How long does it take to build a family home?

We are seeing more families building villas on the Costa del Sol

MDCI are construction project management experts and have been assisting individuals and developers to build homes and complete apartments, Townhouses, Resorts and villa projects for the last 25 years.

We have seen an increase in individuals wanting to build a family home on the Costa del Sol since the COVID Pandemic. These people are not developers and have never done anything like this before – least of all in a foreign country – so to help them understand the timeline, we wanted to write this blog with what you can expect and therefore when you should get started.

Things to consider

When you are looking to build a family home, you need to think short and long term. As a general rule, you should allow around 2 years from purchasing the land to moving in to your new family home. Building licences can vary from area to area, and the size and complexity of the project will also dictate timescales, but this is a good guide to have in your mind as a minimum.

Given this timeframe, your planning needs to future proof the property as much as possible, and consider your family needs for the next 10 years. Try to use that crystal ball to think about your needs in 2 years and beyond, rather than from now.

Most people choose their location around their kids’ schools and so starting early enough to give your kids maximum school years living in this beautiful home you’re creating for yourselves is key.  If your children are older, you need to think about what happens when they leave school. Ask yourself:

– Will you still want to live in this location?

– Would it make an ideal rental investment for families moving to the area for the school?

– Do you feel it is worth building close to the school given the length of time they will be there, or could another location be better in the long term, that can be reached by school buses etc?

Another thing to consider is aging parents and whether you want accessible spaces for them, or the potential for older parents to live with you when they can no longer live independently.

All these things need to be considered to decide on the ideal design, which will suit your family when it’s built and long into the future.

What takes the longest time?

Building a home, is much more than the build time, and you need to allocate sufficient time to purchase the land, choose your team, have the project designed and specified by the architect, apply for licences, find the construction team and negotiate the bids, build the property, and undertake the snagging and final completion inspections and licences issued.

It can take from 6-12 months to get the licences, depending on the area you are building in, and the speed of the Town Hall, as well as if the plot you choose has any complications in terms of the land classification, utility supplies etc. Not all Town Halls are equal when it comes to the speed of issuing licences! Recently, clients in Sotogrande got their licences within 6 months, in Estepona they are currently taking 6-9 months.  Marbella 6-12 months and Mijas 12m +.  Find out more about building licences on the Costa del Sol

However, bear in mind, that while you are waiting for the licences to be approved, your team will be developing the detailed execution project, handling the bidding process, securing the main constructors at the best price and conditions and getting everything ready behind the scenes. This takes several months, so will often work well in parallel with the Town Hall’s approval process.

Please note as well, good construction companies are in very high demand, so many have quite a long wait before they can begin a new project. This is why the constructor search and the bidding process should start as soon as the licence applications are in, and the execution project is prepared. This gives us the maximum time to evaluate the bids, negotiate and save you the most money possible. Find out more about our value engineering process

Timescales and Milestones

The exact time frame for each project will be different. How long it takes depends on various factors, such as the classification of the land, the availability of utility supplies and adequate access and whether your licence listed any impediments or conditions you need to comply with.

But all things being equal, the determining factors will depend on the size, complexity and whether you intend to intervene or participate in the construction process. So, assuming you have the licence in hand, these are the basic timescales and milestones from start to finish for a family home:

– Design and specification process: about 4 months

– Audit and Value engineering strategy: 1 month

– Bidding and contracting process: 2 months

– Ramp up period for constructor mobilisation and site security: 1 month

– Construction: allow for 14 months.

– Snagging, licensing, utilities, activation, moving in: 2 months

This is a total of 24 months, or two years. However, some of these activities can be run in parallel and others can be shortened. But in the planning stage, it’s better to allocate more time than you need, rather than have your team rushing to complete things to an unrealistic deadline, as this is where mistakes can be made as items can be overlooked, causing extra costs and time to complete.

Get the right professionals on your side

If time is of the essence, it’s even more important to have proper management and control of the process by a skilled project manager who will have your key objectives in mind and act to protect and guarantee them!

If you would like us to hold your hand and take away the stress and pressure of building a family home in Spain, we can be with you every step of the way. Having an independent, professional Project Manager on your side from the very beginning of the project makes all the difference when it comes to success or failure. With MDCI, you know you’ll be on time and on budget and have the house of your dreams! Contact us to find out more.