Kitchens · Bathrooms · Layouts · Terraces · Underbuilds · Finishes
Whole-villa and part-villa renovation across the north Costa Blanca, run as one project by one firm, whether the house is a holiday home or somewhere you live all year.
Most villas on this coast were built to be used for a few weeks a year, or built a long time ago for a different sort of owner. Kitchens are small and closed off. Bathrooms are dated. Terraces are the best part of the house but barely used. Windows leak air, the roof has been patched, and there is an underbuild nobody quite knows what to do with. Renovating a villa is usually about fixing all of that in a sensible order.
Dragon Reforms has worked in the north Costa Blanca since 1999, and villas are a large part of what we do. We cover the whole job ourselves: design, building work, plumbing, electrics, carpentry, plastering, tiling, painting, windows and doors, air conditioning and damp proofing, with one person managing it from the first visit to the last snag.
Some owners want the entire house taken back and rebuilt around a new plan. Others want the kitchen and two bathrooms done this year and the terrace next. Both are normal, and a good renovation plan makes the second approach work, so that nothing done now has to be pulled out later.
Many of our clients live in the UK, Scandinavia, the Netherlands or Germany. We speak English and Spanish, send progress by phone and photographs, and agree decisions in writing, so a project can move along without you standing on site. The quotation is free, and the work is guaranteed, with the scope set out in the quotation.
What is included
One firm and one programme, from the first measure-up to the final clean.
Why here
Sun, salt and years of part-time occupation take their toll in quiet ways.
A villa here lives with strong sun, heavy downpours in autumn, salt in the air near the coast and humidity that settles in rooms left shut for weeks. None of it is dramatic, but over a decade or two it dulls paintwork, hardens seals, stains render and finds any weakness in a terrace or roof.
The houses themselves vary widely. Some are older villas with thick walls and small rooms. Others are larger family homes on terraced plots, built with garages and storage underneath. Many were designed for summer use, so the kitchens are small, the insulation is thin and the layout turns its back on the view.
Many are also holiday homes that have changed hands, been let out or become permanent residences. A house that suited weekend visits does not always suit someone living in it through January. Renovation is often the point where an owner decides what the villa is actually for.
The whole house
When most of the house needs attention, doing it as one project is cheaper in disruption and kinder to the finished result.
A whole-villa renovation starts with a plan for the entire house, not a list of separate jobs. We look at how you use the rooms, where the light and views are, which walls matter structurally and where pipes, wiring and drainage run. Then we put the work in a sensible order.
Typical changes include knocking through a kitchen into the living area, moving a bathroom, adding a bedroom suite, turning a garage into living space or opening the back of the house onto the terrace. Each one affects the others, which is why they are best decided together.
The order matters. Structural work, damp treatment, plumbing and electrics come first, then plastering, windows and doors, tiling and joinery, then painting and the final fittings. Done in that sequence, the trades do not undo each other’s work, and the house is not lived in as a building site for longer than it needs to be.
Not every owner wants the whole house done at once. Plenty of projects run in stages, a kitchen and living room this winter and bathrooms next, and that works when an overall plan sits behind it: where the electrical board goes, whether air-conditioning pipework can be hidden now for rooms done later, which walls might open one day.
Kitchens
The kitchen is usually the room owners most want changed.
Many villa kitchens are small, shut off from the living area and fitted with units that have seen better days. Opening the kitchen to the dining space, adding an island or bringing it nearer the terrace can change how the whole house works.
Because we do the plumbing, electrics, plastering, tiling and carpentry ourselves, a kitchen is planned as one job. Water, drainage, extraction, power for appliances, worktop templating and floor finishes are sorted before anything is closed up, instead of being left for each supplier to discover on site.
For holiday homes, durability matters as much as looks. We talk through finishes that cope with heat, humidity and long periods unattended, and with the way a kitchen gets used when the house is full of guests.
Bathrooms
Villa bathrooms tend to be dated, awkward in shape or too few for the number of bedrooms.
A bathroom renovation can mean new tiling and sanitaryware in the same footprint, or a proper rethink: a walk-in shower in place of a bath, a second basin, a new en-suite carved out of a bedroom, or a downstairs shower room for easier access.
Waterproofing and drainage decide whether the room lasts. We deal with falls, shower trays, membranes and pipework properly under the finish, and check that extraction is adequate in a climate where steam lingers.
If a bathroom is being moved, that touches the plumbing, the electrics and sometimes the structure underneath. It is better to price and plan that as part of the wider project than to find out halfway through.
Outside
On this coast the outdoor space often matters as much as the rooms inside.
Terraces in a villa are exposed to the sun for most of the year and to heavy rain in short bursts. Surfaces crack, tiles lift and water finds its way into whatever sits underneath. Renovating a terrace properly means looking at the waterproofing and drainage below the finish, not only the tiles on top.
Outdoor living is also about how the space is used: a covered dining area, a better connection from the kitchen, steps and ramps that make sense, paving that is safe when wet. Pool surrounds need non-slip surfaces that stay comfortable underfoot in summer and deal sensibly with water.
