Before and After: Taking On a Renovation Project on Costa Blanca
Same building, same view, same square metres — the difference is the work and budget put in after buying.
Scroll through enough listings and the pattern becomes obvious: some apartments look tired in the photos and others look bright and move-in ready, even within the same building and the same view. The difference almost always comes down to the work and money put in after the purchase, not anything inherent to the property itself.
Why some buyers scroll past and others look twice
A dated kitchen or worn flooring in listing photos makes some buyers move on immediately, while others see the same photos as an opportunity. Which reaction makes sense depends on your available budget, your own time, and how comfortable you are managing contractors — sometimes from a distance.
Get real quotes, not a per-m² guess
There's no reliable price-per-square-metre figure worth quoting for a renovation, because costs depend entirely on the scope of work, the materials chosen, the condition of the building, and who you hire. The useful approach is to get several written quotes (presupuestos) for the same clearly defined scope, and compare what each one actually includes rather than just the bottom-line number.
Check permits before any work starts
Depending on the scope and the municipality, work may need a licence, a declaración responsable, or nothing formal at all — worth confirming with the ayuntamiento or an architect before starting. Inside an apartment, you can generally modify your own unit's interior as long as it doesn't affect the building's safety, structure or exterior appearance, but the community's representative should still be notified beforehand.
Keep a paper trail
Receipts, permits, and before-and-after photos build a documented history of the work, which tends to matter if you ever come to sell — buyers and their lawyers generally respond better to a documented renovation than an undocumented one, even when the finished result looks identical.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to renovate the inside of my own apartment?
It depends on the scope of the work and the municipality — some interior work needs only a declaración responsable or nothing formal, while structural or exterior-affecting work needs a licence. Check with the ayuntamiento or an architect before starting, and notify the community's representative for any work that could affect shared elements.
Is there a typical renovation cost per square metre for Costa Blanca?
Not a reliable one — costs depend heavily on the scope, materials, the building's condition and the contractor. Getting several written quotes for an identical, clearly defined scope of work is the only way to compare meaningfully.
This article is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules and rates can change — always confirm current figures with a qualified gestória or lawyer before relying on them.