Szeged

Wolfi - Yes, a valid point. However! Let's assume you have an empty, worthless, farmhouse in the middle of nowhere: Surely it would still be worth the investment of shutters, multi-lock door, double glazing or wrought iron around the windows in order to protect it against squatters and vandals.

Also, if someone was that worried about security and safety they wouldn't even buy such a remote property in the first place. And they should of done their homework beforehand in terms of crime statistics, contacting security firms and the police for information, estate agents and neighbours alike. In turn, even if they were to buy such a place, at least decide on what furniture/goods to have inside it (i.e. cheap or expensive).

kohoutek

We bought here three years ago after staying at Peter and Barbara's place, Julie fell in love with the 100 year old house so made an offer and completed the deal, then bought a 1957 house in the next village 3 mins away. We are going to do up that house and live there when completed. (more manageable) as don't want to be ploughing fields later on in life.

Michael/Julie

wolfi

OL, Szeged - that's the minimum you should have - my house in Germany like most others has this too. The police recommend it - and the insurance company asks for it!

Szeged

That was my point, Wolfi - You should have the basic/minimum security as an overall basic deterant, but to suggest:

Many burglars would be put off by more security such as higher fences, trigger lights, security cameras and so on. In other words, I do not think you can over do security. It's all about limiting the burglar in terms of time to enter a property (i.e. police will be on their way) and making them think "it's not worth it" (i.e. prison sentence and/or hefty fine if/when caught) and therefore avoiding a real chance of them burglaring your property in the first place. Hence sign posts such as "beware of the dog" and "cctv in operation" being another deterant (even if there is no dog or cctv actually protecting!).

Anyway, imho, the best security is the 24 hour nosey neighbour

Sachina

In the 10 years I've been living in the village, there's only been one break in. Theft though is a problem every summer, although it's confined to stealing potatoes, butternuts from the fields and fruit from the trees All easily disposable, non traceable commodities.

Whenever I've been away, the mayor is informed and he regularly checks the house and if I give him the cash will also pay my bills and deal with any other problems that might arise.

As for my own security I have two dogs, a Schnauzer who's a brilliant alert dog and a Shar-Pei who's a guardian breed. Neither of them are in any way aggressive but Pei can look extremely intimidating and usually enough to put most people off. A few weeks ago I'd shut them in the house whilst I went up the garden, and a neighbour foolishly let herself into the house only to be confronted, by a Schnauzer going ballistic and a Pei silently blocking her entry.

Peter_in_Hungary

If you still like the old house then you don't need to plough fields later if you don't want to, if its less than half a ha. then you let it go to grass and get a ride on mower (= big boys toys), more than that you can let someone else cut it for hay. Grass cutting is not like the UK because there is nothing like the rain fall so grass doesn't grow that much.

FenTiger

The Move - Am I next? My thoughts at this point in time are .... to take early retirement in June 2018. I know it's atleast a year away but I really need to bring my house up to scratch before I sell it. This should give me plenty of time to get rid of alot of junk we would be better advised not to take over, especially as it's likely we will downsize from a three bedroom to a one/two bedroom house. So over the next year I will be on here to ask some questions but will be searching the threads for what I need to know, i.e. removal firms. I can't see myself driving a large van all the way to Miskolc, especially as I don't drive as often as I used to. I just think it would be too much for me.

kohoutek

We have just returned today took 22 hours from Sarvar to Warrington, we will be returning again at end of March with more furniture and a transit van full of stuff, after Julie has an appointment at hospital on 22nd March. Roll on

Hope all goes well for you, like you say you have a year or so to sort out

Michael/Julie

Peter_in_Hungary

When we move we found the cheapest option was to contract an articulated lorry for the trip and get friends and family to help with the loading. But things might have changes a bit since we moved. (Not least of which the customs pain we had to go through - roll on Brexit!!!)

FenTiger

Searching the internet there seems to be several companies offering removals to Hungary but I suspect there's possibly something not quite right with some of the company's profile, i.e. the number of years they have relocated stuff from the UK. I suspect if I typed in Poland I'd get exactly the same answer on the number of years the same company had relocated stuff there!

I've never done the friends thing when I have moved but did help two families move house. Never again (in the UK), got paid just a slice of pizza for taking one day of my annual leave. I'd happily help any friends in Hungary. Nuff said!

Sachina

I used AGS when I moved from South Africa to Hungary some 10 years ago. My furniture was shipped from Durban to Hamburg then by road to Hungary which took about 6 weeks in total They have offices in the UK and Budapest and it helps because the Budapest staff speak English! If you go to their website you can ask for a quote to give you an idea of cost.

If they're as good as they were when I moved I can certainly recommend them to you.

FenTiger

Do you have any advice on downsizing? I can't see all our stuff fitting in our future house unless it has three bedrooms, conservatory and double width garage!

jetsam1

I think we need that too!

We used a haulage firm from Hungary with our move, sadly we have lost the phone number. It was hilarious watching this articulated lorry reversing up the road...... The two drivers helped a lot with the loading too.

enter

In hindnsite we should have sold everything except personal stuff and bought in Hungary as generally there is very little that you cannot get here, we would have saved money on removals. Information years ago was in short supply.

Sachina

I suggest you start with a clear out of anything you definitely don't want to bring with you. Items like clothes, books, surplus crockery and cutlery, linen, ornaments and pictures.

I had the advantage of knowing the size of the house I was moving to and nearer the time I sold any furniture that wouldn't fit into my new house. Moving from SA to a country where they drive on the "wrong" side of the road I also sold my car.

I also decided to sell my electric cooker knowing I'd be using gas in my new home, along with my fridge and my TV which would have required modification to work here.

As I mentioned previously I used AGS who made a beautiful job of packing all my stuff and despite it travelling half way round the world by ship and road arrived in Hungary without a single thing broken or damaged!