# Signs of poverty/crisis in Oliva area



## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

Hi Stravinsky

I've addressed this query to you as I know you live in the Oliva area. Are there many signs of the crisis and poverty in Oliva? We were there about 5 weeks ago and everything looked fairly normal.

Do you have any idea how many Brits or other ex-pats live in that area? I would like to move to a typically Spanish area but with a few foreigners who can speak English (or French or German maybe) for when my Spanish gives up the ghost


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Wannabe Expat said:


> Hi Stravinsky
> 
> I've addressed this query to you as I know you live in the Oliva area. Are there many signs of the crisis and poverty in Oliva? We were there about 5 weeks ago and everything looked fairly normal.
> 
> Do you have any idea how many Brits or other ex-pats live in that area? I would like to move to a typically Spanish area but with a few foreigners who can speak English (or French or German maybe) for when my Spanish gives up the ghost


Your first sentence describes it. I dont really see any difference between now and 5 years ago. However, I know there is a difference because a local builder now works in our local bar. There are, maybe, a few more beggars outside the supermarket.

But visually, nothing is really different. Cant explain why ... I just dont know

How many expats ... I'm not sure, although I guess there are more in the old town because the houses are cheaper up there

I cant remember ...... are you buying or renting? A really nice place has just gone up for sale nearby


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## Guest (May 16, 2012)

I know you probably meant it in an entirely different way, and some might think I need kicking into touch for saying this, but isn`t that a bit crass?


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

Stravinsky said:


> Your first sentence describes it. I dont really see any difference between now and 5 years ago. However, I know there is a difference because a local builder now works in our local bar. There are, maybe, a few more beggars outside the supermarket.
> 
> But visually, nothing is really different. Cant explain why ... I just dont know
> 
> ...



We would prefer to buy, but are thinking of waiting about a year to see how the property market goes - most people seem to think that prices have not bottomed out yet and are likely to go down another 20%+. We will only be spending up to 60000 Euros as we will be keeping our house in the UK and living off my pension + the balance of our capital. I have been told that some of the areas in Oliva are not good and that's why they are cheap but have no idea which these 'bad' areas are. I quite fancy an old town house and amazingly there are some available in our price range. I wouldn't mind a flat as they are ligher and airier but am concerned about community charges which can be a bit of an unknown quantity.

We will probably come out on holiday some time and have a good look around. there seem to be a lot of properties on the market that seem to be sticking.

There was a group of Brits in a bar on one of the squares at the lower end of the old town having a jam session on their guitars when we were there, so we know there are some British ex-pats. Can't remember the name of the bar but the owner was a very nice lady (originally from the Balkans I think) who was really friendly


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

*Signs of poverty/crisis in Oliva*



Yossa said:


> I know you probably meant it in an entirely different way, and some might think I need kicking into touch for saying this, but isn`t that a bit crass?


Hi Jossa

I assume you were referring to my penultimate post. Sorry if it came out as crass! I was not trying to say that I prefer the company of the locals to British or other ex-pats - merely that I would prefer to live in a typically Spanish area. Hope that explains what I meant to say better


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

*Wannabe Expat*, 
I think the problem is that you have fallen into the trap of saying you are looking for a 'typically Spanish' area.
Many people on here will tell you that typically Spanish is very hard to define and that even an area where there are many immigrants will still be predominantly Spanish in many ways. 
But having said that, I'm sure we really know what you mean! 

You want to enjoy your time in Spain living among the local Spanish population, but realise that it helps at times to be able to talk to other immigrants to the area.

I also realise how difficult it is trying to work out what an area will be like (in any country, not just Spain) before you live there.
And that's why many here would recommend that you rent first. Then at least you can move if you don't like the area you have chosen and try again elsewhere.

