# Building a house in Spain



## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

We are still exploring our options whether to buy or build. With all the red tape involved in buying, we thought building would be better - at least this way you get what you want in terms of rooms and layouts etc. How many of you have built a house anywhere in Spain and should we go down that route, what can we expect? Accepted, that it can be stressful and will probably take a year to complete depending on what type of materials we choose. Has anyone done steel construction -- it is faster and looks better (in our opinion) from builds we've seen in Portugal. 
If you've built a house successfully and are happy with the end product -- I would love to have your feedback. Have a good one! Thanks in advance! Lora


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

expatlora1 said:


> We are still exploring our options whether to buy or build. With all the red tape involved in buying, we thought building would be better - at least this way you get what you want in terms of rooms and layouts etc. How many of you have built a house anywhere in Spain and should we go down that route, what can we expect? Accepted, that it can be stressful and will probably take a year to complete depending on what type of materials we choose. Has anyone done steel construction -- it is faster and looks better (in our opinion) from builds we've seen in Portugal.
> If you've built a house successfully and are happy with the end product -- I would love to have your feedback. Have a good one! Thanks in advance! Lora


I suspect the red tape involved in building would be infinitely worse/more than with buying - there are so many rules about certain types of land that can/cant be built on.

However, see what others with more knowledge advise 

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

It really depends where you are - but yes, building from scratch can be a nightmare. A Danish family bought a plot next to us and it took five years to get all the necessary permissions! After that, the house went up in six months and is fabulous. 

Reforming an existing dwelling might be the safest route, but again, some town halls are more picky than others about what you can and can't change. 

The construction industry is still in recession so you shouldn't have a problem finding good builders - and they work their socks off.

What sort of area are you looking at? Coastal, urban or rural?


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

We bought land 15 years ago and had our house built for us. It is in a rural area and required a minimum of 5000 m2 per house. We have 7500 m2 and built the largest house we were allowed based on that plot size. In recent years this has increased to 10000 m2 per house.
After our house was about 50% built we had to fire our builders due to their limitations and cash flow problems. They were recommended to us - amazingly. For a while we were paying the workers directly but it was a hopeless situation and could not go on. Luckily, by this time, my wife knew the wife of a good local builder and he decided to take on the job of completeing our house and rectifying several faults. At least the foundations and basic structure were constructed to a very high standard - the Twin Towers could have been built on our foundations, there was that much steel and concrete.
All in all it took over a year and a half to build. We fortunately, did not have trouble with local rules and regulations and have been very satisfied with the final product. Unlike most other houses in the area, we have a very well insulated house built to our own spec, with double thickness walls with cavity between, a roof which keeps the heat out, double glazing and a large kitchen.
At the time, the cost of buying the land and the total construction costs were way cheaper than buying an already built house. I would definitely do it again especially if the complete job were carried out by competent builders.


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## Turtles (Jan 9, 2011)

I'd be interested to know how the buy/build price difference has varied over time. Surely we're at a historical buy point in that cycle - point accepted that existing houses have insufficient insulation.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Turtles said:


> I'd be interested to know how the buy/build price difference has varied over time. Surely we're at a historical buy point in that cycle - point accepted that existing houses have insufficient insulation.


Yes, but wages have also fallen dramatically, and that's a major element of building costs. Skilled tradesmen who could earn €500 a day during the boom are now lucky to get €150 - labourers much less.


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

el romeral said:


> We bought land 15 years ago and had our house built for us. It is in a rural area and required a minimum of 5000 m2 per house. We have 7500 m2 and built the largest house we were allowed based on that plot size. In recent years this has increased to 10000 m2 per house.
> After our house was about 50% built we had to fire our builders due to their limitations and cash flow problems. They were recommended to us - amazingly. For a while we were paying the workers directly but it was a hopeless situation and could not go on. Luckily, by this time, my wife knew the wife of a good local builder and he decided to take on the job of completeing our house and rectifying several faults. At least the foundations and basic structure were constructed to a very high standard - the Twin Towers could have been built on our foundations, there was that much steel and concrete.
> All in all it took over a year and a half to build. We fortunately, did not have trouble with local rules and regulations and have been very satisfied with the final product. Unlike most other houses in the area, we have a very well insulated house built to our own spec, with double thickness walls with cavity between, a roof which keeps the heat out, double glazing and a large kitchen.
> At the time, the cost of buying the land and the total construction costs were way cheaper than buying an already built house. I would definitely do it again especially if the complete job were carried out by competent builders.


