GUIDES · MARTÍNEZ GALVÁN

Questions before your project.

Practical guides for the decisions that come before and during a villa project: plots, permissions, budgets, drawings, and working with the architect from abroad.

  1. 01Villa Paris from above, lap pool, pergola and garden paths

    Reading architectural drawings and preparing your questions

    A guide to reviewing architectural drawings: identifying each view, checking dimensions and organising your questions about layout and the use of each space.
  2. 02Villa Silver, lit entrance path and angular volumes at night

    Renders and photographs: understanding a design proposal

    What a render shows, what it does not, and which questions to ask so you can read an architectural proposal without mistaking an image for a final decision.
  3. 03Villa Guadalmina 27 at dusk, lawn, linear pool and covered terrace

    Following your villa project from abroad

    What to organise from the start so you can take part in the design and building of your villa on the Costa del Sol while living outside Spain: communication, decisions, visits and documentation.
  4. 04Villa Bruselas, Mediterranean villa with towers, palms and lawn

    Renovate your villa or build new? How to approach the decision

    The questions that help you choose between a complete renovation and a new build: what works in the current house, what the plot allows and what you expect from your home.
  5. 05Cortijo Nagüeles, contemporary villa with terraces and pool below the mountains

    What to study on a plot before designing your villa

    Orientation, access, topography, views, privacy and planning rules: the aspects of a plot worth understanding before the design of a new villa begins.
  6. 06Villa Flamingos 58, paved entrance path between palm trees

    Planning permissions: what to ask your architect

    A guide to understanding the role of permits in your villa project and preparing the right questions, without assuming timescales or requirements that depend on each case.
  7. 07Villa Pareja, wide covered living area facing the pool

    Budget and fees: why it pays to define the scope first

    Why a reliable figure is hard to give without knowing what will be done, and how to prepare the conversation about your villa's budget and fees with useful information.
  8. 08Contemporary two-storey villa with infinity pool and planting

    Site supervision and contractor coordination: what they mean, and what they do not

    The architect's role during the building of your villa, how it differs from the contractor's, and what to clarify so no one assumes something that has not been agreed.
  9. 09Villa Silver, glazed architecture and a pool at dusk

    How to choose an architect in Marbella for your villa

    What to look for when choosing an architect for a new villa or a renovation in Marbella: qualifications, similar work, who you will talk to, scope and languages.
  10. 10Villa Carril, white architecture, pergola and swimming pool

    Buying a villa to renovate on the Costa del Sol: what to check first

    Before buying a villa to renovate on the Costa del Sol: structure, installations, layout potential, what was authorised and what the plot allows. An architect's checklist.
  11. 11Low contemporary villa with palms, pool and flowering hedge

    Building licence in Marbella: how the process works

    How planning permission works for a new villa or a major renovation in Marbella: the Andalusian framework (LISTA), the municipal licence and the role of the architect.
  12. 12Zagaleta 210 from above, pool with stone edges and stepping-stone path

    Building on a sloping plot in Benahavís: what to study

    Access, levels, retaining walls, ground study, drainage and views: what to study before designing a villa on a sloping plot in Benahavís and the hills of the Costa del Sol.
  13. 13Villa Flamingos 58, paved entrance path between palm trees

    Working with a Spanish architect from the UK or Northern Europe

    How villa projects work in Spain if you live in the UK or Northern Europe: the architect's role, site management, contractors, languages, visits and decisions at a distance.