Start with what you want the house to do for you, then find out what condition it is really in. Bring in an architect or building surveyor where structure, damp from the ground or roof failure is suspected, check the paperwork and community rules, and only then fix the scope and sequence. Get itemised quotes, keep a contingency for surprises, and decide early who will take decisions on your behalf if you are not in Spain.
What do you want the house to do?
Before talking to any builder, write down how the house will be used. A family home lived in all year, a holiday home used a few times a year, a house to let and a property to sell in a few years each lead to different priorities. List what frustrates you about the house now and what you would change if nothing stood in the way. Separate needs — a dry roof, safe wiring, working bathrooms — from wants, such as an open-plan kitchen or a new staircase finish.
This short document is the best brief you can give a contractor. It also helps you resist scope creep later, because every new idea can be checked against what you set out to achieve.
How do you find out what condition the house is in?
Appearance tells you little. A survey of the property should cover the roof and terraces, the façades, windows and doors, the electrical installation, water supply and drainage, signs of damp, and any cracks. We look at all of these during a site visit, and the first estimate can come before that, from photos and the approximate built area sent by email or WhatsApp.
Where we see signs that go beyond building work — structural cracks, sagging roofs, rotten beams, damp rising from the ground — we recommend an architect or building surveyor (arquitecto or aparejador). Their report or design then becomes part of the plan rather than a surprise during the works. Our article on what can go wrong renovating a house lists the common surprises.
Which paperwork and rules should be checked early?
- Town hall: what type of notification or licence the scope needs. In Andalusia, the planning law (Ley 7/2021, LISTA) distinguishes works carried out under a declaración responsable from those needing a licence, and each town hall publishes its own forms. See our guide on permits for façade, roof and window works.
- Community of owners: on townhouses and some urbanisations, changes to the outside need the community’s consent under the Horizontal Property Law and the community’s statutes.
- Urbanisation access: rules on working hours, vehicles, skips and deliveries.
- Technical documents: whether any part of the work needs a project or report signed by a qualified professional.
We do not prepare technical projects or apply for licences, but we tell you what your scope usually requires (exact requirements in your municipality: to be verified case by case).
How do you set the scope and sequence?
With the condition and the rules known, the scope can be fixed. Group the work into the envelope (roof, façades, windows), the services (electrics, plumbing, drainage), the layout and masonry, and the finishes. The envelope and services usually come first, because they protect and feed everything else. Finishes come last. Optional items can be priced separately so you can decide on them without delaying the essentials.
If the budget does not cover everything, phase the work so that each phase leaves the house sound and nothing done in one phase has to be broken out in the next. A new kitchen installed before rewiring, or new plaster before new windows, are classic examples of what to avoid.
How should quotes be compared?
Ask for itemised quotes, with each task described, measured and priced separately, and a clear list of exclusions. Compare them line by line rather than by total: a lower total often means something has been left out. Check whether materials are included, how unforeseen items will be handled, which trades are subcontracted, whether electrics and gas are carried out by authorised installers (in our case, authorised partner installers working under our coordination), and what guarantee and insurance the contractor has. Our villa builder checklist lists the questions. Cost factors are explained on presupuestoreforma.eu.
Why keep a contingency?
Old houses hide things. Opening a wall can reveal a pipe that needs replacing, lifting a floor can expose a damp slab, and stripping render can show a crack that was painted over. A sensible plan keeps part of the budget aside for these. A good contractor will show you any unforeseen item with photos, quote it as a separate line and wait for your approval, but the money still has to come from somewhere. Deciding in advance how much you can set aside removes much of the stress when it happens.
Who decides when you are not in Spain?
Many villa owners on the coast live abroad for part or all of the year. The first estimate works from anywhere, by email or WhatsApp. But a renovation needs decisions during the work: confirming finishes, approving an unforeseen item, accepting a stage. Decide early who will take those decisions — you, visiting at key points, or someone you trust who is on the coast — and make sure that person knows the plan, the budget and the limits of their authority. The visit before the final quote and the handover walk-round are moments when someone needs to be present.
What happens at handover?
At the end, walk round the whole house with the contractor, inside and out, with the quote in hand. Check that each line has been delivered, test windows, doors, taps, switches and drains, and note anything to be finished or corrected. Ask for any documentation from partner installers, such as electrical certificates where the work required them, and for the guarantee terms in writing. A final clean should leave the house ready to use. Our article on how we work on a villa describes our own handover.
Official sources
- Ley 7/2021 (LISTA), arts. 137–138, citada en modelo municipal DR-EO obra menor
- Ley 49/1960, de 21 de julio, sobre propiedad horizontal (BOE, texto consolidado)
Bauman Raymond Attila · Reforma Villas Costa del Sol · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
