Renovation guides for Andalusia
Renovate Andalusia
Expert guidance for renovating property in Andalusia, Spain.
How we help
Everything you need before the builders arrive
Plain-English help with the parts of a Spanish renovation that catch foreign owners out.
01
Permits explained
Which licence you need, what the town hall asks for and how long it usually takes.
02
Real costs
How builders price work here, with IVA, licence fees and the extras people forget.
03
Finding builders
How to find, brief and compare local trades, and what a fair written quote looks like.
Free guides
Start with the topic you need
Permits and legal
The Official Documents You Need to Renovate in Andalusia
The five stages of paperwork in a Spanish renovation, from the declaración responsable to the completion certificate, with five annotated sample documents.
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Project management
Running your renovation
Briefing builders, comparing presupuestos, stage payments and staying on track from abroad.
Coming soon
Materials
Materials that suit the climate
Lime render, insulation, terracotta and hydraulic tiles: what copes with summer heat and winter damp.
Coming soon
Spanish culture
Working the Spanish way
Town hall rhythms, the August slowdown and building good relations with neighbours and trades.
Coming soon
Our approach
We Believe
Old houses deserve respect
Thick walls, lime and old beams often work better than their replacements. Keep what still works.
Clear information beats reassurance
Real costs, realistic timelines and plain English, so you can make decisions before you spend.
Local trades, fairly treated
Written quotes, fair stage payments and good manners get better work than pressure ever does.
Andrew Johnson, founder of Renovate Andalusia
Start here
Articles worth reading first
Permits
Obra menor versus obra mayor
Which type of building licence your project needs, and why getting it wrong costs time and money.
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Costs
Renovation costs per m²
What renovation work costs per square metre, and where budgets usually slip.
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Insulation
Insulating a Spanish village house
Why old village houses struggle with heat and cold, and what insulation suits thick stone and lime walls.
Read more →Planning a renovation in Andalusia?
Tell us about the property and what you want to change. We'll reply with the next steps and, where it helps, local builders and architects to talk to.
Or email andrew@renovateandalusia.com