CAVE RENOVATION . . . WHERE TO START

Hiring Builders

"The cave guys know about caves"

Hiring builders can be a concern - this a stereotypical image that unfortunately the coastal areas of Andalucia have fallen fowl of. However cave country is far away from the costas - it does pay to be careful though. It's your money! Our tip would be to investigate any building work in exactly the same manner as you would in England. If you're conversational Spanish is not up to scratch yet find someone who can negotiate and explain on your behalf, this could be money well spent in the long run and avoids potential confusion which is better for the builder and the client.

Local resident builders in your village will understand caves, they may have even taken part in digging the family cave (their fathers and grandfathers will certainly have done so) So knowledge is there. The price will normally be competitive aswell but the timing may not, Spanish building firms who renovate caves tend to be quite busy so it pays to investigate early. This in itself is a good sign. Don't be afraid of being ripped off by a Spanish building firm - their interest is in doing a good job, there is no point for them in alienating potential English/other European clients just for a quick score.

Upon accepting a quote normal practice is to pay 50% up front and the other half on completion - be wary if anyone asks for more money. English building firms do exist and they have good experience, most of them live and have renovated caves themselves (and live in one) Registered English firms are the safe way to proceed (if in doubt ask for the companies reg number or a portfolio of previous work - this applies to Spanish builders too) The odd job man is great for the smaller jobs but external builds and ceiling support etc need to be carried out by registered builders.
In summary (based on our own experience) we employed a building firm from the local village and were more than happy with the work they did. This involved major structural work to ceilings, cesspit, wall building and finishing. The quote was good and we had peace of mind the job had been done right.