Doz1

If you have already purchased the land what is the general cost of a new build per square metre

Hillybilly

Allow 1000€ per sq m and you won't go far wrong.
Can be less, can be more, obviously depending on the location, ground conditions, access, proximity of services, quality & size of build, how much control you are going to exert over the project, how good your architect is etc etc.

EsuriJohn

Hi Doz1,

We are in exactly the position you describe having signed the Escritura for our plot in February.

We had worked all our costings out on exactly that figure of €1000 p sq m with an allowance for extras. We also thought that the downturn in the construction market would run in our favour (20,000 construction workers laid off in the Malaga Province alone).

We had seen figures quoted by authoritive sources that said between €600 and €1300 so felt comfortable.

What we have found out is that the supposed downturn is very localised and does not apply to the CDL where one of our tender list did not return because the job was too small one took over 3 months to complete the tender docs and one coming in from Portugal had quality problems.

On the face of it our prices from all returned tenders was in the region of €1700 p sq m for a non luxury spec. This is not exactly true since we are building on a steep slope and there will be an equal sized basement under the approved 182 sq m of enclosed built area.

So making an allowance for the fact that the basement will not be "finished" I believe that the price falls into the €1350 p sq m area and I think this is a more realistic planning figure if you want a good standard of basic construction with reasonable finishes and include some outside terraces and pergolas.

Regards,

John.

brisca

Oh my goodness!

I'm not sure what to think about those prices

We've been quoted 600 Euros per sq m for "liveable" space, and about half that for areas like the garage/storage places/"unfinished" areas.
Now I'm worried, with some of the figures Hillybilly and John have been mentioning!

Well, we'll see soon enough I suppose...........just picked up the Proyecto, so will be getting quotes shortly; although I expect everyone is on holiday at the moment!

Looks like there could be a few building threads on here soon!
Good luck to all who are embarking on this madness!!

Sam.

jdr

I think yours is closer. ;-))

brisca

Phew!
Thank goodness for that; I was seriously worried there jdr!

Hope you're right.
I mean, we've got a contingency fund............but not that much

Hope all is well with you and yours?

Sam x

malagaman

For a good standard finish you shouldn't have to pay more than 1000 euros per sq mtr which is the going rate in this area, but of course there are more expensive areas such as Marbella etc which apparantely give some builders dillusions of grandeur

Fred James

The figures you have seen quoted are reasonable but you might well do a better deal. When we built 4 years ago the quotes (we had 6) varied enormously and the cheapest was half as much as the most expensive.

It is very difficult to quote a per/m2 figure as it depends what you count into the total built area. For the finished living area it could be 1000/m2 but if you have a large unused underbuild, if you include this in the total area, the price will change. As I said before, the outside areas can cost a very large percentage of the total and they are often not included in the quote.

Just go out and get the quotes from as many builders as possible and then you will know what it will cost.

We chose the cheapest quote and it came in exactly on budget and very well built as well.

EsuriJohn

Hi brisca,

My figures encompass everything including a larger than usual pool, the underbuild and all external hard landscaping but not soft planting. We called for 5 tenders 4 returned and on careful analysis all in the same ballpark. I think this is the going rate in May for our part of the CDL. The builders were very varied so I am sure there was no collusion across them all, it is always possible with the two local guys but one of those was the cheapest and not the chosen builder so I dont think we have lost out.

I understand that Extramadura is still one of the cheaper areas to build in so I would think that for a similar spec to ours to include everything somewhere between 1k and 1.3k would be a safe bet.

Regards,

John.



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Mark Paddon

1000 euros per square meter is acceptable for standard finish on stable substrate, but any good builder should immediately question the site substrate before quoting. If they ignore certain site conditions and manage to come in at that figure, it may turn out that the foundations are not adequate. Steep slopes and sites on shrinkable sub soils may require a reinforced steel box foundation, raft foundation or piling which could all add considerably to costs . Most people want a house that won't move so don't ignore this important issue. Piling on some sites could add 250 euros per m2 to the normal build cost. It is well worth spending extra on foundation works if you want to avoid your dream house from turning into a nightmare a few years down the line, when everything starts to move (and I see lots of examples). When quoted by a builder ask 'what type of foundations does that include' to raise the issue. The project architect should arrange for geotechnical tests before designing adequate foundations to suit the site conditions BUT be warned! Many architects working with developers may not do this on a individual project basis, and some standard designs that would be OK on a stable site, may wrongly end up being built on a site prone to movement. Actual foundations often don't match those approved on the plans. While a 10 year builder's guarantee should cover anything that affects the stability of the house, developers have been known to dissappear (and the insurers can be hard to battle, often involving a court action. Some developers also put you down as 'Promotor' and hence it's your responsibility to organise the guarantee (especially if you may sell on within 10 years from completion).