So, I think you have chosen the correct option to rent for a year and wait and see on property values.
There is very little chance (if any!) of property prices rising in the near future, so I'm sure that your 60,000 euros will still get you a decent, smallish property in a years time, or even later.
And you will have time to get to know the local estate agents and look for private property sales.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Wannabe Expat said:


> Hi Jossa
> 
> I assume you were referring to my penultimate post. Sorry if it came out as crass! I was not trying to say that I prefer the company of the locals to British or other ex-pats - merely that I would prefer to live in a typically Spanish area. Hope that explains what I meant to say better


The problem is that over the years nearly all Brits have wanted to move to a typically Spanish area, so they have. The consequence of that is that the "so called" typically Spanish areas have become diluted and not typically Spanish (whatever that is these days). Couple that with the fact that the Spanish are now european. These areas you are looking for arent really how you think they are. 

Dont forget that you are British, you will subconsciously gravitate towards Britishness. Interestingly the most "typically spanish" towns/pueblos I can think of are inhabited by mainly expats lol!!!!


Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Is Dover 'British'? Or Rochdale? Or Birmingham?

Benidorm is as Spanish as the remotest pueblo. As is Lavenham as English as Leicester.
They all represent different types of 'Spanishness' or' Englishness', whatever is meant by those concepts.

The second a couple of British immigrants arrive in a tiny village they impact on its 'authenticity' . That's life all over the EU in the twenty-first century.

To get back to your original point: local unemployment is officially at 34% here, but I suspect it is over 40%. 
But there are no riots or civil disorder.
But there are beggars -Spanish beggars - on the streets. There is rising crime. There is resentment of job-seeking immigrants. There is anti-immigrant graffiti. The local Caritas branch is opening a comedor social (soup kitchen). Fliers appear on lampposts offering work at degrading hourly rates. People are coming to our kennels distraught asking us to take much-loved pets they can no longer afford to properly care for. People are buying cigarettes in twos and threes. 
And more.
All this a mere short drive from the 'Golden Mile' and the fleshpots (and boarded-up shops and bars) of Marbella.
People have to eat so yes, supermarkets will be full. Shopping centres may be crowded - what do people do on a day out these days? Go shopping - but sales are down.
I think it depends how closely you are in touch with the Spanish economy rather than the Brit immigrant economy. I get feedback not only from our perrera but our 100% Spanish charity shop. I also live in a house on a street in a Spanish area and get daily updates from my neighbours on how things are.
But when I socialise with British, German or Dutch friends the mood and picture are completely different. These people have money to spend. Restaurants which cater for immigrants seem to be doing OK if not brilliantly.
Then there is of course the black economy which keeps many unemployed people from real poverty.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Is Dover 'British'? Or Rochdale? Or Birmingham?
> 
> Benidorm is as Spanish as the remotest pueblo. As is Lavenham as English as Leicester.
> They all represent different types of 'Spanishness' or' Englishness', whatever is meant by those concepts.
> ...


I agree. I don't think the amount of people in supermarkets and shoppping centres reflects the impact of the crisis, for the reasons that you give. It may do in the UK, I don't know. People have to eat and usually go to supermarkets to get their food. What they are buying is more telling and I believe there has been a pretty big increase in the sale of own brand goods. And shopping centres. Here many people see a trip to the shopping centre as something to do - I don't know about in other countries. Also, as I've said before, those who've got money have actually got increased spending power as prices of clothes have either stabilised or gone down, you can get holiday bargains by the bin full, cars are as cheap as chips compared to a couple of years ago... It's true that petrol and electricity have gone up considerably too, though.
I think you can see effects of the crisis in bars, shops that close down, who's in the park with the kids at playtime, the price of a menu del día, the price of houses, the number of kids who are staying on at school - things other than supermarkets and shops.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

I wonder if the richer immigrants will be resented as well as the poor ones who take Spanish jobs. On the face of it they should be welcomed as they bring much needed money to the area but it doesn't always work like that...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jimenato said:


> I wonder if the richer immigrants will be resented as well as the poor ones who take Spanish jobs. On the face of it they should be welcomed as they bring much needed money to the area but it doesn't always work like that...


I think that will largely depend on their behaviour. We live in a big house in a 'nice' area but we are in no way 'rich' as in 'affluent'. We have no wealth to flaunt. Because living in this house takes up a large proportion of our income we have a modest lifestyle. 
We eat in local cafes and restaurants, our LandRover is rather battered from the perrera trips -you know all about that, Simon! - we speak Spanish, albeit ungrammatically and we don't get pissed and bare our backsides in public (thank God for that, you may think, having met us...)

