Renewing the installations
Electrical capacity, plumbing, drainage and ventilation in older blocks were designed for a different way of living. Bringing them up to standard is usually the largest single item in a full reform, and it is the one that is invisible when it is done well.
The comunidad de propietarios
Permissions, notice, permitted hours, use of the lift, protection of common areas and the goodwill of your neighbours all shape the programme. A reform that ignores the community gets stopped.
Layout and structure
Opening up a kitchen or relocating a bathroom changes drainage, ventilation and sometimes structure. These decisions belong at the start, with the reasoning written down, because reversing them later is where money disappears.
Programme and sequence
A reform costs more when trades wait for each other. The order of work, the lead times on stone, joinery and glazing, and a single person holding the schedule are worth more than any discount on materials.
- Long lead items ordered before demolition, not after
- Stone and cabinetry templated against what is actually built
- Inspections booked in advance, not chased
- A written programme you can hold someone to
Specification
Kitchens, bathrooms and glazing carry most of the specification cost. The right approach is to decide the level once, document it, and stop changing it, because mid-project changes cost far more than the difference in the product.
- Is a reforma integral always cheaper than moving?
- Often, but not always. It depends on the state of the installations and how much you need to change. That comparison is worth making honestly before you commit.
- Do I need a project and licence?
- It depends on the scope. Anything structural or affecting the façade or common installations generally does. We establish this before pricing, not during the works.
- Can I live in the apartment during the works?
- For a full reform, rarely comfortably. We will tell you plainly rather than let you discover it in week two.
Written by the Aurea team. If something here does not match what you have been told, ask us why.
