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Honest diagnosis
We say what has to be done, what can wait and what is not worth doing, even when that means a smaller job.
Whole property · BarcelonaFree site visit
Renovating a flat in Barcelona, in the right order
From €780/m². We tell you what is worth doing and what is not, with the numbers on the table before you sign anything.
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- Fixed written quote within 48 h
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- Free site visit
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- How we work
- ★ 5,0
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Short answer
What should you renovate first in an older Barcelona flat?
Renovating a flat in Barcelona costs between €780/m² and €1,600/m², with €1,100/m² as a mid finish, and a 70–90 m² property is handed over in 10–14 weeks. The order is always the same: services and building envelope first, layout second, finishes last. Doing it in that order is what keeps the budget from being spent twice.
| Phase | What it covers | Visible when finished |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The hidden work | Wiring, plumbing, soil stacks, damp, insulation | No |
| 2. The layout | Partitions, openings, internal joinery | Partly |
| 3. The finishes | Flooring, tiling, paint, furniture | Yes |
Priority 1 — what you cannot see
- Electrical installation: in flats built before 1980 it rarely meets current Spanish regulations, and the certificate the supply company asks for cannot be issued on it
- Plumbing: lead and galvanised steel pipework has to be replaced, not patched
- Soil stacks: cast iron with weeping joints will bring the problem back through a finished ceiling
- Damp: the cause has to be resolved, because painting over the stain only postpones it
Priority 2 — what gets used every day
Bathroom and kitchen absorb most of the wear and carry most of the weight when you let or sell. They are also the most expensive rooms per square metre, which is why they belong in a plan rather than an improvisation.
Priority 3 — what you can see
Flooring, paint and joinery transform how the flat feels for comparatively little money.
Decisions
Five questions to settle before the first wall comes down
Everything at once, or in phases?
Doing it all at once is 15 to 25 % cheaper per square metre and avoids repeating trades; phasing spreads the cost and lets you stay, but runs roughly a third longer.
Is opening the flat up worth it?
Under about 70 m², almost always. Joining kitchen, hall and living room changes the sense of space more than any finish. What has to be verified first is which walls are structural — in a Catalan vault floor the load runs on steel joists and the answer is not obvious from tapping the plaster.
Underfloor heating or radiators?
Underfloor heating is more comfortable and frees up wall space, but it raises the floor by 5 to 8 cm and costs more to install. In a flat with low ceilings, or where the original hydraulic tiles are worth keeping, it often does not pay.
Ducted air conditioning or split units?
Ducts are quieter and almost invisible, but they need a dropped ceiling and the height to hide it. Splits cost less and can be added later — and on a street facade, the outdoor unit position may need the comunidad to agree.
How much does a renovation add to the value?
In districts of Barcelona with high demand, a well executed full renovation is largely recovered on sale. What is not recovered is over-specification: the most expensive finish in the building rarely returns its premium.
For owners abroad
Renovating a Barcelona flat you do not live in
A large share of the flats we renovate belong to owners who are not in Spain while the work happens. Three things are worth settling before the programme starts, not during it.
What the paperwork actually is
- Comunicat previ: the prior notification that covers most interior work with no structural or communal impact
- Minor works licence with a technical project: required once structure, facade or communal elements are touched
- Comunidad consent: a separate matter from the council, needed for anything affecting communal fabric such as stacks, facade or roof
- Cedula de habitabilitat: the habitability certificate you need in order to let the flat legally, requested from the Generalitat
- Derrama: a levy the comunidad can approve for building works while yours are in progress — worth asking the administrador de fincas what is pending before you budget
Decisions that cannot wait for your next flight
Once a floor is open, some choices have to be made in days: what the stack is really made of, whether a wall is structural, which way the shower drains. We photograph the finding and set out the options with the cost difference.
How the money is controlled
The quote is fixed and itemised, payments follow certified progress rather than the calendar, and no extra work is carried out without your written approval.
Price list
Cost per square metre by finish level
| Standard finishNew services, laminate flooring, mid-format tiling | €780/m² |
| Mid finishPorcelain, solid doors, ducted air conditioning | €1,100/m² |
| High endLarge format, smart home, cabinetmaker joinery | €1,600/m² |
Indicative per square metre of usable floor area. The final figure depends on the condition of the structure and the existing services, and is fixed after the technical visit.
