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Costa Blanca property search
Modern properties in Costa Blanca
Contemporary architecture arrived late on this coast and then arrived all at once. Flat roofs, full-height sliding glazing, open-plan living and infinity-edge pools positioned as part of the terrace. Browse modern villas and apartments across the northern Costa Blanca.
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Local insight
What defines a modern house here
It is not only a look. The contemporary houses built here in the last decade differ from the older stock in ways you feel rather than see: aerothermal heating, underfloor heating throughout, ducted air conditioning with heat recovery, solar-control glazing and A energy ratings. Ceiling heights are generous, commonly around 2.8 metres, and double-height entrance halls are frequent. Layouts run open-plan with the kitchen integrated into the living space, and the glazing is sized so the terrace reads as part of the room. Pools are designed into the terrace edge rather than dropped into a lawn. The result is a house that works in January as well as July.
Quick FAQ
- Where do I find modern houses on this coast?
- Mainly Finestrat and Sierra Cortina, inland of Benidorm, with contemporary builds and remodels appearing in Altea Hills and on the hillsides above Altea and Calpe.
- Is modern more expensive?
- Per square metre it often costs less, because the modern supply sits in newer, cheaper areas. Running costs are also substantially lower.
- How much do running costs differ?
- Considerably. An A-rated house with aerothermal and underfloor heating costs a fraction of an uninsulated older villa, and the gap is widest in winter.
- Does all that glazing overheat in summer?
- Not if it has solar-control glass and proper shading, which good builds here do. Ask specifically, because it is the main failure point of the style.
- Can I get modern architecture near an old town?
- It is scarce. Contemporary construction is concentrated on the newer hillsides, so combining it with walkable old-town life usually means a remodel rather than a new build.
- Do modern homes come with a warranty?
- New build carries a ten-year structural warranty in Spain, which resale property does not. It is a real part of the value.
What you pay for and what you save
Modern property carries a premium over comparable older stock in the same location — but the same-location caveat does most of the work, because the modern supply is concentrated in Finestrat and Sierra Cortina where land is cheaper. The net effect is that a contemporary villa there often costs less per square metre than a forty-year-old house in Altea. Against the price, set the running costs: an A-rated house with aerothermal heating costs a fraction of an uninsulated villa to keep comfortable, and that gap compounds over years. New properties also carry a ten-year structural warranty. Specification differences — lift, home automation, pool size — show up clearly in the price.
Who wants modern
Buyers who have costed a renovation and changed their minds are the largest group by some margin. There is a well-worn path here: months of viewing characterful older villas, a builder's estimate, and a pivot to new construction. Second-home owners choose modern for maintenance reasons — contemporary materials and systems need very little attention between visits. Families relocating permanently increasingly choose it for thermal comfort, having learned that a Spanish winter inside an uninsulated house is colder than the climate implies. Buyers who want mature gardens, thick walls and forty years of settled character are honestly better served by the older stock.
Where the modern stock is
Finestrat and Sierra Cortina hold the concentration, on the hillsides inland of Benidorm, where most construction of the past fifteen years has happened. These are also the best-connected areas on this coast — AP-7 immediate, Alicante airport 40 to 45 minutes. Altea Hills has a growing number of contemporary builds and renovations mixed among its Mediterranean houses. Individual modern villas appear on the hillsides above Altea and Calpe, usually as replacements or heavy remodels of older properties. If you want contemporary architecture and a historic town on your doorstep, that combination is genuinely scarce here.
What to check on a modern property
If it is new build or off-plan, confirm that staged payments are protected by a bank guarantee, check the completion date and its remedies, and pin down exactly what the specification includes — kitchens, pools, landscaping and air conditioning are sometimes extras. On a completed modern house, ask for the energy certificate and the documentation for the aerothermal and heat-recovery systems, along with their service history; these are efficient but need maintaining. Large expanses of glazing should have solar control, otherwise summer overheating is real. And confirm the first occupation licence is in place before completion.