A practical guide to planning a complete villa renovation in Marbella, from defining the scope and obtaining licences to controlling costs, coordinating the work and managing the project from abroad.
Building a Villa in Marbella: Building Permits, Costs & Timeline
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Luxury Villa in Marbella? 2026 Guide
Building a Luxury Villa in Marbella: What You Need to Know Before You Start
The Importance of Foundations in New Home Construction on the Costa del Sol
At LT Construction, laying a strong foundation is crucial for the long-term stability and durability of any home construction project on the Costa del Sol. From installing reinforced concrete beams and pillars to selecting the right foundation type based on soil conditions, we ensure a solid base for every project. This process is vital to protect structures from settling issues and guarantee their resilience. We proudly offer our services in Marbella, Fuengirola, Benahavís, Mijas, and beyond.
Property Issues: Building Survey
Importance of a Building Survey
Over the next few weeks I shall be highlighting some of the most common issues experienced by buyers of residential homes in the Costa del Sol, Spain. This week we start with a property survey.
Unfortunately, I still find that the majority of house buyers do not have a building survey carried out prior to purchase. The reason for this I can only speculate is that the majority of buyers purchase without the need for a mortgage and so there is not a requirement to do so by a third party.
The properties are often purchased during the summer months when many of the main issues are not immediately apparent.
Property Issues: Building Permit or Building Licenses
Are building licenses required and what is the procedure?
Often clients are under the mistaken idea the a license is not required when reforming their new purchase and modernising the interior of the property. Unfortunately this is not the case, a license should always be sought even for quite minor works. The consequences of not obtaining a suitable license can be expensive and time consuming to resolve.
The only exceptions are for water tanks and septic tanks.
Property Issues: Flat Roofs and Roof Terraces
Problems Associated With Flat Roofs and Roofs Terraces
You will often inherit a flat roof and roof terraces when purchasing a property, as they are a common design feature here in Spain.
Upper terraces are often structurally sound, it is unusual for them to be built as an afterthought. Although I have come across instances where this is the case, where they are separating from the main building. However, flat roof and terraces can still be a cause for concern and costly to put the faults right.
The main problem associated with flat roofs and terraces is water ingress. The main structure of Spanish properties is reinforced concrete. The builder will often skip the very important phase of preparation, which involves sealing the concrete from water penetration, simply laying the tiles onto the concrete.
Property Issues: Tiles
Property Issues: Tiles
You will probably inherit a property with quite boring and uninspiring tile designs, both on the floor and walls, especially if the house is over 10 years old.
The general principle was to tile all the walls in the bathrooms and kitchen, even behind the kitchen units. This has the effect of making the rooms feel cold and uninviting. The floors of older properties are either tiled with rustic terracotta or quite garish ceramic.
Spanish builders are not known for their sense of aesthetics, and so each room will have a different tile design without any feeling of conformity throughout the property.
Property Issues: Electricity
Domestic Electricity and Up-Grading to 3-Phase
The age of the property you are intending on buying will be an indicator of the state of the electrical installation in the property, as many older properties will not be compliant with current domestic property regulations.
When purchasing an older property, the potential buyer will often want to modernise the interior of the property and update such things as the kitchen which will include modern appliances, such as a fridge freezer, dishwasher and washing machine, as well as having air conditioning units installed in the bedrooms and living rooms, these items will put an enormous strain on an electrical system that was not intended for such a high level of consumption. Increasing the load on the existing electrical circuits if they are old may result in the circuit breakers tripping as the wiring overheats or in extreme cases fires.
