Village Houses · Thick Walls · Ground Floors · Hillside Villas
Polop's village houses are narrow, tall and thick-walled, and their ground floors often hold a garage or store. Dragon Reforms converts them with respect for the structure and with narrow streets in mind.
A traditional house in a Polop street rises over several floors on a small footprint. The lowest level, at street height, may be a garage, a store or a room that has gone unused for years. It is cool, solid and easy to overlook, and with care it can become the quietest room in the house.
Thick old walls are both the attraction and the challenge. They keep heat out and offer character, yet they take up moisture from the ground and release it slowly. A conversion that seals them with the wrong materials can leave the damp with nowhere to go.
On the slopes around the village, newer villas have the usual underbuilds and garages. Those are more straightforward, and we convert them in a similar way to elsewhere, but the quiet lanes and small plots still shape how we work.
Old Walls
Many old walls in the village are stone or rubble set in lime or earth-based mortar. They absorb moisture and allow it to evaporate. Cement render and heavy waterproof paint block that, and the water goes elsewhere, often higher up the wall.
We look at what each wall is made of, how high any dampness rises and whether the ground outside is higher than the floor inside. Often a lighter intervention works, such as improving drainage outside and using breathable plaster within.
In cases where modern waterproofing is truly needed, we say so and explain why. The point is to match the treatment to the wall, not to apply one method everywhere.
Narrow Streets
Polop's lanes are narrow, and some are stepped. Skips cannot always be placed outside the door, and materials arrive in small loads. We plan the delivery of blocks, sand, beams and tiles, and the removal of rubble, in advance.
This affects cost and timing, and we reflect it in the quotation. We also warn neighbours and keep the street clear where possible, since living cheek by jowl with people who see everything makes goodwill essential.
Schedules for noisy work are agreed to suit the village. A quiet working day respects both the household next door and your own plans for the house.
Openings
Ground-floor rooms in village houses often have only a street door. To make one habitable, you may want a window or a better door, and cutting into a thick wall needs a proper lintel and care for the masonry above.
Street-facing changes may also interest the town hall, particularly in the older part of the village, where appearance is often considered. Ask the council before cutting anything.
Inside, a small ground-floor room can serve as a cool summer sitting room, a guest bedroom or a workshop. We keep ceilings and details simple so the old walls remain the feature.
How it works
In Polop we begin with a visit, usually on foot, to see the street, the doorway and the room. Wall materials and any signs of moisture are noted, and we ask what the room should become.
The quotation sets out access, structure, moisture treatment and finishes. Council queries are noted down, and photographs keep you in touch if the house is a second home.
Questions
Often yes, once moisture, light and ventilation are dealt with. Use as living space rests on registration and the council's view; we suggest the enquiries to make, after which an architect can say what is allowed.
Old stone and lime walls need to release moisture. Cement and waterproof coatings can trap it, pushing damp higher or into other walls. We choose breathable finishes and treat the source of the water.
They can, because deliveries and rubble removal take longer by hand or small vehicle. We build this into the quotation so there are no surprises, and plan the work to keep the street usable.
Yes. Hillside villas near the village have garages and underbuilds, and we convert them using the same careful approach to drainage, damp, light and services.
Across the area
Old village houses and modern villas sit side by side across the area. See the neighbouring town pages for how conversions differ where streets are wider or plots flatter.
Underbuild and garage conversions in Benidorm: block garages and ground-floor stores made into studios or offices, community rules explained. Free quotation.
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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 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
If your Polop house has a garage or store that could do more, tell us about it. A visit lets us read the walls and explain the treatment and openings it needs.
Quotations cost nothing and arrive in writing, in either English or Spanish, with trades managed from survey to handover.
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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