Explain what is known and what needs checking
Missing reliable drawings need not prevent an initial conversation about renovating a home. What matters is identifying the information you have without claiming greater accuracy than it offers. An estate agent’s layout, a family sketch and an old project drawing can all be useful, but they serve different purposes and may omit subsequent alterations.
Prepare a short note giving the address, present use, floors you can access, approximate age if known and any alterations you know about. Identify areas you have never seen. Avoid filling gaps from memory as though they were established facts. Clearly recorded uncertainty helps the architect plan a visit and determine what must be measured, investigated or checked against records before developing a design on a sufficiently reliable basis. You do not have to resolve those questions yourself.
Collect existing records and retain their origins
Look for drawings already in your possession, records of previous work, maintenance and operating information, available reports and older photographs explaining changes. Where relevant, ask the owner or the owners’ association about building documentation. Access to administrative archives and the material they hold varies; check the applicable process rather than assuming a complete set of drawings will be available.
Label each file with its known date and source: a previous owner, a project, a property listing or a later survey. Preserve the original and annotate a copy. There is no need to convert everything into technical drawing software yourself. Article 7 of Spain’s Building Act addresses completed building documentation, but this does not establish that every home has a complete, current file that can be obtained immediately. Keep that distinction clear when preparing your information.
Take photographs that someone else can navigate
Start at the entrance and photograph the rooms in a recognisable sequence. Include general views, connections between spaces, external openings and visible features that affect use. Add a simple sketch indicating where the photographs were taken. Being able to locate an image is more useful than having dozens of close details with no surrounding context.
Record what is visible: apparent columns, changes in floor level, accessible service shafts and inspection covers. Do not remove finishes or open building elements to complete the photographic record. An image can raise useful questions, but it cannot confirm what is inside a wall or establish a structure’s capacity. Add notes about inaccessible areas or surfaces hidden by furniture so that the architect understands the limits of the visual information before planning further investigation or a measured visit.
Separate an approximate sketch from a measured survey
If you can do so safely, a sketch with approximate dimensions may help explain your requirements and prepare for a visit. State the units and label the measurements as indicative. Avoid combining estimated dimensions to calculate others as if the entire drawing were accurate. Photograph the elements you have measured to reduce the possibility of different interpretations.
Define any survey required for design work with the professional: the spaces it covers, the accuracy needed and the information to be delivered. Ask whether the appointment includes gathering site information and what access you should arrange. Depending on the proposed work, the visible geometry may not provide enough information. The architect will need to consider whether additional checks of concealed construction, structure or services are appropriate. A layout drawing alone cannot answer every question about an existing property.
Record discrepancies without trying to settle them
Compare older records with what you can see. A relocated doorway, an added bathroom or an enclosed terrace is a discrepancy worth highlighting. Label it as an observation, rather than a conclusion about permission or technical suitability. The architect can then consider the documentary and technical checks needed within the scope you agree.
Make a list of specific questions: the known location of drainage pipes, areas associated with shared parts of the building, spaces without access and changes remembered by previous occupants. Distinguish documented answers from verbal recollections. If someone says a partition can be removed, record that as background information awaiting assessment. A confidently expressed opinion cannot replace the checks needed for a design decision, particularly where other building elements could be affected. The purpose of your notes is to preserve useful leads without disguising uncertainty.
Send a manageable information pack and your objectives
Arrange the material into straightforward folders: original records, current photographs, sketches and questions. Include a brief index identifying the most relevant files and anything you have been unable to find. Avoid circulating identical drawings under different filenames or mixing photographs of other properties into the record. Where personal details are unnecessary for an initial enquiry, prepare an appropriate copy to share.
Finish with what you hope the renovation will achieve and the financial framework you can discuss. Gathering information should support that decision. When you contact F5, start with the location, objective and a description of the records available. The studio can identify the next information needed; you do not have to create a perfect archive before asking. Our published projects may also help you explain the spatial relationships you are hoping to achieve.
Projects and next steps
Sources and references
Published: October 25, 2026. Requirements and documents must be checked for each property and proposed intervention.