Rua Marquês de Fronteira 131 — Renovation Comparison

All Quotes at a Glance

Marina (Combined)
Designer + Artisan + Floors
€14,010
Quoted. Missing ~€7,000 in items.

Marina — Realistic All-In

Including all missing items

~€20,500

Estimated. Floors + railing + engineer + bathrooms.

Sonia

Labor only (+6% IVA, no materials)

~€25,750

Priority 1+2 items. Add materials on top.

RE|NEST

Full-service incl. 25% mgmt fee

€33,284

All-inclusive. Insurance + foreman included.

Line Item Comparison — Same Work, Different Prices

Item	Marina Artisan	Sonia	RE\|NEST	Gap (M vs S)	Notes
Extractor hood repair	€160	€50	—	+€110 (3.2×)	Same job. Marina is 3× the price. Challenge this.
Bathroom fans ×2 (installed)	€600 fans incl.	€200 fans excl.	—	+€250 est.	Add ~€100 for 2 fans to Sonia = ~€300 all-in. Still €300 cheaper.
Bidet removal	€170	€120	—	+€50	Marina includes rebouching pipes. Some justification.
Remove door (parents bathroom)	€150	€100	—	+€50	Marina includes repainting the area around it.
Balcony clean + anti-mold paint	€300	€120	—	+€180	Sonia at €12/m² (~10m²). Scope may differ slightly.
Entrance wall demolition + electrical	€1,970	€260 doors only	€1,150	Not comparable	Sonia only priced door removal. RE\|NEST priced full demo at €1,150 — Marina is €820 more than RE\|NEST for same scope.
Painting walls + ceilings	€6,750 1st floor only?	€7,395 labor only	€10,044 full apt	~Comparable	Marina likely includes paint materials. Sonia doesn't. Add ~€1,000 to Sonia. Marina's scope ("1er étage") is unclear — does it cover the whole apartment?
Parquet floor restoration	€3,055 João Paulo	€8,700 labor only	€7,594	−€5,645	Marina's floor guy is significantly cheaper. Already contracted + 40% paid.
Staircase + handrail	⏳ Quote pending	€3,430	€5,200	TBD	Carpenter quote expected. Marina's floor guy also doing stairs at €45/2 steps.
Bathroom vanity + counter	❌ Deferred	€200 labor only	—	—	Marina said "awaiting your choices." No price committed.
Exterior balcony guard-rail	🚫 Impossible	€1,500	€2,038	−€1,500–2,000	Marina's engineer confirmed it's prohibited. Common area + heritage. Neither Sonia nor RE\|NEST checked this before quoting.
Sliding door + shelves (kids room)	€300 shelves incl.	No price	—	—	Sonia listed as "customized by order" — no figure.
Transport + site cleanup	€750	Included in rates	€781	—	All three comparable here.

Marina — Realistic All-In Budget

Marina's fee (coordination + sourcing + admin)

✓ Signed

€2,650

Main artisan (painting, demolition, bathrooms, etc.)

✓ Quoted

€11,360

Floor restoration — João Paulo (already invoiced 40%)

✓ Contracted

€3,055

Structural engineer — initial visit

✓ Done

€250

Structural engineer — note de calcul (quote pending)

⏳ Pending

~€500

Mezzanine guard-rail — carpenter (quote pending)

⏳ Pending

~€1,500

Bathroom vanity + counter (deferred)

❌ No price

~€1,000

Materials (paint, fixtures sourced by Marina)

⏳ TBD

~€800

Realistic Total

~€21,000

Red Flags & Things to Watch

CRITICAL Entrance wall blocked until after April 10

The structural engineer said the note de calcul will be "in a few weeks." The artisan cannot demolish the wall without it. You will move in with the entrance walls still up. Decide now if that's acceptable.

CRITICAL Bathroom vanity — no price, no timeline

Marina deferred this entirely. The parents' bathroom job is incomplete. You need a price and a date before you can close the budget.

WATCH Marina owns your apartment photos

Article 5 of her contract: she retains intellectual property of the project. You need her written permission to photograph your own home. This clause should be removed.

WATCH No budget cap in the contract

Marina's contract shows "Budget alloué: €—" (not communicated). She is operating with no ceiling. Every "à voir" in her scope is an open wallet.

WATCH Painting scope is "1er étage" — what does that cover?

The artisan says "1st floor." RE|NEST priced 255m² of walls + 145m² ceilings. You need Marina to confirm the full scope in m² — or the mezzanine level may not be painted.

WATCH Hood repair: €160 vs €50

The most obvious overcharge. Same 2-3 hour job. Sonia quotes €50, Marina's artisan quotes €160. Push back on this.

CRITICAL 40% deposit non-refundable on cancellation

If you cancel Marina's contract for any reason, the €1,060 deposit is gone and you owe for all work done. No milestones-based exit clause.

GOOD Exterior guard-rail: confirmed impossible — saves €1,500–2,000

Marina's engineer confirmed on-site that the balcony garde-corps cannot be modified (common area, heritage building). Neither Sonia nor RE|NEST checked this. It's a real saving.

Questions to Send Marina

1

"When exactly will the structural engineer send the note de calcul quote? We need a firm date. If it's after April 10, the entrance demolition happens after we move in — we need to understand and plan for that."

Blocks: entrance wall job (€1,970). Must resolve before April.

2

"We need a price for the bathroom vanity and counter installation. Can you send options and an installation cost this week?"

Open item worth ~€1,000. No price, no completion.

3

"The artisan's painting line says '1er étage.' Does this include the mezzanine level and all areas? Please confirm the total m² covered."

RE|NEST scoped 255m² walls + 145m² ceilings. Marina's artisan is vague.

4

"When is the carpenter's quote for the mezzanine guard-rail arriving?"

Still outstanding. Safety item.

5

"The hood repair is quoted at €160. Sonia quoted €50 for the same job. Can you justify this, or can we bring it closer to market rate?"

Biggest unit-price gap. 3.2× the competitor price.

6

"Can you confirm: if the main artisan starts March 23, what is everything that will be completed before April 10 — and what will still be pending?"

Needed for move-in planning. Need a scope-split by date.

7

"We'd like to remove Article 5 of your contract — the clause about intellectual property and photography rights. This is our home. Please send a revised contract without it."

Non-negotiable. You should not need her permission to photograph your own apartment.