I have spent the day up to me knees in .... due to the incompetent workmanship of British 'renovators and builders' and am preparing to have a complete new upper floor in a so called 'reformed' property 'reformed by' and purchased from a huge agent run by Brits. I bought the house 1 year ago. I am currently fuming...why can these people not be named and shamed?:curse:

Unfortunately for legal reasons, stupid as that might seem to you at the moment

What are the problems?

It's so much better to go Spanish and get REAL workmen. I'm finding that everyone in Spain claims to be a master builder

Spanish workers are better, faster and can be cheaper! I know language can be a barrier but I've learnt so much more having to speak to them rather than simply talking to Brits.

We were sold the house as a reform. New kitchen, 2 new bathrooms, lovely tiled floors throughout etc we have over the last week had the floor in the bedroom drop so it now resembles a valley with the drawers at one side and the bed at the other and today have had 3 lovely Spanish men shaking their heads at the complete lunacy of the fitting of the bathrooms. Only partially new drainage pipes have been fitted under the lovely tiled patio, the angle of the pipes is incorrect and therefore we are getting a backlog of waste. They have temp sorted the problem but we are going to have to have the patio taken up and new drains relaid. It angers me soooooo much.

The amusing thing is that they also learned a new word today...FLUSH. It was worth paying them for the entertainment value and they never stopped all day. When I asked how much we owed them for todays work, as they have to come back to replace the manhole cover (which had been cemented in place!) they said nothing we were to pay them when they come back in a week or so...

Its a real shame that these DIY "experts" are coming over from the UK and setting up as professionals.
The whole thing sounds horrendous. Any chance of legal redress, considered doing a denuncia?

Celestine, I think we may have fallen foul of the same agents and builder. We have a house in Estepa and have had exactly the same problem as you with the plumbing. It has cost a small fortune to have the patio taken up, new pipework, and the patio re-laid. That isn't taking into account all the other bodged work that our 'English' expert left us with.

We ae having more work done now and have done what we should have done before and got Spanish builders in. The price is good, the workmanship is good, they turn up when they say they will and it's altogether a much more pleasant experience.

I hope you get sorted ok. It's a definate warning to newcomers though - Beware the British builders! Too many bodgers and cowboys amongst them. Unfortunately not something you are generally aware of when you first arrive.

When we first came to Spain, we had a quote from an English Builder to renovate our house.

We also had one from our Spanish neighbour who is a builder.

We chose Miguel as he quoted half the price for twice the work! And also he could point to houses in the village where he had done work, including his own.

We are very satisfied with the work (four years later).

We found out later that some houses that the original English builder had renovated had fallen down because he'd used the wrong materials and that's why he went to live in Cyprus!

I think it is a bit unfair to broad brush all British builders as poor. We have used a British builder (Nigel) here in Jimena to fit a new roof, new kitchen, new terrace and other jobs. His timekeeping, pricing and workmanship has been fantastic and would willing recommend him.

Oh yes, I agree; when we had the little ruin we'd also bought renovated, our Spanish builder was too busy to do the work , so we had an English guy we knew who'd just started up, and he was terrific and has remained a good friend.

I also know some cowboy Spanish builders.

Have to take each one on their merits!

You are right, of course, however we are speaking from personal experience and there are an awful lot of dodgy British builders around. It does seem that a lot of people go over to Spain without any real ideas for employment and with few other skills set themselves up as builders.

We thought we had been careful when we chose ours. We were told that he was a builder in England, was very experienced, and had been in business renovating and restoring barns. He was restoring his own house in a village close to us and therefore experienced in Spanish properties. We took a lot on trust because we live permanently in the Uk and weren't there to oversee the work that was being done, and it was easier to have someone who spoke English at the other end of the phone to discuss plans etc. Long story short -we got ripped off very badly. He took over 2 years to do the work (not a great deal actually) and most of the work has had to be done again. We were charged for time when he wasn't actually working and for materials he didn't use. In short, we paid for our renovations - and his!

Unfortunately, in the area where my house is, the British builders have an abyssmal reputation and are to be avoided at all costs. It does tend to tar everyone with the same brush and I feel sorry for any honest Brit trying to set up in business in this area. It is a very Spanish area with few foreigners and unfortunately the behaviour of these cowboys has made it bad for all others.

As I said in my previous mail, we are currently having more work done on our house and we are using Spainish builders. The experience couldn't be more different, neither could the standard of work.

50,000 euros poorer and with a very sour taste in my mouth I say from the heart that I would never employ another British builder.

With profound apologies to all the skilled and hardworking British tradesmen in Spain - I know you are legion. Unfortunately we have never come across you.

Jeanie27.

In my experience there are good and bad in both camps.

I have used a Spanish builder, and an English builder both based in Estepa and I would recommend either to anyone.

However I have also used another Estepa based spanish plasterer who because he thought he would get away with it as we were in the UK at the time. Tried ripping me off by claiming twice as many hours labour than he'd actually put in.
(good Spanish neighbours on both sides to thank for that info)

Plus he, or his labourer also stole a money box containing about €35!

When he turned up with his bill he seemed rather put out when I refused to pay for the labour, threatened him with the police, and told him that if I ever saw him working on any other property I would warn the owner that he was a conman and a thief.

I paid him for the materials listed on the bill less the labour and threw him out of the house.

He's not been back since

He did walk into a bar I was in a few months later, saw me sitting there at the bar and turned round and left quick