What Foreign Homeowners Should Know Before Renovating in Spain
Renovating in Spain is very manageable, but the order in which you do things matters more than it does in many other countries. Check the property’s legal and technical status first, confirm which permits the work needs and who must approve it, budget for more than the builder’s price, put everything in a written contract, and set up a way to follow the work if you live abroad. Most of the expensive surprises we see come from skipping one of those steps, not from the building work itself.
This guide is written for foreign owners of apartments, villas and holiday homes, with examples from Torrevieja and the Vega Baja, where town hall procedures differ from those elsewhere in Spain.
Key Takeaways
Before you plan anything, check the land-registry extract (Nota Simple), the planning status, community rules and the age and structure of the building.
Permits depend on the scope of the work and on your town hall. In an apartment block, the community of owners may also have to approve it.
Budget for permits, taxes, technical fees and a contingency on top of the contractor’s price. The general IVA rate is 21%.
Sign a detailed contract with itemised prices, a payment schedule and dates, and insist on an invoice.
If you live abroad, agree in writing how you will receive photos, site minutes and approvals for any change.
Table of Contents
Check the property before you plan the work
A renovation can only be as sound as the property it starts from. Whether you are renovating a home you have owned for years or one you have just bought, begin with the paperwork.
The UK government’s guidance for buyers in Spain advises checking the land-registry extract for registered ownership, debts or charges and planning proceedings, asking the town hall whether permissions are in order and checking town-plan restrictions. A Spanish law firm’s guide to building and reforming adds the Cadastre record, any existing illegal works, community restrictions and habitability issues, and a simple feasibility question: can the work you have in mind legally be done in this property at all?
That last point catches many foreign owners. An extension, a closed-in terrace or a new bedroom may exist physically but not on the registry, or may never have had permission. Renovating on top of an irregular situation does not fix it, and it can complicate a later sale.
Look at the structure and the age of the building
The technical check matters as much as the legal one. Advice aimed at foreign buyers points to aluminosis, a deterioration of cement joists, in buildings from the 1950s to the 1970s, as something to rule out before cosmetic work begins. If your building falls in that period, have a technician inspect it before you commit to a design.
On the coast, add damp and salt to the list. Moisture paths, ventilation and the condition of terraces and roofs decide whether new finishes last. We cover what to specify in our guide to coastal home renovation and moisture details, and if you are still at the buying stage, our four checks before buying a property to renovate will save you from the commonest mistakes.
Pro Tip: Ask for the technical inspection before you design the layout. Moving a bathroom or a kitchen is cheap on paper and expensive once you find the drains, the beams or the damp are not where you assumed.
Permits: what needs one and who decides
There is no single national rule that says “this work needs a licence, that work does not”. The type and scope of the project determine the permit, and the town hall (ayuntamiento) administers it. Homeowners may need either a minor or a major works licence, so the practical starting point is a conversation with the local council and your renovation company.
Official guidance shows how local this is. In Getafe, for instance, work that does not affect the structure, the facade, public space or the interior distribution of a home, such as replacing floors, tiles, kitchen furniture, sanitary appliances or doors, does not require a licence or responsible declaration. Do not assume your own town applies the same line. Ask.
How it works in Torrevieja
Torrevieja’s electronic office lists a Declaración Responsable de Obra, a major works licence, a Second Occupancy declaration and a licence to occupy public space for materials, containers, scaffolding or fences. For the Declaración Responsable, the town hall asks you to submit the application electronically or in person by appointment, with a copy of your DNI or passport, a description of the work and its location, a project or report signed by a competent technician where required, and proof of payment of the fee.
The cost is published too: an ICIO tax of 4% of the material execution budget plus a municipal licence fee of €95.60. Fees are revised from time to time, so confirm the current figures with the town hall before you budget.
Where a full licence is needed, Spain’s housing ministry guide describes it as an express administrative act following municipal review of the project, and it notes that silence from the administration cannot grant rights contrary to planning rules. In plain terms: do not start because nobody has replied.
For a step-by-step view of how these stages fit together locally, see our guide to home renovation in Torrevieja: stages, permits and coastal costs.
Apartments: the community of owners has a say
If you own a flat, the town hall is not the only party involved. Under the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, owners must notify the community representative before permitted alterations, and work affecting the structure, the exterior or common elements may require administrative authorisation, approval by the owners and the consent of affected neighbours.
This surprises people because the work may start entirely inside your own front door. A new window, an air-conditioning unit on the facade, a terrace enclosure or a wall that is load-bearing all touch common elements. Our article on renovating a Spanish property from abroad and when walls need approval goes through the typical cases.
Pro Tip: Send the community administrator a short written description of the work, with dates and the contractor’s details, before the first day on site. It costs nothing and removes the commonest source of neighbour disputes and stop-work complaints.
Build a budget that covers more than the builder’s price
Foreign owners often compare one number, the contractor’s quote, against their savings. The real budget has more lines.
Beyond the construction price, allow separately for:
Architect or technical-architect fees where a project or report is required.
ICIO and local licence or administrative fees, as above.
Public-space occupation for scaffolding or skips.
Supervision and project management.
A contingency for what is found once walls and floors are open.
That structure follows what Spanish renovation cost guides recommend: treat the builder’s price as one line, not the whole total. We would add a contingency in every case. Old pipework, hidden damp and uneven substrates are routine in older Costa Blanca properties, and it is better to have the money set aside than to stop a half-finished job.
IVA and currency
Spain’s general IVA rate is 21%, with reduced rates of 10%, 4% and 0% in force. Whether a reduced rate applies to your renovation depends on the details of the property and the work, so ask your contractor and a Spanish tax adviser to confirm it in writing rather than assuming. If you plan to ship materials in from abroad, remember that exchange rates and import taxes also enter the budget, and that Spanish suppliers can usually offer comparable materials with local delivery and warranty.
