Holiday Homes · Owners Abroad · Kitchens · Bathrooms · Cooling
A second home is only useful when it is ready for you or for your guests. Dragon Reforms has refurbished holiday apartments and villas across the north Costa Blanca since 1999, with one team in charge, regular updates to your phone, and work planned around when you can be there.
The difficulty with refurbishing a holiday home is rarely the building work itself. It is that you are somewhere else. You cannot pop round to approve a tile, let a plumber in, or notice that the painter has started before the plastering was dry. So the first thing we organise is a way for you to stay informed without being on site.
We survey the property, agree a written scope and then manage every trade ourselves: plumbers, electricians, plasterers, tilers, carpenters, painters and the people who fit air conditioning, windows and doors. You deal with one office. We tell you what is happening, in which order, and what we need you to decide before the next stage can begin.
Most second homes on this coast have the same story. Furnished in a hurry years ago, used for a few weeks at a time, then tired by sun, salt, damp and a succession of guests. A refurbishment brings the kitchen, bathroom, floors, walls and cooling back to a standard that is easy to live in and easy to keep up.
This service is about the building work. We do not manage rentals, supply furniture or advise on rental income, and we make no promises about what a refurbished property will earn. What we can do is leave the home sound, clean, tidy and ready for whatever you plan to do with it next.
What is included
These are the things we take responsibility for on every holiday home project, whether it is a studio flat or a large villa.
Owners abroad
Distance changes how a project has to be run, and good communication matters as much as good workmanship.
Many of our clients live in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany or Scandinavia and come out a few times a year. They cannot supervise daily, so the project needs a clear structure: a written scope, an agreed order of work and a single person who answers the phone when something comes up.
We send photographs at the stages that matter, such as after strip-out, once pipework and cables are in place, and before walls are closed or tiled. These are the moments when a decision is easiest to change. If we find something unexpected behind a wall, you hear about it the same day.
For choices that need your eye, such as tile, worktop or paint colour, we can send samples, show them on a video call or arrange for you to see them on a short visit. Each agreed choice is written down, so no part of the job depends on anyone remembering.
Kitchens and baths
Holiday homes put more wear on these two rooms than most owners expect.
A holiday kitchen might sit unused for months and then be used hard for a fortnight by a full family. Hinges, taps, hobs and worktops all take the strain. We favour durable finishes and fittings that are easy to clean, and we renew the pipework and wiring behind them when it is past its best.
Bathrooms are the room where second homes most often disappoint. Old tiles, tired grout, slow drains and a cracked shower tray are common. Where it suits the layout, we replace a bath with a walk-in shower, which many owners find easier to keep clean and more comfortable for visitors of any age.
Water supply matters too. A water heater that has been left alone through a winter, or pipes that have stood unused, may show problems only when the first guests arrive. We test and renew what is needed as part of the job so that you are not finding faults on holiday.
Heat and damp
A home left empty for weeks at a time has its own set of problems.
A shut-up property can turn stuffy and, in some homes, damp. Walls that never get aired may show marks near the floor or on outside corners. We look at why moisture is there before we paint over it, because a fresh coat on its own will not cure a cause.
Summers here are hot, so cooling is a priority for most owners. We supply and install air-conditioning units sized for the rooms they serve and tell you honestly where a unit would be noisy, obtrusive or poorly placed. Better windows and doors help as much as the unit itself in many homes.
Painting and plastering are often what turn a tired place around. Cracked render, patched ceilings and years of scuffed walls disappear in a day or two of good preparation. We prepare surfaces properly because it is the preparation, not the paint, that lasts. Skirting, ceilings and door frames receive the same attention as the walls.
Planning
The right moment for a refurbishment depends on how you use the property.
Work tends to go most smoothly when the property is empty. Many owners choose the quieter months, when they are not hosting family or guests and tradespeople are easier to schedule. We will tell you at survey how long the work is likely to take and suggest a window that suits.
If you let the property to guests, you will want it back in use quickly. The sequence of the work is what controls this. Noisy, dusty jobs come first and finishing trades come last, so the home is clean and complete at the end instead of being repeatedly disturbed.
We will never promise dates we cannot keep. Deliveries of kitchens, windows and tiles can take time, and the weather affects terrace work. We explain this at the start, build in sensible margins and update you when a timetable moves. Where a delay is not our doing, we still make the call and tell you the new date.
Outdoor spaces
The parts of a holiday home that face the weather need regular attention.
Sun, salt air and the occasional heavy downpour punish terraces and balconies. Cracked tiles, failing waterproofing and rusted railings are among the most common faults we see. Where a balcony sits above a neighbour, a leak affects them as well, so we repair it properly.
Windows and doors take the brunt of the climate. Old frames let in noise, heat and draughts, and sticky or broken balcony doors are a security concern in a property you are not living in. We replace what is worn and tell you where repair will do.
