Home Improvements: How Much Will It Cost To Refurbish A Bathroom In Spain?

Home Improvements: How Much Will It Cost To Refurbish A Bathroom In Spain?

As a general rule, the two rooms in any house that will cost the most to refurbish are the kitchen and the bathroom. But the room foreigner buyers are most keen to renovate when they buy a Spanish home is the bathroom. That’s because traditional Spanish bathrooms tend to be small, dark, and narrow affairs.

If you’re dream Spanish home has one of these traditional bathrooms then you might be dreaming of ripping it out and remodelling it as soon as possible. But can you afford it?

Here’s a rough idea of how much you can expect to spend on refurbishing the bathroom in your property in Spain:

How Much Will A Bathroom Refit Cost In Spain?

This really is a how long is a piece of string question sadly, because so many factors are involved! What kind of bathroom do you want? What materials would you like to use? Hand-cut Italian tiles will be cheaper than plain white budget ones! Where you live in Spain will also impact the price of your refurb.

The builders you choose, and whether you want a full-scale refurbishment or to make more superficial changes will also impact the price. With all those factors being taken into account a ballpark estimate for the average bathroom is that a complete refit will cost between €4500 and €6000 + VAT.

Will The Plumbing and Electrics be Expensive?

Replumbing and rewiring a bathroom is a big undertaking which is why many people assume that is the most expensive part of a bathroom refit but that isn’t the case. The average price for the plumbing installation of a new bathroom generally only accounts for around 20% of the total price.

And provided you don’t make too many extensive changes to your electrical layout, the the electrical and plumbing installations for a complete renovation should only cost around €900 + VAT.

What Will I Need To Buy?

One of the biggest expenses of many bathrooms is the wall and floor tiles. These should be damp resistant, and range widely in cost. A rough estimate is that complete ceramic tiling in Spain costs around about €1200 + VAT, depending on the size of the space. If you’re working on a budget then you could use less tiles and only tile the area that receives the water supply then use a  water-repellent paint for the rest. This could cut the cost of tiling your walls in half. If you choose to tile your floor as well as your walls then this will add to the price.

Tiling the walls and floor of a 5m² bathroom in Spain has an average price of €2,000, which works out to about €25 - €30/m² although this can increase to up to 100 per square metre if you choose particularly luxury tiles.

Of course, the largest (literally) aspect of your new bathroom are the fixtures. Again prices vary wildly. You can buy these cheaply but if you want to make an investment in the house and do it in the medium-high quality range, this will cost around €2,000 + VAT on average. These fixtures are the most expensive part of any bathroom refurb.

Finally most homeowners are keen to replace their grubby shower curtain with a sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing shower screen. Installing a shower screen is a relatively easy process so this is one of the cheaper changes you can make to your bathroom while still having a big impact. The most basic models can be found starting at €150, and the average price of installing a shower screen in Spain is €400.

Do I Need Planning Permission To Remodel my Spanish Bathroom?

The short answer to this question is yes. You need to secure a works permit for almost any kind of home modification in Spain. The type of permit you will need depends on what you want to do to your bathroom. If you're making small changes as part of a partial refurb then a building permit or a minor works permit (known as a licencia or permiso de obra menor) should be fine. But if your planned refurb will involve more structural elements, such as partition walls or changing the orientation of the bathroom, a major building permit  will be needed.

Regardless of which type of permit you need you’ll apply for these via the local town hall. So if you’re not sure which permit is best suited to your project then you can always ask the experts at the town hall when you arrive.

Are you thinking of moving to Spain? Looking to escape the cold and rainy weather in the UK and make an escape to the sun? Then why not get in touch with our local property experts, who are perfectly placed to help you buy the Spanish home of your dreams. We’re excited to help you make your next move your best move!