How long will the renovation take? Planning a realistic move-in date

Decide what the start date actually means

An initial enquiry, an accepted quotation and the first day of strip-out mark different points. Before site work begins, the team may need measurements, further investigation, technical documents, the applicable municipal procedure and decisions about products. Do not compress that preparation into a promise about the duration of construction.

Agree a version of the brief that can be priced and built, with unresolved decisions clearly recorded. Confirm who is responsible for each prerequisite and what evidence establishes readiness. Municipal procedures and supplier availability vary; neither should be treated as a fixed nationwide waiting period when planning a Spanish renovation.

Follow the work through the flat

A possible sequence begins with protection and removal, followed by checking what has been exposed. Layout alterations and services then need coordination, including any required tests before concealment. Surfaces must be suitable before finishes are installed, after which fittings, final checks and making good complete the agreed work.

That is a starting sequence, not an instruction for every project. Trades may need to return, and some tasks can overlap only when access, space and the construction method allow it. Ask the contractor to explain those relationships. Having more people in the flat at once does not automatically bring the completion date forward.

Official source: CTE · Parte I: proyecto, mediciones y control de obra (junio de 2022)

Ask what must be true before each stage starts

A dependency is simply something that must happen before another task can proceed. A fitting needs to be available before installation; concealed work may need checking before closure; a prepared substrate must meet the finish system's requirements. A date alone does not establish any of those conditions.

For drying, curing and readiness, follow the selected products and the appropriate checks. A floor that has been left for several days is not necessarily ready for covering. Acclimatisation instructions for a flooring product are also different from the time needed for a wet substrate to become suitable.

Time orders to suit the work sequence

Identify purchases that depend on final measurements and those needed early for installation or coordination. Ask suppliers to confirm the actual order, specification and delivery arrangements. A catalogue availability statement is not the same as an agreed delivery for your project, and a substitute can affect dimensions or connections elsewhere.

Plan where deliveries can be stored safely without blocking work or access. Materials arriving early may still need suitable conditions before use. Agree who receives them, checks for damage and resolves missing parts. Make sure the contractor receives the installation information and all the necessary components with each item. A missing fixing or connection can leave an otherwise complete delivery unusable.

Check how changes will affect completion

A late change may be small in appearance and large in consequence. Moving a fitting can mean altering a service route, repairing a finished surface or bringing a trade back. Ask for the proposed change, additional cost and programme effect in writing before approving it. Discoveries during removal need the same clear treatment.

• Keep an agreed specification and record each approved revision.
• Set decision dates around real ordering and installation needs with the contractor.
• Confirm access, building arrangements and the periods when utilities will be interrupted.
• Discuss dust, belongings and bathroom availability if you intend to stay in the flat.
• Review temporary accommodation and move-in plans when a change affects completion.

Allow for completion beyond the last fitting

Agree what must be complete before the flat is handed back: the contracted installations checked, relevant records provided, fittings demonstrated and outstanding defects identified. Set out how those defects will be corrected. Where a formal reception process applies, use the appropriate documentation; do not assume every domestic job follows an identical procedure.

Discuss the conditions for occupation separately from a contractor's target for finishing the main work. If the only bathroom or essential services remain unavailable, that affects your move-in decision even if most surfaces look complete. Keep a practical allowance in your arrangements for unresolved work, with its size based on the actual uncertainties rather than an invented standard number of days.

Official source: CTE · Parte I: proyecto, mediciones y control de obra (junio de 2022) · BOE · Ley 38/1999 de Ordenación de la Edificación