Pools themselves are outside what we build, but we do work on pool surrounds and terraces, including repairing cracked paving, refreshing finishes and making the area around the water safer underfoot. If a job needs a specialist we do not employ, we say so. That candour saves you paying twice.
Before you hire
If you cannot be on site, these checks matter even more.
A contractor who answers these clearly before you sign is usually one who communicates well during the job. If an answer is vague, ask again. You are entitled to understand what you are paying for before work begins.
Areas
We work from Callosa d'en Sarrià and cover the coast and the valleys inland.
Our team refurbishes second homes in the coastal resorts, the hillside urbanisations and the older villages of the Marina Baixa and beyond. Pick a town below to see how the work changes from flats by the sea to houses in the hills.
Holiday home refurbishment in Benidorm: apartment kitchens, bathrooms, cooling and finishes, planned around lifts, neighbours and your visits. Free quotation.
View Benidorm →Holiday home refurbishment in Altea: old town houses on steps and narrow lanes, plus coastal villas. Careful access and one team in charge. Free quotation.
View Altea →Holiday home refurbishment in La Nucía: villas on inland urbanisations, cooling, kitchens, terraces and pool surrounds for owners away. Free quotation.
View La Nucía →Holiday home refurbishment in Finestrat: hillside villas, apartments near Cala de Finestrat, views to protect and owners often away. Free quotation.
View Finestrat →Holiday home refurbishment in Calpe: seafront flats and hillside villas hit by salt air and strong sun, with durable finishes that last. Free quotation.
View Calpe →Holiday home refurbishment in Alfaz del Pi & Albir: apartments, townhouses and hillside villas refreshed by one team, with updates abroad. Free quotation.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Holiday home refurbishment in Polop: older village houses with damp and thick walls, plus hill villas, with updates for owners abroad. Free quotation.
View Polop →Holiday home refurbishment in Benissa: fincas in the countryside, old town houses and coastal villas, with a long-distance owner in mind. Free quotation.
View Benissa →Holiday home refurbishment in Villajoyosa: seafront flats, old town houses and inland villas in a year-round town. One team, regular updates. Free quotation.
View Villajoyosa →Holiday home refurbishment in Callosa d'en Sarrià, our home town: village houses, stone and rendered homes and fincas. Quick visits. Free quotation.
View Callosa d'en Sarrià →Holiday home refurbishment in Albir: apartments near the promenade, hillside villas below the Sierra Helada and homes used by guests. Free quotation.
View Albir →Questions
Yes, and many of our clients do. We survey the property, give you a written quotation, then manage the work while you stay informed by photographs, video calls and messages. You make the decisions that need to be yours; we handle the rest and tell you what is happening.
If you are happy for us to, yes. With keys in our hands nobody has to travel to let us in, and we can lock up properly each day. We agree arrangements with you in advance and tell you who will have access.
It depends on the scope. A repaint and new bathroom takes far less time than a full refit with new kitchen, floors and cooling. We give you an honest estimate at survey and keep you posted if deliveries or weather change the timetable.
Normally we can. Many owners prefer to refurbish when the property is empty and no guests are due. The schedule is agreed with you at survey and set out what can be done, including how far ahead materials such as kitchens or windows need to be ordered.
No. Our role is the building work and its management. Running lets, supplying furniture, and advising on rental income or letting licences all sit outside it. We can tell you at survey whether building work is likely to need a licence from the town hall.
It helps if you or someone you trust can meet us, but it is not essential. We can survey with a friend or neighbour present or hold a video call as we walk round. We then send the written quotation by email.
Yes. Our survey and written quotation cost nothing and carry no obligation. We tell you honestly what is involved, including whether anything needs approval from the town hall, so that you can decide with all the information in front of you.
Related services
Get in touch
Let us know the property's location, what you would like changed and when you want it back in use. We will arrange a survey or a video call and follow with a clear written quotation that you can read at your own pace.
There is no charge and no obligation. English and Spanish are both spoken, and you are welcome to send photographs of the property before we meet so that we can come to the survey prepared.
Customer reviews
Genuine Google reviews from Dragon Reforms customers.
Professional Collaboration & Complete House Renovation – Calpe
“We have been collaborating for many years on projects both large and small, with excellent results. Our latest collaboration was the complete renovation of a house in Calpe. Thanks to their professionalism and reliability, they were able to handle all phases of the project. We hope to continue working together for many years to come.”
Complete Apartment Renovation – Benidorm
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Dragonreforms. Nico and his team did an excellent job renovating our 2 bedroom apartment in Benidorm. This included a beautiful new bathroom, kitchen, flooring, interior doors, plumbing and complete electrical works. Truly amazing workmanship. You have made our dreams come true.”
Get a quote
Tell us about the job and the property and we will get back to you to arrange a visit.
