Process
Common Mistakes When Renovating Property in Spain
Most renovation problems in Spain are decided before work starts. These are the mistakes that come up most often, and how to avoid each one.
· 7 min read · CostaVeyra Renovations
The most common renovation mistakes in Spain are made before any work begins: choosing a builder on price, accepting a vague quote, paying too much upfront and skipping the paperwork. The good news is that almost all of them are avoidable with a little preparation. Below are twelve that come up again and again on the Costa Blanca, with practical ways to avoid each.
This is general guidance. Permits, taxes and contracts vary by municipality and situation, so confirm the specifics with the ayuntamiento, an architect or a lawyer.
1. Choosing on price alone
The lowest quote is rarely the lowest final cost. A low figure often means items have been left out, specifications are lower than you assumed, or the contractor plans to recover the difference through variations. Compare what is included, line by line, before you compare totals. A slightly higher quote from a firm with a clear scope, a stable team and visitable references is usually the safer choice.
2. Accepting a vague quote
A quote that says “bathroom renovation: €18,000” tells you very little. A proper presupuesto is broken down by chapters (demolition, masonry, plumbing, electrics, tiling, carpentry and so on) with quantities, unit prices and the brand or specification of key materials. Without that level of detail you cannot compare quotes fairly, and you have nothing to point to if something is missing later.
3. Working without a written contract
Handshake agreements are still common, and they cause most disputes. A written contract should cover the detailed budget, a timeline, a payment schedule tied to milestones, material specifications, how variations are priced and approved, and a retention (often 5%) held until defects are resolved. It does not need to be long, but it does need to be specific.
4. Paying large advances
A modest deposit to secure a start date or order long-lead items is normal. Paying a large share of the total before work begins is not, and it removes most of your leverage. Link payments to visible, verifiable stages, such as demolition complete, first fix installations done, tiling finished, and pay against progress rather than the calendar.
5. Skipping permits
It can be tempting to treat a renovation as “just interior work” and start without any filing. But even minor works usually need a declaración responsable or comunicación previa, and anything that touches structure, volume, façade or use normally requires a licencia de obra mayor. Unlicensed works can lead to fines, stoppages and problems when you come to sell. Remember too that the town hall charges the ICIO construction tax (up to 4% of the execution budget, set locally), a licence fee and often a waste-management deposit. Our article on whether you need an architect in Spain explains which route usually applies.
6. Ignoring community rules
If your property is an apartment or part of an urbanisation, there is likely a comunidad de propietarios. Works that affect common elements or the façade, including terrace enclosures, new air-conditioning units, awnings or changes to window frames, typically need community approval. Many communities also limit working hours and restrict noisy works in summer. Ask the administrator before you finalise the design, not after.
7. Underestimating installations
Electrics and plumbing in older Costa Blanca villas are often original, undersized or altered several times. Keeping the old installations to save money, then tiling over them, is a false economy. If walls and floors are open anyway, it is the moment to renew wiring, consider the distribution board and capacity you will need for induction, air-conditioning or a heat pump, and replace old pipework. Opening a finished bathroom to fix a leak costs far more than doing it right first time.
8. Not planning for salt air and sun
The coastal climate is generous but demanding. Strong UV fades and degrades some materials quickly. Salt air corrodes ordinary steel fixings, low-grade aluminium and some ironmongery near the sea, and attacks render that has not been specified properly. Occasional heavy autumn rain, known as a DANA, tests roofs, terraces and drainage. Specify marine-grade or suitably treated metals, good-quality aluminium joinery, breathable renders and proper falls and drainage, especially on exposed sites in Jávea, Calpe or Dénia.
9. Starting in June and expecting to finish before summer
Owners often plan to start in early summer and be finished for their own holiday. In practice, many tourist municipalities and urbanisations restrict noisy works in July and August, and August is when much of Spain slows down, including suppliers and town halls. Add licensing time and long lead times for glazing or kitchens, and a June start often runs into autumn. Work backwards from the date you need the house, and allow for permits. Our guide to how long a villa renovation takes gives realistic timelines.
10. Managing many trades without coordination
Hiring a separate electrician, plumber, tiler, carpenter and glazier directly can look efficient on paper. Without someone coordinating them, though, each trade waits for the others, mistakes fall between responsibilities, and nobody owns the overall programme. If several contractors are on site, health and safety coordination is also legally required. Either appoint a main contractor who manages the trades, have a project manager or technical director who does, or choose a managed renovation in which one company coordinates the architect, contractors and specialist trades and gives you a single point of contact. From abroad, that last option removes most of the day-to-day coordination burden.
11. Changing the specification mid-way
Changing your mind about a tile, a layout or a kitchen once work has started is understandable, but each change has knock-on effects on cost, ordering and the programme. Make decisions early, ideally with samples in hand, and agree in the contract how variations are priced and approved in writing. A clear specification before work starts is the single best protection against budget drift.
12. Not checking insurance
Contractors should hold civil liability insurance, and you should ask to see the policy and check it is current. Check also that your own home insurance is informed of the works, particularly if the house will be empty. On larger projects, ask what warranty the contractor offers and remember that the LOE sets liability periods for building defects: one year for finishing, three years for habitability and ten years for structural defects.
A quick checklist before you sign
| Before signing, confirm | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Quote broken down by chapters with quantities | Allows fair comparison and clear scope |
| Written contract with milestones and retention | Protects your position if problems arise |
| Permit route agreed and who files it | Avoids fines and delays |
| Community approval, if needed | Prevents disputes and stoppages |
| Insurance certificate seen | Covers damage and accidents on site |
| Realistic programme, including August | Avoids disappointment and rushed finishes |
If you are managing the project from abroad, these points become even more important. Our guide to renovating a property in Spain from abroad covers communication, power of attorney and site visits, and our article on choosing a renovation company on the Costa Blanca explains what to look for before you commit.
How CostaVeyra approaches this
CostaVeyra manages complete renovations on the Costa Blanca so that most of these mistakes are designed out from the start: a defined brief and chaptered budget, the right permit route established with the architect, a realistic programme that allows for August, and one point of contact who coordinates our project team and selected specialists, monitors the site and reports to you with photos and video until handover. You can read more about how we work.
In short
- Compare quotes by scope and specification, not by the final total.
- Insist on a detailed, chaptered quote and a written contract with milestone payments and a retention.
- File the right permit and check community rules before you finalise the design.
- Renew installations while walls are open, and specify for salt air, sun and heavy rain.
- Plan around summer restrictions and August, and decide on specifications before work starts.
Planning a renovation on the Costa Blanca?
Tell us about your property. We design, coordinate and manage complete renovations on the Costa Blanca, from concept to completion.
General information for orientation, not legal, tax or technical advice. Rules vary by municipality — confirm specifics with the town hall, your architect or a qualified adviser.
