My house I built it
It was not a passing fad in those first dark months of the pandemic. The villas have been practically razed by citizens eager for terraces and gardens. In new construction there is hardly any stock left and the offer is being built almost from scratch. Proof of this is that the number of new construction management permits to build single-family homes has increased by 37% year-on-year in the first five months of the year, according to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda. Only in June, single-family sales grew 78% year-on-year and prices rose 16.5%, according to the Council of Notaries.
More informationApartments without a terrace that (now yes) can add oneFew and expensive. This scenario has given self-promotion an unusual boost in Spain. More and more are launching themselves to buy a plot to build their own chalet. And this despite the fact that, like the rest of the sector, it is affected by the lack of labor and the increase in construction costs due to the unstoppable escalation of materials such as concrete, steel or aluminum. Construction costs in residential building rose 13.5% year-on-year until September 2021, which means that prices have skyrocketed by more than 10% in just nine months, according to the construction company ACR.
More informationThe real estate exodus that comes after the virus: from the city to the countrysideArchitecture companies report the increase in commissions, which even today are still more than in a normal year. "Since June 2020, our office has verified a 70% increase in the demand for self-promoted housing," says Ramón Gandía, founder of RGB Arquitectos. In this study they explain that as soon as they came out of the great confinement of 2020, the client began to look for new-build chalets already built. “That demand quickly covered the supply. Later, the tendency was to go to self-promotion, since the terms to get a house were already similar ”, explains Gandía.
Demand is divided between those who flee the big city to live in a chalet on the outskirts and those who self-promote a second home in a more remote environment.
At the Ábaton architecture studio, requests for self-promotion have grown between 20% and 30% since the start of the pandemic. Although in this company, focused on the house market with an average cost of one million euros, they say they have noticed a growing interest since the financial crisis of 2008. "The personalization and adaptation of each house to the family and their way of life”, notes Blanca Alonso, director of New Developments at Ábaton. And he adds: “It is difficult for us to understand how there are people who make a suit to measure and, instead, consider a prêt-à-porter, instead of doing something personalized. Given the total investment, the additional cost of custom design is negligible”.
Companies like this can take care of the entire process, from finding the plot to building the house. "Clients hire us for architecture, construction, interior design and landscaping and a coherent and harmonious result is guaranteed," says Alonso. The company can even offer a closed price, although this would raise the bill by around 10% more.
More informationThis is how you can finance the construction of your own homeIn general, self-development can lead to cost savings of up to 30%, by eliminating the benefit of the developer. Even so, it is frequent that, instead of saving that percentage, the client "chooses to improve his house, either in quality, surfaces or recreational elements", considers Gandía. Although be careful, because the biggest danger of self-promotion is that the budget ends up skyrocketing. "If it is not done with a study accustomed to cost control, you can have significant deviations or designs that are not viable with your budget," they point out in Ábaton, which has its own construction company.
Finding and buying land is the first step. Solvia real estate agency has put up for sale 600 plots for self-promotion at an average price of 30,000 euros. "The increase in demand, especially pronounced from 2021, has been the main reason for considering launching this campaign with plots at adjusted prices," says José María Santiago, head of the Solvia Land Area. And he continues: "We believe that this trend will increase, since the desire to acquire a single-family home, whether it is a chalet or semi-detached, will grow and, with it, probably the prices of this type of housing." The land for sale is found in 32 provinces. In Lloret de Mar (Girona), for example, one of 413 square meters is sold from 17,600 euros. In Peñíscola (Castellón), there are several plots of about 600 square meters from 56,000 euros.
These lands are urbanized, that is, ready for building and, in addition, with access to basic services (electricity, water, sanitation...). In the event that developable land is acquired, its supply will have to be processed, under municipal jurisdiction, they explain in Solvia.
Project and license
After the purchase of the land, it is time to order the preliminary project and then carry out the basic project, necessary to apply for the planning license at the corresponding Town Hall. With the building permit, the execution project is drawn up, which reflects all the necessary details for the construction company to start the work. During the works, supervision by the architect (construction management) is important, which guarantees that the execution is faithful to the project, explains Blanca Alonso.
Each design is unique. However, lately they have something in common, recurring post-pandemic requests. "People demand space to work and paths around the house to walk, as well as energy efficiency," says Alonso. Also, "more storage areas, interior spaces with natural light and, above all, swimming pools, which have gone from being a normal element to a main one," insists Gandía.
The execution terms are usually similar to those of the promotion, between 10 and 12 months. Of course, if you opt for a prefabricated structure or a fully industrialized house, the times are even shortened to weeks.
The last step is to apply for a mortgage. Almost all banks offer self-promoting credit. “The bank will hand over the money to us over a period of two years. This delivery, therefore, will not be made at once, but in several installments or phases ”, they point out in HelpMyCash.
