How Much Does It Cost to Renovate an Apartment in Torrevieja in 2026?
A 70 m² apartment in Torrevieja costs about €29,400 to renovate at Standard finish and €63,000 at Luxury, before IVA. Here are the rates, three worked budgets, and the VAT and tax that sit on top.
A full apartment renovation in Torrevieja costs €420/m² at Standard finish, €650/m² at Premium and €900/m² at Luxury in 2026, before IVA. A cosmetic refresh without structural work — floors, walls, paint, doors, lighting — is €270/m². For a 70 m² apartment that is €18,900 cosmetic, €29,400 Standard and €63,000 Luxury. On top come IVA (10% or 21%) and the town hall's construction tax, ICIO, at 4% of the cost of the works.
Torrevieja is home: our office is on Calle Valencia, and we have finished 18 projects in the town — apartments, pools and terraces. The question we hear first is always the same — "how much per square metre?" — and the honest answer is a range, because what you pay for depends on how much of the apartment changes. This guide gives the rates we use, three worked budgets and the extras that are easy to miss.
The 2026 rates per square metre
| Level of work | Price | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | €270/m² | Paint, floors, doors; kitchen and bathrooms get new surfaces only; electrics and plumbing stay |
| Full renovation — Standard | €420/m² | Kitchen and bathrooms replaced, electrics rewired, plumbing replaced; walls rarely move |
| Full renovation — Premium | €650/m² | The same scope as Standard, with a higher grade of materials and finishes |
| Full renovation — Luxury | €900/m² | The same scope, with top-tier finishes throughout |
| Structural renovation | €1,100–1,400/m² | Walls moved, property stripped to the shell — priced after a survey |
All prices are before IVA. What you sign is the written quotation after a site visit; the rates above are where it starts. What a given rate actually buys is set out in our guide to what €650/m² buys.
Three worked budgets
Multiply the area by the rate. For the apartment sizes we see most often in Torrevieja:
| Apartment | Cosmetic €270/m² | Standard €420/m² | Premium €650/m² | Luxury €900/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m² (studio / 1 bed) | €13,500 | €21,000 | €32,500 | €45,000 |
| 70 m² (2 bed) | €18,900 | €29,400 | €45,500 | €63,000 |
| 90 m² (3 bed) | €24,300 | €37,800 | €58,500 | €81,000 |
These are figures before IVA and before the tax below. A structural renovation that takes the same 70 m² apartment to the shell would run €77,000–98,000, which is why we survey first.
IVA: 10% or 21%
Spanish VAT on renovation work is normally 21%. It falls to 10% when the client is a private individual using the home privately, the home is more than two years old, and the contractor's materials are no more than 40% of the price of the job (article 91 of the VAT law). Appliances are always 21%. On the 70 m² Standard budget of €29,400 that is the difference between €32,340 (10%) and €35,574 (21%). A flat let out as a business does not qualify for 10% — ask your gestor which applies to you.
The 4% construction tax
Every renovation also triggers the ICIO, a municipal tax on the real cost of the works. Both Torrevieja and Orihuela charge the legal maximum of 4%. On €29,400 of works that is €1,176. The town hall also charges a processing fee that varies by type of works. Neither is optional, and a quotation should say whether they are included — ours say so. How the filing itself works — for most apartments a declaración responsable that lets work start the same day — is in our licence guide.
What moves the price inside the range
- Kitchen and bathrooms. They are the most expensive square metres in any flat. A complete bathroom refit starts at €4,800 (why quotes differ); a kitchen is priced per linear metre of cabinets, from €800 (kitchen costs).
- Plumbing and electrics. Properties built before 1990 almost always need the electrics and plumbing replaced — the single biggest reason two quotes for the same flat differ.
- Moving walls. The moment a wall moves you leave the per-square-metre rates and enter a surveyed structural renovation.
- Windows and doors. New windows are from €390 each; replacing a whole home runs into thousands (windows guide).
- Lead times. Cabinets and made-to-measure glazing are ordered to size, so they often set the date more than the building work does.
How long it takes
A cosmetic refresh typically takes three to six weeks on site. A full renovation with new electrics and plumbing is a longer job — on a villa we plan ten to sixteen weeks, and an apartment is quicker because there is less to do — and the written quotation sets out the programme. Material lead times, especially kitchens and made-to-measure glazing, often decide the date more than the building work does. If you live abroad, the whole job can run remotely with weekly photo reports, as we describe in renovating from abroad.
What it looks like finished
Our published apartments in Torrevieja show the range: a full renovation, a compact reform, a marble reform and a turnkey furnished flat. The page for builders in Torrevieja has all the projects and local prices.
Questions we get asked
How much does it cost to renovate a 70 m² apartment in Torrevieja?
At our 2026 rates, €29,400 for a full renovation at Standard finish, €45,500 at Premium and €63,000 at Luxury, before IVA. A cosmetic refresh without structural work is €18,900. IVA of 10% or 21% and the 4% ICIO tax come on top.
What is the cost per m² to renovate an apartment in Torrevieja?
€420/m² Standard, €650/m² Premium and €900/m² Luxury for a full renovation, and €270/m² for a cosmetic refresh, all before IVA. A structural renovation that moves walls costs €1,100–1,400/m² and is priced after a survey.
Do I pay 10% or 21% VAT on an apartment renovation in Spain?
21% by default; 10% if you are a private individual using the home privately, the home is more than two years old and the contractor's materials are no more than 40% of the job's price. Appliances are always 21%.
Do I need a licence to renovate an apartment in Torrevieja?
Usually not a full licence. A renovation without structural change goes by a declaración responsable filed with the town hall, and work can start the same day. Structural work needs a certificate behind the filing. The construction tax ICIO of 4% applies either way.
How long does an apartment renovation in Torrevieja take?
A cosmetic refresh typically takes three to six weeks on site. A full renovation with new electrics and plumbing takes longer — about ten to sixteen weeks on a villa, less on an apartment — and made-to-order kitchens and glazing often decide the date. The quotation sets out the programme.
Get a number for your apartment
Send the address, the size and a few photos or a short video. We reply with what is realistic, the order of costs and a written quotation after a site visit — on WhatsApp or by email, in English. Or use the full home renovation page for the calculator.
Rates: Creator Company 2026 price list, before IVA. VAT conditions: Agencia Tributaria, Ley 37/1992 art. 91. ICIO: Torrevieja and Orihuela ordinances, 4%. Licence routes: Decreto Legislativo 1/2021 (TRLOTUP), arts. 233 and 241. General information, not tax or legal advice for a specific case.
Planning this on your own property?
Send the address and a few photos. We will tell you what is realistic, what it costs and what has to be checked on site — before any commitment.