Free guide for homeowners
Before You Start Building Work in Spain
Planning a new bathroom, a kitchen or a bigger renovation? This guide takes you through it in the order it happens: finding someone, writing your brief, setting a budget, reading and comparing quotes, IVA and paying, the town hall, and the snag list at the end.
Every page is in English and Spanish side by side, so you and your tradesperson can read the same thing.
Free, no sign-up · PDF, 36 pages, 5.7 MB · English and Spanish
Written by Stewart Bartley. 15+ years as a Quantity Surveyor and Senior Commercial Manager in UK housebuilding.
What's inside
- 1Finding someone, and what to expect
- 2Your brief and specification
- 3Your budget: estimated, quoted, actual
- 4The quote: what it should contain, and comparing quotes fairly
- 5IVA and paying: which rate applies, deposits and stage payments
- 6Town hall, certificates and insurance
- 7During the job and after: changes, the snag list, and what to do if you cannot agree
Ready to use
- Project brief and budget sheets, filled in and blank
- A side-by-side table to compare up to three quotes
- A checklist for before you say yes
- A letter to your town hall in Spanish, with the English translation
- A snag list, filled in and blank
- Two messages to copy and send
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules differ between town halls and change over time, so confirm what applies with your ayuntamiento or a gestor.
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