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The Toolbox: Tips for Building your Own Property

Here is a summary of some of the more important points that we feel will help you make the right choices while building your own property:

1. Appoint a good project manager as you will save money if you don’t speak Spanish or are not able to spend a significant portion of the build time in the country.

2. Ask your architect to show you projects he has designed before you choose to use his services.

3. Only purchase land that has the correct urban designation under the Plan Parcial.

4. Ask for 2 or 3 quotations from different recommended builders and negotiate, or get your PM, to negotiate the best price on your behalf.

5. Choose a builder situated outside a busy tourist centre to get a better price and do not use a big brand builder as you will be paying big brand prices.

6. Work with Spanish companies, as they will have access to the best discounts and know the materials they are working with, avoid the temptation to bring builders from home with you.

7. When choosing sub-contractors for air con and kitchens, ensure they have an English speaking representative (if you do not speak Spanish) to avoid confusion over your choices and for a better after sales service.

8. Always ensure there is money in your account to meet incoming costs, as paying on time creates good will and better negotiating position for lowering prices.

9. General building Points: The greatest problem in most Spanish houses is insulation. Concrete is a bad insulator against temperature or humidity. When it rains, it rains hard, and even on the coast it can feel cold in winter if you are used to a well-insulated home. You should insulate against:

  • Humidity around the foundations, especially where damp is sucked up from the foundations or from under the floor, through the roof or around windows and doors

  • Extreme heat in the summer and cold in the winter

  • Make sure terraces lead the water away from the house

  • Have enough roof overhang so that windows and doors are protected

  • Build double exterior walls with an extra insulation between the two layers, and the same kind of insulation in floors

  • Install exterior doors with a proper threshold and insulating frame

  • Use thermopane windows set in solid frames.

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    All of the information was researched at the time of writing and publishing these articles and is to our best knowledge correct and up to date. The Property Guide Spain is not responsible for changes that occur through updates in Spanish legislature. The Property Guide Spain is also not responsible for any errors in any of the literature or advice published on this site.