Know what you are buying

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Know what you are buying

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in Building in Portugal, buying property in portugal, House for sale, Living in Portugal, property problems, refurbishment April 28, 2016

Do you really know what you are buying ?

In most things probably but when it comes to buying a house in Portugal are you sure?

It was something which was brought home to us recently during a demolition project. We were taking off a recently built two story extension that had been built onto an old stone house which we are remodeling and renovating.

Obviously the house is an old house and you would expect that things would need to be renovated and made good.

What you would not expect and would probably not be happy about is that the extension was not tied into (secured too) the old house.
When we started the demolition it just fell down like a pack of cards. Not only that the single thickness brick wall that made the structure of the extension had no cement between the vertical faces of the bricks! Just along the bottom and top.

This could not be seen because the walls were covered in poor quality render. This is one of the worst self build projects that we have come across and you can understand why Portugal has moved towards building regulations and controls.

If you had not known the extension to the house was badly built and just did what a lot of people do decorate and refurbish.

The fact that this two story extension dropped to the ground so easily and quickly was worrying because if the house was just being “refurbished” it could have fallen down due to high wind or ground tremor. take a look at seismic activity in Portugal.

If you are not qualified or experienced enough to know if a property you are looking at to buy is sound call in Castelo Construction.

It would be a shame to end your retirement under a pile of freshly painted rubble.

contact info@casteloconstruction.com

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About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders