Building permit

Why did it take so long to get the building permit for your Boutique Guesthouse-Moncarapacho with swimming pool and two rental accommodations in Portugal? We often got this question. In the meantime, we have started construction and hope to be ready in the summer of 2025!

Why did it take so long to be allowed to build our Guesthouse here in the Algarve? Is your land not building land but agricultural land? Do you want to build more than is actually allowed?

No, nothing of the sort. We tried to do everything properly and neatly and before the purchase everything was sorted out by our lawyer and we are allowed to build on this land. It wasn't included. What then? Do you have a minute?

Corona
Throughout the process we have been very affected by the Corona measures. The approach here in Portugal has been very strict. Sometimes we were not even allowed to go from our own municipality to another municipality to prevent contamination between villages.

The municipality of Olhao was closed to the public for a long time and therefore the communication between our architect and the architects of the municipality was very difficult. Our architect was also difficult to reach for us. As a self-employed person he was very afraid of getting Corona.

Our experience here in Portugal is that in general communication is best when you meet someone in person. Mails and Whatsapp are often not opened and contact by phone because of the language is also not optimal!

Photo: Maarten and architect at Olhao town hall

Welcoming Local
In Portugal you need a permit to rent out, the so-called Alojamento Local or AL. On every rental accommodation you will see a sign with AL on it. Starting an Alojamento Local, renting out our two accommodations, was also our intention. Until this new fire safety law suddenly presented itself!

Fire safety
In the meantime, a new fire safety law was introduced. This had quite a few consequences. Not only did we have to take all sorts of new laws and regulations into account, but no one knew exactly how it all worked. Not the architect and not the municipality either. There were simply no civil servants who knew about it. That didn't really make any progress and this led to a backlog in assessing the submitted building permits.

Because of this same law regarding fire safety, we suddenly had to stay 30 meters from the road and 30 meters from our rear neighbors with the construction. However, our plot is only 30 meters deep! So a solution had to be found urgently.

Problems
Our creative and inventive architect thought that we should become a kind of hotel/country house, or rural tourism or agrotourism, also called Casa do Campo. Then 10 meters, instead of 30 meters distance, would be enough. An additional advantage was that we were allowed to build more than normal with a regular AL!

If the architect had said that we could only build a house consisting of three cubes, we would have said yes. After years of waiting for the building permit and living in our caravan on our land, we would have gladly agreed to everything!

Photo: The first design submitted was too modern for a Casa do Campo

First application
Our first application for the building permit was rejected because our building plan was too modern for a Portuguese country house/hotel. Not surprising, we didn't even know then that we were going to be a Casa do Campo or run a hotel! Our design was too modern for a country house. Also a few other requirements were missing.

House of the Campo
When we got home we immediately googled "Casa do Campo". What did we actually say yes to? Loosely translated, Casa do Campo is a large country house/hotel in the countryside.

Turismo, rural, agriturismo are forms of tourism that use the typical qualities of rural areas such as agricultural activity, peace, space and small scale. But also that you offer regional products and hotel services.

A few weeks later, the consequences of the Casa do Campo also became visible on the new drawing of the architect. A real reception and a lockable trunk space for suitcases of departing guests were richer. Or poorer, another extra 10 m2!

The biggest joke is that much later we received a letter from the Olhao council stating that our plot did not fall under this new fire safety law. All the extra work and effort for nothing, unfortunately there was no way back then. But hey, if you say A, you must also say B!

We are going for it, we are going for our own hotel. The two rental accommodations will be luxurious, chic, modern, comfortable and cozy furnished as our guests are used to at home. And if possible with their own workplace.

Photo: architect after his serious motorcycle accident

Request a deferment
Well, and we haven't even talked about our architect, self-employed, who has a serious motorcycle accident! Two arms and a leg broken.

Then we had to request a postponement from the municipality and everything was at a standstill for more than 5 months because the architect was unable to change the drawings. The second modified building plan was therefore not submitted until July 2022. And then it was on the top boss's desk for another 5 weeks to be signed..............!

Although rejected again on September 21, 2022, we now knew exactly which 7 (administrative) points had to be corrected. After a telephone conversation with our architect and the architect of the municipality, we had the idea that we would now be very close to the architectural building permit.

Our architect submitted the drawings again on October 17, 2022 and unfortunately we had to wait until May 2023! This time it was approved. The architectural building permit has been received. We can build, but first we have to take the technical drawings to the municipality for approval):

Photo: Worthy of Casa do Campo

Technical building permit
You may only submit the technical drawings once the architectural permit has been granted. In order to avoid any further delays, we have already commissioned the architect in October 2022 to have these technical drawings made.

These were also ready just in time (although after a lot of pushing and pulling on our part!). At the beginning of June 2023, the technical drawings from our engineers were immediately submitted to the Olhao municipality. Unfortunately, after four months, we still haven't heard anything):

November 2023 message from the architect. Unfortunately, the technical drawings are not fully approved. A section on the thermal plan is missing. It turns out, according to the engineer, that this thermal plan was no longer a requirement for the municipality two years ago.

But yes, sometimes it is asked, according to the engineer. Well, that doesn't help, should have made it right away to be sure! We have had this happen before. Often something is not done out of a kind of economy while this delay costs us so much more time, money and energy and annoyance.

The worst part is that both Maarten and our contractor already indicate to the engineer before the delivery in June 2023 that this project also needs to be delivered. But hey, you think: they will know, it's tiring!

January 2024
And then suddenly on January 4, totally unexpected in this holiday and festive period, the redeeming phone call from our architect. Everything has been approved.

WE CAN START BUILDING!
Almost unreal and unbelievable after almost three years of waiting. Now the contractor has to go to the municipality to submit his contractor papers and the blue book. When these are in order, the contractor will be given permission to build our Guesthouse. Construction will start in February 2024, we thought! But even now the municipality of Olhao managed to keep the suspense going until the end.

Photo: Maarten with the blue book

Maarten had put a manual signature on one of the papers and the architect a digital one. Well, that's not possible of course. Another few extra weeks! But anyway, everything was found to be in order on March 13. On April 1, 2024, the shovel will probably go in and that's no joke! We want to open in the summer of 2025, bem vindo or be welcome!

Photo: here the construction contract was signed

And then it suddenly goes fast. Together with our contractor Dima, the construction contract has been signed. The first invoice has been paid by us and a week later this large excavator drives onto our site! Yess, after waiting three years for the building permit, we started on Wednesday 27 March 2024, even a little earlier than planned!

If you want to see how the construction is progressing, click here ! If you want to see what offers we already have for our future guests, click on attractive offers .

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