There is a type of client we have come to know well over the past few years. They bought a villa in Denia or Javea somewhere between ten and twenty years ago, have enjoyed it enormously, and now arrive with a clear picture in their mind. The house still works. But it no longer feels like them.
They are not looking to knock it down and start over. They want to renovate. Properly, though , not just new tiles and a fresh coat of paint.
This article draws on the renovation projects we are currently running across the Marina Alta: what clients are asking for, why, and which decisions separate a renovation that lasts another twenty years from one that already feels dated in five.
Why now is a good time to renovate
Demand for villas in Denia and Javea remains strong. The international buyer , German, Dutch, Scandinavian, British , has not stopped looking at this stretch of coastline, and well-located existing stock has held its value firmly. The direct consequence is straightforward: a well-renovated villa in the right location is worth significantly more than the same property left untouched.
This is not just about resale value. Today’s buyer has very specific expectations about how a home should perform: energy efficiency, smart home integration, genuinely usable outdoor spaces, open-plan living. Most villas built in the late nineties or early two-thousands do not meet those expectations without intervention.
Renovating with a clear brief and a proper project is the most intelligent way to unlock what you already have , the location, the views, the plot , and give the house the life it is missing.
The six renovations owners are prioritising ahead of 2027
1. Opening up the floor plan: kitchen, living room and terrace as one
This is probably the single most common request we receive. Villas built in the nineties and early two-thousands in Denia and Javea were designed with compartmentalised layouts: closed kitchen, separate dining room, a living room hemmed in by partition walls. That approach has not aged well.
What owners want now is an open, flowing ground floor where kitchen, dining and living areas read as a single space that opens directly onto the terrace and pool. Done well , and it requires serious structural thinking, not just knocking down walls , the house feels twice as large and twice as light.
On projects like this in the Javea area, we have seen how removing a single wall between the kitchen and living room, adding full-height glazing facing the garden, and redesigning the terrace as a natural extension of the interior can completely transform how a house feels to live in.
2. A full energy upgrade
Air-to-water heat pumps replacing old boilers, insulated facades, thermally broken window frames, smart climate controls. By 2027, a villa that lacks these features is going to find it increasingly difficult to attract a discerning buyer , and the running costs for whoever uses it will become harder to ignore.
The good news is that many existing villas in Denia and Javea have a sound structural shell. The work is updating the systems and improving the building envelope, not rebuilding. The return , in day-to-day comfort and in resale value , is unambiguous.
A word of caution about doing this piecemeal. Replacing only the boiler, or only the windows, without thinking about the whole picture, produces mediocre results. Energy efficiency works as a system: it needs to be planned holistically from the outset of the renovation project.
3. The outdoors as a genuine design project
Many villas in the area have pools that do their job perfectly well, surrounded by exteriors that were never really designed. Dated paving, an unplanned garden, no shade to speak of, poor lighting, and little visual connection from inside the house.
Heading into 2027, the outdoor space is shifting from afterthought to centrepiece. The owners investing most heavily in renovations across Denia and Javea are including a comprehensive redesign of the garden and pool area: paving that flows naturally from the interior, pergolas or covered terraces with retractable elements, low-maintenance planting using native species, and considered ambient lighting integrated into the landscaping.
At La Quinta Fachada we handle landscaping as part of the renovation project rather than as a separate commission. The result when everything is designed together is markedly better, and it avoids the compromises that tend to emerge when the garden is left until the building work is finished.
4. A master bathroom worth having
The master bathroom in a villa built fifteen or twenty years ago in this part of Spain tends to have the same issues: generous in size but with nothing to say. A whirlpool bath that nobody uses, double vanity units in dark timber, beige marble on every surface.
What clients are asking for now looks quite different: a large walk-in shower at floor level, natural materials such as microcement or local stone, carefully layered lighting, and proper ventilation to the outside where the geometry allows. A bathroom that is a room in its own right, not a service space.
Relative to other interventions in a villa renovation, this is one of the better-value upgrades: contained in cost, high in daily impact, and one of the first things a prospective buyer notices.
