Old Town Houses · Steps & Lanes · Coastal Villas
Altea's hillside old town is lovely to own a home in and awkward to build in. Lanes are narrow, steps are many and walls are old, so refurbishing a holiday house here takes planning as well as skill.
Climb through the white streets towards the church and you pass houses that were never designed for a skip lorry. Getting a new bath, a stack of tiles or a kitchen to the front door may mean carrying everything by hand, and that affects both the timetable and the cost of the job.
Away from the old centre, Altea's villas spread over the coastal slopes and look out to sea. These are easier to reach, but they have their own concerns: terraces exposed to weather, windows that face the sun and older pipework behind attractive finishes.
Whatever you own, we survey carefully, explain what the access means for the work and run all the trades under one manager. Many owners here are away for much of the year, so regular updates are built into every project.
Old town
In the old town the first question is always how materials reach the property. We walk the route from the nearest point a vehicle can reach, count the steps and plan accordingly. It is better for you to hear at survey that a delivery will be done by hand than to find out later.
Older houses here are often thick-walled and irregular. Floors may slope, walls may bulge and there may be several earlier layers of plaster. We deal with the building as it is rather than pretending it is square, and we tell you where an uneven finish is part of the charm.
Where a house has beams, stonework or old tiles worth keeping, we work around them. Damp can be a feature of older walls, so we investigate it before decorating. A holiday house that smells musty after winter is a problem worth fixing, not hiding.
Villas
A villa on the slopes has the view that makes Altea special and the exposure that goes with it. Terraces, steps and boundary walls face sun and rain and tend to crack. Putting them right usually means taking up finishes, repairing the waterproofing underneath and relaying.
Windows and doors facing the sea take extra punishment, and old ones let in heat and draughts. We replace those that have failed and refit the rest so they close properly, which makes a difference to comfort and to security when nobody is home.
Inside, kitchens and bathrooms from the last refit are often the first things owners want to change. We upgrade them together with the plumbing and electrics behind, so you do not tear into new tiles to fix old pipes. We never rip out what could simply be repaired, and we say which is which.
Style
Many people buy in Altea for its feel, and a refurbishment should respect that. We aim for finishes that suit the house: lime-toned walls, hardwearing tiles, simple fittings and good lighting rather than anything that feels transplanted from elsewhere. A house that looks authentic outside and feels fresh inside is the usual aim.
If your house sits within the historic centre, outside changes such as colours, windows or shutters may be a matter for the town hall. We tell you at survey whether permission is likely to be needed so that you do not commit to something that cannot go ahead.
For owners who let their home, durability matters. Easy-to-clean floors, simple shower areas and robust joinery keep running costs down. We do not advise on rental matters, only on the building. Plain, sturdy joinery lasts longest in a house that is not lived in daily.
How it works
Our first move is a visit, or a video call if you are abroad, and we trace the route from street to front door. We note steps, doorway widths and any shared walls, then give you a written quotation that reflects the access as it really is.
Once agreed, we order what is needed, carry materials in with care and keep neighbours informed. You receive photographs as the work moves along, and we hold the keys if you want us to. A final clean and handover closes the job.
Questions
Yes. Hand-carrying is planned wherever a vehicle cannot reach, and it is allowed for in the programme. We tell you at survey how the access affects the work, protect neighbours' doorways and keep the lane clear as far as we can. Larger items are sometimes lifted or delivered in sections.
Older walls are often thicker and less regular than modern ones. That is not a problem if allowed for. We check for damp, repair cracks and plaster properly, and we tell you honestly if a surface will never be perfectly straight.
That depends on the street and the change. The survey tells us, and you, if the town hall's permission looks likely to be required, so you know before ordering anything. Cosmetic work indoors rarely raises such questions.
Yes. Pictures and short videos reach you as the job moves on, and choices are discussed over the phone. Should you wish, the keys can stay with us. Many Altea owners live elsewhere for much of the year, so remote management is a normal part of how we run a project.
Across the area
Altea sits among several coastal towns and inland villages where we also refurbish second homes. Each page below describes how the work differs from one place to the next.
Holiday home refurbishment in Benidorm: apartment kitchens, bathrooms, cooling and finishes, planned around lifts, neighbours and your visits. Free quotation.
View Benidorm →Holiday home refurbishment in La Nucía: villas on inland urbanisations, cooling, kitchens, terraces and pool surrounds for owners away. Free quotation.
View La Nucía →Holiday home refurbishment in Finestrat: hillside villas, apartments near Cala de Finestrat, views to protect and owners often away. Free quotation.
View Finestrat →Holiday home refurbishment in Calpe: seafront flats and hillside villas hit by salt air and strong sun, with durable finishes that last. Free quotation.
View Calpe →Holiday home refurbishment in Alfaz del Pi & Albir: apartments, townhouses and hillside villas refreshed by one team, with updates abroad. Free quotation.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Holiday home refurbishment in Polop: older village houses with damp and thick walls, plus hill villas, with updates for owners abroad. Free quotation.
View Polop →Holiday home refurbishment in Benissa: fincas in the countryside, old town houses and coastal villas, with a long-distance owner in mind. Free quotation.
View Benissa →Holiday home refurbishment in Villajoyosa: seafront flats, old town houses and inland villas in a year-round town. One team, regular updates. Free quotation.
View Villajoyosa →Holiday home refurbishment in Callosa d'en Sarrià, our home town: village houses, stone and rendered homes and fincas. Quick visits. Free quotation.
View Callosa d'en Sarrià →Holiday home refurbishment in Albir: apartments near the promenade, hillside villas below the Sierra Helada and homes used by guests. Free quotation.
View Albir →Get in touch
Let us know whether your house is in the old town or on the slopes and what you would like to be different. We will come to see it, or talk through pictures online, then put a plan on paper.
The first step costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. If it helps, send a few snapshots of the street and the front door so we arrive knowing what to expect, and ask us anything you like beforehand.
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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Everything Dragon Reforms does in Altea, each with its own page.
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