Now there's a positive post! We are looking to build a modern contemporary villa with under floor heating. We want to keep the heat out during the warm months and keep it in during the cold months, so doing a lot of research on this at the moment. Do you have under floor heating with water pipes, which relies on solar energy? Thanks!


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> It really depends where you are - but yes, building from scratch can be a nightmare. A Danish family bought a plot next to us and it took five years to get all the necessary permissions! After that, the house went up in six months and is fabulous.
> 
> Reforming an existing dwelling might be the safest route, but again, some town halls are more picky than others about what you can and can't change.
> 
> ...


Looking for a bit of a sea view -- can be distant, but even far reaching views of mountains etc. Interested in the Valencia region and surrounding areas. We are planning to drive through all the areas to get a better feel of all the areas. Only then will we think about it and we hope to be 'armed' with a great lawyer to iron out all the red tape.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

expatlora1 said:


> Looking for a bit of a sea view -- can be distant, but even far reaching views of mountains etc. Interested in the Valencia region and surrounding areas. We are planning to drive through all the areas to get a better feel of all the areas. Only then will we think about it and we hope to be 'armed' with a great lawyer to iron out all the red tape.


There are rules about building on certain types of land. Rustic is a no-no, as are most campo - countryside areas. Some villages, towns sell off parcels of land, which become housing estates

But yes, a drive around is a good idea. I dont know of the legalities, but there are squillions of half built properties littering the Costa del Sol area - can any of those be bought and re -structured I wonder????

Jo xxx


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## GallineraGirl (Aug 13, 2011)

Find a piece of Urbano land. This has a type of outline planning permission. Apply to the town hall for a 'Cedula' which will tell you exactly what is allowed to be built on the land and size/height etc. Then find a really good builder/architect who will deal with all the permissions etc. If you don't speak good Spanish an architect who can speak English is a must. Then buy the land and off you go!

We are having a large garage built at the moment on a plot of land at the edge of a village in the Alicante/Valencia region and this is what we did. The paperwork took a while but the construction has been very quick and the build is to a high standard. We are very pleased with the result


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

GallineraGirl said:


> Find a piece of Urbano land. This has a type of outline planning permission. Apply to the town hall for a 'Cedula' which will tell you exactly what is allowed to be built on the land and size/height etc. Then find a really good builder/architect who will deal with all the permissions etc. If you don't speak good Spanish an architect who can speak English is a must. Then buy the land and off you go!
> 
> We are having a large garage built at the moment on a plot of land at the edge of a village in the Alicante/Valencia region and this is what we did. The paperwork took a while but the construction has been very quick and the build is to a high standard. We are very pleased with the result


or a good Spanish architect and a good interpreter who knows a bit about construction work


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

jojo said:


> But yes, a drive around is a good idea. I dont know of the legalities, but there are squillions of half built properties littering the Costa del Sol area - can any of those be bought and re -structured I wonder????


In many cases the answer is NO. Many were being built illegally and the Regional government stepped in and said those properties are illegal (red-faced alcaldes all around), stop work at once.

On a drive around, look and see how many properties are only partly completed with no signs of recent work - those are, in all probability, illegal builds. If there are lots then you can gauge the size of area where no building may take place. Land, you will often find is expensive so it is quite common to buy a house that is in need of serious reform (almost falling down), demolish and build new in the space of the old - Yes, they even take one house out of the middle of a terrace, very cleanly and very competently.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> In many cases the answer is NO. Many were being built illegally and the Regional government stepped in and said those properties are illegal (red-faced alcaldes all around), stop work at once.
> 
> On a drive around, look and see how many properties are only partly completed with no signs of recent work - those are, in all probability, illegal builds. If there are lots then you can gauge the size of area where no building may take place. Land, you will often find is expensive so it is quite common to buy a house that is in need of serious reform (almost falling down), demolish and build new in the space of the old - Yes, they even take one house out of the middle of a terrace, very cleanly and very competently.


