Hillside Villas · Old Town Houses · Sea-View Suites · Retaining Walls
On Altea's slopes, the floor below the main house often opens onto a garden and the view. Dragon Reforms turns that level into a proper suite or studio, and deals with the earth and water behind it.
Altea is a town of steep streets and stepped plots. A villa may enter at street level and fall away two storeys behind, leaving a garage or underbuild with a front that looks out over the bay. Few places have lower levels with as much potential as that.
The same slope that gives the view also presses against the back wall. Ground behind a retaining or semi-buried wall holds water, and the structure has to cope. Our first job is to understand how that wall was built, what lies behind it and where rain runs when the hillside is saturated.
In the old town, the issue is different: narrow lanes, steps and small doorways make it hard to bring materials in. We plan deliveries, use hand-carried loads where necessary and allow for the extra time it takes, so the quotation reflects reality.
The Slope
Before sketching a layout, we look at the ground. A wall that faces uphill carries the thrust of soil and any water in it. If the wall is thin or lacks drainage behind it, it is a risk to the conversion and sometimes to the house above.
Where needed, we propose drainage along the outside, a waterproof layer on the face of the wall, or an inner lining that stands off from it. These measures are less glamorous than a new window, but they decide whether the room is dry.
If anything suggests a structural problem, we say so and suggest a technical architect or engineer look before work begins. We would rather lose a job than convert a room behind a wall we do not trust.
Views
The downhill wall of an Altea underbuild is where the potential lies. Replacing a garage door or a small window with a glazed opening can flood the room with light and give a bedroom or studio a view that the main floor might envy.
Cutting a wide opening in a load-bearing wall needs a proper beam and temporary support. We also think about sun: a big west-facing pane over the bay is lovely in the evening and punishing in summer, so we discuss shading and glass type.
If your terrace sits above, the new opening should be considered alongside the terrace's waterproofing, since a leak from above will find its way into a new room. We look at both together.
Old Town
Old houses near the church area often have thick stone or rubble walls and a lowest floor that was once used for animals, tools or storage. Converting such a room can create a cool, characterful space, but the walls breathe differently from modern block.
Sealing them with unsuitable products can hold moisture in and make matters worse. We choose finishes that suit old masonry and avoid assuming that every wall needs a heavy waterproof coating.
Access is the practical hurdle. Materials arrive by hand or small barrow over steps, and waste goes out the same way. We build that into the programme honestly rather than promising a pace that the street cannot support.
How it works
In Altea we start by walking the property inside and out, seeing where earth meets wall and how the space joins the garden. Measurements and photographs follow, along with a talk about your plans.
The written price covers waterproofing, structure, openings, trades and finishes. Points for the council are flagged, the work runs in a sensible order, and phone updates reach you if you are away from Spain.
Questions
Frequently so, in practical terms, once walls are dry, openings are formed and air movement is solved. Using it as living space turns on its registration and the council's view, which we cannot guarantee; we point out the questions, and your architect can settle them.
Walls built against the slope are the usual culprit. We find how water reaches them, then propose exterior drainage, internal waterproofing or both. It is done before plastering or flooring so the finished room stays dry.
Access is slower because of steps and narrow lanes, which affects time and cost. We plan carefully, explain this in the quotation and keep the work as tidy as possible for neighbours living close by.
Often, with the right beam and support, provided the wall is not carrying a load we cannot replace. We check the structure first and discuss glass and shading, since a large opening can overheat a south or west room.
Across the area
Hillsides and lower levels come in many forms along this coast. If you own elsewhere, look at our pages for the neighbouring towns, each with its own housing and ground conditions.
Underbuild and garage conversions in Benidorm: block garages and ground-floor stores made into studios or offices, community rules explained. Free quotation.
View Benidorm →La Nucía underbuild and garage conversions: urbanisation villas gain guest suites, offices and family rooms below the house, damp handled. Free quotation.
View La Nucía →Finestrat underbuild and garage conversions: big villa lower levels under Puig Campana become suites and studios, with run-off managed. Free quotation.
View Finestrat →Underbuild and garage conversions in Calpe: apartment-block garages and villa lower levels fitted out against salt air and humidity. Free quotation.
View Calpe →Alfaz del Pi & Albir underbuild and garage conversions: long-established villas and apartments gain usable, easy-access lower-level rooms. Free quotation.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Underbuild and garage conversions in Polop: thick-walled village house ground floors and hillside villa lower levels made usable. Free quotation.
View Polop →Underbuild and garage conversions in Benissa: finca outbuildings, stone lower floors and coastal villa garages made into guest rooms. Free quotation.
View Benissa →Villajoyosa underbuild and garage conversions: townhouse ground floors, seafront apartment stores and villa underbuilds made usable. Free quotation.
View Villajoyosa →Underbuild and garage conversions in Callosa d'en Sarrià, home of our office: village houses, valley fincas and terraced plots made usable. Free quotation.
View Callosa d'en Sarrià →Albir underbuild and garage conversions: holiday-home apartments and hillside villas gain guest suites below the Sierra Helada. Free quotation.
View Albir →Get in touch
Describe the garage or underbuild beneath your Altea home. We come and study the wall against the hill and explain what could realistically be done.
Pricing costs nothing. Both languages are spoken, and regular photographs let owners overseas follow progress.
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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