Can a villa be renovated in parts?
Yes, if you split by zones and finish levels rather than by building services. Everything hidden in walls, floors and under the roof is done once and in full, otherwise you will open a finished surface a second time. Only what is visible and does not determine how the systems work should be phased.
The line runs here. Do not split: electrics, water supply, drainage, heating and cooling, waterproofing, roof, windows and façade insulation. You can split: kitchens and bathrooms by wing, bedrooms, terraces, garden, pool, guest area and bespoke joinery. For a villa of 250 to 400 m² whose family comes by season, that usually means two or three rounds.
If you plan on the principle «first I renovate what I need now», add a second column: what has to be prepared in advance. Empty conduits for future sockets, a water supply to the guest house and sleeves planned through walls cost little while the walls are open and a lot once they are closed.
What to do first in an older house?
First comes what protects the house from water and carries load: roof, waterproofing, damp walls, the electrical board and risers. The rest can wait; these cannot.
In a 1970s or 1980s villa on the coast the order is usually this. Diagnosis first: moisture in walls and plinth, condition of roof and terraces, water pipes (galvanised and old copper), drainage, board and cable sections. Then everything that causes a leak or a short circuit, because a flood ruins parquet and furniture in an evening. Then insulation and windows, on which the cost of the climate system depends. Only after that, finishes.
By the sea there is also salt: it eats unprotected metal, and wind drives moisture into walls. Roof and façade works are easier to schedule for the dry months so the house is not left under sheeting in the rainy season. Typical findings in a house of that era are covered in our guide to villas from the 1970s and 1980s.
What does a three-phase plan look like?
A working plan is: shell and all services first, then the living core, then everything else. Each phase ends in a state where the house can be closed up and left.
Phase one: roof, waterproofing, windows, insulation, electrics, water, drainage, climate system, ventilation, runs for future rooms, and preparation of walls and floors. Finishes are minimal, but the house is dry, safe and ready to receive any later phase. Phase two: the living core, meaning kitchen, living room, main bedroom with its bathrooms, floors and lighting. This is where most of the finishing budget goes. Phase three: guest rooms, terrace, garden, pool, outdoor areas and furniture.
The order inside a phase depends on the house. In a villa with a pool and garden it makes no sense to start with landscaping while heavy vehicles drive in and scaffolding stands in the yard. A quote and a schedule are written for each phase in advance, so that between phases you have a clear decision point: carry on or stop.
Does phasing raise the final cost?
Yes, almost always, and the finer the split the greater the effect. You are not paying for materials but for repetition: the crew returning, protection of finished areas, and repeated demolition and cleaning.
The cost lines look like this. Site set-up and temporary water and power connections are done afresh each time. Finished floors and walls are protected with film and board and still get repaired. Adjacent work forces openings: to bring a cable to a new room through an already finished corridor you cut a chase and repaint the wall. Material and labour prices change over a couple of years and suppliers discontinue series, so tile for phase three may not match phase one in shade.
In practice the surcharge is set by the number of phases and by how much of the services was done in advance. If the entire hidden part is done in phase one, the extra cost is mostly logistics and protection. If services are split, the total rises noticeably. To compare, ask for a quote for the whole house at once and a quote by phases, and put them side by side.
Can you live in the house during the works?
You can, in a separate wing and only while water, power and a bathroom remain in service. If the kitchen and all bathrooms are stripped out and dust travels through the whole house, living there is hard, especially with children.
Conditions that make it work: an isolated wing with its own entrance or at least a closed door, a temporary kitchen, one working bathroom, dust partitions and a separate entrance for the crew. Noise and working hours in Spain are governed by local and community rules; confirm them with the ayuntamiento. For a family living in the house year-round, in practice the common choice is to rent nearby for the noisiest part, which is phase one.
For a seasonal home the calculation is simpler: work proceeds while the house is empty and you arrive to a finished result or a liveable interim point. What matters then is one responsible person running the project, sending photos and reports in a language you understand, and the house being closed and maintained between phases. We have a separate article on looking after a house while you are away.
How do you choose for your own house?
The choice comes down to five questions: do you live in the house year-round, when do you visit, what condition are the services in, is the budget available at once, and do you need the guest area by a specific date.
If the services are worn out and the house is seasonal, the sensible route is to do everything at once while you are away: you pay once for setting up the site and get a house without compromises. If the house is in good condition and only the interior is being refreshed, phasing by zone lets you spread the spend without noticeable loss. If the budget is limited, start with the shell and services rather than a handsome living room: a postponed living room costs nothing, a postponed roof costs the house.
Ask the contractor not for «the price of the renovation» but for three figures: the whole house at once, phases in your order, and the cost of splitting. That way you decide, not the calendar.
How does BCN YARD handle this?
BCN YARD handles turnkey renovation and construction of villas and houses: our own crew, vetted subcontractors and one person responsible for the project. We run the project in Russian and Spanish and payment under the contract is by stages, which fits a phased plan well.
Guide prices excluding VAT: Premium from 1 000 €/m², Luxury from 2 000 €/m², Signature from 3 000 €/m²; the exact price appears in the quote after a visit and measurements. If you are weighing one go against several, request the quote in both versions and compare. You can write to us from the page on turnkey home renovation; we reply within an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Can I renovate a villa in parts?
Yes, by zone: a wing, a floor, a guest house, a terrace. Services, waterproofing and roof are best done in full in phase one, otherwise finished surfaces have to be opened again. Each phase should end with the house dry, safe and fit to leave.
What should be done first in an old house?
A diagnosis first, then roof, waterproofing, damp walls, the electrical board with its cabling, water supply and drainage. These are what cause leaks and short circuits. Insulation and windows follow, because the climate system depends on them, and only then do finishes begin.
Does phased renovation increase the total cost?
Usually yes: site set-up again, protection of finished areas, repeated chases and cleaning, price changes and discontinued material series. The more phases, and the more services split between rounds, the more noticeable the surcharge. Compare two quotes: the whole house at once and by phases.
Can I live in the house during the renovation?
Yes, in an isolated wing that keeps water, power and a bathroom, with a separate entrance for the crew. With the kitchen and bathrooms stripped out, especially with children, it is hard. For the noisiest part people usually rent somewhere nearby.