Renovating here is cheaper than northern Europe and slower than you expect. The two things that go wrong most often are working without the right municipal licence and paying too much up front. Both are avoidable.
What it costs
- Cosmetic reform (paint, tiling, fittings)
- €250–€450 per m²
- Full apartment reform
- €600–€1,000 per m²
- New bathroom
- €4,000–€9,000
- Obra menor licence (minor works)
- Small municipal fee, typically days to weeks
- Obra mayor licence (structural)
- Architect + fees, budget months
How to choose
- Get three written quotes with itemised materials and a payment schedule tied to milestones.
- Never pay more than about 30% up front, and never the full amount before completion.
- Confirm the builder is registered, has liability insurance and gives you facturas with IVA.
- Check with the Ayuntamiento de Vélez-Málaga whether your work needs obra menor or obra mayor before starting.
- Structural, extension or rural work needs an architect and a proper licence — retrospective legalisation is expensive.
- Build in a delay buffer: August and fiesta weeks stop most sites.
Will they speak English?
Plenty of builders on this coast work with foreign owners, but insist that quotes and contracts are written down, in whichever language you both actually read.
FAQ
- How much does it cost to renovate an apartment in the Axarquía?
- Roughly €600–€1,000 per m² for a full reform and €250–€450 per m² for cosmetic work, before appliances and furniture.
- Do I need a licence to renovate in Spain?
- Yes. Minor works need an obra menor licence from the town hall; anything structural, plus extensions and pool builds, needs obra mayor with an architect's project.