Renovation in Terrassa and Sabadell
The two capitals of the Vallès Occidental, half an hour inland by train. Buyers who cannot find space in Barcelona find it here: narrow town houses with courtyards, and old textile mills with seven-metre ceilings.
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Short answer
What a renovation costs in Terrassa and Sabadell
A full renovation in Terrassa or Sabadell runs from €780 to €1,600 per m², so an 85 m² flat comes out between €66,300 and €136,000 over 10–14 weeks on site. A casa de vila — the narrow town house with a courtyard that brings most foreign buyers out here — is not quoted at a fixed price until we have opened up the timber joist bearings and checked for rising damp, because that is where a budget either holds or collapses. A mill conversion depends first on whether the change of use is permitted at all.
| What you are buying | Typical size | Indicative cost | Where the risk sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat, post-war block | 70–90 m² | €54,600–€144,000 | Almost none: frame is sound |
| Casa de vila with courtyard | 110–160 m² | Priced after inspection openings | Joist bearings, roof, rising damp |
| Converted textile mill | Large volume | Priced from a technical project | Change of use, then the envelope |
| Bathroom only | 4–6 m² | from €3,200 | 10–18 working days |
| Full rewire | Whole property | €4,000–€7,500 | Runs inside the main programme |
What a buyer from abroad should establish before exchange
- Whether the local plan permits residential use, if the building is still classified as industrial
- Whether the comunidad de propietarios has already voted a derrama — an extraordinary levy for roof or façade work that becomes yours the day you sign
- Whether the cédula d’habitabilitat, the certificate of occupancy needed to let the property, is current
Town houses
The casa de vila: a narrow house with a courtyard
The casa de vila is the signature property of both cities: a narrow house of one or two storeys, sharing party walls with its neighbours, with a courtyard at the back and, very often, timber floor joists. For most foreign buyers it is the first time they have considered a building of this age, and what matters is the survey rather than the agent photographs.
What has to be checked before anyone prices the job
- The bearing of the timber joists on the party wall, where rot appears first
- Rising damp at ground-floor level, very common in anything built before 1960
- Catalan-style roofs with no modern insulation or waterproofing under the tile
- Electrical installations with no earth and no residual current protection
- Historic extensions into the courtyard, occasionally built without a licence
The courtyard is the opportunity
In most of these houses the courtyard is dead space used for storage. Resolved properly, with the right paving, drainage that works, lighting and sometimes a rooflight bringing daylight deeper into the plan, it becomes the room the household actually uses. Covering it even partially requires a municipal licence, so it is designed with that in mind from the outset.
Mills and lofts
Converted textile mills
The industrial past of the Vallès left behind tall mill buildings that have been converted one by one into homes and studios. Technically they are a different animal from a flat, and they are budgeted differently.
What defines them
- Ceiling heights of five to seven metres, usually with room for a mezzanine
- Steel frames or timber trusses, often left exposed and treated
- Effectively no thermal envelope, which becomes the largest single item in the budget
- Industrial services that are of no use to a dwelling
- A change of use application where the property is still classified as industrial
Change of use is not a formality
Turning a mill into a home requires the local plan to allow residential use, plus a specific licence from the ayuntamiento. It is worth confirming before you buy rather than after you have paid an architect, and it is not always granted. We check the classification as part of the first visit.
What the budget actually goes on
In a mill conversion the money does not go where a first-time buyer expects. Insulating roof and walls, replacing industrial glazing and heating a volume five or six metres tall usually account for more than half the figure. Underfloor heating beats radiators here, because it warms the layer of air people occupy rather than the roof space. Building the mezzanine is comparatively cheap once the shell is right — and it is the part everyone wants to discuss first. Worth reversing that order.
Frequently asked
Renovations in Terrassa: common questions
A full renovation of an 85 m² flat runs from €66,300 to €136,000. A casa de vila involving roof and damp work is priced after exploratory openings, because that is where the uncertainty sits.
Only where the planning framework allows residential use, and it needs a specific change of use licence. Confirm it before purchase: it is not a minor formality and it is not always granted.
Yes, provided they are sound and dry. The risk sits at the bearings on the party wall, where moisture gets in. We open up and inspect before quoting, and if strengthening is needed it is costed from the start rather than appearing later.
You get considerably more floor area for the money, plus a courtyard or a mezzanine you would never find in the Eixample, at the cost of a half-hour train journey. The buildings are older, so the renovation budget is usually larger. The two figures should be looked at together, not separately.
A kitchen replacement runs from €4,500 to €16,000 depending on units, worktop and appliances, and takes 12 to 25 working days on site.
Next step
Planning a renovation in Terrassa?
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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