Crazy isnt it lol!!! Altho I think many along the coast road on the CDS are infact the result of building companies going bust at thge start of the recession and literally just dropping tools and vanishing. I dont think many of them are/were very well built. The result of the "get em up quick and sell" era

That said, the majority of those are apartment blocks and the like, which isnt what the OP is looking for - But what a terrible waste and they're all becoming a terrible eyesore

Jo xxx


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

expatlora1 said:


> Now there's a positive post! We are looking to build a modern contemporary villa with under floor heating. We want to keep the heat out during the warm months and keep it in during the cold months, so doing a lot of research on this at the moment. Do you have under floor heating with water pipes, which relies on solar energy? Thanks!


No, we do not have any under floor heating or solar panels. If we had thought about it more at the time then the under floor heating in the bathrooms would have been a good idea for the 3 or 4 months when it could be beneficial.
Our house is open plan and most of it is heated by the large log burner in the living room area during the winter months.


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

el romeral said:


> No, we do not have any under floor heating or solar panels. If we had thought about it more at the time then the under floor heating in the bathrooms would have been a good idea for the 3 or 4 months when it could be beneficial.
> Our house is open plan and most of it is heated by the large log burner in the living room area during the winter months.


We did the log burner thing and ended up with severe allergies! My first ever, so looking to get away from wood burning. We visited someone who'd just built a large modern contemporary open plan villa with under floor heating using water pipes and solar panels -- it was so nice to be able to feel the warmth coming through the tiles. It was so effective, that they didn't have any heating upstairs, but did put in the pipes just in case they needed to use it. Great idea we thought!!


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

jojo said:


> Crazy isnt it lol!!! Altho I think many along the coast road on the CDS are infact the result of building companies going bust at thge start of the recession and literally just dropping tools and vanishing. I dont think many of them are/were very well built. The result of the "get em up quick and sell" era
> 
> That said, the majority of those are apartment blocks and the like, which isnt what the OP is looking for - But what a terrible waste and they're all becoming a terrible eyesore
> 
> Jo xxx


I think if we don't get a property we like (there's always something not quite right with them) and from what we've heard/experienced, the insulation is probably not effective, we would really like to build our own house. We've seen some of these abandoned 'eye sores' on documentaries -- not something we want to take on. I'll keep coming back to the forum with more questions for which I will start new threads. Thanks again for feedback.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

expatlora1 said:


> I think if we don't get a property we like (there's always something not quite right with them) and from what we've heard/experienced, the insulation is probably not effective, we would really like to build our own house. We've seen some of these abandoned 'eye sores' on documentaries -- not something we want to take on. I'll keep coming back to the forum with more questions for which I will start new threads. Thanks again for feedback.


I'm not sure I'd want any of them either lol - altho maybe there's a deal to be had with the price, land, permissions etc???? It does seem crazy, all those empty, half built boxes littering the land and what will become of them????

Anyway, feel free to ask anything, there are lots of us and alot of knowledge and wisdom 

Jo xxx


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

jojo said:


> I'm not sure I'd want any of them either lol - altho maybe there's a deal to be had with the price, land etc???? It does seem crazy, all those empty, half built boxes littering the land and what will become of them????
> 
> Anyway, feel free to ask anything, there are lots of us and alot of knowledge and wisdom
> 
> Jo xxx


They will probably go the same way as many of the old ruins we see dotted about the landscape, some of which look as though they were manor houses, cortijos, etc.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> They will probably go the same way as many of the old ruins we see dotted about the landscape, some of which look as though they were manor houses, cortijos, etc.


