yes do that sounds lovely, look forward to seeing them , but make sure you get your licenses right ?

Well I can understand it if it is a major external change

My next door neighbour has just completed a wall about 25 ft long by 4 ft high at the front of his property. Now I know the Police drive by here every day on patrol so it would be interesting to see if anything comes of it as he has no licence. He is Spanish, and when I tell him about this thread I know he will tell me not to be so silly!

I have knocked a built in wardrobe out and glassed my terrace in without a licence, and retiled the kitchen floor as I didn't like the original. My neighbour used to work for the police at the town hall and he comes and sees what the builder is upto and he hasn't told me to get a licence. My car port which is under a tin roof and ivy fence, I've had a wall built inside and can't be seen from the outside and he told the builder not to bother with getting a licence as I'm not extending out, only doing internal walls. However my spanish neighbour has knocked a small house down and built 2 townhouses on it, well the bottom part anyway and the neighbours have denounced him. He has had the guardia civil stop him building the top and the other day the local police have been around and they didn't look too happy and I think all work has stopped now.

I've just had a series of walls built in my garden to stop landsliding in the rain as I live in the mountains, I'll guess I'll see what happens, but they are only 2 ft and will be covered in plants and bushes. But with my building work I was told just to go and get it put on my plans of the house.

But since they are checking around me, I think I might take the retired building inspector next week to the town hall with me as he knows them and get the car port internal building legalised just in case. I can be doing without the hassle.

Any further work will be just replacing old tiles.

If the cost of the licence is based on the cost of the job - what would they charge if you DIY? is that then just the material costs.

this is yet another area in Spain where you ask 1 question and get 20 different answers

The problem is that the "rules" vary for town to town, what will be allowed in one place wont be in another without a license - some town halls give the verbal go ahead without asking any questions others send their Technico round to look at the property and discuss what work is being done

You will always hear people say "just do it, you wont get caught, the fines are only small" BUT ask someone who has had work stopped or been fined

You also hear of people (and I spoke to someone recently) who have had their property/pools or whatever demolished because the proper paperwork wasnt in place and they get a fine to boot - a very large fine

It is usually a simple procedure to obtain permission - take the quote from the builder ( or they will do it for you ), fill in a form at the town hall and pay the tax (usually between 3%-6% of the quote)

Dont forget that the police here usually have a small area to patrol as each village/town has its own group as well as the guardia

our local police also do the reception at the town hall and lolly pop duties at school times

This is bizzare! still being back in the UK I'm getting a picture of my future life in Spain, wearing my dressing gown and slippers until the sun goes down whilst sitting on other peoples doorsteps, helicopters flying around to check nobody is weeding their garden and having to get planning permission for decorating my bathroom.
Pour another glass of vino

Don't forget that your slippers MUST match the colour of your dressing gown, UNLESS you have the appropriate Town Hall license that specifically stipulates you don't have to be colour coordinated

I'm getting a picture of my future life in Spain ...
Also, remember to leave time in your day - actually, night would be preferable
to ride your noisey motorscooter round and round the town. Extra points for
not wearing a helmet

Too true! I forgot about that

We are buying off-plan, the place is built but some of the properties have underbuilds which have been made as garages. We were asked if we wanted our underbuild made as a garage for an extra charge of 60,000 euros we declined. Therefore the underbuild was blocked off and the garden area filled in to cover it. Our agents told us - "when you have moved in simply open up the underbuild and turn it into whatever you like" After reading this thread I have to ask....if the charge from the builders was 60,000 euros just to leave it open and make it into a garage, then if we decide to open it up do we still have to get a licence and would it be worth the expense (?)

Trust me ...... when you get out here get some quotes from the local builders .. it will not cost you 60,000 euros. The builders like to make some dosh out of their add on's. We eventually got quoted half of what they had quoted for our underbuild. One point though .... I'm guessing the underbuild will probably not be on your escuitura, so it may be that you have to apply to the town hall for planning permission to do the work. Our underbuild is specified in the deeds as part of the building, and therefore we were advised that we only needed to notify the Town Hall of its change of use to living accomodation .... that is until this thread unfolded

Yes, you would still need to get a license and then when all the work is done, register it on your escritura and land registry (catastral). I think if you do it yourselves (find a local builder) it will cost you alot less than what you were quoted, BUT the value of your house will dramatically increase.

Thanks...we thought 60,000 euros was rather a lot! It isn't that we need the extra room but we wondered in case we decide at a later date to open up the underbuild.

Now THAT'S the catch! Increasing the value of the house means more in wealth tax You just can't win can you!!!