Málaga · Andalucía
Not a client project. Our own home.
Before I guided others buying a home with potential, I did it myself first. Twice. An apartment and a villa, both in Málaga city, both from shell to fully move-in ready. This is that story, in numbers and images.
The approach I now use for clients, I first tested myself at my own risk.
Relevant for three types of buyers:
The coastal buyer
Who's looking for a villa with character on the Costa del Sol, and wonders whether the contractor carrying it out really understands what renovating on the coast takes.
The city buyer
Who's considering an apartment in the centre of Málaga, and wonders whether a badly dated home is even manageable.
The doubter
Who understands that a home with potential is cheaper, but wonders whether it really works out in practice.
The answer to all three: yes. Below you'll see how.
Two properties, the same approach: buy dated, add value.
Both homes were bought in badly dated condition, fully stripped and rebuilt with a fixed team of local craftsmen. With a different purpose: the apartment as an investment, intended for tourist rental. The villa for ourselves, to live in permanently.
Deliberately in percentages, not euros. The underlying amounts are personal assets and don't belong on a public page. The market indication is based on current market data, not an official valuation. The apartment has been owned for eight years, the villa for three, so the percentages aren't directly comparable.
The apartment, Málaga centre.
The Trinidad neighbourhood, a traditional Spanish area right against the historic centre. Everything within walking distance. A neighbourhood very much in development: the plans around the Guadalmedina will push value here further up in the coming years. Bought as an investment, intended for tourist rental.
Oppervlakten
- Living area80 m²
- Bedrooms3 → 2
- Bathrooms1 → 1 + separate toilet
- Balconyspacious, view of centre
- Floor4th, with lift
Uitrusting
- Lift
- Active owners' association
- East orientation
- Currently rented, short term
Traject
- TransferNov. 2018
- Start of renovationJan. 2019
- CompletionApr. 2019
Afstanden
- Historic centre10 min walk
- Beach20 min walk
- Airport15 min by car
The villa, Málaga city.
Ciudad Jardín, Cortijo Bazán, north of the historic centre. Detached, with a garden, in a quiet and green neighbourhood. Bought to live in ourselves.
Oppervlakten
- Built347 m²
- Bedrooms4
- Bathrooms2 full (1 en-suite)
- Extra toilets2 separate
- Plot360 m²
Uitrusting
- 4 storeys
- Playroom and gym
- Storage rooms
- Balcony for every bedroom
- Roof terraces
- Full air conditioning
- Solar panels
Traject
- TransferAug. 2023
- Start of renovationDec. 2023
- CompletionApr. 2024
Afstanden
- Centre and beach15 min cycling
A garden with pool and new boundary fencing is planned as a follow-up project, pending a permit. Not yet included in the figures above.
Málaga city. No mountain village, no countryside. Just the city where you live.
Coffee on the terrace in the morning, the neighbourhood already stirring. Fifteen minutes cycling and you're right in the buzzing centre, or on the beach, and back again to your own garden, with room around you and no one watching. This isn't a villa far away in the hills where you need a car to get anywhere. This is living among the Spanish, not next to them: the baker who knows your name, neighbours who wave, kids playing outside until dark. Málaga is always buzzing, which is good for work, school and everything kids come up with. That exact feeling of "this is where I want to live" is what we experienced ourselves, and what we now try to find for clients.
| From the home to | Travel time |
|---|---|
| Beach | 15 min |
| Centro Histórico | 10 min |
| Málaga Airport (AGP) | 15 min |
| Marbella | 45 min |
Driving times through the city. Not straight-line distances.
Coffee in the morning sun, under the veranda. The first birds. Málaga waking up, slowly, the way it always does here.
At the helm myself, with local craftsmen at work.
Christian de Cock
Trained in construction, with over twenty years of experience in the trade. Bought, stripped and renovated an apartment and a villa in Málaga myself. On the villa I oversaw the plan, budget and quality myself down to the last detail; on the apartment, execution was largely handled by a contractor. In both cases the same principle: buying and finishing for the same price or cheaper than a home that's already finished, but exactly to your own taste.
Not what it cost. What it delivered.
Two properties, two very different processes. What they share: both bought based on potential, not on perfection. That's the same calculation I now make for clients, before we make an offer together.
Deliberately in percentages, not euros. The underlying amounts are personal assets and don't belong on a public page. Market indications are based on current market data, not an official valuation.
Same approach, for your coastal or city home.
I don't buy, renovate and guide from an office. I did it myself, twice, in the same city where I now guide clients. No obligation, no commitment: I'll call or message you back personally, possibly followed by a video call.
Thank you. I'll call or message you personally within two working days, possibly followed by a video call or additional information.
Christian de Cock · Espacio360 · info@espacio360.eu