By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 31 Jan 2013 • 6:00
: Don’t let poor preparation ruin your dream home
SOME years ago I wrote a book in the UK about building works and how to go about them.
This was in response to my own experience of running a construction company in London, during which time I came face to face with endless problems. Indeed, like most people, I came to the conclusion that any form of building work was invariably a nightmare, both for the builders and the owner of a property.
Of course, building work in Spain is no less contentious than in the UK and has an equal habit of going wrong, one way or another.
So, what can you do to make sure that your building project in Spain goes smoothly?
Well, the first thing to appreciate is that often the reason that a building project goes wrong is because of you the property owner! This is normally because a property owner does not:
The consequence is that a builder often does not know exactly what you want and is left to ‘find his way’ around a project, which can then suffer numerous alterations, as both you and he adapt to what is happening on a day to day basis. This, obviously, affects any initial timing and throws any pricing to the wind.
Precise definition of what you want to achieve is vital and you should always develop (and agree, in writing, with your builder) at least three documents before any work proceeds. These are:
Of course, developing a detailed and accurate Schedule of Works, Specification and Contract is not something that everyone can do. Indeed, there is much to be said for employing a building surveyor or architect to do this for you. You may, initially, resent paying for this but it will, without doubt, save you thousands of euros, even on a small value project.
Good luck!
Nick Snelling is the author of five books including ‘How to Buy Spanish propertyand Move to Spain – Safely!’ and runs the information site Culture Spain
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