From a Run-Down House to a Dream Home: Dave’s Project in Mallorca

A new series about a real construction project in Mallorca begins

A house in Mallorca, a completely new project and one clear goal: to transform a property with potential into a truly personal dream home.

With this first chapter, our series about Dave’s project in Mallorca begins. Over the coming episodes, we will follow the development of this real construction project — from the first ideas and decisions through to the different stages of the transformation.

But before any construction work can begin, there is one crucial question:

How do you find the right property for a project like this?

That is exactly where Dave’s story begins.

In this first chapter, Dave takes us back to the very beginning. He spends almost two years searching for a property that meets his requirements, visiting numerous houses, ruling out promising options and encountering challenges he had not initially expected.

Location, budget, size, land, legal status and the condition of the property all become essential criteria.

After countless viewings and several setbacks, he finally comes across a property that appears to have everything he has been looking for.

But this is only the beginning.

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Dave arrives in Mallorca after travelling around 2,500 kilometres from Cologne. What initially starts as a trip to clear his head quickly turns into something much bigger: the beginning of one of the most ambitious projects he has taken on.

The idea sounds simple at first: find a property in Mallorca, renovate it extensively and turn it into something truly special.

After previous renovation projects in Germany, Dave is now looking for a new challenge.

Mallorca seems to offer almost everything he needs.

The island is easily accessible from Germany and combines nature, beaches, mountains, cycling and motorbike routes with the infrastructure needed for comfortable year-round living.

But one important question remains:

Where is the right house?

At the beginning, Dave does not even know exactly what his future property should look like.

To get a better idea of what is available, he turns to his community on social media. Within a very short time, he receives numerous suggestions.

Then come the property portals, phone calls, local contacts and the first viewings.

It quickly becomes clear that finding a property in Mallorca is not simply about finding a beautiful house.

Dave begins defining his requirements more precisely.

The location has to work.

The price needs to fit his budget.

The house and any additions need to have a clear legal status.

The house and plot need to be large enough.

And the condition of the property needs to make sense for the renovation project he has in mind.

On paper, this sounds relatively straightforward.

In reality, finding all of these criteria in one property proves to be extremely difficult.

The first property Dave seriously considers has many attractive features.

A plot of around 16,000 m², approximately 200 m² of living space, a swimming pool and water and electricity connections.

It also appears to offer plenty of potential for renovation.

Even the price initially seems interesting.

But there is one decisive problem:

The location.

Dave explains that while Mallorca may look relatively small on a map, distances can make a significant difference to everyday life.

For him, easy access to the airport, shops, medical services and other important facilities is essential. He also wants the sea to be within a reasonable driving distance.

A large plot and plenty of potential are therefore not enough.

If the location does not suit the way you want to live, the property loses one of its most important advantages.

The first house is ruled out.

And Dave begins to realise that the search may take much longer than he originally expected.

The next property is completely different.

This time, Dave finds a large plot of more than 15,000 m² and a house built in the 1990s that is in very good condition.

The property is well maintained, clean and offers spacious rooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms and a large terrace.

In many ways, it is a fantastic property.

The problem is the price.

The asking price is around €725,000, while Dave initially has a budget of around €400,000 in mind.

There is also another important consideration.

Dave is not looking for a finished home.

He is looking for a project.

If he pays a premium for a property that is already in excellent condition, he would effectively be paying for many features that he may want to change later anyway.

For his plans, it makes more sense to find a strong starting point and create something of his own.

During his search, Dave discovers a property that looks very close to his idea of a dream home.

An isolated location, incredible views, around 350 m² of living space, a swimming pool and a high level of equipment.

It is also within his budget.

Everything seems perfect.

Until the legal situation is investigated.

As Dave explains in the video, only around 35 m² of the property was officially approved, while a large part of the remaining construction could not be legalised.

The property is therefore ruled out.

This moment sums up one of the most important lessons from his entire search:

A spectacular house is not automatically the right property for a construction or renovation project.

This is particularly relevant for anyone considering buying a property in Mallorca with the intention of renovating it.

What you see during a viewing is only part of the story.

A house can have extraordinary architecture, an amazing location and enormous potential — and still have issues that only become apparent once the property is properly investigated.

