Renovation and construction in the Maresme

What housing looks like in the Maresme

The Maresme splits into two bands. Down by the sea are Mataró, Premià de Mar and Arenys de Mar, with apartments from various decades and old houses in the historic centres. Up the slopes are Alella, Cabrils, Teià and Premià de Dalt, with detached houses, gardens, terraces and sea views, many on residential estates.

On the coast the typical request is a full apartment renovation or the rehabilitation of an old house. Higher up it is reworking a house from the 70s to 90s: a new layout, big windows facing the sea, a pool and modern services. We also build new homes on the client's own plot.

Houses on the slopes

For a hillside house, the main risks are water and access. Retaining walls, drainage and run-off from the terraces decide what happens to the plot after heavy rain. The narrow, steep streets of residential estates limit machinery and deliveries, which has to be built into the plan from the start.

We also check the pool, facade and roof, since houses of that age tend to have accumulated problems there. Anything outside the rooms themselves goes into separate lines of the quote, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

Old town houses

The historic centres of Mataró and Arenys de Mar have many narrow, deep town houses with a patio, load-bearing walls and timber floors. A full rehabilitation almost always means structural work: checking beams, reinforcing, a new roof and treating rising damp in the walls.

We start with a survey and, if needed, an engineer. Only then do we give a timeline and a price, so the quote does not have to be rewritten halfway through the job.

The sea, the railway and noise

A railway line runs along the entire Maresme coast, and right by the water you get salt and humidity. For flats near the tracks, windows with higher sound insulation make a real difference; for exterior metalwork, we use grade 316 stainless steel and well-coated profiles.

Indoor damp is treated at the source: ventilation and waterproofing of terraces and junctions. Fresh paint over the stain lasts one season.

Permits and prices

Which permit you need is decided by each town hall, based on the scope of work. On hillside estates, planning rules apply as well. We check everything before quoting and bring in an architect when the project requires one.

Guide prices, excluding VAT: Basic from €1,000/m², Standard from €2,000/m², Luxury from €3,000/m². For a seafront flat, the total depends mostly on the finishes and how much of the services need replacing; for an old house, on the structure; for a hillside house, on the plot, pool, facade and roof.

The exact figure comes from an itemised quote after the site visit and measurements. Every task and material has its own line, so any item can be reviewed or swapped before work starts.

How we work in the Maresme

We reply to enquiries within an hour and arrange a visit. The Maresme is on the far side of Barcelona from our office, so we plan visits ahead and cover everything in one trip: inspection, measurements, and questions about the plot and access.

Our own crew does the work, with trusted subcontractors on specialist trades. One project lead is responsible for the job and is your contact, in Russian or Spanish. Payment is staged under the contract.

If you are still choosing a house, we can see it before you buy and assess the scope of work. On the slopes and in the old town centres, that assessment often changes the decision or the price.