The Move
 

Hi all

Bought a couple of houses in last three years and now the time to retire has happened. Just landed this week with a van load of stuff from the UK.

Just sat here relaxing in the peaceful surroundings upon us in Vas Megye.

Roll on the warmer weather so we can try and do the extension to the house.

Looking forward to meeting anyone who has the time.

Thanks

Michael/Julie

Re: The Move
 

Good luck to you both!

Spring will soon come ...

Re: The Move
 

Congrats to you as well.

Just taken a tea break from loading the van and we should be over there with a van full of stuff next week.

Re: The Move
 

Lucky you. Enjoy settling in. We are still in UK.

Re: The Move
 

Thank You

We are staying for a week, then back off home for anther van load.

Need to bring some Corned Beef back as we like our Hash ...

Roll on

Michael/Julie

Re: The Move
 

Hope you have good winter tyres - it might get cold, at night below 0 Celsius!

Re: The Move
 

Hope you don't mind me asking why you bought a couple of houses? I'm planning to buy two or three. First will be our main home, second a weekend house and bolt hole for me, third, somewhere me and wife can go to get away from it all. The second is likely to be near a lake we frequent when we are in Hungary. I've wondered if it would be stupid to buy especially as the lake is only 20 minutes walk away but the view is something I really enjoy and find it relaxing. The properties near lake have smallish gardens hence reason to have a main house with bigger land for growing our own veggies. Third property probably in Bukk mountain area. The second home as bolt hole because I'm certain there will be times when I just want to get away from family if you know what I mean.

Re: The Move
 

I should add I'm a bit nervous about buy the second lakeside home because last August when out cycling I saw three romany guys in the process of burglaring a diving club property. We also have a friend who has a weekend house there and it got burgled last year. But friends have said mostly the burglaries are linked to romany looking for food but I suspect also for something they can sell. That puts me in a dilemma because I want that second home to have internet access. I suppose I could install IP cameras to keep an eye on the place.

Re: The Move
 

The burglars come because they think there's something valuable in the house that can be turned into cash quickly and easily - like a machine (drill, chainsaw etc) - a lawn mower might already too heavy for them ...
Even a computer is too dangerous for them because they know that the real owner can be found out so they have problems finding a "customer" for this. Of course there's also the risk that they take some stuff and destroy other stuff because they don't know how to handle it.

I remember many years ago a Roma passed by my house with an absolutely new Stihl chainsaw (sword was missing!) that he had obviously taken from a shop - like OBI or Praktiker.
Of course I wasn't interested - would have called the police if my Hungarian had been better (hadn't met my Hungarian wife yet ...).

Having too many security features might wet their appetite - there must be interesting stuff in the house ...

Her near Hévízthere are so many summer houses empty now over winter but I haven't heard of any burglaries lately - I think everybody takes his valuables home and to run the risk of getting caught just for a few plates and kitchenware maybe seems not interesting ...

Re: The Move
 

Congratulations on the move! We are driving over to our house in Alsobogat next week, staying for a week then making the final drive in our motorhome end of March. All very exciting and like yourselves looking forward to our new life in Hungary. Amanda & Paul

Re: The Move
 

Wolfi - you make a good point that having security features will wet prospective burglars appetite.

Re: The Move
 

Before committing to second or third houses I would look into the resale prospects, this is NOT England and anything you buy you may be stuck with for quite some time.

Re: The Move
 

You should have as much security as possible, preferably a burglar alarm that is connected directly to a security company for a monthly fee. Even if it takes that security company 15 minutes to arrive at your property (with the loud burglar alarm ringing) it limits the burglar.

Having shutters, iron fences, burglar alarm, security lights and cameras around the place might look ugly or like a prison but if you are not there to look at closed shutters etc in the winter..... Furthermore, technology (i.e. cameras and trigger lights) will deter burglars simply because to get past (i.e. climb over) an iron security fence whereby the lights come on and cameras start recording (giving a live feed) catching this action, and to then smash through shutters and double glazing......

Burglars know which properties to target (i.e. empty properties, no lights on for ages, junk mail in the letterbox, no security features, etc) and know what to steal. Even computers with pin codes etc on them are stolen and sold as parts.

Why give a cheap or expensive tv for example to a burglar just because you couldn't be bothered to pay for security? Also, why buy a nice property just to feel you cannot live there in peace or leave it vaccant for months; always worrying about security or whether or not to bring the lawn mower into the kitchen for storage.

Riasztó - This security company charges 600 Ft per month to monitor your burglar alarm going off, 1,600 Ft per month for the just said and to call you when the burglar alarm goes off. They operate within 15 minutes usually depending on the location etc. They operate all around Hungary. So for 2,000 Ft per month for example it is a fee worth paying. Even for 3,000 Ft per month (£10).......

Re: The Move
 

Also, with added security your home insurance plan should be cheaper. Plus I cannot see the point in buying a £30,000 - £300,000 property which is empty whereby you then do not invest in minimal security features to protect it against squatters, vandals and so on. If that same property only had £2,000 worth of goods inside it, you should still invest in security.

Re: The Move
 

Szeged, you are right - if the house is "valuable"/contains valuable stuff, then this is an option.
A friend of our near Balatonfüred does this - however the alerm goes off sometimes without an obvious reason ...
And that's always a hassle.

Also imho it depends on whether your hous is in the middle of a village or somewhere far away where nobody sees what's going on.

We rely on our neighbours ...