Changing a partition wall after it's built costs 3 to 6 times more than deciding before the installation milestone. The real window to intervene lasts weeks, not months.
Buying off-plan gives an advantage almost nobody uses: the chance to customise finishes and layout before the developer installs them at scale. Once that milestone passes, any change means tearing out newly finished work and paying for it twice.
In Latin America the margin is wider because handover is usually shell-and-core: the buyer receives the structure and rough-in installations with no finishes, giving total freedom for interior design. In Spain the margin is narrower and requires getting ahead of the developer's schedule by weeks.
Before chasing and false ceilings are closed is the only moment to move light points, switches and plumbing outlets without demolition costs.
Any change of flooring format or material must be decided before the developer's factory order, which is usually placed by lot for the whole building.
Doors, fitted wardrobes and mouldings are agreed at the design-development stage, while the order can still be amended without penalty.
When the unit is delivered with no finishes, the interior design project can start alongside construction and avoid double works entirely.
Interior partitions, relocating bathrooms within the same wet zone, and opening up non-load-bearing walls.
Electrical, HVAC and smart-home points, as long as they don't affect risers or the building's common areas.
Flooring, wall coverings, sanitaryware, taps, interior joinery and ironmongery, replacing the developer's standard pack with your own specification.
Façade, structural elements, main risers and any installation serving other units in the building.
It's negotiated when signing the deposit or private contract, not afterwards; the developer needs to know before placing the finishes order.
The developer invoices the difference between their catalogue finish and the specified one, usually against the materials book we hand over.
We put in writing what remains covered by the developer's ten-year warranty and what becomes the interior designer's liability after customisation.
Renovating a delivered, warrantied finish costs on average 40 to 80% more than changing it off-plan, due to demolition, waste management and loss of warranty.
Design and developer-coordination fees. Finish costs are paid to the developer or supplier as agreed in the contract.
| Service | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Feasibility consultancy with the developer | €100–€400/hour |
| Finish customisation project | €1,500–€6,000 |
| Full interior design project on shell-and-core | From €18,000 |
| Turnkey fit-out on delivered shell-and-core | €900–€1,800/m² |
It depends on each development's schedule; the real window usually closes 6 to 12 months before handover. The first thing we do is find out which milestone your unit is at.
No, it's a commercial negotiation. The earlier it's raised and the better documented the materials book, the easier it is for them to accept without friction.
It's handover with structure and rough-in installations but no finishes. It lets you design the whole home without demolishing anything already built.
Yes, within the same wet zone of the building, as long as the main plumbing risers aren't touched.
The developer's structural warranty stays in place; the warranty on customised finishes depends on the supplier and our team's installation.
On average 40 to 80% of the affected finish's cost, plus the time of living through works in an already delivered home.
Send us your development's schedule and expected handover date. In our first meeting we'll confirm whether you're still in time to customise without extra cost.
Same team, same site supervision and the same standards in every destination.