People who order waiters or shop assistants about loudly in English, behave in a way that many Spaniards consider shocking or at least immodest and act as if they were in Dorking or Dagenham imo deserve to be resented by Spanish people.

I resent them!!!!


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

Solwriter said:


> *Wannabe Expat*,
> I think the problem is that you have fallen into the trap of saying you are looking for a 'typically Spanish' area.
> Many people on here will tell you that typically Spanish is very hard to define and that even an area where there are many immigrants will still be predominantly Spanish in many ways.
> But having said that, I'm sure we really know what you mean!
> ...


Yes - got it in one Unfortunately though we are still stuck in the UK and I will be working full time for about a year or so before we move. I am trying to work out some sort of provisional budget but seem to be finding conflicting information online about the income tax allowances. Will investigate further! I think we will probably holiday in the area again before making the move and have also got a contact in Oliva - the owner of the flat we rented in the old town in Oliva recently. She's really friendly and helpful.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

You can get a property for 60k euros?????

Where????


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> You can get a property for 60k euros?????
> 
> Where????



Loads on the market round Oliva and that's just the ones on the net - some of them are flats but others are old town houses in the old town of Oliva. Full of character!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> You can get a property for 60k euros?????
> 
> Where????


casas en oliva. pisos en oliva — idealista.com


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## Guest (May 17, 2012)

You`d be surprised at what 60K would get you around here. Well, apart from 60,000 bottles of Alhambra, there quite a few properties around that price.

Mmm Alhambra...


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Yossa said:


> You`d be surprised at what 60K would get you around here. Well, apart from 60,000 bottles of Alhambra, there quite a few properties around that price.
> 
> Mmm Alhambra...


The stuff in the green bottles? Careful with that - it's strong

Yep - you can pick up a village house around here for that - might need a bit doing to it. Wait a bit longer and there will be many more at that price.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> ... and bare our backsides in public (thank God for that, you may think, having met us...)


Stop it!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Why oh why did my son and dil choose to buy property in one of the most expensive areas in Andalucia.......That's why we are here, because we used their house as a base until we found our own.....
Houses go for 600000 euros or more round here.
It's a nice area, true, but so are many other areas.....which are obviously not as expensive.

Even an adosado with two bedrooms will sell for up to 200000 euros. Pisos going at 250000 euros upwards.

But I've noticed no-one seems to be buying....and the number for sale increases almost weekly.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Why oh why did my son and dil choose to buy property in one of the most expensive areas in Andalucia.......That's why we are here, because we used their house as a base until we found our own.....
> Houses go for 600000 euros or more round here.
> It's a nice area, true, but so are many other areas.....which are obviously not as expensive.
> 
> ...


Is that what they are advertised for or what they are selling for? The houses that are selling around here are going for about half of what I would have expected 5 years ago and they are only being sold by Brits. Spanish owned houses are on the market at 2007 prices and they won't sell at that.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> You can get a property for 60k euros?????
> 
> Where????


Ours, lol!
Or, at least, that was the valuation we got a few months ago, but it is probably worth a fair bit less than that now. 

3 bedroom (if you count the boxroom  ) fully modernised, village property, with large living room, fully-fitted galley kitchen, and large, modern bathroom, outside patio, large balcony on the first floor, and roof terrace. Phone line, ADSL and small TV satellite thrown in. 

Beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, local shop, market, school, health centre and bars... plus a bus service (well... sort of!). 8 minutes from the main road into the historical and cosmopolitan city of Granada....
I could go on... 

Sounds good doesn't it?

Now if only we could sell it....


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> Ours, lol!
> Or, at least, that was the valuation we got a few months ago, but it is probably worth a fair bit less than that now.
> 
> 3 bedroom (if you count the boxroom  ) fully modernised, village property, with large living room, fully-fitted galley kitchen, and large, modern bathroom, outside patio, large balcony on the first floor, and roof terrace. Phone line, ADSL and small TV satellite thrown in.
> ...


Yes - that certainly does sound good! There must be a catch...


