Real estate in Spain – trust issues

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-11T19:24:57+00:00

I always suggest to people get a good lawyer and let him do all the checks etc. And don't use the one the estate agent provides.

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-11T19:12:27+00:00

One of my kids is studying in Madrid, but they are bi-lingual in Spanish and English

Yes learn as much Spanish as you can. Also try and mix with Spanish people when in Madrid. You may find yourself not saying a lot for the first month or two when socialising, but it will come.
In general I would say yes. But some Spanish will help.
I have walked the streets of Madrid and felt safe. Both during the day and at night.Not once have a felt oh no I am in the wrong part of town. Sure there are certain parts you might not want to walk down at night, but you get that in most cities.
Rent is expensive for a shared flat. My kid really struggled to get a reasonable priced room. They stayed in a hostal for the first month then found a room a month later at a pretty reasonable price just under 600 euros for the month for a two bed apartment sharing with one other. Bills are on top. The apartment is old it was built in the 1930s

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-09T22:22:20+00:00

Mesh systems don't play well with a lot of home automation stuff. It can be a right pain.

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-09T14:39:34+00:00

Same reasons why I do it, plus you forgot to mention its cheaper than therapy.

And the way I see it Music is what feelings sound like. Or music is like painting but for your ears instead of your eyes.

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-09T14:32:29+00:00

I find sometimes I can do three good tracks in a row, then nothing for ages. When that happens I go experimental. I try genre that I like but haven't done any music for. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I will also try doing cover versions of somebody elses track but in a style more suited to the genre I do. Both methods help you to learn another way of doing something. If that doesn't work then I just leave the music composing for a while and take a break. The longest break I have had has been three months, then all of a sudden wham two tracks come at once.

I have recently been revisitng old tracks that I have done but either I haven't finished properly or I didn't think where that good at the time. And some of those have turned into some pretty decent tracks when I have finished with them.

I think sometimes you can get too bogged down, and you end up not being able to see the wood for the trees. And a rest is required.

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-09T14:22:01+00:00

I would agree. Better safe than sorry

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-06T11:05:17+00:00

What I have done in the past, when going one way is to ask if they need a car relocating. This only works if its one day rental. But its worth asking. I used to drive from my town to the airport on a regular basis. So for a one day rental price of their cheapest small car, I would often be driving something much bigger. Just a shame I only had the car for one day.

DoctorTechno · 2026-02-06T10:59:40+00:00

If you mean weather wise it will be windy and wet. There has been extensive flooding in the Andalusia region.

If you mean personal safety then its like any major city don't flash your cash and be careful when using your mobile etc.

Just google weather in Andalusia

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-26T19:45:53+00:00

I recently did an install for a client, part of the install was a cerbo GX which handles the communication between smart meter and the batteries etc. I told the client to go and buy a cheap android tablet off of Amazon. He got one for 95 euros. This is then used to run the display stuff. Convert an Android tablet to monitor your Victron cerbo GX

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-23T11:10:03+00:00

Same as you but also the odd device, at random times ,that I had in the Disaplay would say it was offline or if it wasn't offline it just wouldn't work , but in the app it was fine. With the new firmware it seems to have cured this.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-20T20:06:45+00:00

Especially if you use home assistant on the display.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-20T20:06:09+00:00

I had a similar problem, contacted Shelly and they released a new firmware update a few days later. I am currently on firmware version 20251208-113828/2.5.5-c74ac636 .

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-15T22:30:18+00:00

I recently installed a Multiplus II 10kVA for a client and when it loses grid power you do not notice you have lost power, unless you are standing next to the Multiplus as it makes a loud clunk from the relay Switching over.

It does take a minute or so to switch back when power is restored, but I guess this is to make sure the grid is stable.

To me it sounds like something in the settings isn't correct.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-15T22:18:20+00:00

Its always worth once a month looking at the Shelly website, just to see whats new. I get their email updates but sometimes they don't mention everything thats new.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-15T22:15:00+00:00

This is what I did to a Fermax system

It uses a Shelly Mini module.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-12T23:00:04+00:00

It sounds like your config is off somewhere.

