In an older apartment the budget depends far more on the condition of the services, the scope of layout changes, the amount of strip-out, access through the building and the finishes chosen than on the floor area. Hidden conditions are the main source of variation, which is why an itemised quote should name unknowns openly. We do not publish prices; our sister site presupuestoreforma.eu explains cost factors in detail.
Why is price per square metre misleading for older flats?
A price per square metre assumes that every square metre needs the same work. In an older apartment, that is almost never true. One flat may have sound wiring renewed a few years ago and copper pipes in good order; the flat next door, identical in size, may have the original installation, galvanised pipes and a bathroom leaking into the flat below. Their kitchens may look the same in the listing photos.
The floor area matters for flooring, painting and plastering. But the items that move the budget most in older flats — services, layout changes, surprises — do not scale neatly with size.
Which factors weigh most?
- Condition of the services. Whether the electrics need a full rewire by authorised partner installers, and whether supply and waste pipes need renewing, is often the largest single variable.
- Layout changes. Moving walls is not the expensive part; moving kitchens and bathrooms, with new waste routes and floor build-ups, is.
- Strip-out. Several layers of old tiles, a heavy terrazzo floor or built-in furniture add work and debris.
- Surfaces. Uneven floors, hollow plaster or old tiling that has to come off before anything else can go on.
- Finishes. The range between basic and high-end materials is wide, for floors, tiles, sanitaryware and kitchens alike.
- Heating. Adding radiators or underfloor heating where there was none.
How do the building and its access change the budget?
A fourth-floor flat with a small lift and no space for a container on the street is a different job from a first-floor flat with a wide entrance. Materials have to come up, debris has to go down, and every trip takes time. Community rules on working hours or lift use reduce the hours available for noisy tasks. Some town centres have restricted vehicle access, which complicates deliveries.
None of this shows in the floor area, but all of it shows in the plan. Our guide to working in an apartment block covers these logistics.
What about the things nobody can see in advance?
Older flats hide things: a pipe running where it should not, a beam inside a wall, a damp slab under the shower, a previous repair that was never done properly. A careful visit reduces the unknowns but never eliminates them. That is not a reason for alarm; it is a reason to choose a contractor who names the unknowns in the quote and explains how they will be handled, rather than one who quotes a round number and adds the surprises later.
On our jobs, anything unexpected is photographed, explained, priced as a separate line and not carried out until you approve it.
Which decisions are in your hands?
Some cost factors are fixed by the flat. Others are your choice:
- whether to keep the existing layout or change it;
- whether to renew all services now or only those that are failing;
- the level of finishes, room by room;
- whether to do everything at once or in phases;
- whether you supply some materials yourself.
Our article on renovating in phases explains which items can wait safely and which cannot.
How do you get a realistic figure?
Send photos of every room, the fuse board, the bathroom and kitchen, plus the approximate floor area. We give a first assessment, then visit and prepare an itemised quote, line by line. For the general logic of renovation pricing in Spain — what makes budgets rise or fall, how to compare quotes — our sister site presupuestoreforma.eu is the place to read.
Why does the finish level vary so much?
Two kitchens with the same layout can differ enormously depending on the units, the worktop, the appliances and the tiling. The same is true of floors and bathrooms. Finish level is the factor owners control most directly, and the one where it pays to decide room by room: spend where you will feel the difference every day — the kitchen worktop, the shower, the floor you walk on — and choose simpler options where it matters less, such as a spare bedroom. Mixing levels sensibly is normal and the itemised quote shows each choice on its own line.
Bauman Raymond Attila · Reforma Pisos Málaga · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