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

jimenato said:


> Yes - that certainly does sound good! There must be a catch...


As if there would be! 

But in all seriousness, the bottom began to fall out of the Granada property market (as regards UK expats anyway), when UK flights stopped at Granada airport, particularly Monarch who provided several flights a week to the South of England.
Before that (and of course the full recession), Granada Airport saw many Brits come and go each week between Granada and the UK.
Granada was at that time becoming 'the next place' to buy.

In 2007, our house was valued at 120,000 euros, and although that was probably a hopeful estimate, had we been selling then, we would have held out for offers of 100k and over.
But to be honest, even if we sold our house for 60k, we would just about be in profit, because we bought it privately and it was very, _very_ cheap.
It was actually the cost of almost entirely rebuilding the property that we spent the most part of our money on.

But finding something for that price back in the UK....


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

But I suppose this is about Oliva, which is where the OP is considering living.

Property IS cheap in the Old Town. Theres a reason for it. There are a lot of very old houses up there and they are all feeling the test of time. Theres also been a crime wave there in the last month or so. I think the guardia are in control now, but it hasnt been too nice ... and a lot of the places dont seem to have house alarms

In the "main" town there are a lot of low price flats, but as I said (I think) elsewhere, you can go a little way out to smaller villages and get a lot better deal / value.

I know we touched on this before, but Oliva IS noisy at nice ... well, it can be .. especially during fiestas.

There are a few restaurants that have been offering Crisi menus over the last year, so I guess that is a sign of the crisis, but then I went inland to Bocairent today and found menus for €7, which is cheaper than many around here


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

*Oliva to live in*



Stravinsky said:


> But I suppose this is about Oliva, which is where the OP is considering living.
> 
> Property IS cheap in the Old Town. Theres a reason for it. There are a lot of very old houses up there and they are all feeling the test of time. Theres also been a crime wave there in the last month or so. I think the guardia are in control now, but it hasnt been too nice ... and a lot of the places dont seem to have house alarms
> 
> ...


That's interesting. I quite like hustle and bustle in the day time and am sure would love all the fiestas (We were there during the Easter weekend but then that's not very boisterous compared with Fallas I would think. ) Don't like getting disturbed at night though and certainly not by burglars What about Pego? We have been through there a few times and it looks lovely. Can't go too far from a supermarket in case we end up not being able to drive. What other towns or villages would you recommend in that area?

Have discovered that some of the flats are on the fifth floor 'sin ascensor'! Not suitable for us when we get older - OK now but not sure that a good idea to buy at this stage.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Solwriter said:


> Ours, lol!
> Or, at least, that was the valuation we got a few months ago, but it is probably worth a fair bit less than that now.
> 
> 3 bedroom (if you count the boxroom  ) fully modernised, village property, with large living room, fully-fitted galley kitchen, and large, modern bathroom, outside patio, large balcony on the first floor, and roof terrace. Phone line, ADSL and small TV satellite thrown in.
> ...


Well, the way you describe it, I'd buy it....Trouble is, though, we're too settled here now. Too many friends made, too much involvement in the community.

Plus the fact that OH enjoys the proximity of places like Marbella and Puerto Banus for shopping etc.
That's why my dil bought here...and she and OH have much in common.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jimenato said:


> Is that what they are advertised for or what they are selling for? The houses that are selling around here are going for about half of what I would have expected 5 years ago and they are only being sold by Brits. Spanish owned houses are on the market at 2007 prices and they won't sell at that.


Tbh I don't think many are selling. There are big houses round here that have been on the market for at least four years.

