Notes from site
Journal
What we learn on site: materials, timelines, costs and the decisions that matter.
What a three-bedroom renovation costs in 2026
The real numbers of a full renovation, line by line, and where budgets usually slip.
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Rehabilitate or build from scratch?
Five objective criteria to decide, before falling in love with the idea of saving the old house.
What to ask before signing a construction contract
Seven questions that separate a serious quote from a mid-project surprise.
How long it takes to get a building permit
The real timeline of each stage of the planning process, and what can be done while you wait.
Damp: finding the source before painting over it
The stain shows up in one place and the source is almost always somewhere else. How to look, in order.
Swimming pools: what actually drives the budget
The shell is the predictable part. What moves the price is almost all around it.
Building in the Algarve: what the climate demands
Strong sun, salt air and rain concentrated into a few weeks. Three conditions that change design decisions.
The maintenance calendar that prevents the big job
Seven checks with a date on them. None takes a day, and together they push the heavy work back by years.
Finishes: where to save and where it never pays
Not every line item behaves the same way when you cut 20%. Some show, some never do.