The housing access crisis has encouraged self-promotion. The lack of new supply and sky-high prices, along with the option of teleworking, divorces and retirements are some of the reasons why more and more individuals are launching their own home. Social networks have been a great speaker, with dozens of brick influencers who tell about the benefits of this way of building in which the owner becomes a promoter and, sometimes, even a builder. More and more people are embarking on this adventure “moved by the pleasure of designing it to measure,” says Blanca Alonso, director of new developments at the Ábaton architecture studio. They claim to have duplicated this customer profile. “Many come because they see quick visual references on social networks that attract them.” But savings – especially because the promoter’s budget item is dispensed with – is one of the most important issues. In Ábaton they calculate that the reduction with respect to the traditional promotion is around 10%. It must be taken into account that the cost of construction has risen significantly in recent years, both due to the increase in the cost of materials and labor, and that has somewhat adjusted the margins. In the Barcelona studio of Rardo Architects they increase the discount to 25%. Its director, Gerardo Van Waalwijk, estimates a 30% increase in consultations, although he warns: «It is not for everyone. It is a process that can take up to four years.» Its majority client is international and is interested in the Catalan coast. «Regardless of the price of the plot, which can vary greatly, building costs 3,000 euros per square meter or more.» The profile of the self-developer has changed in recent years. “Before they were young people and now they are between 40 and 55 years old, even more,” highlights Rubén Sastre, partner at E2 Arquitectura e Innovación. Sastre talks about the self-promotion boom in Segovia and nearby towns where the cost per square meter of built area has skyrocketed: it has gone from 1,200 euros before Covid to 2,300 euros. «Even so, and despite the high construction price, it is a profitable formula because its thermal quality amortizes the subsequent energy expenditure.» Becoming a self-promoter requires caution, assessing time and finding out about permits and licenses. People who set out to build their own house often make common mistakes. Alonso lists some of the failures: “not being well informed about the process as a whole, the associated bureaucracy, as well as your mortgage.” With an unlicensed plot, banks only grant 50% of the appraised value. For this reason, he advises, «buy the land with a granted license.» To become a self-developer, the first thing you have to do is acquire a developable land (ready to build) and then you must request an urban planning report from the city council to know the surface that can be built, maximum height or distance from the boundaries (setback). Although the individual can carry out construction work, an architect is necessary to draft the technical project and make the plans. Once the project is signed, the construction license is necessary. Once approved, the builder and architect can be hired. Once the home is finished, the final construction certificate and the first occupancy license are needed and the water, gas, electricity and telephone supplies will have to be registered.
Move lands
Pablo Caneda, former marketing director and musician in the RTVE orchestra, is going through this process. After his divorce, he ended up in the town of Miraflores de la Sierra (Madrid), where last summer he began to promote and build his own home, in which he has invested 125,000 euros. “I looked for a piece of land and started acting as a contractor and construction manager.” He points out as the main obstacle “the long, slow and exhausting administrative complexity.” Caneda has done everything: “Enable access, install the construction shed, hire supplies, find a crew or hire the architect.” He has also worked on the preparation of the land: «I have moved earth, covered ditches, inserted drainage pipes and managed materials such as bricks, concrete, iron and joists.» And he adds: «I have negotiated prices, coordinated deliveries and manufactured the electricity and water closets. There is no better gym,» he jokes. And he points out another important obstacle: «Financing has been a challenge. Getting a mortgage loan approved as a self-developer, especially at a certain age, has not been easy.» For Santiago Gómez, partner of a venture capital fund, it is his second project. “We bought our first house when we were younger and now, with a family, we are looking for space and fresh air.” For the financier, self-promotion means “building your house on a whim.” It has invested 4.2 million in the purchase of the land and in the construction of a single-family home in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) and estimates a saving of 30% compared to conventional promotion. He has collaborated in the design and interior design. “We thought of a space that combined a living room, kitchen, porch and pool and a bedroom for the three boys, with a dressing room and a play area.” The official Antonio Aguilar was looking to leave the Murcian capital. He has rehabilitated an old stone construction near Cartagena in which he has invested more than 120,000 euros. «I have maintained its structure, within the limitations that are not few, because it is a unique building that is more than 100 years old, which was very deteriorated.» Together with professionals, “I have laid floors, plastered walls and renovated a ceiling with all the rotten beams.” And he adds: “I have done an accelerated master’s degree in legislation and construction” to solve the fact that the home is in an area of public domain (less than 30 meters from a regional highway). And he acknowledges: «It has been an interesting time, lived with enthusiasm and a lot of motivation as I successfully overcame each difficulty. It is a learning experience and a reward. I feel very satisfied with myself.»Alfredo Alfageme has made the door with demolition wood in his house in Vilafamés, Castellón.Alfredo AlfagemeFor the professor of Sociology at the Jaume I University, Alfredo Alfageme, self-promotion is the answer to his early retirement. “I have always been a handyman and I liked crafts.” He bought an 80 square meter house in Vilafamés (Castellón) and decided to renovate it, working side by side with a bricklayer. «I have dedicated two days a week for a year and a half. In that time, I have kneaded cement, laid bricks, raised partitions and built a staircase, of which I am very proud, with an investment of just 35,000 euros. Alfageme talks about personal transformation: «You don’t know what you can be capable of. And although the back suffers, the satisfaction is worth it,” he concludes.
