Renovating a riad: understand the house before costing it

An old riad is not judged on its cosmetic condition alone. What costs money is rarely what you can see.

Before costing a renovation it is worth understanding the structure, the levels, the services, the drainage, the waterproofing and the general condition of the building. A terrace that has been letting water through for ten years has already worked on the walls below.

In the Medina, access for materials and contractors directly affects how a site is organised and what it costs. An alley too narrow for a lorry changes the budget.

A works programme should therefore be built from a serious survey and a coherent architectural plan, not from an estimate per square metre.

The purchase price and the renovation budget must be analysed together to get a realistic view of the final cost. It is the sum of the two that counts.