I doubt they'll last as long, but yes, part of Spains history

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

jojo said:


> I doubt they'll last as long, but yes, part of Spains history
> 
> Jo xxx


They look awful and are a monument to greed, corruption and poor planning. But the good thing is that because they are built of concrete rather than wood, they don't rot or fall down. They can stand half-finished for years and then be completed when the economy recovers. This is already starting to happen in some places. 

I just hope there is a world shortage of that dreadful salmon-pink rendering that was so popular in the 90s! White looks so much nicer.


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

If you are thinking Valencia area, maybe underfloor heating is a bit of a waste. In my last 3 winters, I didn't even use the fireplace and I was actually never cold enough to want to wrap up and we use the summer quit and a light jacket to go out. Then again we are in 'coastal' Valencia down south, but surely it might be colder if you go near mountains, etc.


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

Lolito said:


> If you are thinking Valencia area, maybe underfloor heating is a bit of a waste. In my last 3 winters, I didn't even use the fireplace and I was actually never cold enough to want to wrap up and we use the summer quit and a light jacket to go out. Then again we are in 'coastal' Valencia down south, but surely it might be colder if you go near mountains, etc.


I ended up having chill blains for the first time ever for three winters (not in Spain obviously) and they are painful, so not taking any chances. I'd rather be a little warm than cold. At least if the floor heating is in, we have the option to use it if needed. I'm always cold!! It all depends on what we end up doing, but we are excited at the possibility of building.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

expatlora1 said:


> I ended up having chill blains for the first time ever for three winters (not in Spain obviously) and they are painful, so not taking any chances. I'd rather be a little warm than cold. At least if the floor heating is in, we have the option to use it if needed. I'm always cold!! It all depends on what we end up doing, but we are excited at the possibility of building.


I think our member Baldilocks had frostbite for the first time ever when he moved to Spain

I've never been as cold indoors in winter in the UK, as I am every winter in Spain!


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

*Lolito,* do you have coastal views? I was wondering what land went for in such areas. Looking for land which can have far reaching sea views or even of the mountains or both!!! I think driving around will give us a much better idea.


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> i think our member baldilocks had frostbite for the first time ever when he moved to spain
> 
> i've never been as cold indoors in winter in the uk, as i am every winter in spain!


yikes!! :d


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I think our member Baldilocks had frostbite for the first time ever when he moved to Spain
> 
> I've never been as cold indoors in winter in the UK, as I am every winter in Spain!


I absolutely froze. Spanish houses are not built for cold weather, all those tiles, damp and poor insulation!!! As much as I love Spain, you cant beat central heating, carpets and snuggly warm houses that we have in the UK.

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

expatlora1 said:


> I ended up having chill blains for the first time ever for three winters (not in Spain obviously) and they are painful, so not taking any chances. I'd rather be a little warm than cold. At least if the floor heating is in, we have the option to use it if needed. I'm always cold!! It all depends on what we end up doing, but we are excited at the possibility of building.


Sounds good to me especially if you can use something like a geothermal heat source. It's true, Spanish houses are bloody freezing in winter (I'm less than 100 km from the Sahara desert and even I have to wear thermal undies and mittens indoors from December through March). 

Heating them to just 19 or 20ºC costs a fortune as electricity in Spain is the third most expensive in Europe, and we have no mains gas here.

But I can't cope with central heating any more, it dries out my nose and throat and I always catch a cold. That's why I never visit England in winter!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Sounds good to me especially if you can use something like a geothermal heat source. It's true, Spanish houses are bloody freezing in winter (I'm less than 100 km from the Sahara desert and even I have to wear thermal undies and mittens indoors from December through March).
> 
> Heating them to just 19 or 20ºC costs a fortune as electricity in Spain is the third most expensive in Europe, and we have no mains gas here.
> 
> But I can't cope with central heating any more, it dries out my nose and throat and I always catch a cold. That's why I never visit England in winter!


If the OP wants to build a place fairly near to the coast, I'm sure she wouldn't find the winter temperatures so bad.