A friend put her house on the market for a 'quick sale'. She said she wanted 500000 euros in her hand after all taxes etc. were paid. The best offer she got was 400000 euros, not enough to buy her a property in the area of the UK she wanted to buy in.
So she has taken the house off the market and has decided to continue renting it to wealthy Russians for 3k euros a week in July/August.
She then moves to a small flat she owns.
Not something I'd like to do. She has to box up all her personal stuff and store it in the garage.
My dil also took a property she owns off the market this month as she was getting 'silly' offers from people who wrongly assumed she was desperate to sell.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Tbh I don't think many are selling. There are big houses round here that have been on the market for at least four years.
> 
> A friend put her house on the market for a 'quick sale'. She said she wanted 500000 euros in her hand after all taxes etc. were paid. The best offer she got was 400000 euros, not enough to buy her a property in the area of the UK she wanted to buy in.
> So she has taken the house off the market and has decided to continue renting it to wealthy Russians for 3k euros a week in July/August.
> ...


that link I gave you is one I've been looking at quite a bit recently

there are some repossessions local to me going at very tempting prices - properties I never thought I'd be able to afford - & even at 100% mortgage they are at about half what I pay in rent (not that I'd actually want a 100% mortgage, there lies the way to trouble) - some have dropped the asking price by 30% & more, just in the past few weeks.......... & they are at about 1/3 or less than the pre-crisis prices!

I'm tempted............ but waiting a little bit longer


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

I've seen houses down to 35k, & liveable but requiring tlc. I remember looking at a 4 bed flat in Oliva that required renovation in 2002 ; going for 38K .Also a house in the old town at 48k. This was right on a narrow road & would've been a nightmare to refurbish but the flat was huge & we were seriously tempted.
I've noticed that Servihabitat, the house sale arm of La Caixa is now offering many of their resale properties for rent & at sensible money.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Wannabe Expat said:


> That's interesting. I quite like hustle and bustle in the day time and am sure would love all the fiestas (We were there during the Easter weekend but then that's not very boisterous compared with Fallas I would think. ) Don't like getting disturbed at night though and certainly not by burglars What about Pego? We have been through there a few times and it looks lovely. Can't go too far from a supermarket in case we end up not being able to drive. What other towns or villages would you recommend in that area?
> 
> Have discovered that some of the flats are on the fifth floor 'sin ascensor'! Not suitable for us when we get older - OK now but not sure that a good idea to buy at this stage.



Pego is nice, a little further inland .... but you are close to Val D'ebo and that area just inland which is lovely.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> that link I gave you is one I've been looking at quite a bit recently
> 
> there are some repossessions local to me going at very tempting prices - properties I never thought I'd be able to afford - & even at 100% mortgage they are at about half what I pay in rent (not that I'd actually want a 100% mortgage, there lies the way to trouble) - some have dropped the asking price by 30% & more, just in the past few weeks.......... & they are at about 1/3 or less than the pre-crisis prices!
> 
> I'm tempted............ but waiting a little bit longer





I'm not tempted, not now..Not owning property has come to be a considerable weight of our shoulders.

About twenty years ago I got bitten by the 'development' bug and bought, refurbished then rented out a few properties, very small-scale. When the tenants became an irritant and the properties needed expensive repairs I got fed up and sold them...

We kept our lovely old cottage and the apartment in the former woollen mill in Canada until 2007 and we sold them and our business premises. For decades we were the owners of properties and now we own nothing and we're happy.

It seems as if our pool pump has packed up.....A phone call to our landlord and I'll be able to get it repaired and deduct from the next tranche of rent payable....


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> I'm not tempted, not now..Not owning property has come to be a considerable weight of our shoulders.
> 
> About twenty years ago I got bitten by the 'development' bug and bought, refurbished then rented out a few properties, very small-scale. When the tenants became an irritant and the properties needed expensive repairs I got fed up and sold them...
> 
> ...


yes - not having to pay for repairs etc. is one of the best things about renting


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

*Crimewave in old Oliva*



Stravinsky said:


> But I suppose this is about Oliva, which is where the OP is considering living.
> 
> Property IS cheap in the Old Town. Theres a reason for it. There are a lot of very old houses up there and they are all feeling the test of time. Theres also been a crime wave there in the last month or so. I think the guardia are in control now, but it hasnt been too nice ... and a lot of the places dont seem to have house alarms
> 
> ...


 Hi Stravinsky - When you say there's been a bit of a crime wave in the old town area of Oliva, do you mean burglaries or muggings? Not sure how any burglar would access the old town houses. They all had very solid thick wooden doors and bars on the windows at ground floor level.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Wannabe Expat said:


> Hi Stravinsky - When you say there's been a bit of a crime wave in the old town area of Oliva, do you mean burglaries or muggings? Not sure how any burglar would access the old town houses. They all had very solid thick wooden doors and bars on the windows at ground floor level.


