Five kinds of house, five different first questions

The finca or cortijo

Old stone, olive terraces and no neighbours. The first question is where the old things are: the old irrigation tank (alberca in Andalusia, safareig in Mallorca) that can become a plunge pool, the cellar that can hold a cabin, the courtyard that already holds shade. The second is the power: a rural supply can be single-phase and modest, and a 6 kW heater draws about 26 A. We draw the circuit so it works within what the line can give, and say what an upgrade would cost.

The townhouse and the patio

In Palma, Seville, Lisbon or Valencia, a house of three floors around a small patio. The first question is the neighbours and the walls: a compressor hums, and a patio is an echo chamber. A glass-front cabin of two seats and a round pool of 1.4 m fit in a patio of about 4 × 4 m. See made-to-measure saunas and plunge pools.

The new villa

An architect-led build, with a plant room that can be designed in rather than found. The first question is what to specify early: a drain at each pool, a slab for the cabin, ventilation for the cabin and the chiller, a three-phase supply if the cabin has eight seats or more. Send the architect's drawings and we return the circuit on them before the slab is poured.

The Irish cottage or country house

Stone walls, slate roofs, wet ground and wind from the south-west. The first question is the base and the weather: a deck on supports, a membrane roof, 316 stainless fixings and a cabin that turns its glass away from the wind. Weatherproofing and sea-swimming culture are the points to read.

The apartment with a terrace

A flat in Barcelona, Lisbon, Limassol or Dublin with a roof or a balcony. The first question is the building: the floor loading, the community's consent and the route for the crates. A free-standing ice bath of 420 litres is over half a tonne full, so a structural check comes before the order. See free-standing ice baths.

A terrace, in four seasons

What the neighbours hear and see

A compressor hums, a heater clicks, and glass catches the evening sun. We turn glass away from other windows, put the chiller away from bedrooms and tell you what the sound is likely to be before the order. A word with the neighbours first is cheaper than a complaint later.

Where the drain-down water goes

A plunge pool is emptied once or twice a year, and 1,100 litres has to go somewhere. Treated water should not be sent to a garden bed or a septic tank without checking, and some municipalities have rules for discharge to the street drain. Ask your town hall or your septic-tank installer where it may go. We draw the drain to a destination you have asked about, and the layout says how long emptying takes.

The cost beyond the equipment

• The base: a deck, a terrace or a slab.
• The electrics: a circuit, a cable and a certificate.
• The groundworks: drainage and levelling.
• The permits and fees, if any, and VAT.
• The running cost: energy, water care and a service.

Tell the insurer

A heated cabin and a pool are things your home insurer will want to hear about. Ask what they require: a lockable cover, a fence or a gate, a certificate from your electrician. Telling them costs a phone call, and an unmentioned pool is the kind of detail that complicates a claim. If the property is let at any time, say so as well.

Sizing the household: one, two, four, eight

Three budgets, honestly

All three are before groundworks, structure and local electrics, which depend on the house. Each can be built in phases on a plant space drawn for the final scheme.

The full table is in the price list, and the kit builder lets you try the starter, family and estate combinations yourself.