Old Town Houses · Hillside Villas · Stone · Roof Terraces
Altea rises in tiers from the sea, and a house here is rarely on level ground or on a wide street. Adding to one is a matter of access, materials and respect for what neighbours can see.
Anyone building in Altea quickly learns that the slope governs everything. Materials must be carried up steps or narrow lanes, scaffolding has to fit where there is hardly any pavement, and the view from the house below depends on what you do to your roof.
The old town has compact houses with thick walls, small windows and steep streets, while the hills around hold villas with terraces facing the bay. Both want more space eventually, but the way you provide it is different in each.
We build in both settings. That means practical planning for deliveries and waste, a careful eye for finishes that sit well with their surroundings, and a clear explanation, before you commit, of which points the council will probably look at.
Old town
Old houses here are often narrow and tall, with little or no garden. The realistic ways to gain space are upward, into an attic or roof level, or inward by joining a neighbouring building if both owners are willing. Each needs the existing walls assessed before anything else.
Walls built in traditional masonry behave differently from modern concrete frames. They can be strong, but they also carry moisture and movement in particular ways, and cutting into them or loading them calls for experience. We check the condition thoroughly and tell you what we find.
Materials matter for appearance as well as strength. Where a house sits in an area with a recognisable character, the town hall may care about what is visible from the street. We ask early, so a design is not drawn and then rejected.
Hillsides
Villas on Altea's hills usually have a terrace on one side and a steep drop on another. Extensions often go beneath or beside the main floor, using the fall of the land. That can be efficient, but it means retaining walls, drainage and foundations come first.
Rain on a hillside runs somewhere, and good building makes sure it runs where you want. We plan drainage behind and around new walls as part of the structure, because a handsome room that floods in the first autumn storm helps nobody.
Views are the reason most people own up here, so we think carefully about where a new room sits, what it blocks, and how its roof or terrace will look from neighbours' windows. A design that respects that is easier to get approved.
New homes
New plots in the hills come with tough practical questions: how will a lorry reach the site, can a concrete pump get close, where will spoil go? We settle these at the planning stage, because they affect cost and timing more than most people expect.
A project architect prepares the drawings and handles the licence process alongside us. We then build the foundations, structure and roof, and manage plumbing, electrics, plastering and tiling, so one team is accountable from groundworks to handover.
Stone facing, white render and terracotta tones are all common here, and we can build with them. What we will not do is promise a finished date before the licence, the ground and the access have been understood.
How it works
We begin with a walk around: the street or track, the house, the plot and the neighbours' boundaries. In Altea that visit tells us as much about access as about design, which is why we always see the site in person.
A written, free quotation follows. It names what we will build, what needs a technician's drawings or a council decision first, and what you will need to provide. If you live abroad, we cover the rest by video call and photographs.
Questions
Often, yes, usually upward or by reorganising what is there. The walls must be checked, and the town hall may take an interest in what is visible from the street. We explain both possibilities at survey.
By planning. We look at the route during the survey, then decide between small deliveries, hoists, or carrying by hand. Awkward access affects programme and cost, and the quotation reflects it honestly.
It is more involved, mainly because of retaining walls, drainage and foundations. Done properly it can also give useful space under or beside the house, so it is worth exploring rather than ruling out.
Technical architects sign the documents; we coordinate drawings, licence steps and construction so they follow one plan, then build to the drawings and manage the trades.
Across the area
Altea shares its hills and coastline with neighbouring towns that have their own building character. Follow the links below if your property lies elsewhere along the bay.
Extensions and new builds in Benidorm: terrace enclosures, ground-floor additions, penthouse space and villas on the edge of the city. Free quotation.
View Benidorm →Extensions and new builds in La Nucía: underbuild conversions, villa additions on urbanisations, extra storeys and new homes. Free quotation.
View La Nucía →Extensions and new builds in Finestrat: building into hillsides below Puig Campana, retaining walls, villa additions and new homes. Free quotation.
View Finestrat →Extensions and new builds in Calpe: enclosed terraces, villa additions below the Peñón de Ifach, and new homes built to resist the sea air. Free quotation.
View Calpe →Extensions and new builds in Alfaz del Pi & Albir: guest annexes, villa additions, coastal flats and hillside plots, managed by one team. Free quotation.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Extensions and new builds in Polop: adding rooms to village houses, stonework, hillside plots and careful new homes in a small inland village. Free quotation.
View Polop →Extensions and new builds in Benissa: finca additions, old town houses, coastal villa extensions and new country homes, managed by one team. Free quotation.
View Benissa →Extensions and new builds in Villajoyosa: old street townhouses, seafront flats and inland villas, with honest licence advice. Free quotation.
View Villajoyosa →Extensions and new builds in Callosa d'en Sarrià, where Dragon Reforms has its office: village houses, hillside fincas and valley plots. Free quotation.
View Callosa d'en Sarrià →Extensions and new builds in Albir: holiday flats by the promenade, hillside villas under the Sierra Helada, projects for owners abroad. Free quotation.
View Albir →Get in touch
Describe your house or plot, its street and what you hope to add. We will come out, look at access and structure, and explain what is feasible.
Quotations are free, written and without obligation. Photographs reach you while you are away, in English or Spanish.
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.”
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