Real cost of renovating an old house: 37,000 or 200,000

Renovating an old house in 2026: from 37,000 to 200,000 euros

The promise is tempting: renovating an old village house for 37,000 euros, with 320 m2 of plot and dwelling, in Extremadura. The video circulating presents it as an example that you can do it without going broke. The reality, according to experiences accumulated in the sector, is considerably more expensive.

The real figures handled make the budget range between 50,000 and 200,000 euros. Some have already invested 200,000 euros and still haven't finished. In 2018, a full renovation of a 160 m2 ground floor with plot cost around 70,000 euros for the interior alone. And the extreme case: someone claims to have restored more than 500 m2 of ruined houses for less than 37,000 euros, but that was over a decade ago, doing everything himself, with occasional laborers and materials from years ago. Construction prices have risen notably since then.

---

The real cost is much higher than what the video shows

The 37,000 euro example is only viable if the owner does the electrical and plumbing installations himself, and part of the plastering. Most people hire workers, and there the price skyrockets. Furthermore, that budget does not include architect fees, interior carpentry, wet area coverings, or the rest of the flooring. The general consensus is that the real figure is no less than 50,000 euros and can double.

There is another detail that is often overlooked: materials. It is advised not to use sandwich panels in rest areas, because the noise of rain is deafening. Standard-sized exterior carpentry costs half as much as custom-made, but since in a renovation you can always adapt the opening, it is advisable to standardize. And the advice to buy at a specific DIY chain for windows.

The question is inevitable: with these costs, is it still worth buying an old house to renovate? Many think not, and that it is preferable to sell and buy a new one. Someone, ironically, suggests that it is cheaper to build an adobe house from scratch. Perhaps the future lies not in rehabilitation but in traditional construction.