How much does it cost to renovate an old house? Price guide 2025

The charm of an old house is undeniable and at Studio by Clikalia we know it well. Those spaces steeped in history, with their high ceilings, detailed moldings, hydraulic floors or exposed wooden beams, hold immense potential to become the home of your dreams. However, embarking on a renovation project implies facing a considerable challenge: modernizing it without sacrificing its essence and, of course, knowing how much it costs to renovate an old house.

This comprehensive guide will help you understand the factors that influence the price of a renovation, the types of interventions and will provide you with estimates and tips for managing your budget.

Key factors influencing the price of renovating an old house

The final cost of renovating an old house is not a single figure, but depends on multiple variables. Understanding these factors is essential to plan your investment and estimate how much it will cost to renovate an old house in your particular case.

Scope of the reform: Comprehensive vs. partial

The most determining factor is the magnitude of the intervention.

• A comprehensive reform involves a complete renovation of the house, addressing all aspects of it and often including changes to the layout and structure. This can mean a transformation from scratch, knocking down partitions, renovating all the installations and changing the cladding.
• A partial renovation, on the other hand, focuses on renovating one or more specific rooms, such as the bathroom or kitchen, or on improving specific elements such as windows or paint.

In Studio by Clikalia we only carry out integral reforms and, in general, old houses that we want to reform, imply an integral reform.

Size of the dwelling

Logically, an older home with a larger surface area will require more materials, more labor and a longer execution time, which translates directly into an increase in the total cost of the renovation.

Quality of materials

In Studio by Clikalia we study each project in detail to be able to offer a budget that fits, in all aspects, to the client. But in general, these are the price ranges* depending on the quality of the materials:

• Basic qualities: Between 800 and 900 €/m².
• Average qualities: Between 900 and 1000 €/m².
• High qualities: From 1,100 €/m².

Complexity of the project

The difficulty of the work is a crucial factor. Renovations that involve changing the layout of the home, especially in older homes that are often highly compartmentalized, are more laborious and require greater specialization and dedication, which raises the cost. The relocation of installations such as plumbing, electricity or heating, which are often obsolete in older homes, also adds complexity and cost. In addition, the recovery and restoration of original elements such as moldings, floors or beams can be a delicate job that, while adding unique value, requires experienced professionals.

Geographical location

The cost of labor and some materials can vary considerably depending on the region or city where the property is located. In large cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, prices tend to be higher due to the higher demand and the specialized profiles available.

Types of renovations in old houses and their implications

The renovation of an old house may involve different levels of intervention, each with its own characteristics and a different impact on the budget.

Complete refurbishment

A complete renovation is an ambitious project that seeks to completely transform the home. In the context of an older home, it is often necessary to bring it up to today's standards of comfort, efficiency and safety. The most common jobs include:

• Demolitions: Removing partition walls to create more open and luminous spaces, removing old coatings or making rubbings for new installations.
• Masonry: Construction of new partition walls, false ceilings, screeds and plastering to adapt the distribution to modern needs.
• Coverings: Installation of new tiles, flooring and paving throughout the home, including kitchen and bathrooms. This is an opportunity to combine the charm of original elements, such as preserved hydraulic tiles, with more contemporary materials.
• Plumbing and heating: Complete renovation of these facilities is essential in older homes to ensure water sanitation and energy efficiency. This includes pipes, drains, radiators and boilers.
• Electricity: The electrical installation is often the first thing to be renovated in an old house. It is crucial to update it to current regulations for safety and to adapt to the current consumption of appliances and devices. This involves changing wiring, light points, mechanisms and the electrical panel.
• Exterior carpentry: The replacement of windows and exterior doors is key to improve thermal and acoustic insulation, making the house more efficient and comfortable, something that is often a deficiency in older buildings. In addition, it allows to gain a lot of natural light.
• Interior carpentry: Placement of doors, built-in closets and custom-made furniture to optimize space.
• Painting: Renovation of walls and ceilings throughout the house, using soft, neutral colors to create a luminous base that enhances the original elements.
• Kitchen and bathroom furniture: Installation of modern furniture, countertops, sanitary ware and faucets, often with water-saving systems.

Partial reform

If you are not looking for a complete transformation, a partial renovation may be the ideal solution to update specific areas or solve specific problems:

• Bathroom renovation: Change the bathtub for a shower tray, update sanitary ware, faucets and coverings.
• Kitchen renovation: Modify furniture, countertop and appliances.
• Change windows: Replace old windows with more modern and efficient ones to improve insulation and light entry.
• Change the floor: Install a new floor in one or more rooms, perhaps combining it with original elements that you decide to keep.
• Painting: Giving a new look to the walls of one or more rooms.

How much does it cost to renovate an old house: price estimates for 2025?

It is important to remember that the following prices are estimates based on market averages for an integral reform, in any case the prices in this post are not binding to any budget, either Studio by Clikalia or any other study of reforms.

The actual cost of your integral reform project can vary significantly depending on the factors mentioned above, such as the quality of materials and complexity. Here is an approximate range of how much it costs to renovate an old house depending on its size, but as said, being an old house, prices can vary greatly depending on each case (restoration, distribution, etc.):

If you are looking for a studio that takes care of the integral reform you want for your home, you will not find a better choice than Studio by Clikalia. A studio formed by more than 50 architects and interior designers that, only in 2024, has made more than 560 reforms.

We offer a personalized service and a team of professionals dedicated to your reform that will take care of the project first, then the work and all the paperwork around it as the part of licenses. We take care of all the reform, management, licenses and paperwork. You only have to tell us how is the house you want to reform through this form, and within 24-48 hours we will call you to meet us and to prepare together a first proposal of distribution and budget adapted to your needs. Free of charge and without any kind of commitment.

If you are interested in knowing more in detail how much it costs, for example, the integral reform of a house of 70 square meters or 120 square meters, remember that in our blog you will find this type of articles and many more.

*A small note: The prices shown in this post are approximate and may not coincide with those budgeted in a Studio by Clikalia reform. Keep in mind that, when budgeting, there are many variants that can influence the final price: geographic location, qualities and materials chosen, volume of the reform, availability and price of materials at the time of the reform, etc.