{"id":5183,"date":"2026-03-26T10:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/tmp-en-4668\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T18:17:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T18:17:21","slug":"five-phases-real-estate-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/five-phases-real-estate-project\/","title":{"rendered":"The five phases of a real estate project: from feasibility to delivery"},"content":{"rendered":"
Process<\/strong><\/span>3 min read<\/span>Updated June 2026<\/span><\/div>\n

Every real estate project \u2014 from a single house to a multi-unit development \u2014 goes through the same five phases. What sets the successful ones apart is the order of the decisions: each phase answers a question, and skipping questions is at the root of most delays and cost overruns. Here is the full journey, from idea to delivery.<\/p>\n

\n

1FEASIBILITY
\n2DESIGN
\n3PERMITTING
\n4CONSTRUCTION
\n5DELIVERY AND VALUE\n<\/p><\/div>\n

1. Feasibility \u2014 what is possible, and for how much<\/h2>\n

Everything starts with the right question: what can this plot or building become? Reading the PDM and the constraints, the indices, the programme scenarios and the first numbers. It is the lowest-cost phase of the whole process \u2014 and the one that most shapes the financial outcome. This is where a purchase is negotiated well or an expensive mistake avoided; it is precisely the work of LANDSCOPE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Design \u2014 from concept to detail<\/h2>\n

Brief, preliminary study, developed design and detailed design, with the engineering disciplines coordinated from early on. The golden rule of 2026: with the RGEU revoked<\/a> and prior control reduced, the rigour of the design is the client\u2019s main protection \u2014 and the quality of the detailed design is what keeps the construction budget on track.<\/p>\n

3. Permitting \u2014 the right route, complete at first submission<\/h2>\n

Planning permission, prior notification or exemption: the route determines deadlines and risk. With DL 108\/2026 in force from August, deadlines shorten and technical responsibility increases \u2014 the complete permitting guide<\/a> explains the whole framework.<\/p>\n

4. Construction \u2014 building what was designed<\/h2>\n

Specifications, careful selection of the contractor, a clear contract \u2014 and technical assistance from the design team through to the end. Overruns almost always stem from incomplete designs or improvised changes; a well-prepared construction phase is boring, and that is how it should be.<\/p>\n

5. Delivery and value \u2014 the asset at work<\/h2>\n

Use permit, certifications, as-built drawings \u2014 and the product on the market. For a full cycle, plan for 24 to 48 months depending on scale; the numbers behind all of this are in the article on IRR and ROI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe five phases are not bureaucracy in series \u2014 they are five questions in the right order. Whoever answers them out of order pays to answer them twice.\u201d<\/h2>\n

Tiago R. Correia<\/h3>\n

Architect<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Frequently asked questions<\/span><\/p>\n

Can I shorten the process?<\/h3>\n

You can cut the dead time \u2014 a complete application, disciplines in parallel, a strategic prior information request \u2014 but not the phases. Skipping feasibility or saving on the detailed design usually proves expensive.<\/p>\n

When should I involve the architect?<\/h3>\n

Before buying: phase 1 exists to protect the acquisition decision. After the deed, the room to optimise has already shrunk.<\/p>\n

Does the process change for rehabilitation?<\/h3>\n

The phases are the same, with a reinforced diagnosis in phases 1 and 2 \u2014 including, where applicable, the seismic vulnerability assessment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What phase is your project in?<\/span><\/p>\n

From feasibility to delivery, we follow the full cycle \u2014 and we can step in at any phase with a diagnosis of what was left undone in the previous ones.<\/p>\n

Talk to the studio<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Process3 min readUpdated June 2026 Every real estate project \u2014 from a single house to a multi-unit development \u2014 goes through the same five phases. What sets the successful ones apart is the order of the decisions: each phase answers a question, and skipping questions is at the root of most delays and cost overruns. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[122],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5183"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5228,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions\/5228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}