I have seen this statement a few times - but conversely, there have been comments refuting this. Does it vary widely, depending on what region ? Doying-doying pricey - Limoussin not so?
[quote=“Mat_Davies, post:41, topic:17602”]
Excellent work on your project.
[/quote]Ah! To reverse Bobby the Zee’s lines, “I was so much younger then. I’m older than that now” Bristol 2003-2205.
Valencia Sept - Dec 2016 I did quantity survey/purchasing/project management. Jose and co did a first class job to € of the quotes
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If you mean by ‘mount up’ they exceed the funds allocated to that job … well, they will if your project management is less than rigourous…
Setting aside real biggies that could not have been foreseen, or downright cheating by the contractors, I have found that if you, the owner/paying customer, dispense with the overalls and dust mask and devote your waking life to going over the project again and again ad naus, with the ‘to do list’, Brico/IKEA catalogue and contractors’ quotes in hand, analysing and writing up and reconciling every day, it should cost the number you first thought of. This is my personal experience in UK and Spain.
It paid me to let the guys do the demolition and fill a hired skip and instead of these jobs concentrate on ‘quantity surveying’ and ‘procurement’ - crucial. The result was that those ‘cheap’ jobs got done faster, keeping the timetable up to speed. It was the same when I let Jose bring in his kitchen fitter. I’ve done loads of kitchens but the pro did it much faster and more accurately than I had ever done.
I drew up a spreadsheet with everything on it, from contractors’ quotes to a 6€ pack of hinges. This is just a slice of two sections. Everything was cross-checked against what was required, time and materials, to complete a job - tiling the bathroom or installing the false ceilings, for example.
This spreadsheet, collecting the materials and checking the result was all I did. It paid off. My solicitor said she did not believe I could renovate my flat for less then €50k. I did it for €35k and not with cheap junk.
The entry ‘general building - extras’ was a laugh [once I’d got over the 867.80€ cost]
Jose explained that he had forgotten on the original to quote for ‘regatta’. Regatta? In the Sp-Eng dictionary it went on about boats. My English friend who occasionally helped with translation didn’t know what it meant. Inevitably the meaning was revealed thru a spot of miming - chasing channels in walls for cables.
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I think it is more down to the many quotes we received all are higher than we originally budgeted based upon a similar project 4 years before - the unit costs had increased by 30% which was not expected.
There will also be costs you hadn’t originally thought of.
I agree with ensuring that the work undertaken by contractors must agree with their quote, but standard project and financial management will sort this.
Don’t worry Excel is already working very hard in the background (to the surprise & almost disappointment of the contractors).
Ok a decent list given the objective. Appreciate the advice on building costs and it is a serious consideration, not surprised, building work is expensive where-ever you are. Maybe I’ll take up a trade between now and the big move!
This is what it is about, thanks for sharing some detail on your project, looking good!
There are times I wish I had done exactly that.
Finally work is starting by contractors today - first job is remove the concrete render then repoint the stone:
Next will be to sort the leaking roof.
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Looking great. What age is this property…??
I don’t know exactly we have seen a date of 1880 carved in the plaster.
(I have changed the title of this thread as it has moved on from my initial question)
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Quite possibly that is the right date… as it looks as if the property is in original design/layout.
Our house bears the date 1845 carved into the stone lintel over the entrance door … and folk mistake that for the age…
In fact 1845 is when the bundle of small properties was transformed into one house…
My neighbour has a mid 1800s date carved on a lintel on her house. She also has copies of the paperwork from that date when an older building was ‘modernised’. The house is actually much older. There is a bit of a scandal attached to the 19th Century renovation, the owner ran up big debts with the workmen doing the renovations, debts that he was unable to pay!
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Some of these stories are wonderful… much more than the simple masonry history… real life happenings … from so long ago… and more recently.
There’s a building opposite mine… lovely old stonework… beautiful… but it has 1970 carved above one window… 'cos that’s when the Owner bought the place and started working on it. 
My neighbour’s son who is a history teacher has published a book about our hamlet of five houses. I have a copy.
something to keep with the house… for future generations perhaps…
That looks like really nice house where about is it
It is in 24 Dordogne
Can I ask how much it cost to get the house pointed
Way too much!