[GAGNAPPEAPH]

Having Purchased In Ga Im Interesed To Know From People Who Have Purchased In The Past,if There Is Anything They Would Have Got Done To Their House Before Completion(ie More Sockets,aircon And Possible Alarms)

[Duseshoug]

If you can get in before hand over. Try to get grills measured and arranged before you move in. Iron art. John Peers. Iron Art use solid bar be careful of cheap hollow bar grills these can be prised apart with a car jack. This would be the most important. Most people change the locks if its a new build. David Krouse lock smith can do you a on key system for all locks if you want this. You may find that the electric trips out if fully loaded. Try out before you upgrade. Alarm is a good idea Steve Bacon, Electronica Pichler can advise. Alarm systems from €295 up to fully monitored systems. If not yet built you can get pre installation on air con. (if the buildrs allow access) This makes the job neater.



Information on these companies via www.businessgroup.es link on this site.

[Agehoobionibe]

Would You Still Put On The Grills Or Just Have A Better Alarm System.

[JaK_MarkoV_Pi]

Do Agree With You There Dont Want My House To Look Like A Prison But The Thing Is Will Not Be There All Of The Time.hoping To Move Out Permantely In Couple Of Years.

[genna]

Not Being To Nosey But How Much Would System Cost Overall

[mQb0aVZe]

Crime is not high in GA and you should not be put off by the odd occasion. This happens every where. We find that having grills fitted allows you to leave windows open all night and sleep secure. Gran Alacnt being near to the coast benifits from the sea breezes. This allow for a comfortable nights sleep without having to leave the aircon on. We do not have aircon and have managed to get through two summers without feeling to uncomfortable. Electricity is very expensive and if you run the aircon all night, as you would need to with windows locked, will very quickly run up very heafty bills.

[casinobonusese]

Hello.

Speaking from experience.
1) Please Paul can you edit your first entry don't want to give people ideas when they are not required.

2) Physical security first, then electronic security second for peace of mind.
When installing or having an alarm installed make sure it is a monitored system. No response to an alarm activation is pointless.

Please remember people it is not only members? who view this forum.

[spamkillerf]

get good grilles fitted. Totally agree with Quaysider. Also window locks. Get all the door locks - and this includes door grills - changed to the high security type as soon as you can. Throw the old ones away. That way you hopefully won't run the risk of any unauthorised 'spare' keys floating around the area.

From the second you move in BE ON YOUR GUARD. Keep your doors and windows locked behind you at all times. Don't leave doors / windows open or property unguarded even for a second. Moving into a property seems to be - from posts on here over the last 2/3 years - the most vulnerable time when thieves strike. Later on - after everyone's moved in - it all seems to settle down - but we're always wary.

Buy a couple of bicycle locks and put them around your front gates so they can't get stolen. Sounds barmy - but it happened a lot on Monte y Mar and they're expensive to replace.

I would also advise that you get stairs handrails fitted (if required) and get the electricity supply upgraded by a certified electrician. Don and Pam Webster can do many jobs for you at great rates. Don did all our lights for us - 21 in total - around the whole house in 2 days.

Get double glazing installed - this can be very cheap at build time. Very often the builders can assist here.

Get yourself a cheap pay-as-you-go Spanish mobile phone - so if anyone from the UK calls you they'll pay for the call - and not you at exorbitant (75p/minute) rates. Moving in time is an expensive time.

Please don't get any negative vibes from this or earlier posts. GA is a fantastic - and safe - place to visit or live. Certainly better than the UK.

... and now the cliches :-

"Better safe than sorry" , "proactive rather than reactive".

Good luck and HAVE FUN !!!!!

[Lgcjqxlw]

Agree with many of the other posts. We had our front garden tiled before moving in by the builder but wish we had waited until we had seen the lay of the land.
Agree about putting gate locks around the garden gates. We also put up the Seco Decor the fake hedging - it looks good, gives a degree of privacy and protects the gates from theft.
We also bought shutter locks so that the shutters can be raised a little and locked in place.
I like the grilles so having them fitted is not a problem for us - don't forget the patio de luz if you have one!
All in all enjoy GA it is a fantastic place

[Britfunclubs]

From personal experience you are most vulnerable when you first take over your house on a new poligono, we had a hit on the first visit in June three years ago and had we not had bars we would have lost a lot,fortunately the scum did not get in, agree that grills are not pretty but they make the house a lot more secure also ventilation is safer, we can lock grill doors and leave normal doors open so that we get a chimney effect that pulls cool air through the house, don't believe that the plastic shutters are secure they are not.Would put grills at the top of my shopping list.

[mireOpekrhype]

In addition to the suggestions above I would install mosquito blinds to the windows, this is the one thing that I havn't done but it will be done before the little blighters arrive next spring/early summer.

I do have air con fitted.....needed in July August September........it is also usefull as heater in the winter months to quickly take the chill off.........however when the mosis are around you cant sleep with the shutters closed and windows open unless you want eating alive.