We handle the building work, paving, tiling, rendering, railings and finishes together, so the outdoor areas are finished to the same standard as the inside of the house.
Below and above
Cosmetic work lasts only as long as the building behind it stays dry and sound.
Many villas sit on sloping plots with a garage or storage level partly below ground. Converting that space into bedrooms, an office or a guest suite is a popular project, and it needs proper waterproofing and drainage before it becomes a room, not after.
Damp elsewhere in the house, whether from rising ground moisture, a leaking terrace, failed render or condensation, should be diagnosed before it is painted over. We look for the cause first and then treat it, so the redecoration is not spoilt in a year.
Roofs and external finishes deserve the same attention. Cracked tiles, failed flashings, worn render and tired paint all let weather in slowly. Fixing them as part of a renovation is far easier than doing it later around finished rooms.
Comfort and finish
The elements that decide how the house feels to live in.
Old windows and doors leak heat in winter, let in noise and make cooling harder in summer. Replacing them during a renovation is simpler than doing it later, and it lets us size the openings, shutters and glazing to the new layout.
Air conditioning works best when it is planned at the start. Pipe runs, condensate drains, electrical supply and the position of the units are easy to arrange before walls are plastered. We supply and install systems from leading brands, sized to the rooms.
Then come the finishes: flooring, plastering, joinery, wardrobes, paint. These are what you will see every day, so we leave enough time to do them carefully and check each room with you before we call it complete.
Owners abroad
A renovation does not need you on site every day.
A holiday home and a permanent home want different things. The first has to cope with being shut up, be easy to look after and handle full occupancy for a few weeks. The second needs better insulation, comfortable heating and cooling, and storage and kitchen space for daily life.
Many of our clients are in the UK, Scandinavia, the Netherlands or Germany and visit a few times a year. We agree the scope and programme in writing, send updates by phone and photograph, and ask for decisions at the points where they are needed, so the job keeps moving.
English and Spanish are both spoken, which makes it easier to deal with suppliers, neighbours and the town hall side of things on your behalf. When you arrive, the aim is a house that is finished, clean and working.
Before you start
Whoever you hire, it helps to be clear on these points first.
Our quotation sets out what is included, so you can compare it properly with any other.
Areas
Eight towns with their own pages, each with a different mix of housing.
From Altea’s coastal villas to the hillside homes around Finestrat and La Nucía, the work depends on the plot and the house. Choose your town to see how we approach it there.
Honest, practical villa renovation for the houses on Benidorm’s edges and hills.
View Benidorm →Villa renovation planned around Altea’s hills, narrow lanes and views.
View Altea →Family-home villa renovation for La Nucía’s hillsides and urbanisations.
View La Nucía →Villa renovation for Finestrat’s hillside homes, underbuilds and view terraces.
View Finestrat →Coastal-ready villa renovation for Calpe’s hillside homes below the Peñón.
View Calpe →Staged villa renovation for long-term owners in Alfaz del Pi and Albir.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Careful villa and village-house renovation in the small inland village of Polop.
View Polop →Villa renovation for Benissa’s coastal homes, with honest advice on villa versus finca.
View Benissa →Questions
A villa is usually a more modern detached house, often on a developed plot or urbanisation, while a finca is a traditional country property with older walls and layouts. The trades are similar, but fincas need more care with old structures and materials. We have a separate page for finca renovations.
Yes. Many projects are a kitchen, a couple of bathrooms or a terrace rather than the whole house. We plan the stages together so that early work does not need redoing later.
Yes. Plumbing, electrics, carpentry, plastering, painting, tiling, windows and doors, air conditioning and damp proofing are all done by Dragon Reforms, which keeps the project under one management.
Many clients do. We agree the scope in writing, send progress by phone and photographs, and ask for decisions when they are needed. English and Spanish are both spoken.
Often, yes, but damp and drainage need dealing with first. We look at the ground, the walls and the floor level and tell you what is needed before suggesting a layout.
Yes. That includes waterproofing, drainage, paving, tiling, rendering and railings. Terraces are often where water gets into a house, so we look at what is under the surface as well as the finish.
It depends on the size of the house and how much is being changed. A single kitchen is a very different job from a whole villa. After seeing the property we give a programme with the quotation.
The quotation is free. Work is guaranteed, and the scope is set out in the quotation so you know what is covered.
We cover Benidorm, Altea, La Nucía, Finestrat, Calpe, Alfaz del Pi & Albir, Polop and Benissa, and the surrounding north Costa Blanca. Each town has its own page.
Get in touch
Tell us about the house and what you would like to change. We will arrange to see it, talk it through and give you a written quotation, which is free.
Customer reviews
Genuine Google reviews from Dragon Reforms customers.
Apartment Renovation
Original Spanish review
“Hace poco reformó el apartamento. Ha quedado espectacular. Además sin imprevistos, cumpliendo los plazos y muy formal.”
English translation
“They recently renovated the apartment. It looks spectacular. What's more, there were no unexpected problems, the agreed timescales were met, and they were very professional.”
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.”
More from Dragon Reforms
One firm for the whole job, from the first survey to the finished room.
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