PICSOU

Hi, me and my boyfriend just rented a Vila 10 mins drive up from the village of Frigiliana for a year. Although it’s close to the village the villa feels a bit isolated with no close by neighbours.

After going online and reading about Nerja and surroundings frequent burglaries, I’m now very worried that this will eventually happen to us, especially that sometimes I will have to be there alone as my boyfriend will need to be in London often. Some of the windows have security grills but the patio door and the windows are sliding doors.

Does anyone know if villa break-ins are a regular thing in the area and what security measures work? Do burglars even care about the alarms? The whole gazed-up while sleeping is really freaking me out :|
any insights will be ver appreciated thanks

Longlegpete

I have no experience of the area you speak of but I do have experience of being burgled both in Spain and in the UK.
First off a burglar would much rather enter a building that is easy to enter and without occupants, so the chances of finding someone breaking into your house wile you are there is very very rare, if someone is obviously living in a house that will increase the chances of a visit because it will be assumed you have the trappings of life, phone, laptop, tv, tablet ect.

You can get walk in visitors that say they are after water or whatever but this will depend on the boarders of the house, ie if its not easy to walk in then they probably won't.

So if you think you house is easy to enter then its worth making it harder along with some external led pir lights and a alarm system, you can get internet camera's and many more security items these days for little money and they work well providing you have an internet connection, this will all help when you return to the house on your own to know no one has been in there.

Finally you need to get into perspective that burglary is everywhere but it rarely happens to you and the risk of conflict is extremely rare, certainly i worry more about this in the UK than in Spain

Mr Pastry1

Get a couple of Rottweilers. Also make sure you seal up every entry air vent (letter box) into the property, burglars are now pumping toxic gas into properties. Make sure every door and window has good quality security bars also the chimney and your bedroom door. Keep your mobile phone topped up and charged.

PICSOU

Thanks for all your tips and insights I will definitely be installing some security alarms and and will be thinking of clever places to hide my valuables just in case

frigilianafreddy

Lived in Frigi for 16 years. 10 years in an apartment (1 break in, and i suspect the renter!), 6 years in a villa 5 minutes out of village toward torrox and no burglaries, but 1 attepmted break in to the pool room for some reason. No grills on any doors or windows but CCTV installed. I look at CCTV daily (we are only there 5 months a year) and never seen anyting other than a stray dog go down the drive.

Frigi and surroundings are quite safe if you leave lights on and lock doors.

Definitely no need for rabid dogs that bark all night and stop any chance of sleeping in the campo....

Longlegpete

As far as the authorities have been able to ascertain there is no evidence for these so called "gas robberies" , indeed the association representing anaesthetists have said administrating the right amount of gas to knock someone out for a length of time in such a big space would be impossible to judge, the occupants would normally be killed or still awake.

Its far more likely that a heavily night drinking would lead to such a claim of being gased!

missile

I have not heard of anyone being gassed then robbed in Spain only in France.

Longlegpete

And the authorities there haven't found any evidence that this has taken place, its purely speculation, Jenson Button was one high profile case, the use of gas was speculation, never proved

Mr Pastry1

Being gassed like most other subjects is the gossip you hear on the circuit. I have one ex mate (dead now) who lived on La Finca golf complex who swore he and his wife were gassed. Of course as Longlegpete says, maybe he was gassed with Jonnie Walker.

PICSOU

Thanks for your message I feel less worried after reading your post but I guess taking precautions is a must just in case. I will be installing CCTV, do you have any recommendations brands or companies in Spain?
Thanks

PICSOU

I am sorry to hear about your friend and thanks for your reply it's very helpful

bfg69bug

Have you thought about an alarm? We have securitas direct installed, and i´ve seen some alarms that they have installed that have outdoor sensors too? so the garden is covered - the alarm inside the house goes off if someone comes into the garden while the alarm is "on", and you get a call on your mobile, and a text message, and the system takes pictures. It is a bit to install & 50€ a month, but for peace of mind...

PICSOU

Thanks fro you reply it's very helpful

PICSOU

Thanks for your reply we definitely want to install alarm systems so thanks for recommending securitas I will check them out and hopefully be able to afford it
Cheers

Mr Pastry1

We had outdoor security cameras everywhere but the thieves stole the cameras. We were lucky within a few days we got a leaflet selling security cameras, they even had some second hand one’s cheap.