Renovating a stone house in Mallorca

In Sóller and across the Serra de Tramuntana we have spent decades working on stone houses: country estates, village houses and traditional porxos. They are fine homes, built to last, but they work differently from a modern house. This is what we've learned from renovating them.

1. Start with a survey, not the design

Before thinking about kitchens and bathrooms, you need to understand the real condition of the house: walls, floor structures, roof and damp. In a stone house the problems aren't always visible, and finding them halfway through the work is the main cause of cost overruns.

A technical visit at the start gives you an honest starting point: what is sound, what needs reinforcing and what is better replaced outright.

2. Damp: the number one problem

Stone walls “breathe”: they regulate moisture naturally. The most common mistake is to seal them with cement or plastic paints, which trap moisture inside the wall and end up causing flaking and salt damage.

The solution is breathable materials, such as lime mortars and silicate paints, and tackling the cause: drainage, the roof, and windows and doors. Treated properly, a stone house is cool in summer and healthy all year round.

3. What to keep (and what not to)

The value of these houses lies in what makes them unique: exposed stone walls, arches, timber beams, encaustic tile floors and stone staircases. Our approach: keep and restore everything that makes structural and financial sense, and replace without nostalgia whatever no longer does its job (installations, windows and doors in poor condition, bathrooms and kitchens).

• Keep: exposed stone, sound beams, arches and original floors that can be saved.
• Always renew: electrics, plumbing, drainage and insulation.
• Assess case by case: roof, floor structures and external windows and doors.

4. Modern comfort without losing character

Renovating doesn't mean turning the house into a museum. A stone house can easily take underfloor heating, an air-source heat pump, good roof insulation and energy-efficient windows. The key is to integrate the installations discreetly so the house itself remains the star.

5. Permits and regulations

Many stone houses are in historic town centres or on rural land, with their own regulations. Depending on the scope, you will need a minor or major works licence, and in protected areas there may be aesthetic requirements (colours, windows and doors, roofs). Working with a company that knows the town hall and this type of project saves you months.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Covering the stone with cement: damp is guaranteed in the medium term.
• Buying the finishes before you have the structural survey.
• Budgeting with no contingency (old houses always have surprises).
• Replacing sound timber beams “just in case” instead of treating them.
• Starting without a licence to “get ahead”: it can bring the whole project to a halt.

Restoring a stone house is one of the most rewarding projects there is: you start with something that has soul and end up with a unique, comfortable home. At Ancolem we handle the whole process as part of a complete renovation in Mallorca: survey, design, permits and building work, with a single point of contact.