People buy up in the hills above Altea for the outlook over the bay, and then discover that the view comes with a slope. A new villa here is shaped by the ground long before it is shaped by taste, so the sensible way to plan one is to start with the plot.
Questions to settle before any drawing
- How does a lorry reach the site? Plots in the hills can be reached only by narrow roads or tracks.
- Can a concrete pump get close? If not, the way concrete arrives changes.
- Where will the spoil go? Excavating a slope produces a lot of it.
- What can the plot carry? Not every plot can take additional built area, and the town hall decides.
These answers affect cost and timing more than most people expect, which is why we settle them at the planning stage and always see the site in person.
Letting the slope work for you
A hillside plot usually means retaining walls, terracing and foundations that follow the fall of the land. It also offers opportunities: a lower floor opening onto the garden, a terrace facing the bay, rooms stepped to catch the view. Rain on a hillside runs somewhere, so drainage behind and around the walls is planned as part of the structure, not added once the first autumn storm has made the point.
The architect, the licence and us
A project architect prepares the drawings and handles the licence process alongside us. We do not state what your plot will be allowed, because the town hall decides. What we do is coordinate the drawings, the licence steps and the construction so that they follow one plan. Where something needs a technician's drawings or a council decision first, the quotation says so.
Choices that shape the budget
- The amount of groundwork the plot demands.
- How far materials must travel from the nearest point a vehicle can reach.
- Size, number of levels and the amount of glazing facing the view.
- Terraces, outdoor dining and pool areas around the house.
Glazing deserves its own thought. A large pane facing the sun is wonderful in March and a different matter in August, so we look at glass, shading and cooling together.
Looking right in its surroundings
Stone facing, white render and terracotta tones are all common in Altea, and we can build with them. We think about where the new house sits, what it blocks and how its roof and terrace will look from neighbours' windows, because a design that respects that is easier to get approved and easier to live beside.
One team from groundworks to handover
We build the foundations, structure and roof, then manage plumbing, electrics, plastering and tiling, so one team is accountable throughout. If you live abroad, we keep you informed by video call and photographs. We will not promise a finished date before the licence, the ground and the access are understood, but the free written quotation sets out what we will build and what you need to provide, and the work is guaranteed within the scope set out in the quotation. Our extensions and new builds page has more on how we work here. Terraces, steps and garden walls on falling ground are part of the same scheme, not an afterthought, and we price them with the house so the outside is not left unfinished.
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Dragon Reforms provides property renovation advice for homeowners throughout Altea, Callosa d'en Sarrià, La Nucía, Finestrat and Villajoyosa and towns right across the Costa Blanca.