BusinessGrenada.com BusinessGrenada2019-2020 Issue 8 | Page 72

Construction Certificate. This takes 7 days at no charge. 7 Receive permanent electricity connection 35 days EC$150.00. 8 Obtain Water and Sewage Connection. In St. George’s, most buildings connect to the sewerage system. Outside of St. George’s, septic tanks are used. This should take 7 days at a cost of EC$120.00. 9 Obtain Fixed Telephone Line Takes 7 days at a cost of EC$250.00. REGISTERING PROPERTY IN GRENADA STANDARDIZE PROPERTY VALUE: 221,000.00 CITY: St. George’s STEPS, TIME, AND COST INVOLVED IN REGISTERING PROPERTY IN GRENADA 1 Lawyer prepares title deed, which should take 5 days (simultaneous with procedures 2, 3, and 4)at a cost of 1–2% property value. The purchaser’s lawyer prepares the title deed and ensures that all rates and taxes are paid by the vendor. Water rates are paid to the National Water and Sewerage Authority, and property tax and property transfer tax are paid by the vendor to the Department of Inland Revenue, Ministry of Finance. The purchaser pays lawyer’s fees at this point. 2 Title search at the Deeds & Land Registry 5 days (simultaneous with procedures 1, 3, and 4) at a cost of EC$200.00 The lawyer conducts searches on the vendor’s title deed for the last 10 years, in addition to previous owners, going back as far as 60 years. The lawyer also searches the wills under the previous owner and any judgments against the property for the last 12 years. 3 Obtain tax clearance from Inland Revenue 1-2 days (simultaneous with procedures 1, 2, and 4) no cost. 4 Obtain clearance from National Water and Sewage Authority up to 14 days (simultaneous 72 72 with procedures 1, 2, and 3) no cost. The lawyer sends a written request to the National Water and Sewage Authority in order to obtain clearance that all water rates and taxes have been paid. It can take about 2 weeks in order to receive clearance from the National Water and Sewage Authority. 5 Payment of transfer fee at Inland Revenue 1 day 5% (property value minus $20000, exempted). 6 Execution of the deed at the lawyer’s office 1 day (lawyer’s fees paid in procedure 1)The deed is executed in the presence of the lawyer and the cheque is exchanged for the deed. All previous deeds relating to the land, all papers (including insurance policy), and all keys are delivered to the purchaser. 7 Payment of Stamp Duty at the Deeds & Land Registry 1 day at 1% of property value. 8 Registration of the deed in the Deeds & Land Registry 60 days EC$5 (registration fee). THE DEED IS COLLECTED BY THE PURCHASERíS LAWYER AFTER REGISTRATION AND PROCESSING. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED: Original deed New deed (with stamps from procedure 7) Proof of payment of all taxes and rates relating to the property - History of title FROM $90.00 TO $105.00 PER SQ FT. • Standard roofing using bitumen shingles or pre-coated metal roofing. • Built by an established small builder working from his office (usually himself a tradesman), following an informal approach. Contracts should be established by exchange of letters. FROM $105.00 TO $125.00 PER SQ FT. • Using quality metal roofing, concrete or clay roofing tiles. • Built by a professional builder, using subcontractors on a direct labour basis following a formal invitation to tender. FACTORS THAT WILL REDUCE COSTS • Use of inexpensive roof covering & cost effective wall materials • Truss rafters roof with spans of between 24 and 28 inches & Care taken that any special design features are arranged in the most economical way • Building on a level site • Building using strip or pad foundations and level floors FACTORS THAT WIL INCREASE COSTS • Expensive fixtures and fittings National Average Construction Costs Listed below are the national average costs for single and two storey homes built on single sites by individual clients, on straight forward foundations, including fixtures and fittings appropriate to the size of the property. • Roofing materials other than galvanised sheeting FROM $80.00 TO $90.00 PER SQ FT. ALL COSTS STATED IN US$ • Special foundation arrangements. • Basic roofing using zinc galvanized sheeting. • Built by a reputable small builder working from home following an invitation to tender. www.businessgrenada.com www.businessgrenada.com • Natural stone or hand made brick walling • Building other than on level sites • Complex designs which increase the area of external walls and complex roof shapes • Inbuilt concrete water storage tanks • Deviating from the plan can often have a negative and pricey knock on effect on cost of labour and re-planning. BG