The Yellow Book and The Red Line!
Just when you think you are there, there is another stage!
I just got the final permission to start building, which I picked up yesterday.
I know, I also thought I had already got that bit No!
The Building permission says, OK, we have checked the designs it’s OK to build this house, I had that just after Christmas, but the Permission to build says, OK we have checked all the licenses and insurances, etc, you can start building using these people.
So…. Happy days Cue the smiling photo of me holding the site notice!
As this is Portugal ( a UNESCO-protected breeding ground for RedTape) I picked up another stack of papers, which appear, by and large, to be photocopies of the photocopies I provided them some time at the start of the process when they wanted photocopies of the originals I had given them!
But there were some important additions:
An “Alvara De Licenca De Aleracao e Amliacao De Habitation” (Housing Alteration and Expansion License Permit). This will help get the electricity turned on!
And the ” Livro De Obra” (the ‘book of works’), or as my builder calls it, the “Livro Amarelo” or (Yellow Book).
The “Livro Amarelo,” will play a pivotal role going forward.
It’s essentially a logbook that records the progress and compliance of the construction work.
It is used to document:
- The Construction Phases:
- The Yellow Book details each phase of construction, noting when key stages are completed.
- It serves as a real-time chronicle of the building’s progress.
- All Inspections and Approvals:
- Inspections by local authorities or appointed engineers are documented in this book.
- Their approvals and remarks on the compliance of each phase are crucial.
- Any Modifications:
- Any deviations from the original plan must be noted in the Yellow Book.
- This is critical for the final approval, as unrecorded changes can lead to complications.
BUT… also the bad news…
I had hoped that I only need to pay 6% VAT.
I had heard that was the case for rebuilds.
However, it turns out that that is only the case for rebuilds in certain areas ((Áreas de Reabilitação Urbana).)
We are now well into the red, with the extra VAT adding an additional 30K or so to the project costs
I honestly think that I am fortunate not to have known the full story going into this, as I probably would not have started at all!
But as it is, I will work to make up the shortfall and achieve my dream…. we only fail if we give up!
Let me know if you ever built or dreamed of building your own home, and what that that means to you, simply comment below.
If you have questions, again comment below,
