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We wonder how safe it is to leave your home for 2-3 months?
What precautions would you install for theives and break ins.
We will have a nice vacation home here in Grecia and dont
want to lose our investment and retirement home because
theives think they can just come and get our hard work over night.
1. Is there home owners insurance?
2. Does ADT work? and who comes when the alarm goes off?
3. IF you get a care taker how do you know he is honest and wont tell others that the house is empty?
4. What is the pay and proceedure in getting a keeper to
live on the land. How big of a home do you have to provide?
5. Other than razor wire that looks like a prison, is there electrical fences and legal?We have heard horror stories on all accounts.
We dont want to be a slave to a house and worry.Joe
Unfortunately, you cannot assure that any caretaker will be honest until you have established a working relationship with him. And others will know if the house is occupied or not.
If you provide a home on-site, you will also have to pay for the utilities, CAJA, INS and his salary which will depend on what you expect him to do. Realize, that he cannot be there 24/7. One of the slide-together houses would fit your purpose. Or if you decide to build a guest house, he can reside there when you are gone, if hired for only a specific time period when you are absent.
It will depend on the area you are in, if other routinely pass by, if other live in the immediate area.
But install noisy alarms as the chance of anyone from the alarm company responding to the call, or the police is very small. You can also install the window covering which makes it harder to break the window glass. Another way in that thieves like, is through the roof….
We have been robbed (once while we were in the house), and after we had installed the alarm there was another attempt and the noise scared them off and we were nearby. Although, both our house and the workers house have alarms and they go off for no reason….
Now we have 11 dogs of all shapes and sizes…:twisted:I don’t think it’s responsible to leave a home unattended in any country for three months, there’s just too many things that could go wrong.
Scott
PS. In 11 years of living here none of my homes have been robbed and my vacation home – which is totally unoccupied for weeks on end – (https://www.welovecostarica.com/public/Mountain_Home_For_Sale_With_Unbelievable_Views_For_Bird_Lovers__Furnished_179K.cfm) has also never been robbed.
[quote=”costaricafinca”]Unfortunately, you cannot assure that any caretaker will be honest until you have established a working relationship with him. And others will know if the house is occupied or not.
If you provide a home on-site, you will also have to pay for the utilities, CAJA, INS and his salary which will depend on what you expect him to do. Realize, that he cannot be there 24/7. One of the slide-together houses would fit your purpose. Or if you decide to build a guest house, he can reside there when you are gone, if hired for only a specific time period when you are absent.
It will depend on the area you are in, if other routinely pass by, if other live in the immediate area.
But install noisy alarms as the chance of anyone from the alarm company responding to the call, or the police is very small. You can also install the window covering which makes it harder to break the window glass. Another way in that thieves like, is through the roof….
We have been robbed (once while we were in the house), and after we had installed the alarm there was another attempt and the noise scared them off and we were nearby. Although, both our house and the workers house have alarms and they go off for no reason….
Now we have 11 dogs of all shapes and sizes…:twisted:[/quote]May I ask what area do you live in? Is Grecia suppose to be a safer area? Also, We were thinking of bring a few RockWellers here or can we get Dobies, and other gaurd dogs here in C.Rica. And what is the proceedure for bringing Dogs to C.Rica?
We were also going to install cameras on the property that
is recorded and we can look on the property from our computer at any time. Is there companies that do this here?We are in Guanacaste, and know nothing regarding the Grecia area.
Dogs of all kinds are available here … but you will have to search them out. It is easy bringing in dogs, if you follow the rules that many airlines list.
Our friend is currently installing cameras, on his property, so both he who lives in the US, and us, can view them here. You need a designated land line with a specific ‘address’. So first, check to see if additional lines are available.
I’m sure there are local companies that can do this installation.I wouldn’t suggest dogs…They will be poisoned and die a miserable death. If you insist, look at AM Costa Rica. There are people in CR that train German Shepards…..again, you will end up with a dead dog and possibly have other neighbor issues if someone accidently gets bitten.
Camera’s won’t do any good for many reasons. I have wireless camera’s at my home in the US so I can peak in on my dogs occassionaly. They have to be reset when there is a power outage…That doesn’t happen that often at my home in the states, but it happens frequently in CR…
You can get these online at any security type store. The do rely on an internet connection (good speed) and a running pc if you plan on recording. Again, I think this would be useless…I have them just to view my babies (dogs).
Unfortunately, you need a caretaker. Regardless of what you might hear, unless your next door neighbors will watch your place day and night, you will need a caretaker to watch your place or you will have items missing when you return. Sad but true. Scott has a special guardian angel and he is the ONLY person in CR that I have read, spoken with or overheard that hasn’t had the same theft concerns/problems.
Good luck,
TSWe did have three dogs poisoned, during a robbery, but now all dogs…except one who resists .. are inside at night. Anyone entering during the day, seeing all of these dogs running towards them will rethink about attempting to enter at night…and two are young German shepherds who are wimps!
Totally agree on the cameras…[quote=”costaricafinca”]We did have three dogs poisoned, during a robbery, but now all dogs…except one who resists .. are inside at night. Anyone entering during the day, seeing all of these dogs running towards them will rethink about attempting to enter at night…and two are young German shepherds who are wimps!
Totally agree on the cameras…[/quote]Wow,
Thanks for the great imput. It seems like a lost cause. I also have friends that were are a luxury comm. in Los Suenos and they house was wiped out by the gaurds. Management told them they knew it was the gaurds but could do nothing about it.
I THOUGHT cameras would at least let me know WHO TOOK MY STUFF AND HAVE A PHOTO OF THEM AND OFFER A REWARD. Isnt it shamful to be a theif in C.R. and the family. Posting
their photos and a reward would hopful deter others.
We need to organize a street watch like in the states.PS. My brother raises Dobie for the police dept in USA. They dont eat from just anyone… they are trained not
to eat only from 3 people till they are given to a new
police then they have a way of re training them to eat
from the new police.Many thanks you have been helpful
an unoccupied house is a thief’s delight, especially if there are ways to get in without anyone seeing you. i know one woman who just went to the store and came back 2 hours later to find all her electronics gone. whenever a rich gringo moves into a neighborhood, people watch you and learn your habits. a caretaker is the best idea. the police in our neighborhood know who is responsible for recent break-ins of both ticos and gringos, but there is nothing they can do about it unless they catch him in the act. best not to own anything you can’t afford to lose. and when they do get in, they will even steal your underwear, clothes, shoes, towels, sheets, silverware, perfume, hair dryers, nail clippers, fridge, gas tank, etc. if they can get it out of your house, they will take it.
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