From A.. eh, Almere to Almeria: May 2024

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Moving to Aargh 5 - Dacia Jokker

Did we mention there's a new car? Now we did. A Dacia Jokker hybrid.

There are a few reasons for it, here is the first:

The red car now is almost 50 years old, and still quite perky and happy, but it's not too suited for moving a lot of stuff, or carrying two electric bikes. Cabrera is not really accessible by bike. So if you want to continue cycling you will need transportation. And a bike carrier on the tow bar.

We've done all our shopping and everything with the red car, but it is only really drivable by one of us. So, a new car for shared daily use, and the red car for flashy occasions.

We have thought about an all-electric vehicle, but they are still bloody expensive, while a Jokker is actually quite affordable.

We're very happy with it so far, it drives as well as the Merc. And at 1:19.8 it's a bit more fuel economic.

Moving to Aargh 4 - Billy - Testing our marriage

Testing our marriage.

Our first Billy, with glass doors.

It doesn't really fit it's intended location. Hmm.

Moving to Aargh 3 - roller blinds

The dining room is on the sunside, and it has 4 big glass doors. So, 4 x Ikea Sandvedel 120x250 cm

The street side has a double "small" sliding glass door. We felt it needed a more adjustable curtain. Here's a roller blind that you can adjust! The nifty stripes block-half-block while you roll it down. Or up.

Moving to Aargh 2 - fence 2

Mid April the proposed start date for building the fence was in two weeks time, so early May. Early May it became a week later, and that week later no start date could be given any more. Disappointing. We will do it ourselves, then. (Expletives..)

Pity, as we could not have started earlier anyway, we needed to prepare the old house for the sale photos, move stuff to Aargh, while he would already have been working on the fence. Now we can only start working on the fence after the preparation of the old house. Two weeks lost. Probably longer, because we cannot do the fence in two weeks. He could have.

Anyway. Here we go.

Fence 1

Mesh on the wall between us and the street. That is all along our border, 60 cm high. Good to screw on poles. Down the wall is a concrete ridge that the wall is built on. That is very handy. So we use an iron corner that we insert in a pole, and bolt that onto that ridge to fix the bottom side of the tube. The pole is shortened, so the lower hole is 10 cm above ground level. Two more clamps bolted to the wall secure the pole.

Fence 2

Mesh on poles that need to be dug into the ground. A hole of 30x30x30 cm needs to be dug for each pole, filled with concrete, pole inserted, etc. Engineer Jansen bought a new toy: a hammer-drill, or a drill-hammer:

It has 3 settings: 1. rotate, 2. rotate + hammer, 3. hammer only. That last option is what engineer Jansen needs to break the very hard dry soil in Cabrera. First one May 22, above.

Concrete

Today, May 28 there are 20 holes dug 30x30x30 cm for upright poles. Still need to do holes for the 45º support poles that need to be installed on corners, and some in the middle, every 12,5 meters. So, 10 more for those.

That means: 3x3x3 = 27 liters concrete per hole, 30 x 27 = 810 liters concrete total. Hmm. That is a bit more than not anticipated. Needs some thinking. And quite possibly assistance. With a cement mixer you can do this in a day.

Moving to Aargh 1 - fence 1

The new house itself does not require much work to be able to move in. However, there is no fence, and we have dogs. Dogs that we like to keep. Well, most of them anyway.

Our trusty constructor is busy elsewhere and absolutely has no time. That is a pity. Option two, a guy who does a lot of construction and maintenance jobs. Yes, he would like to do the fence, and he would make time for that. Great! In two weeks he'd start. That was mid April, so early May. Two weeks, so moving before end of May, maybe.

The fence is three parts.

1. street side, right, where there is a low wall (60 cm) that we will put green mesh on. 35 meters long, 2 high

2. pool side, left: 50 meters grey galvanised mesh, 2m high, from lower left to uppr right, where it reaches a wall at the street.

3a. between the garden and the garage ramp, middle: 16 m green mesh, 2m high

3b. Alternatively: No mesh, but a gate at the garage entrance.

Mesh requires a pole every 2.5m, corner poles have two extra poles at 45º.

So, about €2000 stuff:

Comercial Vera

Ordered it, everything is in stock. When can you deliver? Tomorrow morning at 10? Perfect! We'll be there.

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 - nothing. 10:30 nope. Should we call them? at 12:00 we did.

Yes, we'll come 13:30!

13:30... no. 14:00... Call again. Yes, tomorrow morning! No, we have an agreement. We insist: today. Nono, tomorrow morning. No, today. Silence. Or we cancel the order. Do you want to cancel the order? Yes.

We already paid, the receipt was in Aargh, so we had to go there to collect it, and return to Comercial Vera to cancel. 20 minutes later, Comercial Vera on the phone. Again "tomorrow", and "no". Problem with staff. Well, that is your responsibility, isn’t it. No personnel to help unloading the (small) van. Oh, but we are two, we will help you unload the van. "Ok, 30 minutes".

Stuff arrived, we helped unload the van.

Not expecting this from Comercial Vera really. We were fuming. We don't like to be told rubbish. Not by the mayor of Antas, and not by Comercial Vera. Why don't you have your stuff in order, and why don’t you explain what the problem is? And of course no sorry.

Selling the old house

If you buy one house you need to sell another, if you're poor like we are. Selling a house requires the services of estate agents, who will make nice pictures of your house, after you have tidied up to make it presentable.

I hope we managed to do that, it has taken us a while. Much stuff we moved to Aargh already, leaving only the bare necessities for further living, and estate agent photos.

We think the pictures turned out very nice. We appear to have a very tidy spacious house! Lovely! (We had no idea!)

Estate agent no. 1 was first. Have a look here: https://www.olivehouse-es.com/cortijo-for-sale-in-antas-4-bed-olv2016/