Para Reformar

Renovating a house in Ibiza is not for the faint of heart.

You've heard the stories. You know the reputation. But yet here we are.

Because back home, whilst looking out of your grey window wallpaper that's been idle for months, you put some "Sal de Ibiza" on your eggs, take a sip from your cup of "Café de Ibiza," and read the online "Diario de Ibiza." Idealista push notifications on. Something's itching.

You need a house in Ibiza.

A good location, decent papers, and an excellent architect / interior designer (we may know someone) will guarantee that every euro you'll pour — pun intended — into your renovation will come back to you, and then some. The inflation-corrected gain on a proper finca renovation in Ibiza is hard to beat anywhere else in the world.

High risk, high reward. Some patience needed.

And even if you decide not to sell — which is what most people end up doing — your home appreciates with every day that goes by. Because like every addiction, you start with coming over twice a year. Two turns into five. Then you find yourself extending the summer into October, the winter into February, and before you know it your closest friends, fools and family are moving here too, asking their experienced islander friend how to get their NIE sorted.

So keep this in mind every time you experience a cheeky little price hike at your favourite chiringuito ("wasn't the dorada €23 last year, honey?"), and you'll happily pay la cuenta knowing full well the same spike will apply to your tasteful renovation.

Scarcity matters. Ibiza has always been in fashion somewhere in the world since the first bohemians settled here in the fifties and sixties. Geopolitical shifts, ever-changing living trends, and lifestyle pilgrimages ensure that for every soul leaving the island (they never really leave, do they?) there is an influx of new and enthusiastic arrivals looking to get hold of one of the seventy thousand houses on the island — many of them ready for a full renovation, with some TLC of yours truly.

So consider yourself part of the lucky few if you get to renovate a house here. The gain comes with the pain. Next time you're at the local bar you can join the conversation (there are only two — budget and timing) with your trigger-happy renovating compadres, telling them wartime stories about how you proudly survived the renovation alongside your trusted architect.

It's your medal of honour. Wear it with pride.

"No Hay Prisa, Es Ibiza."

Photo & Credits: Can G finca renovation by Studio Go Ibiza. Available for sale with Mudita Consulting as Villa Amor. Original photography by Backlight Ibiza, edited by Studio Go.