Shop On Site & Update

Hi Dave

I still think of Corvera as an investment, albeit a very longterm one!!  I feel it would also depend on which phase you brought and when.  I think I remember someone saying that Phase II properties increased in price quite a bit - correct me if I am wrong.   It is common knowledge that I think Corvera will be completed, eventually - I strongly emphasise eventually.  It just depends on personal circumstances and how long you are prepared/can afford to wait.   I am a bit concerned about the previous post and quality of build in communal areas in parts of the development though.  I can only hope my feelings are right, and others are wrong.  If I am wrong, I'll never trust my feelings again - neither will my husband!!!!

In all honesty, both options are a gamble.  If you take the legal route to be released from your Contract, you may win but you may loose - a costly loss.  If you complete and the facilities are not completed as advertised, you may still have made a very costly error of judgement.  However, if the facilitieis are completed in full, as advertised, Corvera will, in my opinion, be a fantastic resort in a beautiful place.  Ifs, buts, whens and whys - who can honestly say they know what the true outcome will be?  We have all just got to take the route that feels right for us at the time and try not to judge each other for our choice.

Hi All

regarding the build quality, i visited the site about 12 months ago and took along my binoculas due to not being allowed on site, my proffesion is a building control officer so i am looking at buildings every day of the year, i was not impressed with what i could see, the terracotta infill blocks were laid without much bonding ( straight joints)  also lots of rough and damaged blocks, the appartment we are buying had the barbacue chimmney knocked down by the adjacent overhead crane,  from what i looked at  a multitude of rough workmanship is covered by the spanish type render, in defence i think that most builds are done in this manner.

I would not worry about minor snagging defect but would ask and check out the foul drainage systems and where they dispose, i have stayed at many resorts in spain and many have issues regarding foul drainage and smells.

also check storm drainage, i know it dosent rain in spain like the uk, but when it does ensure you are not going to be flooded out by apartments above by the lack of outlets etc.

I recently stayed at roda and was not impressed with some of the build quality, wasted space which could easily have been utilised, staining of the walls by the timber pegodas, large cracks to the walls adjacent to the main steps to the front entrance doors, uneven slabs around the pool areas, even the main block areas leading to the clubhous are showing signs of settlement, base not compacted properly when laid.

I do not know if the spanish have the eqivilent as the uk in regards to building control, are statutary inspections made and logged, are the drains checked and tested when laid ?, is the habitation licence the same as our completion certificate.

in the uk the following certificates are required for a new build, before building control can issue a completion certificate.

part p electric certificate,commisioning certificate for boiler, sound test certificate, co2 air leakage report, der and ter emission rate  to show comliance with part L heat loss, are any of these required in spain,  we are both part of the eu and the targets set.

there is so much more to a building other than snagging and minor defects

dave

Building regulations are largely the same as in the UK and yes there is a monitored system of checks by building control offives who do actually regularly visit sites before, during and after construction

You are absolutely right with the quality of brick laying and block structure, yes they will render over the brickwork

Drainage and smells, one problem is that they do not seal around  basins and toilets and, if you look in most properties they do not have U bends as the traps are located under metal plates in floors so that the smells comes straight back up

The other issue is that there is no guttering, very common in all properties,  so yes we have heavy rain it goes straight of terraces onto the walls at at certain times of year the rain carries and from the desert which results in brown staining and which normally washes off over the year

Yes the soil shrinkage and movement is common but this is not subsidence but is because, unlike in the Uk , they do not back fill and ram the soil up to the edges of a property

On the certificate front and before you can get a Cerificate of Habitation and services connected they have to provide a series of boletins for certifcation of the electriical systems, plumbing drainage and gas. 

There is  a test Certicate for the boiler, the same requirement as in the UK  and I also re-check for carbon monoxide and gas leaks as part of the snagging process as well power loading as checking sockets earthing and that teh RCD are tripping correctly

The various boletins are given to the owners after completion along with the guarnatees

The area of sound certifucation is still not required on Spanish properties 

I hope that this information helps

Roy

I wasn`t having a go in any way shape or form, I was just talking through experience

You must know through experience once the developer has his money and moved on, try and get him back to put serious things right

Its no good having well built apts if the comunal areas are not built to a good standard and start to show structural defects etc

Dave has replied and he is a building control officer for a local council, you say they have the same in Spain but I beg to differ here,If the had a building control officer on site there is no way on earth he would have passed off the block I was in as the comunal area floor outside the lift must have had 5 different levels to it, If that had been done on a site back home I think the contractor would have been thrown off site almost immedietly and not been paid

This only my opinion don`t forget, but I have 25 years experience in new build projects