5. The exterior facade and first impression
The external appearance of many villas along the Costa Blanca shows its age quite visibly: render stained by damp, champagne-coloured aluminium frames, decorative grilles on windows, colour palettes that belong to a different era.
A well-executed facade renovation , new render or cladding, dark or black-framed windows in keeping with contemporary taste, removal of dated decorative elements, new exterior lighting , can transform how a villa reads from the street without touching the interior. Alongside the outdoor spaces, it tends to deliver the most immediate visual impact per euro spent.
In areas with specific aesthetic guidelines, such as some of the established urbanisations around Javea, it is worth establishing early on what changes are permissible. That is something we handle from the start of any project to avoid surprises when it comes to planning consent.
6. Smart home technology that actually makes sense
This is not about turning a home into a gadget. It is about having the systems look after themselves when you are not there: shutters that close automatically when the temperature climbs, irrigation that adjusts to the weather forecast, heating or cooling that switches on a couple of hours before you arrive, and security cameras you can check from wherever you happen to be.
For owners who use their Denia or Javea villa as a second home , which describes most of our renovation clients in the area , this is not a luxury. It is a practical necessity. A property of this kind can sit empty for months at a time. Well-integrated smart home technology reduces problems, cuts maintenance costs, and removes a considerable amount of low-level worry.
Partial renovation or full renovation? How to decide
It is the first question we ask when someone comes to us with a renovation project in the area. The answer comes down to three things: the actual condition of the property, the budget available, and the objective , whether that is personal use, luxury holiday letting, or eventual resale.
A well-planned partial renovation can be highly effective if the structure, services and basic layout are in good shape. It makes sense when the goal is to update the feel of the house and improve comfort without touching what already works.
A full renovation makes more sense when the services are genuinely outdated, the layout no longer suits how the owner wants to live, or when the aim is to maximise market value. In those cases, addressing everything at once is almost always more efficient than working in stages: one project, one set of planning permissions, one construction process.
What we would always caution against is renovating without a proper brief and a project. It seems faster and cheaper at the start. It rarely is by the end.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate a villa in Javea or Denia?
It depends heavily on the scope. A partial renovation focused on the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor areas might sit between €80,000 and €150,000. A full renovation including an energy upgrade, layout changes and a comprehensive refresh of finishes can range from €200,000 to €400,000 or more for larger properties. To arrive at a reliable figure, we need to see the villa and agree on the scope. We are happy to do that initial visit with no obligation on either side.
How long does a full villa renovation take in this area?
From project design through to handover, a full villa renovation in the Marina Alta typically takes between twelve and twenty months. Planning timescales vary between municipalities and depend on the nature of the works. Working with a studio that has an established relationship with the local planning authority helps to avoid unnecessary delays.
Do you need planning permission to renovate a villa in Javea or Denia?
It depends on the work involved. Minor maintenance and cosmetic changes that do not affect the structure or layout usually require only a prior notification or minor works licence. Structural changes, extensions or facade alterations require a full technical project and a major works building permit. We manage the planning process from the beginning so that owners do not have to navigate it themselves.
Can you live in the villa while the renovation is under way?
For partial works, sometimes yes. For a full renovation, the standard approach is to vacate during construction: it is more efficient for the building team and avoids the inevitable disruption. For owners using the property as a second home, this rarely presents a practical problem, since the villa is typically unoccupied for a good part of the year in any case.
Does La Quinta Fachada manage the construction process as well as the design?
Yes. We run the project end to end: design, planning, contractor selection, site management and handover. Owners do not need to coordinate anything separately. For clients based outside Spain, this is particularly useful , they can follow progress remotely, with full information, without having to fly in for every decision.
If you have a villa to renovate, start with a visit
The most useful thing we can do at a first meeting is see the property with you. In an hour on site, we understand the real condition of the house, what makes sense to do, and roughly what it would cost. There is no commitment on either side.
We have offices in Javea and Gandia and run projects throughout the Marina Alta. If you would like to talk, write to us at info@laquintafachada.com or call us on +34 655 00 74 09.