Building a Bespoke Villa in Spain from Overseas: A Real Story from Girona

One of the most common questions we hear at Eco Vida Homes is deceptively simple.
“How do you actually build a villa in Spain when you do not live here?”

This project gives a rare and honest answer, not from us, but from the people living it. Chris and Olga are based in the United States. Their home is in northern Spain, just outside Girona, and it is now close to completion. They flew over recently to check progress and kindly agreed to walk us around the house while sharing their experience of designing and building a bespoke, energy-efficient villa from overseas.

The house is about 80 percent finished, and they have very kindly offered to show our audience around the house and talk about their experience of designing and building a villa in Spain as we go. That offer alone makes this project worth paying attention to.

Why Build Instead of Adapt?

One thing becomes clear very quickly when you listen to Chris and Olga. They did not want to adapt their lives to a house. They wanted a house designed around how they live.

Chris puts it plainly when talking about other properties they viewed. Everything would have required compromise. Even after adapting, it still would not have been right. That is often the moment when building from scratch starts to make sense.

Designing your own villa allows you to solve problems before they exist. You are not fixing awkward layouts or working around decisions made decades earlier. You are starting with a blank sheet and asking better questions.

How do we actually live?
Which spaces matter most?
What do we use every day and what do we not?

Those questions shape better homes than square metres ever will.

A Modern Home with a Country Feel

The brief for this house was not to build something flashy. The aim was a modern home that feels natural and grounded in its surroundings. Olga describes wanting a house that nods to traditional country homes while still being contemporary.

That thinking shows up in the material choices. Wooden ceilings add warmth. Large windows bring nature in. The architecture is modern, but it does not shout about it.

What matters here is balance. Modern does not have to mean cold. Traditional does not have to mean inefficient. With the right design, you can have both.

Future Proofing Is Not a Luxury

One of the strongest themes in this project is long-term thinking. Energy efficiency was not treated as an optional extra. It was central from the beginning.

The house has been designed using passive principles, careful orientation and solar energy. The goal is simple. Comfort all year round, with lower energy demand and fewer unpleasant surprises when bills arrive.

As Olga explains, they wanted to build in a way that meant they could enjoy the house for years to come without worrying about escalating energy costs. That mindset reflects what we see more and more. Sustainability is no longer ideological. It is practical.

At Eco Vida Homes, this approach runs through everything we do. Whether we are building in Girona, the Costa Blanca or elsewhere in Spain, energy efficiency is designed in from day one because retrofitting later is always harder and more expensive.

Indoor and Outdoor Living That Actually Works

Plenty of homes talk about indoor outdoor living. Fewer get it right.

In this house, large sliding window systems open completely into the walls, creating a six metre opening between the kitchen, living area and terrace. When it is open, the boundary between inside and outside effectively disappears.

Orientation plays a big role here. South facing spaces are shaded in summer, while winter sun is allowed in to warm the house naturally. This is not accidental. It comes from designing the house specifically for its plot, rather than forcing a standard design onto the land.

That level of control is one of the real advantages of building bespoke.

Designing Around Lifestyle, Not Fashion

One of my favourite parts of the tour is the gym. Not because it is impressive, but because it is honest.

Chris and Olga are active. Exercise is part of their daily life. So instead of squeezing equipment into a garage, they designed a proper gym as one of the main rooms in the house. It has light, views and direct access to the outside.

Next to it sits a 20 metre swimmer’s pool. That decision alone explains why building made sense for them. It is not a feature you often find in off-plan developments or speculative builds.

As Chris says, “Everything we saw did not suit our lifestyle.” When you build, you stop compromising and start prioritising.

Small Decisions That Make a Big Difference

Another lesson from this project is the impact of small decisions. Ergonomics, window placement, plugs, shelves and circulation might sound dull, but they shape daily life.

Chris talks about how even the position of a socket or a shelf matters. These details are easy to overlook, but they are the difference between a house that looks good and one that feels right.

The house is not oversized. It is intentional. There are no wasted spaces that need filling for the sake of it. That makes the house cheaper to build, cheaper to run and easier to live in.

It is a good reminder that bigger is not always better. Smarter usually is.

Building from 6,000 Miles Away

Perhaps the most valuable insight from this video is what it takes to build successfully from overseas.

Chris and Olga were based in Los Angeles for most of the project. Their biggest concern was not design. It was trust. Who is on the ground. Who understands the rules, the language and the process. Who will tell you when something is not a good idea.

They speak openly about the importance of transparency, regular communication and having partners who listen. That trust allowed them to sleep at night while a house was being built on another continent.

As Olga says, finding partners who could translate vision into something affordable, without nasty surprises, was essential. That is exactly the role we aim to play at Eco Vida Homes.

Would They Do It Again?

Towards the end of the video, John asks the million-dollar question. Would they do it all again?

The answer is immediate. Yes. One hundred percent.

There were lessons along the way, as there always are, but no regrets. That confidence comes from clarity, good planning and the right team.

🎥 You can watch the full behind the scenes tour on YouTube, where Chris and Olga walk through the house in their own words and share advice that will resonate with anyone considering building a villa in Spain from overseas.

Planning your dream villa in Spain?

Whether you’ve already got a plot or you’re just starting to explore the possibilities, a call with John, our founder and British Chartered Surveyor, is the perfect place to begin. No pressure – just expert guidance from someone who’s been helping people build in Spain for over 30 years.

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