For this reason, Dave has the properties he is seriously considering professionally checked.

In this case, those checks ultimately prevent what initially looks like a dream property from becoming a much bigger problem later on.

Later in the search, Dave comes across a traditional Mallorcan finca that catches his attention once again.

This time, it is the character of the property that makes the difference.

The traditional elements and original architecture offer an interesting foundation for a renovation.

It is exactly the kind of property that could become something very special with the right concept.

But once again, there is a decisive drawback.

The house has only around 110 m² of living space.

Dave is looking for at least around 150 m² because he does not simply want to use the property himself. He also wants enough space to welcome friends and guests.

Once again, an attractive property has to be removed from the list.

During his viewings, Dave discovers another important aspect of traditional Mallorcan houses.

Many of these buildings were designed for a completely different way of living from the one we are used to today.

Small windows, for example, originally had a very practical purpose: helping to keep interiors cool at a time when air conditioning did not exist.

Today, many homeowners want bright interiors, larger windows and a much stronger connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Renovating a traditional property therefore does not simply mean making it more modern.

The challenge is to preserve the character of the building while adapting it to the requirements of contemporary life.

After numerous viewings, Dave comes across another property that comes very close to what he is looking for.

Around 200 m² of living space, a more secluded location, its own well, mains electricity and plenty of land.

The house is around 200 years old and has exactly the traditional character that makes it so appealing.

Dave immediately sees the potential.

But he also sees how much work lies ahead.

A historic house is not a blank canvas. Existing structures, regulations and the history of the building all play an important role in a renovation like this.

Nevertheless, Dave decides to make an offer.

The owner rejects it.

After around a year and a half of searching, Dave eventually reaches a point where he considers ending the project altogether.

And this is where the story takes an unexpected turn.

Just one week later, a contact Dave had met at the very beginning of his search calls him.

At the time, he has no idea that Dave has just decided to give up the search.

He asks whether Dave is still looking for a property.

The answer is yes.

Then he tells him about a house.

And this time, several of the missing pieces suddenly seem to fall into place.

Around 200 m² of living space.

A plot of approximately 15,000 m².

A good location.

Mountain views.

And, most importantly, the necessary approvals are already in place — including approval for the swimming pool.

Dave flies back to Mallorca to see the property.

And this time, it feels different.

For the first time, a property seems to meet all the criteria he has been searching for.

The viewing confirms his expectations.

The living space is right.

The plot offers plenty of room.

The location works.

The views deliver exactly what he had hoped for.

And after checking the documentation, the property matches what he had been told.

Dave eventually reaches an agreement with the seller.

A few weeks later, the purchase is officially completed at the notary.

After almost two years of searching, an idea finally becomes reality.

There is now a real house to work with.

And that marks the beginning of the next stage.

Finding the right property was only the first step.

Now comes the part that gives the entire search its purpose: transforming the existing house into the home Dave has imagined.

This is where Kuhlmann & Partner comes into the story. The company and its owner, Oliver, are involved in the project on the construction side.

For us, this project is particularly interesting because it is not simply about building a new house on an empty plot.

There is already an existing building, with its own history, structures and individual characteristics.

The challenge now is to develop all of that potential into a coherent project and transform the existing property into a new home.

That is exactly what we want to follow throughout this series.

From the first decisions to the development of the construction site, we will show how an existing property can be transformed step by step.

Dave’s story shows that one of the most important parts of a renovation can happen long before construction actually begins.

First, you need to find the right property.

A property whose location, size, plot, legal status and potential make sense for the project you have in mind.

Only then does the real work begin.

The goal is not simply to modernise an old house.

It is about developing the property so that it works for the people who will eventually live in it and enjoy it.

And that is precisely what makes this project so interesting.

We are not just going to show the finished result.

We are going to follow the journey.

After almost two years of searching, Dave has finally found the property that could become his dream home.

But now the real challenge begins.

The search is over.

The construction is about to begin.

This is only the first chapter of our series about Dave’s project in Mallorca.

In the upcoming episodes, we will follow the development of the property, the key decisions and the different stages of its transformation.

From a run-down house to a dream home.

And this is only the beginning.