Building your own villa on the Costa Brava
Buying an existing house means choosing from what is there. Building means choosing from what is possible. You decide the layout, the orientation to the sun, the insulation and the pool, and you are not buying someone else's deferred maintenance.
What you take on is a building process in a country with different rules, in a language you do not speak, usually 1,500 kilometres away. We have done that before and we take it off your hands: from assessing the plot to the keys.
Can you build on this plot?
This is the first question and the most expensive mistake. Not every piece of land with a sea view is building land, and a plot offered as building land is not automatically fully buildable. Before you buy we check with the municipality what is allowed: the zoning, the minimum plot size, the maximum buildable area, the building height and the required distances to the plot boundaries.
These are the three things we see go wrong most often in practice.
1. The surface area does not match
The actual surface area and the boundaries of a plot can differ from the land registry, from the property register and from what you see on site. Before the purchase we check whether the registered data matches the actual situation.
2. The plot is less buildable than expected
The building regulations determine what may actually be built. Sometimes the villa you had in mind does not fit within the rules of that municipality. We find that out before you buy, not after.
3. The cost of a sloping plot is underestimated
Building on a hillside is considerably more expensive than building on a flat plot. Before construction can start, extensive earthworks, excavation, retaining walls and additional foundation work are often needed. On rocky ground that is a substantial extra cost. An attractive price for the plot can therefore end up as a much higher total budget than you expected.
Just as important is what is not on paper: are water, electricity and drainage connected to the plot, or would they have to cross someone else's land? That last one is one of the few problems money cannot solve.
What does it cost
Budget for 2,000 to 3,000 euros per square metre. Where you end up within that range depends on the level of finish, the shape of the plot and the municipality.
Note what is not included in that per-square-metre price: landscaping the garden, the pool and the boundary wall. Those are separate items, and they add up.
On top of that you budget for the architect, the technical supervisor, the building permit and the municipal construction tax. We put that in one budget up front, so you know what the total will be and not just what the builder charges.
How long does it take
Budget for at least fourteen months from start to completion. How much longer it takes depends mainly on the permit and on the location.
The permit itself varies a great deal per municipality. In one municipality it is issued in about six weeks, in another it runs up to twelve or fourteen weeks. We plan backwards from the date you want to be there, and tell you honestly whether that date is realistic.
Our role, from plot to completion
- Finding and assessing the plot. Bouwmogelijkheden, aansluitingen en juridische controle voordat u koopt.
- Purchase of the plot. As a registered estate agent under AICAT 14186, with the same safeguards as for a house.
- Choosing the architect. We find an architect who can turn your idea into a plan that can actually be built on the plot you bought.
- Applying for the permit. We handle the process with the municipality.
- Selecting the builder and comparing prices. Uit ons vaste netwerk, met vergelijkbare bestekken zodat u appels met appels vergelijkt.
- Supervision during construction. We are on site, we watch the schedule and the budget, and we send you photos and video.
- Handover and aftercare. Snag list, connections, warranties, and afterwards the property management if you want it.
Is this not a new build but a renovation of a house that already exists? Then read about our Project Management. Still looking for a house that already exists? Then Purchase guidance is the starting point.
What that looks like: Els Treumal, Calonge
Between 2017 and 2018 we brokered the purchase of a plot with a sea view and then coordinated the entire build. From finding the architect to earthworks, foundations, structure and finishing.
The result: four bedrooms each with its own bathroom, a heat pump, good insulation, window frames with a thermal break, underfloor heating, air conditioning, a lift, a wine cellar, an infinity pool and a large garage. With a sea view.
Frequently asked questions about building your own home
Yes, the same rules apply as when buying a house. You need an NIE number and a Spanish bank account. The building permit is issued in the name of the owner of the plot, so in your name.
No. At the moment building new is more expensive than buying existing. What you get for it is a house that is finished, laid out the way you want, and that you do not have to renovate.
That is why we fix the specification and the schedule up front and supervise during construction. Extra work always comes up, but you decide on it before it is carried out, not after it appears on the invoice.
Yes. Then we skip the first two steps and start with the architect and the permit.
Arrange a no-obligation introductory meeting. Before long you will know whether your plan is feasible in the place you have in mind.