Even 5km inland where I am (but only about 150m above sea level), never have I had to wear thermals or mittens, either indoors or out! I do wear trousers and a sweater or fleece in the winter, especially in the early mornings and evenings, but that's as far as it goes. We just use a butane heater to warm our house. When I get up on winter mornings it's extremely rare (and I mean only a handful of times in 8 years) for the inside temperature to be below 18C and that's when there hasn't been any heating on all night. The lowest I ever saw it go was 15C. I've never bought more than 10 gas bottles in a year - normal sized ones (and that's for all cooking as well). Total cost for 10, at today's prices = €175.

I agree with you about central heating, btw. I go to visit family in December each year and I find it so stuffy I have to open the bedroom window at night, I feel as though I can't breathe.


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## expatlora1 (Jul 30, 2014)

Lynn R said:


> If the OP wants to build a place fairly near to the coast, I'm sure she wouldn't find the winter temperatures so bad.
> 
> Even 5km inland where I am (but only about 150m above sea level), never have I had to wear thermals or mittens, either indoors or out! I do wear trousers and a sweater or fleece in the winter, especially in the early mornings and evenings, but that's as far as it goes. We just use a butane heater to warm our house. When I get up on winter mornings it's extremely rare (and I mean only a handful of times in 8 years) for the inside temperature to be below 18C and that's when there hasn't been any heating on all night. The lowest I ever saw it go was 15C. I've never bought more than 10 gas bottles in a year - normal sized ones (and that's for all cooking as well). Total cost for 10, at today's prices = €175.
> 
> I agree with you about central heating, btw. I go to visit family in December each year and I find it so stuffy I have to open the bedroom window at night, I feel as though I can't breathe.


What about damp if one lives near the coast? Do things in closets get moldy, rooms feel damp and cold especially during the cooler months? We plan on driving around the areas and will probably talk with some folk in the building industry to better understand how things work there.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

expatlora1 said:


> What about damp if one lives near the coast? Do things in closets get moldy, rooms feel damp and cold especially during the cooler months? We plan on driving around the areas and will probably talk with some folk in the building industry to better understand how things work there.


Some houses are damp, no doubt about it. Most of the ones around me are older properties, I am not sure how much modern ones are affected.

Ventilation seems to be the key to preventing it. When we first bought our house we only used it for holidays so it was shut up for all but about 6 weeks of the year. I used to strip the beds and leave all the internal doors, wardrobe doors and drawers open as I feared things would get mildewed (we had a bit of a problem with that in our UK house when things in a built in wardrobe next to an exterior wall would get it, and smell musty). However, after a while I stopped bothering and nothing was ever affected. Another house a few doors away, however, is so damp you can smell it as soon as you go in and they have to keep a dehumidifier running all the time. Ours must have too many draughts, is all I can think of!

We have one or two patches of wall on the ground floor where paint bubbles up, probably from rising damp and the plaster has to be knocked off and repainted every year, but fortunately they're not big ones. In the manner of many older Spanish houses, the ground floor rooms of my house are half-tiled (and the kitchen fully tiled) but in those couple of places the damp even gets above the tiles.

We keep our windows open all day in winter, from around 11 am until the sun goes down, to keep the house aired (and during those hours the air outside is warmer than it is inside), and in summer we do the opposite, close the windows from around noon until the sun goes down, then open them up to cool things down.

I think there might be more dampness in the air if you are right on the coast, but the temperatures will be a bit warmer in winter and cooler in summer than even 5km inland as we are.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

expatlora1 said:


> What about damp if one lives near the coast? Do things in closets get moldy, rooms feel damp and cold especially during the cooler months? We plan on driving around the areas and will probably talk with some folk in the building industry to better understand how things work there.


Yes, black mould is common even away from the coast. Moisture in the air comes from cooking, bathing, butane heaters and just breathing. When it hits a cold surface like an exterior wall, it grows quickly. If you can keep the room temperature above about 20ºC it is less of a problem.

You avoid it by using dehumidifiers, extractor fans, opening windows regularly, and regular treatment with bleach. 

Never leave precious items in closed cupboards/closets over the winter. Store things in special plastic bags where you use a vaccum cleaner to suck the air out. My friend left her very expensive leather riding boots in a wooden chest over the winter, and returned to find them bright green!


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