Can You Have Separate Suppliers Independent of the Main Contractor?
We recently had a client suggest that an element of the build was provided by a separate supplier independent of the main contractor. He was quite reasonably trying to save money. He had a price from the separate supplier to do one thing. He knew that if the supplier became a subcontractor, then the mainContinue reading
Do you NEED the Tesla Powerwall battery?
Under some circumstances you probably do. The key thing about this battery is that it has a high capacity and a high output (so you can run the kettle and the washing machine for example). It’s also small, clean, and easily mountable on the wall. Forget the old days of rows of kind of carContinue reading
Key Qualities and Design Features of a First Class Home in Marbella
Let’s make the supposition that we are looking for a high quality look and feel: “timeless good taste” as we like to put it, a home that is classy but not swanky and we are also looking to keep costs down. If it were me then, as a principal, I would want to make sureContinue reading
Choosing the Right Windows is Critical to the Success of Your Villa
Here are the things to consider Window Size and Placement The honest truth is that is most of the houses we (Eco Vida Homes) design the window size and placement is determined by lifestyle choices such as capturing the best views, creating a seamless inside / outside space, allowing lots of natural light, and outsideContinue reading
Why do Builder’s (contractor) Quotes Vary so Much in Spain?
Builder’s quotes and contractor’s offers can vary by 40% or more. How can this be when they are all working from the same information? The answer lies in two camps. One camp is to do with the builder’s own business and the other camp is to do with the architect and the architect’s project. WhatContinue reading
Lean Construction – what’s that all about? Can we learn from this in Spain?
Lean Production is a philosophy that came out of Japan after the Second World War. It means maximum efficiency. At every stage you focus only on the customer’s needs, adding maximum value, and reducing waste to a minimum. In other words you are as efficient, and as competitive, as possible. Lean Construction applies this philosophyContinue reading
Passive House and Airtight Homes in Spain
Passive House (Passivhaus) is probably the worldwide leading standard for energy efficient buildings. It is a concept that has come out of Germany where the principal problem is keeping your home warm in the winter. Effectively no heating is required in a passive house even though it may be minus 10C outside. In Spain thereContinue reading
Energy Efficient Windows in Spain
Getting this right is not only crucial to the energy efficiency of your villa but also to the comfort and appearance of your home. Heating and cooling consume by far the greatest proportion of household energy use. Data from the European Aluminium Association estimates that 40% of the heating energy lost from homes escapes fromContinue reading