Full property renovation, planned as one job

What does a full renovation actually involve?

A full renovation treats the property as one project rather than a list of separate repairs. Everything that sits behind the walls and under the floors is assessed first, because that is what determines how much of the visible finish has to come off. In most resale properties on the Costa del Sol the answer is: quite a lot.

A typical scope looks like this:

• Strip-out of old tiles, sanitaryware, kitchen units, doors and any partitions that are moving.
• New services: water supply and waste pipes, the electrical installation and, where relevant, gas — with the regulated parts done by authorised partner installers.
• Layout work: new partitions in brick or plasterboard, widened openings, built-in storage.
• Surfaces: plastering, skimming, suspended ceilings, floor screeds where levels need correcting.
• Finishes: floor and wall tiling, painting, interior doors, bathroom and kitchen fitting.
• Close-out: a full clean and a walk-through with you before handover.

If you want to see the full list of what can sit inside the scope, our guide on what a full renovation includes breaks it down room by room.

When is a full renovation the right call?

Owners usually arrive at a full renovation for one of three reasons. The property has just been bought and has never been updated. The property has been inherited or let for years and is tired throughout. Or the layout simply does not work any more — a closed kitchen, a dark corridor, a second bathroom that is really a cupboard.

The deciding factor is rarely the look of the place. It is the condition of the hidden services. Original galvanised or lead pipework, a fuse board without modern protection, or damp patches near the bathroom are signs that walls will have to be opened anyway. Once that is the case, it makes little sense to leave the rest untouched and come back to it later.

If you are torn between doing everything and doing only the kitchen and bathroom, our article on how to decide between partial and full renovation sets out the questions to ask, and the partial renovation page explains what a smaller scope looks like.

How is a full renovation organised from day one?

The order of work is fixed by physics rather than preference: what is buried goes in first, what is visible goes in last. We plan the job in phases and give you that plan with the quote, so you know which trade is on site at each stage and why.

1. Assessment from your photos and floor area, then a visit to check the services and measure up.
2. Itemised quote with every task on its own line, plus a phased plan.
3. Choices: tiles, flooring, sanitaryware, kitchen, lighting points. We can source the materials.
4. Strip-out and removal of debris.
5. Services laid and checked before anything is closed up.
6. Masonry, plasterboard and plastering.
7. Floors, tiling and painting.
8. Fitting, final clean and handover.

The reasoning behind each step is set out in our guide to the renovation sequence.

What should you check about permits before a full renovation?

In Andalusia, the regional planning law (Ley 7/2021, usually called LISTA) splits building work into two broad routes. Smaller works that need no architect’s project can generally go ahead on a declaración responsable — a formal notification to the town hall in which the owner declares that the work complies with the rules. Larger works, especially those affecting structure, the façade or the use of the building, need a licencia, which is a permit granted before work starts.

A full interior renovation without structural changes often falls on the notification side, but each ayuntamiento sets its own forms, fees and supporting documents, and the boundary depends on the exact scope (to be verified with your town hall in every case). The permit itself is the owner’s step; we tell you what our scope involves so that the description you file matches the work. Our permits guide explains the two routes in plain English.

Can a full renovation change the layout of the property?

Yes, within limits. Non-load-bearing partitions can be removed, moved or rebuilt, which is how a closed kitchen becomes an open-plan living space or a narrow corridor disappears. Brick and plasterboard each have their place: brick for wet rooms and where sound or robustness matters, plasterboard for speed, straight lines and integrated storage.

Load-bearing walls, columns and beams are a different matter. Touching them needs a structural assessment and, as a rule, an architect’s project and a licence. We do not provide technical projects, so if your plans involve structure we will tell you so at the first visit and suggest you speak to an architect or aparejador before we price the job. Our masonry and layout page covers the partition work in more detail.

What does a full renovation quote include, and what does it leave out?

Our quotes are itemised: each task appears with a description, a unit of measure and a quantity. That makes it easy to see where the budget goes and where it could be adjusted. We do not publish prices, because two apartments of identical size can need very different work; the factors that move the figure are explained on presupuestoreforma.eu.

Included in our management: coordinating every trade, materials purchasing if you want it, debris removal and the final clean. Not included: technical projects, licence applications, energy certificates, asbestos removal, new-build work, swimming pools and air-conditioning installation. If any of these are needed alongside the renovation, we say so in writing so there is no grey area.

Official sources

• Ley 7/2021 (LISTA), consolidated text – BOE
• Municipal declaración responsable form for minor works citing LISTA (Vera town hall)