Villa renovation on the Costa Blanca
Many coastal villas date from the 1970s and 1980s. We renovate them for today, from roofs, terraces and damp to layout, kitchens and bathrooms.
Free initial estimate. Licences handled. One project manager. Weekly photo reports.
At a glance
- In five of the eight towns we cover, the largest group of homes was built between 1971 and 1990, so a typical house there is now 35 to 55 years old; the table below gives each town's figures.
- Villas of that age usually need the hidden things first: wiring, pipework, flat roofs and terraces, insulation and windows.
- Before anything is designed, we compare what is built with the registered paperwork, because earlier additions that were never legalised change what you can do.
- In the Comunitat Valenciana, a house over 50 years old needs a building evaluation report (IEEV.CV), detached houses included.
- Plots near the shore or a natural park have stricter rules. We check where yours sits before we quote.
Last updated
Villas of their time
On much of the Costa Blanca, a large share of homes was built in the 1970s and 1980s; our town pages give the figures for each town. Villas of that age often need new electrics and plumbing, better insulation and windows, and attention to flat roofs and terraces, which take the brunt of the autumn storms.
Check the paperwork before the plans
Earlier owners did not always legalise what they added. Before we quote for a renovation, we check that what is built matches the registered paperwork, because it affects which licence route your project needs and what can be done. Near the coast and the natural parks, the plot’s location matters too.
What we usually do
- Roofs, terraces and drainage, so water goes where it should
- Damp in walls and floors, after finding the cause
- New layouts, kitchens and bathrooms
- Windows, shutters, insulation and electrics
- Extensions, where the plot and the town’s rules allow
What a villa renovation usually involves
Included
- Flat roofs and terraces stripped back to the slab and waterproofed again, with the falls and outlets corrected
- Damp in walls and floors, treated once the cause is found
- Rewiring and replumbing, including the run from the meter and the water tank or pump if there is one
- Windows, shutters and insulation, for a house that is comfortable in winter and closed up in between
- New layouts, kitchens and bathrooms
- Outside: rendering, paving, walls, gates and drainage of the plot
Not included, or arranged separately
- Legalising earlier unpermitted additions, which is a separate process our partner architect can advise on
- Garden design and planting
How we approach a villa
Paperwork first
We compare the house with its escritura, nota simple and catastro record, and ask the town hall where we need to.
Survey the envelope
Roof, terraces, external walls, windows and drainage: where water gets in, and where it should run off.
Check the plot
Distance to the shore and to any natural park, and what the town's plan allows if you want to add space.
Licence
Our partner architect prepares the file for the route that applies, and it is lodged before work starts.
Outside in
We make the roof and envelope sound first, then renew the services and finishes inside, with photos at every hidden stage.
How old the homes are, town by town
Share of properties (inmuebles) in the 2011 census of buildings, by the period they were built. The age of a house is the best first clue to what its roof, wiring and plumbing need.
| Town | Before 1971 | 1971–1990 | 1991–2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dénia | 20% | 40% | 40% |
| Jávea (Xàbia) | 13% | 53% | 34% |
| Benitachell and Cumbre del Sol | 13% | 22% | 65% |
| Moraira (Teulada) | 22% | 59% | 19% |
| Benissa | 24% | 49% | 27% |
| Calpe (Calp) | 9% | 51% | 40% |
| Altea | 19% | 39% | 42% |
| Albir (l'Alfàs del Pi) | 9% | 51% | 40% |
Moraira's figures are for the municipality of Teulada and Albir's for l'Alfàs del Pi.
Good to know
Rules and facts that apply
- Houses over 50 years old
- The building evaluation report applies to homes over 50 years old, single-family as well as multi-family. It is due by 31 December of the year after the building turns 50 and is valid for 10 years. (TRLOTUP art. 189; Decreto 53/2018; Generalitat Valenciana)
- Near the shore
- The Ley de Costas sets a protection strip 100 m inland from the inner edge of the shore. On land that was already classified as urban when the law came into force, the strip is 20 m. (Ley 22/1988 de Costas)
- Reform without structural change
- Reform works that do not alter a building's structure or affect catalogued elements go through a declaración responsable; works that affect the structure also need a certificate from a certification body or professional college. (TRLOTUP art. 233)
What to send us before the site visit
- A video walk round the outside, the roof or terraces and every room
- The escritura or nota simple, and the catastro reference
- Any licences or certificates for earlier extensions, terraces or outbuildings
- Where water has got in before, and after which storms
- What you would change about how the house works
Questions owners ask
How do you check whether my villa's earlier extensions are legal?
Before we quote, we compare what is built with the property's registered paperwork and ask the town hall where needed. If something was added without permission, you need to know before planning more work on it.
My villa is near the sea. Can I still renovate it?
That depends on the plot and the proposed work. The Ley de Costas generally sets a 100 m protection strip from the legally defined inner shore boundary; the 20 m transitional rule for qualifying urban land in 1988 is conditional. We check the legal boundary and required authorisations first. See our coastal renovation guide for the primary source and checks.
Can you renovate the villa between my visits?
Yes. We plan the work around your dates, send photo and video updates every week, and can have it closed up and cleaned before you arrive.
Sources
- TRLOTUP art. 189.2: building evaluation report for single-family and multi-family homes over 50 years old (as amended by Ley 7/2023). BOE. Checked .
- Decreto 53/2018, Informe de Evaluación del Edificio de uso residencial de vivienda (IEEV.CV). DOGV, Generalitat Valenciana. Checked .
- Informe de evaluación del edificio. Generalitat Valenciana, Vivienda y Arquitectura. Checked .
- Ley 22/1988 de Costas (consolidated). BOE. Checked .
- TRLOTUP art. 233: acts subject to declaración responsable (Decreto Legislativo 1/2021). DOGV (consolidated text via BOE). Checked .
- Census of Buildings 2011: buildings and properties (inmuebles) by year of construction, municipalities over 2,000 (table 2mun03). INE. Checked .
- Av. de Francia 2, 46023 València
València and the Costa Blanca. Site visits by appointment. - We work with local architects, interior designers and structural engineers.
- Civil liability insurance: details to be confirmed
- Company registration (CIF and Registro Mercantil): pending incorporation