# Build quality of modern housing



## jb44 (May 21, 2010)

I am looking to buy in the forseeable future and wondered if anyone has any particular views on the construction of property built relatively in the past 5 or so years ago.

I am aware of various " practices" but is anyone aware of any pitfalls of the more modern built homes?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

jb44 said:


> I am looking to buy in the forseeable future and wondered if anyone has any particular views on the construction of property built relatively in the past 5 or so years ago.
> 
> I am aware of various " practices" but is anyone aware of any pitfalls of the more modern built homes?



I dont know, altho I dont think spanish houses use any form of damp course and seem to be built the same way they always have been. But whether there are any new innovations within that I dont know. I've a friend who has just completed a reform and altho he had fully trained electricians on site - the quality of the wiring is worrying!!!!!

Jo xxx


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

We bought a new build 8 years ago. 

As Jo said they do not seem to use any form of damp course here in Spain. We have had to have our walls injected. The Spanish seem to build their houses for dry weather even though, as we all know, it can rain a great deal at times. Also, very few houses have gutters so the rain runs straight down the walls.

We did not employ an independent surveyor when we bought our house - we wish we had done. We thought that as it was a new house there should be no need. We thought as we had a 10 year builder's guarantee then we would be covered if anything went wrong.

We have had some problems - mainly with damp and electrics. It seems the guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on.

My advice is to get a full survey on any house you are thinking of buying. It could save you a lot of money in the long run.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

My outlaws built their own house about 8 years ago and we all learned a lot about the Spanish building process. The did have a damp proof course put in which paid dividends two winters ago when it rained for 4 months. but it was done with a lot of s******ing from the Spanish guys. But they experienced things such as an outdoor brick cupboard for gas cylinders was built and finished just across an exit door from the main house such that you could't open the main door. Had to be torn down and re built. They tiled the kitchen beofre puttin in the wiring so the wiring had to be put in from the outside. Lots of stuff like that. When they tiled the kitchen the outlaws had bought 8 decorative and expensive moorish tiles to give relief to the otherwise plain white tiling they had. The tiler put these tiles exactly where the cupboards were to be hung so they couldn't be seen. So instead of knowcking out 16 tiles they pulled down the lot!!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

My understanding is that DPC's are not allowed ( illegal , in fact. ) due to the possibilty of slippage when there are earthquakes !! & we should know having just had one !
I think Beachcomber knows the exact legal position.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

gus-lopez said:


> My understanding is that DPC's are not allowed ( illegal , in fact. ) due to the possibilty of slippage when there are earthquakes !! & we should know having just had one !
> I think Beachcomber knows the exact legal position.



8 years ago when they built their house it wasn't illegal and they have the paperwork to prove it!! Probably illegal now but tomorrow? Who knows


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## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

We built our house with the aid of a Spanish builder We do not have a damp course as in the UK but all the outside wall below ground and about a meter above were coated is some Black Tar like stuff and then some water resistant material also gravel was then placed between the wall and the normal dirt to aid drainage. This was 6 years ago touch wood no problems with damp as yet!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

No damp course, but the house was apparently built to deal with eartquakes, dont ask me what additions it has!

We had a surveyor come and look over it a few years ago and he told me basically it was a sound construction.

It wasnt built with enough power points, but that was partly my fault

Only one person was hospitalised during the building of the house it seems, but to be honest I was surprised no one was killed due to the strange practices I witnessed whilst it was being built.


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