Villa renovation in Geneva
Planning building work? Apartment, house or building renovation, a new storey or a roof extension, running the project is our job.
HMG Construction Management SA runs your villa renovation in Geneva, whether the aim is to redo the interiors, restore the building envelope, extend or add a level. The firm draws up the plans, files the permit application as an agent registered on the Geneva MPQ list (mandataires professionnellement qualifiés, the cantonal register of qualified building professionals), prices the works, appoints the contractors and manages the site.
How do you get your villa renovation done without the worry? By handing the management and the coordination of the contractors to HMG. HMG is there for you.
Renovating, extending or raising a villa, what should you decide first?
A villa is seldom renovated one room at a time. The project usually covers the whole house, with its interiors, roof, facades, technical installations and often the garden. The first decision is therefore about scope. Do you keep to an interior renovation, or use the works to gain floor area with an extension or an extra level?
HMG answers that question with a visit and a measured survey, then with an estimate that prices each option separately. You compare the renovation alone, the renovation with a house extension and the renovation with a new storey before any design work is commissioned.
Permits and procedures in Geneva
Permits are issued by the Office des autorisations de construire (OAC), the cantonal building permit office. Its page on permit types (in French) states that the fast-track procedure, called APA, covers interior changes to an existing building, works that leave its general appearance unchanged and buildings in zone 5 without exemption. A project that falls outside that scope needs a full application, called DD (demande définitive).
Most villas stand in zone 5, the villa zone, whose rules are set out in the LCI, the Geneva building act. Before filing, the Canton recommends a geo-analysis of the constraints on the plot. In an older villa, the survey for asbestos, PCB and lead comes before the works, as explained on the page Rénover, transformer ou démolir sans danger. Our guide to building permits and procedures in Geneva details the procedures.
Who do you call first?
Two routes lead to a well-run site.
- HMG runs the whole project. The firm draws up the plans, files the permit application, works out the cost, finds and appoints the contractors, then manages the works to completion.
- You work with an architect. The architect designs the renovation and obtains the permit, and HMG then takes over the file for the construction phase, working alongside them.
The choice mostly depends on how much design your villa calls for. In both cases, HMG answers for the budget, the programme and the quality while the works are under way.
How HMG manages your villa renovation
HMG has managed the works on five villas and has no financial tie with any contractor. The firm starts with a detailed estimate by trade, prepared with the methods of the construction cost consultant. The contractors are then invited to price an identical specification, so their bids can be compared line by line.
A villa involves many interfaces. The carpenter, the roofer, the facade contractor, the heating engineer, the electrician, the joiner and the landscaper all depend on one another. HMG sets the order of work, chairs the weekly site meeting, writes the minutes and checks the workmanship against SIA standards, the Swiss construction norms. Every invoice is checked against the contract before you pay it.
Usual steps and timing
- Visit to the villa, measured survey and inventory of the features to keep.
- Choice of scope, meaning renovation alone, extension or extra level.
- Plans, estimate by trade and survey of hazardous substances.
- Permit application and, where relevant, grant applications.
- Tenders, awards and contracts with the contractors.
- Works on the envelope, then technical installations, interior fit-out and external works.
- Acceptance, follow-up of the snag list and final account.
The timetable depends on the permit procedure and on the extent of the project. HMG draws up a programme as soon as the scope is fixed and keeps it up to date until acceptance.
Villas managed by HMG
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between renovating a house and renovating a villa?
The method is the same, but a villa often adds external works, larger floor areas and more finishes to coordinate. Our page on house renovation in Geneva describes the order of the works and what staying in the house during them involves.
Can a villa be extended or raised during its renovation?
Yes, and it is often the right moment, since the contractors are already on site. The building rights of the plot and the capacity of the structure have to be checked first, with a structural engineer. HMG has those checks carried out before the plans are drawn.
How do you renovate a villa with heritage value without losing its character?
By deciding before tendering what is kept, restored or replaced. HMG writes those choices into the specification given to the contractors and checks on site that the retained features are protected during the works.
Is it better to renovate the villa or to rebuild?
The answer lies in the state of the structure, the potential of the plot and how the costs of the two options compare. HMG prices both. A complete demolition needs an application separate from the one for the new building.
Related guides and pages
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