Rural houses · Hillside land · Between urbanisations
Renovating older rural houses and fincas in La Nucía, where traditional stone buildings sit alongside modern hillside villas and urbanisations.
Much of La Nucía is made up of hillside villas and urbanisations, laid out in recent decades on land that was once farmed. Scattered between and beyond them are the older rural houses, the buildings that were here first. They tend to be single-storey or two-storey stone farmhouses, often on plots that have since had newer neighbours built around them.
That setting shapes finca work in La Nucía. A renovated house here is judged, by its owner and by the people next door, against a street of modern villas, so there is a real question about how far to modernise and how much of the original to keep. Our usual answer is to keep the structure and character, and make the inside as comfortable as a new build.
We have worked on rural and hillside properties in the north Costa Blanca since 1999. Below is how we usually approach a finca in this part of the area.
Old among new
A farmhouse that has stood on its land for generations often finds itself with villas built on all sides. Its ground levels may now differ from the neighbours’, and run-off from newly built plots can come towards the old house in a way it was never designed for. We check this when we survey, because it explains a good deal of the damp we see.
Stone and lime also behave differently from the concrete and block around them. Cement-based patching on an old wall is one of the commonest reasons we find a farmhouse damp, and replacing it with lime repair usually does more good than any treatment applied over the top.
The aim is a house that looks as though it belongs to its own history while working like a modern home.
Modernising
Older rural houses on the edge of a town often have a patchwork of services: wiring added in stages, plumbing from different decades, and in some cases supplies that do not follow the pattern of the urbanisation next door. Before we plan new circuits or pipework, we find out how the house is actually supplied.
Where a full rewire and replumb is needed, we plan routes through the stone carefully so as not to weaken the walls, then bring in the new bathrooms, kitchen and heating around them. Our own electricians and plumbers do the work, so the sequence is coordinated with the plastering and finishes.
We will tell you plainly if something is outside what we can sensibly advise on, and suggest who should look at it.
Character
People buy a finca because it is not a villa. The thick walls, timber beams, deep window reveals and an old fireplace or bread oven are what give it identity. They are also what are most easily lost in a rushed renovation.
We clean and treat beams rather than boxing them in, retain stone where it is sound, and choose windows, doors and shutters that suit the age of the house. New work is made to sit quietly beside the old, not to imitate it.
Where something has to go, we tell you before it does and explain why.
How it works
We begin with a visit to see the house and its surroundings and to hear what you want from it. After that we put together a written quotation, free of charge, describing the scope in plain terms.
During the work, the trades are coordinated by us and you are kept up to date by phone and photographs if you are away. The work is guaranteed, with the scope set out in the quotation.
Questions
Yes. We renovate traditional stone houses and fincas in and around La Nucía, as well as the modern villas nearby, and we approach them differently.
Thick stone walls behave differently from modern construction, and changes to surrounding ground levels or past cement repairs often contribute. We look for the actual source before suggesting treatment.
Yes. We plan cable and pipe routes in advance, using floors, ceilings and surface options where appropriate, to limit cutting into the stone.
Contact us with a short description of the property. We visit, discuss the work and send a written quotation, which is free.
Across the area
La Nucía is one of the towns with its own finca renovations page. The main Finca Renovations Costa Blanca page covers the whole service in full.
Hillside fincas and terraced stone houses above the coast, with steep plots and narrow tracks.
View Altea →Stone houses on the slopes below Puig Campana, with water and drainage at the heart of the work.
View Finestrat →Country houses behind the coast, where salt air and long absences shape the choice of materials.
View Calpe →Old village houses and country fincas, often renovated in stages, around a small inland village.
View Polop →Finca Renovations in Benissa and the surrounding area.
View Benissa →Finca Renovations in Alfaz del Pi & Albir and the surrounding area.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Get in touch
Tell us about the house and what you hope to do with it, and we will arrange a visit.
You will receive a clear written quotation, free of charge, setting out the work.
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.”
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.”
More from Dragon Reforms
Everything Dragon Reforms does in La Nucía, each with its own page.
Get a quote
Describe the finca and the work you have in mind, and we will arrange a visit and send a written quotation.
