BUILDING YOUR OWN PART 1

When thinking about building a property yourself without using a property developer this is how you might go about it.

1. Find a registered architect and discuss your requirements/outline design.

2. Find and the land (ask the architect to check on suitability with the Planning Authority).

3. Architect creates preliminary design and outline with you over cypriot coffee !!

4. Once the outline has been agreed, your architect will submit your plans to the local Planning Authority. The Planning Authority will usually grant Planning Permission within 8 weeks.

5. While the architect is waiting for Planning Permission, the architect will produce a detailed design and a construction/structural engineer will do the structural design. (the architect is in charge of design and the construction engineer makes sure that the design is structurally sound). It is important at this stage to get the positioning of water, and electrical points in the right place because the services are run in concrete under the floors and in the walls. It is difficult and costly to change your mind later. So think about how you will live in the house.

6. Once Planning Permission has been granted, and any changes they require have been incorporated into the design, and you have agreed the detailed drawings, the architect will get a quantity surveyor to produce a Bills of Quantities listing all the materials and quantities thereof to build the property.

7. The architect will now issue an Invitation to Tender to a number of registered and licenced building contractors and at the same time, he will also apply for a Building Permit.

8. When the Tenders are received, you then sit down with the architect,(and more cypriot coffee) evaluate them and prepare a short list.

9. Inspect the work of the shortlisted contractors personally, speak to the property owners about the builders - and decide which one to use.

10. Negotiate the price, sign the contract, start building work when the Building Permit has been issued.

11. Get a RICS Chartered Surveyor to inspect build at stage ends. Don't just rely on photos from the building contractor or a company that charges to send you regular inspection photos.

BUILDING YOUR OWN PART 2

It is possible to register yourself as a developer in order to build your own house.

Builders get their licences after applying to the contractors council.

Council for the Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors

Androkleous 9 Office 204 ,

P.O.BOX 20595 ,

1060, Nicosia

Tel: 00357 22750860

E-mail: concounc@cytanet.com.cy

If their application is approved they then have to pass examinations and only then are they given a licence from Class A to E. E been the one class that allows you to build a house that is 300 square metres. A class is generally held by large companies. The license is then renewed every year and contractors are checked and some suspended. If you build without a licenced contractor you are liable to pay a very heavy penalty.