pink
Junior Member
Posts: 25
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Post by pink on Jun 21, 2012 12:15:00 GMT 1
Hi everyone
Our house has been broken into several times every year during the night when our guests have been sleeping; it's already happened to the first two guests so far this year as well! The season has only just started! Crime unfortunately seems to be on the increase. We thought Croatia was a safe country...perhaps they are only targeting us tourists and holiday properties? The house is securely locked up, windows and shutters secured and they still manage to break the lock on the door during the night! It's an awful experience for the guests and we dread staying there as well now. So tempted to sell up but no buyers at the moment. Really concered about renting it out but financially we have no option. Is anyone else experiencing this? Any suggestions?
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Post by Carol on Jun 21, 2012 12:18:54 GMT 1
Of all our clients throughout the years, we have only heard of one break in ever. But if you have had several then there must be something going wrong. What do they steal?
Where is your property? (or if you don't want to answer that in even a vague way, could you tell us if it is a modern apartment. or a family house or a villa or an older flat and what sort of area is it in (tourist resort or old village or countryside etc).
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pink
Junior Member
Posts: 25
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Post by pink on Jun 21, 2012 12:26:33 GMT 1
Hi Carol...pretty worried about this now...not sure if someone is tipping them off. The house is a stone house in the 'peaceful and tranquil' Istrian countryside. They steal phones, ipods, ipads, handbags, cash, anything that's lying around in the living room
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Post by Carol on Jun 21, 2012 12:30:15 GMT 1
Sorry, pink, that's what i was wondering too. Who does your cleaning/ property management for you?
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Post by Carol on Jun 21, 2012 12:34:29 GMT 1
if you get an unusually high number of problems, then maybe you should look at who knows you have guests at a particular moment? So, the booking company, your cleaner, the tourist tax office person, whoever does the maintenance etc. Have you thought of installing better lock on the doors and windows or putting in a burglar alarm (expensive, I know).
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pink
Junior Member
Posts: 25
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Post by pink on Jun 21, 2012 12:45:42 GMT 1
The thing is how do we prove it and more important stop it? All the people you mention above will know we have guests plus the pool guy, gardener,neighbours, etc etc. It will be difficult to pinpoint. We are awaiting a quotation for an alarm system..it will be worth the expense, anything for peace of mind. The lock on the door has just been replaced and we will see what other options there are for better locks. My wife is already a nervous wreck at the thought of staying in the house later in the summer...just the though of someone in the house. Not a pleasant feeling. Would like to know if anyone else in Istria is experiencing similar problems?
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Post by Carol on Jun 21, 2012 13:21:24 GMT 1
Honestly, I don't think you need to bother trying to prove it because its not like its worth your time to go to the police (Sorry, that's based on what I was advised by several locals a few years ago when we were having problems with someone who said he'd steal our car unless we loaned him several thousand euro). If you can whittle the number of suspects down as much as possible (e.g. discount the pool man if the problems started before he started working for you), then just look to change the others involved. I wouldn't be surprised if the others know who the problem is, its just its not in their interest to stick their necks out and tell you. But maybe that will change if they think they will loose their jobs).
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Post by Carol on Jun 21, 2012 13:23:22 GMT 1
You could also install a largish safe and strongly suggest that the tourists keep their valuables in it. I know that's not a great message, but its got to be better than the conversations you must be having after their stuff has been stolen??
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Post by Carol on Jun 21, 2012 13:28:02 GMT 1
aagh! I just thought of another category of suspects... one of your neighbours.
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Post by Valleycat on Jun 21, 2012 14:18:42 GMT 1
Get a dog!!!
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Post by crojoe on Jun 21, 2012 21:50:20 GMT 1
Hi everyone Our house has been broken into several times every year during the night when our guests have been sleeping; it's already happened to the first two guests so far this year as well! The season has only just started! Crime unfortunately seems to be on the increase. We thought Croatia was a safe country...perhaps they are only targeting us tourists and holiday properties? The house is securely locked up, windows and shutters secured and they still manage to break the lock on the door during the night! It's an awful experience for the guests and we dread staying there as well now. So tempted to sell up but no buyers at the moment. Really concered about renting it out but financially we have no option. Is anyone else experiencing this? Any suggestions? Get a better door and a couple of chain locks. Install those small safes drilled into the ground. If need be get a metal bar door outside the main door that also locks. It doesn't take that much to secure a house. Even install camera if needed (just a simple setup). It sounds to me like someone who knows you're place and it's weaknesses. My house I installed motion lights all the way around it, we have shutters. Just because it looks like a sturdy door doesn't mean the lock is garbage. Some American friends had this happen to them in Zagreb. Theives got in through the sliding glass doors (so easy really with a screw driver).
