Building a custom-built house is a dream that many people who have a plot of land. But when it comes to making the project a reality, there are many issues to take into account. We have all the details of everything you need to know about building your own home in Spain and how much it costs.
Land for building property in Spain
Having the land is the first step in building a house (and also one of the most expensive in the process). Once you have it, you can hire the architect. However, the first thing to know is whether the land is urban (i.e. a building site), buildable or rustic. Depending on that, one project or another can be executed.
- Urban (urbano): What is known in Spain as urban land is a building site that is ready to build on. It has all the connections, services and installations. It is ideal for building a house, as after buying it you can start building almost straight away.
- Buildable (urbanizable): This is the land that at a given moment, and after the relevant actions, becomes urban and, therefore is buildable. Converting it into urban land involves greater expenditure.
- Rustic (rústico): Rustic or rural land has limitations depending on the use that is going to be given to the property, as well as the autonomous community in which the land is located as building a property on this type of land is not always permitted.
How much does it cost per m2 to build a house in Spain?
There is no fixed price and the more m2 are built, the cheaper the price per m2 will be. According to VIP Reformas, a single-family house, of about 150 m2 with medium-high qualities, can cost about 600 euros/m2 as a base, which gives a total construction price of about 90,000 euros, although this price can be increased up to 1,000 euros/m2 in many cases, resulting in a final construction price of 150,000 euros.
Structure
The structure is one of the issues that most affects the final price of building a house in Spain and depends on the materials used.
- Steel: The price per m2 of steel is around 95 euros.
- Concrete: The average price of concrete per m2 is 130 euros.
- Wood: The price of wood depends on the type and quality. If we look for an average price, it is 195 euros/m2.
Hiring an architect in Spain
The price of the architect is also very variable and will be different across Spain. The cost of an architect in Spain will mostly depends on the prestige of the professional and the complexity of the project. The fees are usually between 4 and 6% of the material execution budget - where the project is defined in detail, the structure and installations are calculated and all the finishes are specified - but these do not necessarily have to be met.
VIP Reformas states that "it is difficult to find an architect for a single-family home for a price of less than 6,000 euros and that the average is as much as 12,000 euros".
Quantity surveyors in Spain
Quantity surveyors deal with the technical aspects of construction. The average price for a quantity surveyor in Spain is around 5,000 euros per project.
Safety coordinator
The cost of a safety coordinator in Spain depends on the duration of the construction process but it is usually around 4,000 euros.
Site studies
Before building, a series of site studies must be carried out to check the possibilities and feasibility of the project. These are:
- Topographical study: this outlines the geometry of the plot where the house is to be built. The price ranges between 250 and 400 euros.
- Geotechnical study: shows the characteristics of the land and serves to design a suitable foundation. The average price is 725 euros.
The cost of a builder in Spain
Normally, the builder is chosen by the architect, and will therefore include these costs in the project budget. The builder starts from the study of the plans in order to draw up the contract budget, which is usually 19% higher than the material execution budget, as it includes overheads (13%) and profit (6%).
Interior designers in Spain
Hiring an interior designer is not compulsory by any means, but many people choose to do so to help them decorate the house at the end of the work. There is no fixed price, but the average price of an interior designer in Spain is between 50 and 100 euros per hour.
Taxes when building a house in Spain
Before starting the building work, you have to pay the Tax on Construction, Installations and Works (ICIO) and fees to the local council where the house is to be built. This is a percentage of the construction budget, which varies in each municipality in Spain, but is usually between 3 and 5%.
Once the work has been completed, the following costs will be incurred:
- A first occupancy licence fee from the town hall, which is between 0.5 and 1% of the budget.
- Deeding the house in front of a notary and registering it in the Land Registry. Notary and registry fees are around 0.5% of the value of the property.
- Stamp duty (Impuesto de Actos Jurídicos Documentados) for the declaration of new construction. 1.5% of the cost value of the new construction.
- Registering the water and electricity supplies and applying for the certificate of occupancy. All of this is usually around 500-700 euros.
Insurance
For the building work, insurance is taken out by the quantity surveyor, the architect and the construction company. The owner has to pay guarantees for "Gestión de Residuos" and "Ocupación de Aceras" (Waste Management and Occupation of Pavements), which if no mishaps occur, must be returned at the end of the construction process. This is usually around 1% of the budget, but also varies depending on the municipality.