How we work
From first contact to handover
02
Quote itemised by trade
Every chapter priced separately, so you can take things in or out without losing the fixed price.
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Realistic programme
Week by week, with the handover date committed in writing before work begins.
04
Build with weekly reporting
Photographs and genuine progress every week, without you having to chase.
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Handover and written guarantee
Joint inspection, snagging corrected and a documented guarantee on the work.
Frequently asked
What clients ask most
Between €62,400 and €128,000 for a full renovation, depending on specification. A partial job limited to kitchen and bathroom comes to around €12,700.
What you cannot see: wiring, plumbing and damp. Then bathroom and kitchen. Flooring, paint and joinery last. Changing that order forces trades to be repeated and is the most common way a renovation budget overruns.
All at once is 15 to 25 % cheaper per square metre and avoids repeating work. Phasing lets you keep living in the flat and spread the spending, but lengthens the programme and raises the total.
No. Whether a wall is structural has to be checked against the drawings and the actual floor construction. A structural wall can be opened with a steel frame and a stamped technical project, but that needs a licence and cannot be decided on site.
Yes, and we do it regularly. You get a weekly photo report, we coordinate access with the building manager, and any decision that changes the cost is confirmed with you in writing before it is built.
Next step
Shall we talk about your project?
Free site visit in Barcelona and the metropolitan area. Fixed written quote within 48 hours, no obligation.
Before you decide
Practical guides
Real prices, permits and how a project runs when you live abroad. So you can compare quotes knowing what you are looking at.
Areas
Where we work
Other services
We also do
Layout · BarcelonaRoom dividers in Barcelona→Fixed price · 48-hour quoteBathroom renovation in Barcelona at a fixed price→Complete works · Barcelona and CataloniaFull home renovation in Barcelona with real site control→Services · BarcelonaAir conditioning and heating→Services · BarcelonaElectrical rewiring and the boletin certificate→Owners associations · BarcelonaFaçade renovation in Barcelona→
Blog
What we learn on site
Real housing problems in Barcelona, explained by the people who fix them.
Cost by flat size
Price per square metre is useful for orientation and misleading for decisions: several of the biggest line items cost roughly the same in a 70 m² flat as in a 120 m² one, and they are exactly what breaks the quick mental maths.
Covering kitchen tiles
Spanish kitchens are tiled floor to ceiling, and ripping that out in a period building is never a small job. Covering the tiles instead is quick and legitimate — as long as you know which systems survive what sits behind a sink.
Doors: lacquer or replace
Nearly every flat bought in Barcelona comes with dark varnished doors from another era. Lacquering them white is the most visible improvement per euro that exists — on the right doors. On the wrong ones it is money thrown away.
Clients
What clients say after their renovation
Rated 5.0 from 14 Google reviews. All real, from real projects.
★★★★★
“Doy un 10 la verdad con el servicio que me han prestado en una reforma de un piso en Barcelona capital, gente muy seria y responsable, gracias.”
Araks SahakyanJuly 2026
★★★★★
“Quedé encantada con la atención y la calidad del trabajo. Se nota que cuidan los detalles y cumplen con lo que prometen.”
Ana RiveraApril 2026
★★★★★
“Servicio muy profesional. Me explicaron todo con claridad y el trabajo quedó perfecto.”
Ana AlemanMarch 2026
★★★★★
“Si estas buscando profesionales responsables para hacer tu reforma, es el lugar indicado. Especializados en reformas integrales con la mejor atención personalizada. 100% recomendados.”
Daniel GarganoFebruary 2026
★★★★★
“Muy buen trabajo, ha realizado un trabajo muy profesional, ha cumplido en plazo y en calidad.”
Francisco PiñeirosAugust 2025
★★★★★
“Muy buenos profesionales, con excelente resultado.”
Esther DiezJune 2026
Shall we talk about your project?
Free technical visit in Barcelona and the metropolitan area. Fixed written quote within 48 hours.
+34 615 78 93 41· Carrer de la Diputació, 189, Local 2 · 08011 Barcelona