Our perrera has solid doors and bars on each window.

According to the police the burglars used a car jack on the rejas and a crowbar on the door.

Having had the unpleasant experience of being burgled ourselves, we now make sure the persianas are down, the alarm is on and the windows are securely closed - we have rejas too.

But as we know from experience of break-ins at our business premises in the UK, determined thieves will get in...


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## Wannabe Expat (May 2, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> Our perrera has solid doors and bars on each window.
> 
> According to the police the burglars used a car jack on the rejas and a crowbar on the door.
> 
> ...



Sounds very scary to me!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Wannabe Expat said:


> Sounds very scary to me!


We were walking our 54 kilo of muscle Rhodesian Ridgeback when we returned and disturbed the thieves. Our dog chased them down the garden but they were at the 2m high wall which they leapt over a in a style worthy of the forthcoming Olympics.


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## rimini (May 21, 2012)

My sister was burgled in the old town over the easter weekend, they had broken into next door, climbed over the roof and got into her property through the kitchen door, apparantley there was quite a few break ins over that week


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Wannabe Expat said:


> Hi Stravinsky - When you say there's been a bit of a crime wave in the old town area of Oliva, do you mean burglaries or muggings? Not sure how any burglar would access the old town houses. They all had very solid thick wooden doors and bars on the windows at ground floor level.


Well they do. They get access through an empty house (of which there are many used as holiday homes) and go in through the back terraces and over the roofs. Theres a facebook group called the Oliva Tattler iirc, and they were pulling the neighbours together and trying to get the police to act

Thick wooden doors mean nothing. They can get through those, and bars can be removed with a car jack.
You need an alarm to be sure


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> Well they do. They get access through an empty house (of which there are many used as holiday homes) and go in through the back terraces and over the roofs. Theres a facebook group called the Oliva Tattler iirc, and they were pulling the neighbours together and trying to get the police to act
> 
> Thick wooden doors mean nothing. They can get through those, and bars can be removed with a car jack.
> You need an alarm to be sure


Yes, an alarm is a must. After our experience of being burgled we don't leave the house for five minutes even in broad daylight without setting the alarm, locking all doors and windows and putting down persianas.

But if thieves were determined to get in, given time they would.

Our burglars were after our safe which is under the stairs......but we don't know the combination, have lost the key...and we've nothing worth putting in a safe anyway.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

I agree. As someone who was burgled in every house but one that we lived in back in the UK we regard ourselves as more expert than some on this, and basically you can do all you want to your house, but if you aint got an alarm then you take the risk. It's got to be a good alarm, with an exterior box which is out of reach

I dont want to over panic people about old town Oliva. It was a recent spate of burglaries and they knew who it was. I look after a house down there and it was one that was done. Most of the places up there dont have alarms because, I think, people are lulled into a false sense of security because it is a busy tight knit area. However at 4 am anything can happen and no one will know until it is too late.

If you go to live there, get an alarm


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> I agree. As someone who was burgled in every house but one that we lived in back in the UK we regard ourselves as more expert than some on this, and basically you can do all you want to your house, but if you aint got an alarm then you take the risk. It's got to be a good alarm, with an exterior box which is out of reach
> 
> I dont want to over panic people about old town Oliva. It was a recent spate of burglaries and they knew who it was. I look after a house down there and it was one that was done. Most of the places up there dont have alarms because, I think, people are lulled into a false sense of security because it is a busy tight knit area. However at 4 am anything can happen and no one will know until it is too late.
> 
> If you go to live there, get an alarm


Every word you say is true....But....

I tested out our alarm company by deliberately setting off our alarm. It took a good two minutes before the call came asking for the code. I suspect that at least five to ten minutes would elapse before anyone arrived....

When we were burgled it took the police over twenty minutes to arrive. I had a surreal conversation with the Emergency Operator who asked me in all seriousness'Are the robbers still in the house with you?' ....I successfully fought the urge to say, 'Yes, they're making a cup of tea while I speak to you...'