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Post by upthevilla on Jun 21, 2012 22:22:44 GMT 1
Crojoe. seems to suggest all the right things. We look after several stone houses in the middle of nowhere in istria, all are vunrebal, but in 5 years we only had 1 break in. Putting metals bars on the windows works, they cost between 150 and 200 euro each. The property manager should inform guests , to always lock valuble in the safe, ( under a 100 euro from Brico store )
Many guests relax to much and leave doors open and unlcoked, then they drink wine and it oh so easy for kids passing by , once they know its an easy target they will continue to return,
The fact they have not stollen passports means it kids, as professional thief would steal passport and leave all the rest.
Metal door also works, you have your normal door and then a framed metal one in front of it with sepearte locks,
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pink
Junior Member
Posts: 25
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Post by pink on Jun 24, 2012 10:31:02 GMT 1
Thanks a lot Carol, Crojoe and Upthevilla for all the tips and advice. We already have a safe and now awaiting for a price for the alarm. Going to arrange a better lock for the door and chain/bolt from the inside.
It's not even about what they steal but the fact that someone is in the house when you are asleep. My wife and teenage daughters are really quite scared now. What happens if one of them wake up...will the thieves run or will they threaten us?
Metal Bar door which is separate from the front door - great idea - definitely want to get this. Where can we purchase this in Istria? I think this is common on a lot of houses in Spain.
Do you think we should still get metal bars for the windows even if we have shutters? I assume if they tried to break the shutters to gain access, guests would hear them?
Sensor light - not sure is this is a stupid question but could this be making it easier for the theives as they are getting in during the dark of night when people are sleeping, I assume with a torch light or something...the guests are not waking up so probably wouldn't wake up either if a motion light went off.
Camera - I looked on the net...most of the simple systems seem to require a telephone line or internet which we don't have.
Appreciate all your help.
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Post by zvekov on Jun 24, 2012 10:41:37 GMT 1
pay your neighbour (the most reliable one) to manage your property ...job done...It is really unusual for this sort of stuff in croatia... he/she gets paid an honest wage... and they make it their business to make sure its treated like their home...if they steal in your property thereafter they know they will be in danger of losing their income stream... it wont happen
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Post by crojoe on Jun 24, 2012 11:08:14 GMT 1
Thanks a lot Carol, Crojoe and Upthevilla for all the tips and advice. We already have a safe and now awaiting for a price for the alarm. Going to arrange a better lock for the door and chain/bolt from the inside. It's not even about what they steal but the fact that someone is in the house when you are asleep. My wife and teenage daughters are really quite scared now. What happens if one of them wake up...will the thieves run or will they threaten us? Metal Bar door which is separate from the front door - great idea - definitely want to get this. Where can we purchase this in Istria? I think this is common on a lot of houses in Spain. Do you think we should still get metal bars for the windows even if we have shutters? I assume if they tried to break the shutters to gain access, guests would hear them? Sensor light - not sure is this is a stupid question but could this be making it easier for the theives as they are getting in during the dark of night when people are sleeping, I assume with a torch light or something...the guests are not waking up so probably wouldn't wake up either if a motion light went off. Camera - I looked on the net...most of the simple systems seem to require a telephone line or internet which we don't have. Appreciate all your help. About Sensor lights... thieves hate light. A lot depends on the property, is it a lone building, do you have neighbors that can see you're property? I doubt very much you're family will get threatened, but then again things are getting a bit more desperate today. With any type of security, you just have to do what you can do then hope for the best. If a person is that desperate then they will try anything. If it's the type of thief just looking for an opportunity then a few barriers of security will deflect him/her. Security cameras I am talking about are simple, they come with a camera or two, a hard drive, connect the wires and away you go. I gather you are in the house most of the time right? So, no need for expensive setups. You could even just put a few dummy ones up, just make sure they kind of look real and way up high so thief won't know the difference and make the wire look like it is going somewhere. (see samples: www.maplin.co.uk/cctv-and-security/cctv-accessories/dummy-cameras-and-warning-signs)But, a few more locks and chain, shutters and metal iron door on the outside should do just fine. Might be cheaper to get an welder to make the door or maybe they sell them in Bauhaus or similar (depending on door size). No need to get paranoid. Stay calm and just make sure you keep you're security in check each day (a bit like driving.. you wouldn't drive with you're eyes closed).
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