For realistic ranges, we publish what a Costa Blanca renovation costs, and our villa renovation planning guide explains why we diagnose first and compare three quotes before fixing a figure.
Quotes and contracts: what the paper must say
A good quote is detailed enough that two contractors can be compared line by line. Journalism aimed at foreign residents recommends obtaining several itemised quotes, partly because language barriers can leave foreign owners more exposed to overcharging.
The contract that follows should include:
The identification of the owner and of the company.
A detailed description of all the work.
Itemised pricing, with VAT shown.
A clear payment schedule.
Specific start and end dates.
The same source says serious professionals will want a contract, and that if one refuses, you should consider finding another. Idealista’s advice for buyers points the same way: look at the company’s guarantees, professionalism and client reviews, and sign a detailed contract specifying scope, materials, quality standards and deadlines.
Payments and changes
Tie payments to stages of completed work, not to calendar dates alone, and do not make large payments before you have seen the contractor’s licence and insurance documents. A Spanish law firm recommends structuring the project so that licence and insurance checks come before large payments. Every change to the scope should be written down with its price and effect on the schedule before the work is done, never agreed verbally on site.
Check the contractor and know your protection
The Valencian association of technical architects (CAAT) advises homeowners to hire qualified professionals, to avoid unlegalised companies or personnel and to ask for documents identifying them, and to always require an invoice, which it describes as your only guarantee for later claims over poor work.
There is also a legal framework behind building work. Spain’s Law 38/1999 on building regulation provides that, for residential buildings, the constructor must take out a one-year insurance policy for material damage from deficient execution, or the developer must retain 5% of the construction cost. It also sets liability periods running from the reception of the work: ten years for structural defects and three years for defects affecting habitability. How the law applies to a particular renovation depends on its scale, so ask your contractor and, for larger projects, a Spanish lawyer how it applies to yours.
For day-to-day vetting, ask for:
A written quote and contract in a language you fully understand.
Proof of registration and civil liability insurance.
Addresses of recent completed projects you can see or photographs of them.
Named contact people for each trade.
Our guide to choosing a renovation company in Torrevieja sets out how to shortlist three to five firms and what to check on each.
Managing the work from abroad
Many of our clients live in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands or Scandinavia and visit only a few weeks a year. That is workable if you build a paper trail instead of relying on goodwill.
A Spanish law firm advises keeping written site minutes, formal notices, photographic evidence and approval records for variations or delays during the works. In practice:
Agree a weekly update, with dated photos or short videos of each area, in a channel you both use.
Have one named person on site who answers to you and can speak your language.
Approve every variation in writing, with price and days added.
Visit, or send a trusted representative, at the milestones that cannot be undone: after first-fix plumbing and electrics, and before tiling.
Completion and afterwards
At completion, check the certificates and final documents, make a list of defects for correction, and confirm any occupancy requirements. Then consider whether new works must be declared before a notary and registered, so as to avoid problems later with buyers, banks or heirs. This is a step many owners forget until they try to sell.
If the property will be let or left empty for months, our advice on preparing a Costa Blanca holiday home covers what to finish, secure and service before you leave.
Our perspective: sequence beats speed
We work in Torrevieja and the Vega Baja, and the pattern is consistent. Renovations that go well are the ones where the diagnosis, the permit route and the written scope were settled before any demolition. Renovations that go badly usually began with an enthusiastic design and a quote on one page.
We believe a foreign owner is entitled to three things from any contractor: a detailed phased quote, a fixed price and schedule in writing, and regular visual proof of progress. It is how we run projects, with qualified professionals managing every trade, insurance and regulatory compliance included. We also think the weakest link fails first: a beautiful kitchen on top of an unresolved damp problem, or a terrace without proper waterproofing, will let you down long before the rest of the house does. So we address the building envelope, plumbing and electrics before finishes.
— URU Reformas
Working with URU Reformas
If you want one company to manage the whole project, from the first survey to handover, we offer full and partial renovations, bathroom and kitchen remodelling, façade and roof work, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, painting, interior design, extensions and swimming pool construction in Torrevieja and the Vega Baja. Quotes are free, detailed and phased, and we are used to working with owners who are not on site.
See our full renovation service, browse our work, or contact us to arrange a free consultation.
FAQ
Do I need planning permission to renovate in Spain?
It depends on the scope of the work and on your town hall. Cosmetic work inside a home may need nothing in some municipalities, while changes to the structure, the facade or the layout need a declaración responsable or a licence. Ask the ayuntamiento before you sign a contract, and confirm with your contractor who will file the application.
Can I renovate my apartment without telling the community of owners?
Not safely. Under the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, owners must notify the community representative before permitted alterations, and anything affecting the structure, the exterior or common elements can require owners’ approval. Tell the administrator in writing first.
What taxes and fees should I add to the contractor’s quote?
Allow for IVA, which is 21% at the general rate, plus ICIO and municipal licence fees. In Torrevieja, the Declaración Responsable fee includes ICIO at 4% of the material execution budget and a licence fee of €95.60. Add technical fees, skip or scaffold permits and a contingency.
What guarantees do I have if the work turns out to be defective?
Spain’s Law 38/1999 sets liability periods of ten years for structural defects and three years for defects affecting habitability, counted from the reception of the work. Always obtain an invoice and a signed contract, because they are the documents any later claim will rest on.
Can I manage a renovation in Spain while living abroad?
Yes, if the contractor works to a written scope, sends dated photos regularly and agrees every change in writing. Many overseas owners also nominate a local representative to visit the site at key stages.
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