June 10, 2019
Now that we have successfully completed our home purchase in Spain, the next phase is in progress which is renovating our Valencia flat. This phase involves modernising the flat. It’s not that it was in a horrible state, it had obviously been well cared for. We just want it refreshed a bit. The apartment had stood empty for almost two years as the old woman had been moved into an assisted facility after her husband passed away. Here is how the home renovation is going.
[the_ad id=”13767″]
Renovating our Valencia property has been awesome so far:
Our Spanish home remodel started in earnest the day after we signed the papers with the Notary. It might surprise you to know that our house papers etc consists of about five pages, the most important of which is the Nota Simple.
What is a nota simple? This is the actual paper that shows the property is registered with the city. It states the rightful owner(s) name, any mortgage or debts owned such as unpaid taxes etc.. It will also state any other rights on the property, for instance sewage lines, public roads and so forth. Once you have paid your transfer fee as written in the Spanish home purchase post, an updated nota simple is issued to the new owner.
Prior to closing, we had secured a contractor to do our house remodel. We found him through a friend. An architect by profession, he also does house remodelling contracting work. His price seemed fair for what we needed done. It was a waiting game as to when we would close because we were at the mercy of the city and unfortunately, there were about four different holidays (so many patron saints with their own holidays).
Spanish Building Regulations:
In order to do any refurbishing work on property in Spain, a permit is required. There are two kinds of permit:
- permits for minor construction work
- permits for major construction work
The costs for the permits are calculated based on the total price of the construction work. Our permit was obtained by our architect/contractor and was included in his bid. Our NIE (resident card) was required to obtain the minor works permit. Once he had that in hand, it was time to start knocking down the walls.
The building consists of seven floors, and has a small elevator which is the norm in Spain. The elevators can only hold about four people at a time and any large objects like sofas etc. must be carried up the stairs. Another motivation for us to reuse things that were left behind.
Our Spanish Reforma:
Reforma is basically what we call a remodel or refurbishment in the States. The biggest part of our remodel was knocking the walls between the passage way and living room and incorporating the small third bedroom into the living room. This was the very first thing done, and right away we knew it was a good idea upon seeing how much larger and brighter the space was.
[the_ad id=”13783″]
The old moulding had to come down because there was no way they were going to find the same type moulding. The floor tiles were in immaculate condition and it would have been awesome had we been able to find matching tiles. We did find a few in one of the storage spaces, but not enough.
Since we had opted to paint the whole apartment a creme colour, we chose to go with the same sized creme tiles, and make it an accent. Replacing the whole flooring would have been a thorough waste of money. We also chose to reuse the bedroom door. Since the flat has only one full bathroom, there was no ensuite master bedroom. Putting the door at the end of the long hallway essentially will turn the master bedroom into a suite.
In the kitchen, we will be changing out the really ancient oven, stovetop with only 2 burners working and hood. We had thought of getting a new fridge, but once we plugged it in and saw that it works perfectly, we decided to keep it.
Save for new appliances, to give it some pep, all is well.
You might like: Valencia Update
The guest bedroom will mostly stay untouched as well. Painting and removing part of the furniture so we could place a TV and computer there. I was very happy to see that the room had an office desk, but no proper chair. I had an office chair but no desk, so it was meant to be.
The master bedroom is getting painted and will have a new light fixture. We are going to keep the wardrobe and headboard set. They may be old fashioned, but they are perfectly functional and heavy. They must have cost a pretty penny back when they were purchased. Very solid quality.
[the_ad id=”13784″]
The back gallery balcony got the new gutter already. Hopefully, we will be able to train the dogs to pee there in between their walks. We are not letting them on the front balcony until they use this exclusively.
So far we are two weeks into our three week flat renovation and it is actually going very well, all things considered. There are four workers including the painter. They seem to be hardworking. My gripe so far has been their lack of attention to protecting the furniture etc. I have had to complain as they have used chairs as ladders, not covered the furniture properly and smoking while working. Riot act read!
We can’t wait for the home remodel to be finished so we can finally make it our own place. It feels a bit strange to have a permanent home in Valencia. Considering that two years ago, the thought of owning property again never crossed our minds. If you are contemplating a move to Spain, grab your copy of our ebook here on Amazon now which explains all the steps, funds and life in Spain to start you off on the right foot.
Property Taxes in Spain:
For comparison, our property tax on our sold Houston house was slightly more than $9700 annually and that was with the homestead deduction. More expensive real estate taxes in Texas because there is no state tax. On this property, our projected property taxes will be about €350 ($395) per year, up from the current €221 that they pay currently.
We have purchased home insurance, opting for the top of the line coverage. One that would provide free round trip tickets from wherever in the world if we happen to be on vacation and the house has a problem among the other perks. Total cost? €176 for the year! ($199). This is just music to our ears. You know from our cost of living that we pay so little for our car insurance as well. Once we’ve had bills from here, I will write a new Spain monthly expense breakdown from a homeowner’s perspective.
We should be done in another week, which will put us about six days past the promised time. Not too shabby at all assuming they’re right. I am grateful there were no big things that came up and added to our costs. They had rising damp in the small bathroom but that was fixed at the sellers expense while we were in escrow.
Things to know before remodelling a flat in Spain:
- Planning ahead is a must. Often the house will be in chaos. You might want to move out while the renovation is being done. In our case, it made sense to extend our lease a couple of months while we got things sorted.
- Make sure you get the right permits for the job being done.
- Make sure the workers adhere to the working times. Construction can not start before 8am.
