is the time when you are most likely to be broken into as you have all your valuble items with you like credit card,mobile phone, passport,money,cameras, etc,etc so this is the time to be more aware.Also be careful not to leave your windows open as it is quite easy for the unsavoury characters about to gain access to your valuables with what is know as the fishing rod technique, Also make sure when you go out that you  dead lock the front door as it is quite easy to gain entry and you may find any insurance claim may be invalid. If you find yourself locked  give me a call and i may be able to save you a great deal of money as a locksmith will charge you 150euros for a five minute job. You will also find that most breakins occur at the beginning of completion when new people are moving in and are at their most vulnerable and not really wise as to what is going on in the area, as they are so ivolved with moving into their new home it is quite easy to forget about security, having said that all in all if you are aware of the problems which arent as bad as you may think you will have a great investment and nice holiday home to enjoy, I have not yet had security grilles fitted but have inside security measures installed and have actually had one breakin foiled but i am not getting too complaicant yet heres hoping.

          HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL .......................

Community thread: Veronica

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12 Mar 2007 12:35 AM:

Hi all,

 i too have a property on La finca and i think this 1500euros seems to be a bit of a contention as its not really made clear when your agent gives you details of the costs involved when buying. I have had different feedback  from various people about this and i have also heard that you may be able to claim some of this cost back as a rebate but i am not sure just yet ,details to follow as soon as i know. If you havent got your gas water and electricity on direct debit you will find that you get cut off pretty quickly if you are not in your property when the non payment is issued you get about 2days at the most, and then you have to pay a reconnection charge. One other problem we have been having is with the water pressure and pipes being blown off and flooding the garden or underbuild, i have turned the pressure down to compensate so as to try and reduce the amount of water going through the meter tillsomebody notices and turns it off or contacrs the office at La finca.

Community thread: What to Eat (and drink ! ) in the "real" Spain

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