In the UK our business office premises were connected to the police station...they usually arrived within five minutes. One night we got a call at 02.00 from the police asking us to come with keys to our premises. We had both been drinking (champagne, we were celebrating something) and 'smoking'. At least I could stand up straight and was coherent but no way could I drive so I had to call our General Manager who, like any sensible sober person, was fast asleep. He wasn't best pleased but came to collect me and drove me to the office and the police where I made Herculean efforts to sound compos mentis.

I'm not saying that alarms are useless, far from it. Merely that gaining entry to your property in the first place has to be made as difficult and time-consuming -and noisy - as possible.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Stravinsky said:


> However at 4 am anything can happen and no one will know until it is too late.


Please note this is not in the Oliva area, but I thought it was pertinent anyway
That's certainly true!
I live in a street of ordinary terraced houses where 99% of the cars are parked in the street 'cos the garages have been converted in to living space. Earlier on in the year a neighbour rang the door to tell us that 2 windows on the car had been smashed. When we went to the street we found that 23 cars had been affected in all the Urba. 23!! The strange thing was that little had been taken, in fact they left a sweat shirt in our car! Somebody's kid had left a mobile in the car and that wasn't taken. A neighbour's tools were taken out of his van, but not stolen. It seems to have been pure vandalsim. But, getting back to what Stravinski said, nobody heard or saw anything, with dogs in loads of houses, youngsters getting home at 4, 5, 6 o' clock in the morning...

Another thing, referring to safes, as posted by mrypg9. My advice would be to find the key, or to force it open and leave it open and gaping (take the door off). I know somebody who was subject to a pretty violent session in their home because the thieves wanted to get into the safe. Even though they told them there was nothing inside, the burglars thought they were lying.

Another person I know has a safe in a remote part of his garden, which sounds a much better option to me if you really want to have a safe. Personally, I'd do, and do (!) without one.

Please note this is not in the Oliva area, but I thought it was pertinent anyway


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> Every word you say is true....But....
> 
> I tested out our alarm company by deliberately setting off our alarm. It took a good two minutes before the call came asking for the code. I suspect that at least five to ten minutes would elapse before anyone arrived....
> 
> ...


This is true. Here, an alarm is the clincher. It's at the top of our house out of reach. It alerts via SMS to a locksmith and three other points. We're on the top of a mountain which has just two ways off. They know they have a 50 / 50 chance of getting off the mountain, so they they are more likely to go for a non alarmed house.

In the UK, we were burgled in just one house that had an alam, and that was our own fault. It was a bungalow, wasnt connected to anyone, and they just smashed the box off the wall. Strangely one day later we received a visit from ADT Alarms. Strange that. Another copper on commission I suppose


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> [COLOR=Red
> Another thing, referring to safes, as posted by mrypg9. My advice would be to find the key, or to force it open and leave it open and gaping (take the door off). I know somebody who was subject to a pretty violent session in their home because the thieves wanted to get into the safe. Even though they told them there was nothing inside, the burglars thought they were lying.
> [/COLOR]


That is excellent advice!! I'm going to get a chisel.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> That is excellent advice!! I'm going to get a chisel.


Hahaha!

Tell Sandra to get ready with the first aid kit/ car keys for when you bash your thumb with the mallet!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> That is excellent advice!! I'm going to get a chisel.


Any progress been made with this??


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Any progress been made with this??


mrpg9 is also known as "fingers", and wont have any problem with the safe cracking


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Any progress been made with this??



Err..it's halfway off the wall..


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## dave71us (May 24, 2012)

*Sad*



Wannabe Expat said:


> Hi Stravinsky
> 
> I've addressed this query to you as I know you live in the Oliva area. Are there many signs of the crisis and poverty in Oliva? We were there about 5 weeks ago and everything looked fairly normal.
> 
> Do you have any idea how many Brits or other ex-pats live in that area? I would like to move to a typically Spanish area but with a few foreigners who can speak English (or French or German maybe) for when my Spanish gives up the ghost


It's so sad that Spain's economy is collapsing. 
What a noble country and what a great place to be!

Makes me sad.
D.


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