An inherited apartment has often been lived in by the same person for decades, with services that were never renewed. Before deciding whether to keep, let or sell it, it helps to know what the flat needs. We assess the condition, separate essential work from optional upgrades and carry out the renovation with one contractor and authorised partner installers for the electrics. Legal and tax questions about the inheritance remain with your lawyer or gestor.
What is different about an inherited apartment?
Three things, usually. The first is time: the flat has often been lived in by one person for a long period, and the services, the kitchen and the bathroom are as old as the occupancy. The second is distance: many heirs live elsewhere in Spain or abroad and cannot drop by. The third is that the decision is not only practical. There are belongings to go through, sometimes several heirs to agree, and a property that carries memories.
We cannot help with the last part, but we can make the building side straightforward: a clear picture of the condition, an honest view of what is essential, and a plan that works whether you decide to keep, let or sell.
What should happen before any renovation starts?
Before the building work, a few things are usually settled by the heirs and their advisers rather than by a builder:
- who owns the flat and who can sign for the work, once the inheritance has been processed;
- whether the heirs agree on the plan and the budget;
- what happens to the furniture and belongings;
- whether utilities are still connected and in whose name.
Legal and tax questions about inheritance in Spain are a matter for a lawyer, notary or gestor; we do not advise on them. What we can do in the meantime is look at photos and give you a first view on the work, so the conversation between heirs is based on facts.
How do you assess the condition of an inherited flat?
We start with photos — every room, the fuse board, the bathroom, the kitchen, any stains or cracks — and the approximate floor area. That is enough for a first assessment. For the itemised quote we visit, checking the electrical installation with an authorised partner installer if it looks old, testing water pressure and waste, looking for damp and leaks from above, and noting the state of floors, walls and windows.
Long-occupied flats often have one of two profiles: very well kept but completely original, or patched over the years with small repairs on top of each other. Both are common, and both mean the services deserve a careful look. Our guide to services in older apartments explains what we look for.
Keep, let or sell: how does that change the renovation?
The same flat can need very different work depending on what happens next.
- To keep and live in: the renovation follows your own priorities — layout, kitchen, bathroom, comfort, heating.
- To let: durability and easy maintenance come first; our page on rental refurbishment explains the choices.
- To sell: the decision is often between doing very little, fixing what a buyer’s surveyor would flag, or a fuller renovation. We can describe what each involves; whether it pays off in the market is not something a builder should promise.
Whatever the route, safety items — exposed wiring, active leaks — should be dealt with regardless.
Do you clear the apartment before starting?
Strip-out of the elements being renovated — floors, tiles, kitchen, bathroom fittings, ceilings — and the removal of that debris are part of our work. Clearing personal belongings and furniture is different: families usually prefer to go through them first, and house-clearance companies handle the rest. Once the flat is empty, we start. If the job is purely an interior strip-out with no renovation to follow, our network site demolicioninteriormalaga.eu covers it.
How do we work with heirs who live far away?
The first stage works well at a distance: photos and the floor area by email or WhatsApp, followed by our first assessment. For the visit someone needs to give us access — one of the heirs, a neighbour, the administrator or a key holder. The quote is itemised so that every heir can see exactly what is proposed and what it includes.
We are a renovation contractor, not a property manager. If you need someone to look after the flat on an ongoing basis, that is a separate service you would arrange locally.
What documents are useful for the next owner or tenant?
When the electrics are renewed, the authorised partner installer issues the electrical installation certificate where the scope requires it. Keep it with the property papers: it is useful when changing the electricity contract into a new name, when letting and when selling. Our electrical certificate guide explains why.
Keep also the itemised quote and the invoices for the renovation. They describe what was renewed and when, which is exactly what a future buyer or tenant will ask.
Which jobs usually come first in a long-occupied flat?
The order is the same whether you keep, let or sell. First, anything unsafe or causing damage: an old fuse board without protection, overloaded sockets, an active leak or a waste pipe that smells. Second, the decisions that affect everything after: whether the services are renewed and whether the layout changes. Third, the visible work: kitchen, bathroom, floors, paint.
Flats that have stood empty for a while also need a few basic checks before anything else — drains run clear, traps refilled, no hidden leak under the kitchen sink, windows still closing properly. These are small items, but they tell us a lot about the state of the rest. When the heirs have not yet decided what to do, this first round of essential work is often a sensible step on its own.
Bauman Raymond Attila · Reforma Pisos Málaga · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
