If you have the soul of builder and have the courage to build your own home. The area of Alicante offer some good opportunity to buy a cheap plot, you will also have the benefit to hire qualified workers at a lesser price than certainly in your home country specially if you are from UK , France and Germany. The material to build your home will be also cheaper in Spain.

Buying the land and meeting an architect.

They are a couple of things to check upon buying land such as the right of the seller to actually sell this land, the boundaries of the plot, check for water right, check for utilities supplies, ask a land surveyer to measure the exact square meter of the plot . Once all the checks have been done you can consider to meet an architect. An architect ensures that the home is conform to Spanish construction norms, an architect will sign the plans and help you to get the building permit (Licencia de Obra) , an architect may charge you between 6-10 % of the building cost. A technical engineer (Aparejador) will approve and check his plans. The building permit will cost 4-5 % of the construction cost.

Memoria and building contract

The complete building description (memoria de calidades) and the architect plan will be part of the contract with the builder, the building contract should state the total price. Price is what you will be able to negotiate. Do not sign a contract where you give all the right to the builder often foreigners do that. You will need the service of competent real estate lawyer. The contract must agree on a termination date, if the builder doesn’t finish the work at the specified date, the contract must mentions that the builder will pay a compensation equivalent of your lodging expense per day.

Advancement payment and building

Most builders will ask money in order to start building the home. Some expert says never pay more than 30 % however some builder will ask you up to 50 % in advance.
Once everything is paid , contract signed , the builder will start his work. It is advised to keep 10 % of the total building price for some months after termination, as a security for the repair of any construction defects you find.

Additionally, when you get the key of your home don’t sign a paper that cancel your right to ask for repair, also they are some more papers that you need , you may ask a gestor do it for you, but you should check that you properly have them. Boletin de instalaciones eléctricas from the electrician wiring house , saying that all electrical installations are in order. Certificado de fin de obra from the architect when the construction is finished. Cédula de habitabilidad / licencia de primera ocupación from the town hall declaring that the home fulfills the requirements of construction and technical exigencies established in the laws and other norms that regulate the building process and that is apt to be used for people to live in.

The final document is the declaración de obra nueva from your notary, it is an escritura whereby you declare the new construction.

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