Define the scope before you call anyone
Before asking for quotes, write down what you want done, room by room. Without that list every professional prices a slightly different job and none of the numbers can be compared.
Separate what is necessary from what is wanted. Old pipework or water coming through a wall is necessity; moving the kitchen to the other side of the flat is a decision. Mixing the two is the most common way a budget doubles.
Photograph everything before work starts, especially what will disappear behind walls. Those photos are worth a great deal two years later, the first time somebody needs to drill.
The order the trades come in
In a renovation the rule is simple: everything that ends up hidden goes first, everything visible goes last. Reversing it means breaking work that is already finished.
The usual sequence is demolition, structural changes, plumbing and electrics, waterproofing, plastering, floors and tiling, carpentry and doors, painting, fitting sanitaryware and appliances, and the final clean.
Every handover between trades is a place where time is lost. If the electrician arrives two days late, the plasterer waits and the painter loses a week. Agree the start dates between the trades, not just with each of them separately.
- Demolition and rubble removal
- Plumbing and electrics inside the walls
- Waterproofing bathrooms and terraces
- Plastering, floors and tiling
- Carpentry, doors and fitted units
- Painting and finishes
- Post-construction cleaning
What to agree before day one
Put in writing the scope, who buys the materials, the timeline, the payment stages and who removes the rubble. Those five points prevent most of the arguments that follow.
Agree hours and access too. Buildings with a condominium have hours when noisy work is not allowed, and in many older Funchal streets there is nowhere to leave a van during the day.
Decide how changes are handled. The simplest system works best: anything outside the original quote is confirmed by message, with a price, before it is carried out.
Comparing quotes written in different ways
Three quotes for the same job usually arrive in three different shapes. One includes materials, one does not; one separates labour, one gives a single figure.
Put them on the same footing before comparing. Check whether VAT is included, whether materials are included and to what quality, whether rubble removal is priced, and whether the final clean is part of it.
A quote far below the others usually means something is missing: materials, waste removal, waterproofing, or the real time the job takes. Ask what is excluded before you choose.
- VAT included or added on top
- Materials included, and which ones specifically
- Rubble removal and the final clean
- Timeline and when they can start
- What is explicitly excluded from the figure
How a small job becomes a big one
There are almost always two causes. The first is what appears when a wall is opened: old pipework, degraded timber, damp coming in from outside. In older island properties this is common enough that the quote should allow for the possibility.
The second cause is the pile of while you are here additions. Each one looks small on its own, and together they change both the price and the finish date.
Keep a contingency and decide up front what it is for. If damp appears, the contingency deals with the damp. It is not there to upgrade the tiles.
Permissions, neighbours and access
Interior work that leaves the structure, the facade and the floor area untouched is usually straightforward from the council's point of view. Touching structure, extending, changing the facade or changing the use of the property is another matter.
Always confirm with the câmara municipal for your municipality before starting, and with the condominium if the property is in a building. Anything visible from outside, and any work on shared parts, needs permission.
Warn the neighbours in advance. In a narrow street a renovation takes up space that belongs to everyone, and a warning given in time prevents half the friction.
Damp, sea air and parts that come by boat
On Madeira, waterproofing and ventilation are not finishing details. Bathrooms without extraction, poorly sealed terraces and north-facing external walls produce damp problems within months.
Near the sea, the choice of hinges, handles, window frames and paint matters. Materials rated for a marine environment last considerably longer than the cheapest option on the shelf.
Allow for delivery times. Many fittings and materials come from the mainland, so ordering early avoids a site standing still while a box is in transit.
The last week: snags and cleaning
Before the final payment, walk the property with a snag list: doors that catch, sockets sitting crooked, silicone not yet run, paint unfinished behind radiators.
Post-construction cleaning is a separate job, not a normal clean. Plaster and cutting dust gets into cupboards, curtain tracks and window frames, and it keeps reappearing for weeks if the job is not done properly.
Keep leftover paint and tiles labelled by room, along with guarantees and appliance documents. On HomeFix you can find professionals for each of these stages and keep the conversation in one place.