I am planning to build a villa in Spain and I am trying to get my head around how much it will cost. Everyone I ask seems to give me a different figure from as little as 500 euros per square metre to around 2000 euros per square metre and more. Obviously it depends not only on where but also on whats included. The problem I have is that the specifications I recieve are too technical for me to really be able to understand what you get for what money.

Can anyone please give me an idea of how much I need to budget for per square metre for a 200 square metre villa excluding site aquisition and ground preparation costs but inlcuding everything else - keys in hand?

Can anyone recommend a switched on team who can do this for me?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

I cant help with the costs I'm afraid ... but just to mention insurance. Bear in mind you have tio have a 10 years building insurance on your house now when you do a newbuild. Failure to do it (which involves inspections by the ins co at certain stages) .... well, basically means that you may have problems selling it in the first 10 years.

This all depends exactly where the plot is and what services and permissions the land has.

Even in the same province the price of land will vary tremendously depending on those things.

There are 1 million empty properties in Spain, unless you are going to build something unique, I would suggest trying to pick up a bargain from one of them

agree with you there cricketman

building in Spain can be a mine field
finding a good reliable builder who wont rip you off can be hit and miss

costs can very sooooo mush its impossible to give an average I would say

try getting a breakdown of whats included in the prices you have been quoted ie foundations, electrics, plumbing, windows, tiling, some builders dont incl finishing

you probably already know that the size of the build will depend on the size of the plot and the type of land it is ie rural, urban etc and councils vary from area to area in whatis permitted and how logn it takes to grant the permission

there are plenty of places on the market and some people are desperate to sell...is it really worth putting yourself through what could be a total nightmare ? unless as cricketman says you are building something unique

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses.

I know there are masses of cheap properties but most (not all I accept) are complete rubbish. Many are badly orientated, have no shading, tiny kitchens, no storage etc. Many are in the middle of no-where; swathe upon swathe of identikit apartments. No thought at all has been put into their design. Noise insulation is apalling. I think the buildingb regs have just been updated for the first time since 1973. I have made enquiries with a number of developers who have confessed, even though they are still building, that they built to the 1973 buidling regulations because they started before the new regs came into effect and that has been the attitidue towards everything..showy to get a good price, but rubbish behind the plaster. So oversupply generally yes but if you want quality there isnt any. I just dont want to live in a crap house.

Of course land and site preparation will vary but surely there is a standard build figure for a finished house or is it that everyones too paranoid to be open and honest about what they can deliver for what price because they dont want to be undercut and they hope to fish you in on a low price and then creep it up as you move forwards.

Does anyone know any honest builders / architects who have the courage to tell you what they can do for what money?

I take it you know about the insurance then.

Dave, you'll need to narrow it down a bit. You need to tell us where you are building.

If you asked a builder in the UK for a price per mtr to build in London, it would be totally different to a price per mtr in Newcastle. Same in Spain. Also yes, I can put you in touch with a surveyor who has access to an architect, but thats only here in the Gandia / Oliva area

2000 eu per metre.

You are looking at 1000/m2 for a shed and 1500/2000 for anything half reasonable. Prices have gone up a lot in the last 5 years - steel and cement for example.

A lot will depend on the quality of the fittings you specify. Also the costs of the "outside" work are not usually included as they tend to develop as the build progresses. We spent 2/3 on the house and the other 1/3 on the terraces/pool/perimeter walls etc.

Your architect should sort out a reasonable number of quotes for you based on his detailed project documents and he should know which are the reputable local builders.

When we built we had six quotes and the highest was exactly twice the lowest. We went for the lowest and had a fantastically well built house.

Thanks everyone. How interesting! Very interesting that you went for the lowest and are happy with the result.

We are looking at a number of areas in Andalucia at the moment. Big place I know so we'll probably end up in the Costa Tropical.

Can anyone recommend anyone in the Granada region?

What you should really do (IMHO) is to employ a good architect. In Spain, the architect also acts as project manager (oversees the build , authorises stage payments etc.). The architect also provides costs! He has to do this as a percentage of the proposed costs go to the town hall as tax.

Clearly you'll need detailed plans so you'll need an architect but you will also need a technical architect to produce the technical data (loadings etc.).

If you end up buying a plot near Almunecar I can recommend a good architect/aperajador.

Are you planning to buy an urban plot or a rustic one?

If rustic be very careful as there are virtually no plots available where you can legally build unless they are over 30000m2 and even then it is difficult to get permission for a proper house.