Renovating a finca — lessons learned the hard way

Design & Homes
1

We bought a small finca near Artà last year and have been doing a careful renovation. It’s been an incredible experience but also full of surprises.

A few things I wish someone had told us:

  • Permits take forever. Budget at least 6 months just for the paperwork before any work begins.
  • Find a local architect who understands the heritage rules. We nearly lost our roof tiles because we didn’t know about the conservation requirements.
  • Water and electricity — don’t assume the existing infrastructure is adequate. We needed a completely new fossa sèptica.

Has anyone else been through a finca renovation? Would love to swap stories and maybe save someone else a few headaches.

2

We went through almost exactly the same thing with our place near Campos. One thing I’d add — get a good gestor, not just an architect. The bureaucratic side of things (licencia de obra, cédula de habitabilidad) is a maze and having someone who knows the local ayuntamiento is worth every cent.

Also, if you’re doing any structural work, look into IBI reductions — some municipalities offer tax reductions for heritage renovations. Our gestor found us one we didn’t even know existed.