# Doing your own house repairs



## AidanMcK (Nov 21, 2011)

Just a quick question on what you can and can't do if you were in the situation of buying a ruin or an old house that needed doing up.

Are you allowed to do any of the following yourself as a normal person without any official builder certificates or anything?

1) interior house painting
2) exterior house painting
3) interior walls/floor repair (cement/bricks/tiles)
4) interior walls removal / construction
5) exterior house walls repair
6) interior ceilings repair
7) exterior roof repair
8) interior replacing or installation of doors & windows
9) exterior replacing or installation of doors & windows
10) interior plumbing repairs
11) interior electric repairs / fitting sockets & switches etc.

Thanks for the time...


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

1 yes
2yes might need permission to change colour
3 yes
4yes providing walls *are not structural/load bearing* permission reguired
5 yes
6 yes
7 yes but a reroof requires a licence but this licence is often used for other things at same time
8 yes
9 yes providing you are not enlarging an opening or making a new one permission reguired
10 yes but not gas
11 yes but might depend on other factors or if you need it certificated


----------



## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

How much you can/can't do in various areas seems to vary immensely but it's probably worth asking a friendly builder or your local Camara before you start and it's also well worth taking a bunch of before, during and after pics just in case you get any questions at a later date. 

Location is often also a factor. As an example, if your property overlooks another, then you may well not be allowed to knock a window through in a previously blank wall if that new window will overlook the other property.


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Going back to your original question a ruin by nature of it's name will reguire a project, planning permission and work done by a registered builder. it needs to be a lot more substantial than a ruin for you to bypass this.

Re 5 you have to have an understanding of Portuguese builds and techniques to make competent repairs
Re7 if extensive repair is reguired this is the time to install insulation which older property is unlikely to have


----------



## BodgieMcBodge (Mar 8, 2013)

AidanMcK said:


> Just a quick question on what you can and can't do if you were in the situation of buying a ruin or an old house that needed doing up.
> 
> Are you allowed to do any of the following yourself as a normal person without any official builder certificates or anything?
> 
> ...


Hi, You can do most things above on your own house if it does not involve the structural (safety critical) integrity of the building HOWEVER if the work is not "signed off by a PT builder" you will be responsible so if your plumbing work leaks water onto your electrical work and electrocutes next door's iguana which then explodes and destroys the house the insurance will not cough up.


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Ahhhhhhhhh
poor iguana


----------



## AidanMcK (Nov 21, 2011)

Thanks for the info all. Looks like its not as restricted as I thought then.


----------



## Janina k (Nov 30, 2011)

AidanMcK said:


> Thanks for the info all. Looks like its not as restricted as I thought then.


Hello

Aidan you are the first we have seen for a long time to ask all the right questions and you got answers to them all.

Good luck

Fred


----------



## Domicilium (Jul 20, 2013)

You only need a builder if you need a licence from the local camera, if a licence is not mandatory than you dont need a builder and you can do it yourself. Therefore the eletric and gas installation must be done by a professional. Even if you dont need a licence from the camera you still need to tell the camera that you are going to do some work in your house.


----------



## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Domicilium said:


> You only need a builder if you need a licence from the local camera, if a licence is not mandatory than you dont need a builder and you can do it yourself. Therefore the eletric and gas installation must be done by a professional. *Even if you dont need a licence from the camera you still need to tell the camera that you are going to do some work in your house.*


That might bear checking. To the best of my knowledge, you now only need to inform them if you are altering things like supporting walls etc and they don't need to be told about lesser projects.


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Thats my understanding and found with different Camaras we've lived in, however there are some things you might need to inform and get a letter of permission can't remember its exact name that doesn't reguire a registered builder like adding external insulation.

If the current layout is registered with Camara then although you might not be altering load bearing elements any drastic change or major use of rooms might need to be notified and also Financas as it can change the VPT formula and value which affects the IMI.

I've always found the best thing is to talk to the Cama's Engineers department, personally I like to keep house legal as if and when we sell no major issues crop up as have happened to others


----------



## Domicilium (Jul 20, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> That might bear checking. To the best of my knowledge, you now only need to inform them if you are altering things like *supporting walls* etc and they don't need to be told about lesser projects.


Supporting walls are part of the structure and you need a licence for that.


----------

