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How to build an investment property in Croatia

Planning and building an investment property in Croatia, or any other kind of project, requires good management and processes. At Candy Brick we researched and planned the project meticulously, developed solid processes, and selected very well our team. In this article we are going to present these key elements to you.

Planning and Execution

 

Think of a building, there are foundations and structures underneath the superficial layers of paint. Even if you can’t see them, for example the bricks, they are extremely important during the construction and ensuring the building remains stable.

Within a project team, it works the same way. Even though you might not be able to see or hear some team members, they are still fundamental to the successful project execution. It is therefore important that all team members are competent and synchronised.

The Market

What is the status of the current industry and market? This is an aspect you should definitely consider. You don’t want to make the mistake of starting in an industry that is already over-saturated. And if you do, then make sure you innovate in this industry.

We started our investment research based on the growth of real estate market in Croatia. Here we noticed increasing rents mixed with affordable property prices, and low taxes and costs compared to other countries. Which made the idea of purchasing an existent investment property in Croatia and reselling it, an appealing investment.

Know the Place

Do extensive research of the area your project is based, and adapt your research to the project needs.  If your project is an investment property in Croatia, then location is key for an excellent return on investment.

If the region has abundant natural resources, take advantage of it, innovate and implement it in your project. Croatia’s 300 sunny days a year gave us the opportunity to innovate our villas by putting solar panels on them. This makes them self sufficient and increases the value of your investment property in Croatia.

Local Advice

 

Deni Tomisic, our geodesist at Candy Brick, gave us plenty of local advice that was crucial at the early stage of the project. His expertise and knowledge was able to point out fundamental aspects missing from some sites. Such as, no electricity or water and no possibility for connecting them, no usage permits, chemicals in the ground, low quality materials, and even a pending mortgage on a house.

After more in depth research on the local searching tool, http://www.katastar.hr/, more legal problems were found in relation to the sites. Purchasing terrains with issues can be a nightmare in many ways, making you spend more to fix them. If this step is missed then the whole project can fall apart.

Selection Process

 

The selection starts with defining characteristics that every member of the team must have. It is important all team members share the same fundamental characteristics in order for the group to be synchronised.

When your in a foreign country it can be hard at first to identify your desired characteristics in people. But a local references and advice can help you hugely.

At Candy Brick we choose people who are honest, loyal, driven to make the project go forward, and have a will to evolve.

The Team

 

From the Geodesist, responsible for selecting good and suitable terrain, and taking the right measurements to be used for later stages of the project.

To the architect that has to understand the intention of the client’s project, translating the needs into a drawing. And then has to clearly specify the materials to be used, the precise measurements, and the instructions about their drawing.

To the engineering supervisor, responsible for checking all the stages of the construction, disapproving any step that is not correct, and having the initiative to correct any mistakes.

And the Project manager responsible for controlling the project quality, budget and timing. He does this by checking everyday the construction progress, negotiating with suppliers in order to get better materials for better prices, and working on behalf of the company and not himself.

The choice of a good team of builders is also essential. Many mistakes can be done when constructing if the builders are not experienced and competent. And the fixing of these mistakes can be costly and can slow down the project if the wrong person is chosen. In Croatia there is a scarcity of workers and it can be quite difficult to find honest and qualified workers without the help of local advice.

Importantly, None of this can happen if your not legally allowed to. It is important therefore to have full legal understanding on your team, and a person who is familiar with law, contracts, rules. And not just for one country, but internationally, as laws can change from country to country.

Finally, we working internationally, communication becomes vital. It is crucial to have perfect translators in the team to avoid any error through miscommunication.

Talking about communication, marketing is extremely important for any company and team. Having a really good team and product is essential, but without really good marketing people will never get to hear about them or their achievements.

The sales person also has to understand fully the product and the companies values, and has to be able to transfer those values to the client. It is fundamental having a person who  creates a connection with the client.

The administration is key to keep the internal engines of the company running smoothly, initiative and communication skills are necessary for a good administrator.

The accountant’s role may consist of primarily financial data collection, entry and report generation. The accounting structure of a company is an essential component to business operations. It is therefore essential to have an accountant that is honest and does not misrepresent the firm.

The External Team

Cloud in blue sky

Beyond your core team, there is also the external team to consider and the same selection process should apply for them. These are your partners and collaborators. Let’s compare them to other external factors in a construction project, such as the weather.

You have everything needed to start your construction project, like materials and constructors, but then it rains and you can’t start building. This is external factor interference.

With your partners and collaborators, it is the same and they can equally influence the progress of your project. The only difference is you can actually choose your partners and collaborators. You can’t choose the weather.

A legal partnership is a contractual relationship involving close cooperation between parties having specified and joint rights and responsibilities. Each party has an equal share of the risk as well as the reward.

A collaboration involves cooperation, parties are not necessarily bound by a contract. This is a relationship, but it is usually less formal than a legal partnership. A good collaboration can only exist when several people pool their common interests, assets and professional skills for a joint project. Importantly, organisations don’t collaborate – people collaborate.

It is better to chose partners and collaborators that are aligned with the project and will respect your goals.

For building investment property in Croatia, we chose partners and collaborators that are available, precise and responsive.

Good planning is fundamental to strategise and reach your goal

We hope that the tips given on this article help your planning and researching process, either if you are starting or already have an on going project.


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