01What the housing stock looks like
Most of Eixample is made up of fincas regias built in the late 19th and early 20th century: ceilings above three metres, long corridors, hydraulic floor tiles, Catalan vaults and timber beams. Buildings in Gràcia are lower and denser, with plenty of small flats. Ciutat Vella is older still, with narrow streets. Sant Gervasi and Sarrià have more spacious apartments in post-war blocks, plus detached houses with gardens.
That shapes the typical brief. Some clients want to keep the character of the flat: restore the tiles, expose the beams, bring back the cornices. Others rework the layout for the way they live now, with an open kitchen, en-suite bedrooms and walk-in wardrobes. Quite often a single project does both.
02What older buildings tend to hide
In an old building, the quote starts with opening things up. Wiring often has no earth and was designed for much lower loads. Supply pipes may be lead or steel, and the drainage stacks cast iron. Timber-beam floors need checking: sometimes a local reinforcement is enough, sometimes an engineer has to run the numbers.
For a full renovation in this kind of building we budget for replacing all the electrics and plumbing inside the flat, and we look at the risers separately: they are shared, so any replacement is agreed with the building administrator. If demolition uncovers something unexpected, we show it to you on site, write it up and agree it with you before the quote changes.
03Neighbours, the comunidad and permits
In an apartment block, renovation is also about living alongside the neighbours. We notify the administrator, protect the lift and stairwell, keep to the noisy-work hours set by the building and the city, and leave the common areas clean. Space for the skip and for deliveries is sorted out in advance, which in Ciutat Vella and the narrow streets of Gràcia is a small project in itself.
Which permit you need is decided by the Ajuntament, based on the scope of work. Replacing finishes is one thing; moving walls, changing the facade or working in a listed building is another. We confirm this before the quote is final and prepare the paperwork so the job does not stall halfway through.
04Our projects in Eixample
Apartment on Carrer d'Urgell, 109.80 m². Full renovation: four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open kitchen, herringbone parquet and timber wall panelling.
Child psychology centre, 250 m², January to June 2026. New building services, 24 concealed doors and the licensing needed for a healthcare facility. It shows how we run a commercial job in a residential block, handling the schedule, the neighbours and healthcare requirements at the same time.
05What a renovation costs
Guide prices, excluding VAT: Basic from €1,000/m², Standard from €2,000/m², Luxury from €3,000/m². In Eixample buildings, the final figure depends most on the state of the floors, how much needs restoring and the level of finish.
The exact number comes from an itemised quote after the site visit and measurements. It shows what each task and each material costs, so any change is a decision you make knowing its price.
06How we work in the city centre
We reply to your enquiry within an hour and arrange a visit. We look at the property, take measurements and, where needed, open up test areas. Then come the design and the itemised quote.
The work is done by our own crew, with trusted subcontractors on specialist trades. One project lead is responsible for the job and is the person you deal with, in Russian or Spanish. Payment is staged under the contract, with the schedule fixed before work starts.