We were waiting for it like rain in May; a year after hearing the rumor that TV was looking for a presenter for a construction program, a reality show, which would be in charge of helping families finish their “half-finished” houses.
Well yes friends, last night we were able to watch it comfortably from our sofas, «Builder on the Run», the adaptation of an American program called "Catch a contractor" or Catch the contractor. And I have to say that as a viewer I didn't dislike it at all. The time it lasted flew by and I think that It helps us empathize with people who have real botched jobs prepared for them. when they start to renovate their homes. But if we take a closer look at the industry, the process we saw was completely nonsensical and bears little or no resemblance to the reality experienced by professionals in this country.
#constructorArmentia The program has been cool, but Coordinator is giving out a lot of slaps @ManoloPizarro pic.twitter.com/5ASHgX2ijM
— Humor Aparejador (@HumorAparejador) November 10, 2015
Let's go to the crux of the matter: A couple, both normal workers, decide to take the usual leap into the housing world and buy a detached house. I remember now that it is said that they went to a real estate agency and bought off-plan what was to become their effort of 35 years paying a mortgage.
Well, the house is not finished because they lack certificate of habitability (the "paper" that says that the house complies with the regulations for being inhabited), and without it, you cannot contract electricity, water or gas. Up to this point, the matter is quite common, although it may surprise us, since there are people and/or things that believe that you don't need technicians to build a house...
The spectacular thing comes when Antonio, the presenter, appears there, and with his hammer wand begins to mercilessly attack the "facade" to find a couple of chipboard boards where there should have been a proper enclosure wall. All the alarms go off and we wonder where the fellow Architect and Quantity Surveyor were when the countryman ("Iker") was building the house. They were not there and they are not expected because in my opinion it is The big mistake of the format: they do not mention at all that in every new construction project, there is a Construction Manager and an Execution Manager. They are qualified professionals who should be there to control the process and sign a Final Certificate of Work with which a City Council grants you the Certificate of Habitability.
To all those who are watching the program: Project (Architect), License, Technical Architect (Execution) ALWAYS #ConstructorArmentia
— Manuel Pizarro (@ManoloPizarro) November 10, 2015
Continuing with the subject, no one is surprised anymore by what is happening there: cracks in the fences of the plot, leaks in the child's bed, a mud puddle outside that has little to do with a spa treatment... Come on, the normal thing when we don't do things right from the start. The interesting topic comes when you have to go in search of the "builder on the run" and what better way than to ask the countrymen influencers in the area (because asking around gets you everywhere). The friend turned out to be in Talavera (Toledo) living very quietly; because In this country, when someone steals, they are more protected than when it is the other way around. The fact is that the contractor ignores the issue and does not want to know anything about the matter with the cameras involved.
The outcome, as we expected, is that the "team" of nightmare in the kitchen The “builder on the run” mobilizes his workers and begins to repair/patch/give the initial dwelling a new look, making it possible for the happy family to finally live in peace in their long-awaited home in exchange for paying the bank for 35 years. So a little paint here, a Japanese garden there, and a pellet boiler that couldn’t be missing, turn the initial botched job into something more logical, as expected from a space that is going to be used as a dwelling for civilized people. Here you can see the result:
And the complete before and after here https://t.co/LdbsaQ6n7s https://t.co/2ZAMfYd3IS
— PortobelloStreet.es (@PortobelloSt) November 10, 2015
However, there is no trace of Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Health and Safety, Quality Control, Pathology Reports…, zero technical content in the program. It is also true that this is logical, since in this country anyone can become a builder, put up walls or install a window that can withstand a hurricane.
That's what we're here for now technicians and the highest echelons of architecture: We need to talk about the profession, to value it, to communicate to the population that we are necessary so that their works and renovations have zero problems.
Now is when the Professional Colleges should take advantage of the pull of TV and make campaigns in favor of the technicians @CoaatieCordoba
— MatencioM (@MatencioM) November 10, 2015
Therefore, we're going to do things right from scratch. We are going to hire an Architect to do a good project for us, and a Quantity Surveyor to accompany him on the construction site to ensure the execution and the safety of the workers. And we are going to pay them what they deserve, because if we auction off the orders among 40 technicians, we will get what we have seen on the programme: the technicians (if they existed) have not even stopped by to have a coffee with the contractor.
If you like expand the topic, you can read my series of blog posts about The secrets of a good renovation, which can also be applied to new construction.
I encourage you to comment below with your opinions; and, if you liked this article, you can share it on your social networks so that family and friends can read it.
Until next time.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