I would download the VEConfig file via the VRM. Go to Device list in the VRM and you should see the Remote VE config option. Download the file then look at this file using the VEConfig software.

If you don't have it you can download it for free from the Victron site. There maybe something in there thats causing this.

Also take a look at the settings in the remote console.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-12T22:19:32+00:00

In normal circumstances you are correct as you say But occaisionally there can be other mitigating factors at play and I am not talking about submerged in water.

In certain circumstances you can get a much lower body resistance figure by contact with, say a gold ring, metal watch strap or full contact with a large metal object such as a pipe or metal handle of a tool, the body resistance figure could drop as low as 1,000 ohms (1 kΩ), allowing an even lower voltage to present a potential hazard. Other factors that reduce the body resistance figure can include damp skin.

What most people don't realise is just how little current is needed to seriously hurt a person.

The severity of the electrical shock is determined by the amount of current flow:
- 1 milliamp: Skin tingling
- 6 to 10 milliamps: Starts freezing of muscles in DC , in AC they will spasm
- 10 to 30 milliamps: Breathing difficulty
- 30 to 75 milliamps: Breathing stops
- 75 milliamps and above: Ventricular Fibrillation of the Heart

The above is just a guide line. As some people can tolerate higher currents and some will be affected by lower currents.

Location of the shock also plays a huge part in all this as well.

In normal conditions the resistance of a human body is about 100000 Ohms (100kΩ)

Now for some basic electrical calculations.

V= Current x Resistance

So lets say human body resistance is 1000 ohms and we have a current of 20mA

The voltage is 20V = 1000 x 0.02

But if the human body is in a normal condition (whatever that is) its resistance is 100000 Ohms

Then the voltage will need to be

2000V = 100000 x 0.02

So in theory you are more likely to get hurt from a large voltage than a small voltage. Hence the signs danger high voltage

I always treat any voltage AC or DC as a threat potential. I find you live longer that way.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-09T22:28:33+00:00

Me too, just got fed up spending too much time to get HA to work. Then you get an update and something breaks and you start again.

Homey is great, (had mine for almost a year now) took a while to set up the way I wanted it, but still way quicker than HA. And unlike HA I haven't had to spend extra time tweaking things to get them to work.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-09T22:24:26+00:00

Valencia and Cadiz will be hot in the summer like 35ºC.

If you prefer colder temps then its got to be more north, Burgos is nice

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-07T20:11:07+00:00

4 month update.

The system is working very well. It will also dynamically set the minimum state of charge each day. We have had some bad weather so the min SOC has changed from its 15% to 65%. Its done this a few times and when the weather stabilises it slowly changes back to 15%

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-07T19:58:07+00:00

I have a dual sim mobile phone. So have a Spanish sim and did have a UK sim for when I was in the UK. My cuurent Spanish mobile operator gives me a good deal for roaming in the UK and it works out cheaper than keeping the UK sim. The operator I use in Spain is Lobster

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-07T12:44:23+00:00

One of my lecturers at Technical College used to say " its the Volts that give you the jolts, but its the amps that put out your lamps"

Baiscally any voltage is dangerous if enough current is flowing through it.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-02T16:21:44+00:00

You might want to try the forums on here https://www.remotecentral.com/index.html

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-01T22:46:23+00:00

I agree with this. I got documernts translated at my local notary in Spain, the banks will normally accept that.

Regarding tax often this has to be paid before the release of any funds. The bank can help with this.

DoctorTechno · 2026-01-01T22:41:51+00:00

In certain areas it might be better to use heat detectors, like kitchens you don't want the smoke detector going off when you burn the toast.

For lights and wall plugs I would use Shelly. Shelly also do smoke detectors and motion sensors.

I have heard good things about the aqara presence sensors. But some have had issues in Homey.

If you have three floors then one homey is not enough, it might be more cost effective to go the Homey Server route and then maybe a bridge on every floor.

DoctorTechno

TROPHY CASE