In short, if the foundations aren't right, there will be future structural problems, so don't jump at a cheap quote unless it includes the right sub structure. If you want to compare quotes directly, get them to quote for works above foundation level, then consult closely with the Architect to ensure you get the right foundation design and if necessary pay for it seperately. Finally remember 'Bed Rock is Best!' and a site with abundant stable bedrock will reduce the need for expensive foundations. Though there are lots of rocky outcrops evident in Spain, unfortunately the majority of building land is of the less stable type, which is an increasing problem as the best sites are becoming limited in supply.

Fred James

I totally agree with what you say about foundations and ours seem massive as we are in a known earthquake zone in Andalucia.

The design of the foundations was based on that and on a geological survey. Also the plans were approved by a seperate consulting engineer and he also had to approve the actual foundations and steelwork before they were filled.

At each level of build the same happened and concrete and steel samples were taken for testing.

As I understand it, this was part of the requirements for getting the 10 year insurance.

David

The prices quoted to build a property seem to vary a bit, however this could simply be due to the quality of the finishes. For example a first class marble floor throughout is going to cost considerably more than plain basic gres per m2. Also is the bathroom included in the quote and is so what quality and type. Are the windows white aluminium or PCV double glazed with climalit glass. The finishes on the wall are they rendered or smooth plastered. What type of insulation is used on the roof.

I think you get the idea. The cost of building a house has very many variables, however the basic construction is pretty standard per m2 as a wages and bricks don't vary that much unless you're in Madrid or Barcelona.

You can't say one is cheaper than the other without first comparing the quality of the finishes. It is very realistic to say that you can have a house built from €600. Certainly in the Costa De La Luz.

Bigbhudda69

my build was E650 sq mtr in fairly rural Andalucia( 30 mins from Torre de Mar up a mountain),
as Freds in a known earthquake zone, we had to have a piled raft foundation and extra steel reinforcement throughout the levels.
The finish to the house is fairly basic, terracotta floor tiles and a choice of several wall tiles for kitchens / bathrooms, but that is how I wanted it.
Heating and pool are a separate cost to this(15000ish for a standard size pool and about 5000 for a big central heating system)I have got 3 outside taps and as many power points and light points as I want included, also 1mtr of tiles all around the outside perimeter of the house and a heavily beamed covered terrace.
There are new laws applied to Septic tanks I believe in rural areas, the old type brick/block built ones are becoming illegal, therefore new plastic type ones have to be installed which are more expensive and I think they need emptying ( not sure yet)I think these work out about E1000 more at least.

My builders supply a ten year guarantee and they have been around for many years, their reputation is their guarantee and they are proud of it.
There will always be contingencies needed and you will probably up spec a few things.
If you cannot project manage the build yourself I would suggest you have a trusted project manager, which could cost you at least 5% of the build cost, but he would be well worth this cost as he could save you a lot of heartache, time and trouble, me being in the UK I could not have done it without him.

Good luck to you..remember fail to plan....plan to fail...

cerrillo

Cost of new build - my question is is it cheaper to reform a small village house or demolish and rebuild? I have a small village house which needs one or the other. The elderly spanish lady I bought from passed on to me priced specification and plans that had been prepared by the Junta in respect of a grant for reform, these are a bit out of date now and not to my design. My spanish neighbours also suggested "tres plantas" and the more I think about it another floor would be a good idea - and according to my neighbours no problem.

I think its about 65M2 built at the moment with large garage at the back leading to the next street but I am going to make this a patio. There is a small main roof pitch which I have used some acros to prop up so it doesnt look too grotty from the front, there is another back bit of roof which came in a few weeks ago taking the floor in that room with it. my Spanish neighbour suggests getting a "machine and poof" - so I think its getting to the point where I should demolish and rebuild. Firstly to do this work I need to sell my village house as advertised in classifieds "restored andalucian village house".

I had a lot of work done to this house - and lived in it at the same time - but luckily my sister has now bought a house near my other one so I will live in hers during the works.

So any ideas or suggestions on whether to rebuild (dont think you can get any reform grant for this) or would it be cheaper to reform and apply for the grant - maximum I think is 14,000. However if adding another floor foundations will need to be sorted.

Some constructive advice would be appreciated - and a buyer for my house would also be appreciated.

lee.walker1

who was the builder you used