As noted earlier Pam & Don Webster are a great couple, they installed shower screens, a safe, clothes airers, mirrors, pictures ect ect for us to a very high stsndard and with no mess what so ever. They are also a brilliant source of information.

Before I forget.........on our properties we have a "utility room" (washing machine, tumble drier, boiler, sink) that has a double glazed door leading to the kitchen, however rather than a window being fitted it is semi open to the elements by vitrue of the open lattice blocks used, it looks good and offers the much needed ventillation in this room..........however come the Winter and its freezing, like the majority of my neighbours who use their homes for more that the Summer months I have installed a double glazed sliding window unit..........it does get cold in the winter.

T&M the builders on Novamar install outside taps in the front garden........very useful (I dont know if this is the norm with other builders), they also install a tiled shower area and shower tray on the roof..........I wasn't sure that I would ever use it..........on a hot day when sunbathing on the roof terrace it is brilliant!!!!...........I also have a hose attached to mine and with a simple flick of a switch I can hose down and mop the terrace, far easier than carrying buckets of water upstairs.

Hope all goes well for you,

Regards

John

[lh88gFzI]

A trick to stop your gates being stolen,drill a small hole and screw in a self tapping screw just above the hinges, this stops them being lifted off, chew the slot on the screw and no b****r will get it undone, as from experience when reading about theft and other problems it seems that Gran Alacant place is a hell hole which could not be further from the truth ,we still think buying was the best decision we have made, good luck to new buyers.

[Twelearly]

2 of our neighbors were broken into last week.

it does happen.

also not all grills are like prison bars.

ours are in a very attractive star burst / sunrise pattern which we like

robin..

[oliverlogo]

Hi Robin,
sure this has been asked before ..... but did neighbours have grills, and if so, how did robbers get in.??? as feel semi safe behind grills but maybe not so.??

Val

[77rexulceme]

Hi

Interesting postings especially the reference to a lesser instance of break ins than the UK and therefore not a need for grills. Could it just be that the majority of homes in GA do in fact have Grills fitted and this is preventing break ins. Most criminals look for an easy target and after all there is not much really to steal in an holiday home. The thief is looking for Cash or items that can be turned into cash quickly. Think of it most items are not worth much second hand apart from jewellery.

Do make sure that your insurance covers loss resulting from break ins as not all policy's do.

Most losses can be prevented and are often the result of the losser not taking sufficient care of their property.

Derek

[globjgtyf]

Prosegur GIVE the alarm away and you only pay a monthly monitoring fee. Like Securitas they are a homolagted company registered with the Alicante province. I know Paul is in a difficult position as he feels he has to support fellow members of B.G.E and I respect that but when it comes to security I would only ever put my trust in the hands of one of the big boys Securitas, Prosegur, Eulen etc

Four years ago the Costa Blanca Neighbourhood Watch did a very thorough appraisal of a dozen or so alarm companies and Securitas and Prosegur came out head and shoulders above the rest - bells in boxes are just not sophisticated enough to worry the modern thieves.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a part of a longer article at www.thisisspain.info/advice/the-downside
Good reading with lots of hints re safety and security.

Prosegur are proud to sponsor Torrevieja Neighbourhood Watch
One of the most effective deterrent's against opportunist thieves is a monitored alarm service. Most crime in Spain is opportunist and alarms, quality grilles and secure locks go a long way to protect your property. Prosegur and Costa Blanca Neighbourhood Watch have partnered to offer an unbeatable package on the installation of a monitored system.

Prosegur will supply and install a fully-monitored system using your existing telephone line FREE OF CHARGE. The only additional cost is a low monthly monitoring fee. For full details of this offer please contact the Prosegur Area Manager Juan Luis Rodríguez on 616 358 412 (English, Spanish, French, German) or juan-luis.rodriguez@es.prosegur.com He will be pleased to arrange a no obligation security survey. Please note to claim this offer you must quote the Neighbourhood Watch offer which is now available throughout Spain.

[MarythePuppy6]

On the subject of grilles - I personally think they look quite attractive. I would imagine that historically they were installed for security - crime is not a recent innovation in any country.
I also agree about the mosquito screens. Don and Pam Webster fitted ours a two years ago and they are brilliant - they keep out spiders too and we never have problems with webs even when the house has been empty for awhile.
For those that prefer the mozzie nets over the beds. I believe that Ikea sell them both in the UK and in Spain.
I like the idea of a shower unit on the solarium. Ours doesn't have one and no water supply but it would have been a good idea.

[Bondjrno]

We would be pleased to give you a quote for air conditioning.
Free site survey- no obligation
COOL AND SECURE
info@coolandsecureaircon.com
www.coolandsecureaircon.com
MIKE JONES
0034 678845991

[IteseFrusty]

many thanks to all who replied you answers have been very helpful