Legal tip 91: Some advice for refurbishments
Monday, May 25, 2009 @ 9:55 AM
We refurbished the attic floor of a building in order to have the new Costaluz Lawyers office last year, here you have got some tips you may find useful:
Choosing the workers:
- Choose a professional, legally trading company, “ jack of all trades” may seem cheaper initially but… as the Spanish saying says “ Cheap turns expensive” ( lo barato sale caro: Choosing a product or a service just because of a low price is not a good deal)
- Have the Identity number: Identity card or Tax Number if a self-employed or NIF (Tax identification number) if a company.
- Check they have got professional liability insurance.
Budgets:
- Get three or four budgets. The best way to find the better price is the all known “ busque y compare” ( look for and compare).
- Safest budgets are:
- written
- detailed: materials, labour price…For reference and information: ask for invoices of materials bought by the worker.
Payment method:
- As an advanced amount, do not pay more than 50 % of the budget.
- Final payment:
- Do not pay 100% of the work until the works have been completely finished. We advise to pay the final amount (around 15- 20%) once every detail has been checked and found OK.
- Ask for a written guarantee of works at the end of the works.
- Needs to be according to the the budget ( that is what they are for!). Know that payment on variations that have not been duly notified, can be refused.
- Ask for VAT invoices, dated, stamped and signed by both parties. Without them, there is no possibility of claim.
View from Castellar Castle ( Castellar.Cadiz) by Nukamari at Flickr.com