Home & Villa Renovation in the Algarve
We transform your Algarve property with interior renovations, structural refurbishments and quality finishes, backed by 20+ years of experience and fully transparent pricing.
Interior Renovation
Full renovation of kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and interior finishes.
Villa Renovation
Extensions, facade upgrades and complete villa refurbishment across the Algarve.
Property Restoration
Structural restoration and rehabilitation of older properties, fully licensed.
Painting & Insulation
Exterior and interior painting, thermal and acoustic insulation for energy efficiency.
What does a home renovation in the Algarve include?
Renovation is for a house whose structure is sound but whose layout, finishes or services no longer suit the way you live in it or let it.
If the walls are cracked, the roof is failing or the house is built of old stone or taipa, you need rehabilitation rather than renovation; if the problem is heat, damp or a tired façade, our painting and insulation service may be all the house needs.
- Kitchens: layout, cabinetry, worktops, plumbing, extraction and appliances
- Bathrooms: full strip-out, waterproofing under the tiles, new sanitaryware and showers
- New layouts: opening up or moving non-structural walls, new doors and storage
- Floors, ceilings, joinery, interior doors and finishes
- Rewiring, replumbing and preparation for air conditioning
- Extensions, porches and covered terraces, with the licensing they need
How does a renovation project work, step by step?
Whether it is one bathroom or a whole villa, every job follows the same order. You deal with one team and one point of contact from the first visit to handover.
Free site visit to see the property and hear what you want to change
Survey of the walls, floors and services the work will touch
Free detailed written quote, showing what is included and what can only be confirmed once walls or floors are opened
Licensing check: we confirm whether the job needs a process with the câmara and handle it if it does
Schedule with the phases of the work, agreed before anything starts
Works on site, with regular photo reports if you are abroad
Final walkthrough with you, snagging and handover
What are the typical phases of a renovation?
Most renovations move through protection and strip-out, first-fix services (pipes, cables, drainage), screeds and plastering, waterproofing in wet areas, then tiling, joinery, painting and second-fix fittings. Cleaning and the handover walkthrough close the job.
As a guide, a full apartment renovation usually takes 2 to 4 months and a whole villa 4 to 8 months. The schedule you receive before work starts sets out each phase for your property.
Can you renovate a rental property before the season?
Many owners let their homes in summer, so the quieter months are the natural window for building work. Booking the site visit early leaves the most room to plan, order materials and fit the phases into the off-season.
How much does a renovation cost, and what affects the price?
A renovation is priced from the measured scope rather than a flat rate per square metre, because two houses of the same size can need very different work. The factors that matter most:
- How much is stripped out, and how much plumbing and wiring is replaced
- Kitchen and bathroom specification: cabinetry, stone, tiles and fittings
- Whether walls move, and whether any of them carry load
- Access, parking and which floor the apartment is on
- Whether an extension or façade change needs licensing
- Whether the house is lived in during the work
Do I need a licence to renovate a house in Portugal?
Interior work that does not touch the structure or the façade usually needs little or no prior control. Changes to structure, façade, floor area or use, and extensions, go through the câmara municipal under the RJUE (Decreto-Lei 555/99).
The 2024 Simplex Urbanístico reform (Decreto-Lei 10/2024) changed several of these procedures, so we confirm the right route for each job with the architect or the câmara before starting. Properties in historic centres or protected areas can carry extra conditions.
Which materials and quality standards do we work to?
Wet areas get a waterproofing membrane under the tiles, not just grout and silicone, and new pipework and circuits are installed from scratch rather than patched onto old ones. We choose tiles, stone and joinery that cope with sun, humidity and salt air.
Two recent examples of our work: a full interior renovation of a house in Lagos, with a handleless kitchen around a dark stone island and a glazed, climate-controlled wine store, and a full renovation of a house in Encosta Dourada, Guia (Albufeira).
Where in the Algarve do we renovate homes?
VRconstroi has been building in the Algarve since 2004 from its base in Armação de Pêra, and holds IMPIC alvará no. 98638-PAR. We renovate homes in Albufeira, Lagoa and Carvoeiro, Portimão, Lagos, Silves, Loulé, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago and Faro.
Where we do this work
A full villa renovation usually takes 4 to 8 months, depending on size and structural condition, while a full apartment renovation usually takes 2 to 4 months. You receive a schedule with the phases of the work before anything begins.
Interior work that does not alter the structure or façade usually needs little or no prior control. Structural or façade changes and extensions need a process with the câmara municipal. We confirm the correct route for each renovation and handle all the paperwork.
On a partial renovation, sometimes yes, working area by area. On a full renovation it is not advisable: there are water and power cuts, constant dust and noise, and the work takes longer when it has to work around occupants. We agree this at the site visit.
A renovation is priced from the survey at the site visit: what is stripped out, which services are replaced, the finishes you choose, access and whether licensing is needed. You receive a detailed written quote, item by item, before you decide anything.
Yes. Clients living abroad get regular photo reports, video calls and a single point of contact in Portuguese or English. Decisions on finishes and any change to the quote are confirmed in writing, so nothing depends on you being on site.
That depends on the scope and on when the work is booked. The earlier the site visit, the more room there is to plan and order materials. The schedule says honestly what fits before the season and, where needed, we phase the renovation.
Yes. We renovate kitchens and bathrooms on their own, with the same process as a larger job: a free site visit, a written quote, a schedule before work starts and proper waterproofing in the wet areas.
- What it costsFigures per square metre from real projects, and what they do and do not cover.
- Renovating an Old House in the AlgarveA guide to renovating old Algarve houses: what to inspect before buying, damp and structural issues, costs, and when demolition makes more sense.
- How Much Does It Cost to Build a House in the AlgarveWhat does it cost to build a villa in the Algarve? Price per m², what is and is not included, and the costs most people forget. A guide from VRconstroi.
- How to Choose a Builder in the Algarve: A ChecklistA checklist for hiring a builder in the Algarve: the alvará in the IMPIC register, insurance, itemised quotes, contract terms, references and red flags.
- IMPIC licence 98638-PAR (check)
- Tax no. (NIF) 515473111
- Since 2004
- Founder Veaceslav Rusu