The Full Service: From Survey to Handover
Every project with Reforma Vivienda Tenerife follows the same structured process, adapted to the scale and complexity of the specific work. Nothing is left to chance, and nothing is delegated to the client that should be the professional’s responsibility.
Step 1 — Initial Consultation and Site Survey
The first meeting is always on site. This is not a quote based on floor area and a rough description — it is a thorough inspection of the existing space, the installations, the structural elements and the condition of all finishes. Measurements are taken, photographs are documented, and any hidden issues (old wiring, insufficient plumbing capacity, damp, structural cracks) are identified and recorded before the project scope is defined. This stage protects the client from the most common cause of budget overruns: discovering problems during construction that should have been found before it started.
Step 2 — Feasibility Study and Change of Use (where applicable)
For projects involving a change of destination — such as converting an office to a residential apartment, or adapting a commercial space for a new use — a formal feasibility study is prepared. This analyses the current legal status of the property, the applicable zoning and planning regulations of the relevant Ayuntamiento, the technical requirements for the desired use, and the realistic cost and timeline implications. The feasibility study gives the client a clear, evidence-based answer before any money is committed to design or construction.
Step 3 — Materials and Budget Definition
A detailed budget is prepared based on the actual scope of works, structured by trade and work package. Material options are presented at different price points — entry level, mid-range and premium — with clear quality and durability comparisons, so the client can make informed decisions rather than being steered towards whatever the contractor happens to have in stock. The budget is fixed before works begin, and any subsequent changes are documented and priced separately as variations, never absorbed silently into the final invoice.
Step 4 — CAD Technical Drawings and Permit Documentation
All projects requiring documentation for the Ayuntamiento or for contractor guidance are produced in AutoCAD: partition layout plans showing the new internal configuration; electrical layout showing all circuits, distribution board, lighting points, sockets and safety devices; hydraulic and plumbing layout showing water supply, drainage, sanitary fixtures and boiler connections. Where the project requires official approval, the CAD documentation is prepared to the standard required by the relevant authority and submitted in coordination with the collaborating licensed architect.
Step 5 — Decorated Floor Plans and Design Presentation
Before any work begins, the client receives a decorated floor plan showing the finished layout with furniture positioning, circulation flow and room function clearly illustrated. For projects involving significant interior design decisions — material finishes, colour palettes, kitchen configurations, bathroom layouts — 3D renders are produced to allow the client to visualise the result before committing to it. This step eliminates the most common source of client dissatisfaction in renovation projects: discovering that the reality does not match the mental image they had formed from a technical drawing.
Step 6 — Works Scheduling and Contractor Coordination
A detailed works schedule is prepared using Gantt planning, defining the sequence of each trade (demolition, masonry, electrical rough-in, plumbing rough-in, plastering, tiling, carpentry, painting, electrical and plumbing fit-out, final finishes), the interdependencies between them, the timeline for material deliveries and the expected completion date for each phase. Contractors are selected based on quality, reliability and price competitiveness — not on the basis of personal convenience or informal relationships. Multiple quotes are obtained for each significant work package.
Step 7 — On-Site Supervision and Stakeholder Management
Throughout the construction phase, the site is visited regularly to verify that works are proceeding in accordance with the approved drawings, the agreed specifications and the project schedule. Any deviations are identified and corrected immediately, before they become expensive problems. When the client requests changes during construction — which is normal and expected — these are documented, priced and approved before being executed, maintaining full control over scope, budget and timeline at every stage.
Step 8 — Final Handover
At practical completion, a full snagging inspection is carried out. Every defect, every incomplete item and every deviation from the specification is documented and resolved before the project is formally handed over. The client receives the finished space along with all relevant documentation: as-built CAD drawings, warranties for installed equipment, maintenance guidance for new installations, and any certificates required by the Ayuntamiento or the utility companies.
CAD Design, 3D Rendering and Technical Documentation
A renovation project is only as good as its documentation. Vague instructions given verbally to a builder produce vague results. Precise CAD drawings, clearly coordinated across architectural, electrical and plumbing disciplines, produce precisely what the client asked for — and give the contractor no room for interpretation, improvisation or cost-inflating substitutions.
Site Survey and As-Built Drawing
Every project begins with a measured survey of the existing space. Dimensions, structural elements, window and door positions, ceiling heights, existing electrical panel location, water inlet and waste outlet positions — all are recorded and translated into a precise AutoCAD base drawing. This drawing becomes the foundation for all subsequent design work and ensures that nothing is designed in isolation from the physical reality of the space.
