Renovating a Costa Blanca Property to Let or Sell: What to Do and What to Skip
For a rental or a sale, the cheapest change is usually a cosmetic refresh at €270/m². Here is what is worth doing, what to skip, how to fit it between bookings, and the tax and community points that catch owners out.
For a property you are about to let or sell, the cheapest way to change how it presents is a cosmetic refresh at €270/m² (paint, floors, doors, lighting), which is from €18,900 for a 70 m² apartment before IVA. Replace a kitchen or bathroom only when it is at the end of its life, because the full renovation rate starts at €420/m². For a rental, fit the work into the gap between bookings (two to four weeks is usually enough for a refresh), choose durable finishes, and remember that IVA at 10% is not available to a property let out as a business. We cannot promise rental income or a sale price, and we say so.
Owners of Costa Blanca apartments and villas often ask the same thing before a season: what is worth spending on before this goes on a rental platform or on the market? This guide sets out what we publish on cost and time, what we would do first, and what we would leave alone. It is general information, not investment advice.
Start with the question, not the room
The first decision is not paint or tiles but what you want the property to do. A holiday let has to survive many guests and be turned round quickly. A sale needs to photograph well and not reveal problems on a viewing. A long let wants low maintenance. Each points to a different budget, and a quotation that does not ask which of the three you mean is guessing.
The cheapest big change: a cosmetic refresh
A cosmetic refresh changes surfaces and finishes without touching the structure, the layout or the route of pipes and cables. We price it at one fixed rate of €270/m² before IVA. Fresh paint, consistent flooring and updated lighting change photographs and first impressions more than they cost. Our full comparison with a renovation is in cosmetic or full renovation. One warning: paint over sound plaster is predictable, but damp stains, poor earlier repairs or loose plaster need preparation, and that can change the price. We tell you before continuing.
What to do, by goal
| Holiday let | Long let | Sale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main aim | Survive guests, quick turnaround | Low maintenance | Presentation and no surprises |
| Usually enough | Cosmetic refresh between bookings | Cosmetic refresh, sound services | Cosmetic refresh |
| Worth replacing | Worn kitchen and bathrooms, windows with poor sealing | Anything that fails repeatedly | Only what a buyer will notice and not accept |
| Leave alone | Moving walls, new layouts | Moving walls | Structural work that will not be seen as value |
Budgets for two sizes
Area multiplied by our published rate, before IVA and taxes, so these are from figures:
| Apartment | Cosmetic (€270/m²) | Full, Standard (€420/m²) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 m² | €18,900 | €29,400 | €10,500 |
| 90 m² | €24,300 | €37,800 | €13,500 |
Single items can be added to a cosmetic refresh instead of moving to a full renovation: a complete bathroom refit starts at €4,800 (bathroom costs), a kitchen is priced from €800 per linear metre of cabinets (kitchen costs) and new windows are from €390 each (windows and doors). Tax on top is in IVA and ICIO explained.
Specific to rentals
- The gap between bookings. A two-bedroom apartment refresh runs one to two weeks, and a gap of two to four weeks is usually enough. Give us the window and the handover date is the thing we plan back from, because the next guests are already booked.
- The kitchen. For a rental the priorities are durability, simplicity and replacement cost, not the most elaborate layout. Cabinets are made to order, so allow for the lead time, as in how long a renovation takes.
- Remote access and leaks. Remote door access removes key handovers, climate limits stop the air conditioning running with the terrace door open, and leak sensors warn you before a small problem becomes a claim. Smart-home systems start from €4,800 before IVA, see smart home costs.
- Turnkey handover. Some owners want the flat furnished, equipped, cleaned and photographed. That works best as part of the same contract, with the furniture list approved up front. Our rental refurbishment and turnkey apartment show what that looks like.
Specific to a sale
A cosmetic refresh is the cheapest way to change how a property presents, and we can tell you what is worth doing and what will not return its cost. We do not forecast the sale price. Before selling, also check that earlier works have their paperwork: an enclosed terrace or a pool without it can complicate a sale, as set out in our licence guide.
IVA, ICIO and the rental question
Renovation work normally carries 21% IVA. The 10% rate needs, among other conditions, that the client is a private individual using the home privately, so a property let out as a business does not qualify; your gestor should confirm which applies. Torrevieja and Orihuela also charge the 4% ICIO on the cost of the works. Any budget for a rental should be built on the 21% case unless you have that confirmation.
If the building is a community
In an apartment building or urbanisation with shared elements, the community of owners decides what you may change on façades and terraces, whatever the town hall says. For windows, frame colour and shutter style may be fixed by the statutes, and frames are made to measure and cannot be returned, so check with the administrator before ordering. Notify the administrator before works start. More in terrace costs.
Questions we get asked
What is the cheapest way to prepare a property for rent or sale?
A cosmetic refresh at €270/m² before IVA: paint, floors, doors and lighting without touching structure or services. For a 70 m² apartment that is from €18,900.
Can the work be done between rental bookings?
Yes, and most cosmetic work happens that way. A gap of two to four weeks is usually enough; give us the window and we plan the sequence to finish inside it, or tell you honestly if it is too short.
Should I replace the kitchen and bathrooms before letting?
Only when they are at the end of their life. A complete bathroom refit starts at €4,800 and a kitchen from €800 per linear metre; a worn but sound kitchen is often better left with new surfaces. We tell you what is worth doing.
Can I get the 10% IVA rate on a rental property?
Not for a property let out as a business. The 10% rate needs a private individual using the home privately, a home more than two years old and contractor's materials of no more than 40% of the price. Ask your gestor.
Will a renovation raise my rental income or sale price?
We do not forecast either. We can tell you what it costs, how long it takes and which changes make the biggest difference to how the property presents; the financial outcome depends on the market and the property.
Tell us what the property is for
Send the address, the size, the year of construction if you know it, a few photos and whether it is for a holiday let, a long let or a sale, with the dates. We reply with which job looks right and a written quotation after a site visit, on WhatsApp or by email, in English. Local pages: builders in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa.
Rates: Creator Company 2026 price list and service pages, before IVA. IVA conditions: Agencia Tributaria, Ley 37/1992, art. 91. ICIO: Torrevieja and Orihuela ordinances, 4%. General information, not investment, 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.