Partition Layout Plan
The new internal configuration of the space is drawn in AutoCAD, showing all proposed partition walls, door positions and openings, room dimensions and gross and net floor areas. For obra minor works, this drawing forms the basis of the municipal permit application. For larger projects requiring architectural sign-off, the drawing is developed into the full proyecto básico and proyecto de ejecución in collaboration with the licensed architect.
Electrical Layout Plan
A complete electrical plan showing: incoming supply and main distribution board; lighting circuits by room, with light fitting positions and switch locations; socket circuits, with socket positions dimensioned and coordinated with the furniture layout; specialist circuits for kitchen appliances, boiler, air conditioning units and any other high-power equipment; and earthing and bonding details. The electrical plan is coordinated with the partition layout to ensure that switches and sockets are positioned correctly relative to doors, furniture and circulation routes — not wherever is most convenient for the electrician.
Hydraulic and Plumbing Layout Plan
A complete plumbing plan showing: cold and hot water supply routing from the inlet to each point of use; waste and drainage routing from each sanitary fixture to the stack or drain connection; sanitary fixture positions dimensioned and coordinated with the architectural layout; boiler or water heater position and connections; and any underfloor heating circuits where applicable.
Decorated Floor Plan with Furniture Layout
Once the technical drawings are approved, a decorated version of the floor plan is produced showing the finished space with furniture positioned to scale, material finishes indicated by pattern and colour, and room names and areas annotated. This drawing is used for client presentation, interior design decision-making and — where relevant — for marketing the finished property.
3D Photorealistic Rendering
For projects where the client needs to visualise the finished result before committing to design decisions — particularly for kitchens, bathrooms, living areas or complete apartment renovations — photorealistic 3D renders are produced from the CAD drawings. Renders show materials, lighting, furniture and finishes in a way that a 2D drawing cannot, eliminating ambiguity and allowing the client to make changes to the design before they become changes to the construction.
Obra Minor, New Build and the Architect Collaboration Model
Spanish building regulations distinguish between obra menor — works that do not affect the structural system, the external envelope or the overall volume of the building, such as internal partition changes, bathroom and kitchen renovations, floor and ceiling finishes, and non-structural installations — and obra mayor, which includes structural interventions, changes to the facade, extensions, new builds and any work that requires a full architectural project with official visado.
Obra Minor — Direct Management
For obra minor works, Reforma Vivienda Tenerife manages the complete process without requiring an external architect: project definition, CAD documentation, municipal permit application (where required), contractor management and on-site supervision through to handover. This covers the majority of renovation work carried out on residential properties in Tenerife: full apartment refurbishments, kitchen and bathroom replacements, partition reconfigurations, electrical and plumbing upgrades, flooring and finishing works, window and door replacements, and accessibility adaptations.
Change of Use — Feasibility and Permit Management
For properties requiring a change of destination — for example, converting an office or commercial space to a residential apartment — the process is more complex and involves both technical and administrative dimensions. Reforma Vivienda Tenerife prepares the feasibility study, assesses the technical requirements of the target use (minimum ceiling height, natural light, ventilation, acoustic performance, sanitary facilities), identifies any structural or installation works required to meet those requirements, and coordinates the permit application in collaboration with the licensed architect where an official signature is required.
New Build and Obra Mayor — The Architect Collaboration
For projects that go beyond the scope of obra minor — including new builds, structural modifications, extensions, changes to the building envelope and any work requiring an official architectural project with visado — Reforma Vivienda Tenerife works in close collaboration with a licensed architect who holds full signing authority with the Colegio de Arquitectos de Canarias.
This model gives clients the best of both worlds: the design intelligence, CAD capability, project management expertise and commercial focus of Reforma Vivienda Tenerife, combined with the legal signing authority and professional liability of a fully qualified and registered architect. The client benefits from a single point of contact and a seamlessly coordinated process, rather than having to manage a separate relationship with an architect, a project manager and a contractor independently.
The collaboration covers all stages of the official architectural process: proyecto básico for preliminary planning approval; proyecto de ejecución for construction permit; coordinación de seguridad y salud (health and safety plan) where required by regulations; certificado final de obra for completion sign-off; and cédula de habitabilidad (habitability certificate) for properties requiring residential classification, including new builds and change-of-use conversions.
Modular and Container-Frame Construction
For clients interested in innovative construction solutions — in particular for rustic land or agricultural plots where conventional masonry construction is not permitted — Reforma Vivienda Tenerife has also developed a proprietary modular housing system based on shipping container steel frames as load-bearing structure (see: Casas Baratas Canarias project). This system delivers fully finished, thermally and acoustically performing homes at significantly lower construction costs than conventional methods, fully compliant with the specific regulations of the Canary Islands for mobile and prefabricated structures on non-urban land.