- Try and annoy your neighbours as little as possible. For instance, our contractor made sure his workers covered the elevator floors and sides while the construction was happening and did most of the heavy lifting during siesta hours when there is little use of it by the residents.
- Put some money aside for extra. It’s inevitable that you will add things as you move along, or you might change your mind about certain things. That extra cushion will save you from having to do another remodel in the future.
- Be patient. “Manana” really is a thing here. Workmen will show up hours later than promised, tell you they will come after their two hour lunch (when they are already two hours late!) and so on. It’s just the way it is.
- Go for quality items. They last longer.
- Check out second hand stores for solid items at really nice prices. We have been pleasantly surprised.
- Remodel with you in mind. This is not like back at home where you think you can remodel, flip and make a huge profit. You might be in for a rude awakening.
- If you don’t speak the language, find an interpreter and make sure to use someone reliable and recommended highly by others. There is a lot that can be lost in translation, leading to harsh words.
Thoughts on our Valencia flat remodel:
In my old life in the States, I can say without a doubt that l would have never considered keeping any of the furniture and other items left behind by the previous owners (well, I did do that once in Hollywood, but only because the owners made props for movies. Would you throw out a chair from the Gunsmoke set? or duplicate ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz? I didn’t think so! 🙂 ).
My old excitement at shopping for things is completely toned down. We went looking for the stovetop and oven at the department stores and were bored after ten minutes. We ended up just ordering from a catalog that the contractor had. No fuss, no muss. Living with less has become a way of life and we don’t care to keep up with the latest shiny new things. A revelation for me personally as l thought it would come right back.
It was however, fun shopping for a new bed. The dimensions of the rooms in Spain often make it impossible to get a king sized bed. This room has enough space to put one in and still move around. Yay for that! The dogs love it too as they can have their bed at the bottom of the bed, a luxury that we didn’t have at any of the previous places. I will share pictures of the new digs once we are done.
Have you ever done a home remodel? Was it a fun experience that you would repeat again?
[the_ad id=”13768″]
No, you will never be done. These are exciting times so make them last! We settled into our home base in Phoenix two years ago and we are still “decorating.” A new Arizona room will be added next year and on and on! Enjoy,!
Oh I hope that’s not the case….haha! I want it done and done with, but l know you’re right. Our history dictates always tinkering with things. The only time we didn’t change anything was with the newly built house in Houston. Have fun with your remodel too :-).
I’m just so jealous of anyone who has actually bit the bullet and moved to Spain, especially a great city like Valencia. I’m going to be getting your ebook. We lived in Spain about 45 years ago, and I know things have changed a lot. Need to update my knowledge.
Thanks for the support Tom :-). I can imagine things might be just a little bit different than it was then. I wonder about the grocery store prices though, I can’t imagine them being any lower than they are right now. I agree with you that Valencia is a great city indeed. Thanks for the comment.
Pretty exciting stuff here. Nice to see that everything is going well with the renovation and the apartment start to look like you imagine it. It’s in a really good condition too – buying from old people who really care for their stuff is definitely a good idea. I can’t wait to see how the whole thing will look like when the all the work is over.
Yeah. It’s gone way better than l pictured. I have had to fire a contractor three quarters into the remodel. We were also in the middle of a remodel when the big Northridge earthquake struck in L.A and we could not get inspectors to come inspect the work that had been done because they were needed for safety (checking the damaged buildings) which led to a whole bunch of wasted money. This is peanuts compared to those instances :-). You won’t have to wait long to see the after pictures. We are basically done and l just have to put the post together :-).
It is my belief that “living with less” and caring about shiny things is a central part of being a expat/digital nomad. I will be moving to Valencia soon and have whittled down my core possessions to fit into 2-3 suitcases!
Good for you! Despite our best efforts, when we left the Staes, we had nine suitcases and still have them plus a bit more. I have to admit Fede is the clotheshorse and most belong to him. Italians and their fashion sense. It must be an exciting time for you. I bet you’re counting down the days :-).
During our 37 years of marriage, we’ve lived through 4 major house renovations. Living through kitchen renovations are the worst. You were smart to keep a rental so you wouldn’t have to live in a construction zone. I look forward to seeing photos of the final result. Wishing you health and happiness in Valencia.
Renovating does push you to the edge and l still have nightmares about our remodel during the earthquake in L.A. I never want to go through that again. It definitely helped my sanity and allergies to stay with the rental for as long as possible. Thank god for nice landlords. Thanks so much for the good wishes. We have just moved in and will post photos soon.
I think a major portion of our US life in was spent in moving (bought and sold 9 houses in 4 states) and major renovations (gutting a kitchen, additions, landscaping, renovating bathrooms, rewiring, updating plumbing, finishing basements, etc.) plus the *fun* stuff like painting and decorating. I agree with Carol, it never ends which is part of the fun about home ownership and making your apartment your home. I’m looking forward to seeing your new digs! P.S. I’ve found myself thinking about buying a place here in southern Portugal lately but I’m not sure about tackling any big jobs … Whatever happens, there will always be a place for visitors like you and Fede! Anita
I think kitchen and bathroom remodels are the most unnerving. This one hopefully will end. It feels a bit different because it’s a condo as opposed to a house. We can’t wait for you to see it. I tried to give you the heads up via whatsapp. Cool that you’re thinking about it in your neck of the woods. It really does put a different spin on life doesn’t it. I am looking forward to this new phase. Your room is ready whenever :-).
Wow, this is a big step. Congratulations! I can’t wait to see the results. We have never remodeled anything and I can only imagine the disruption to life. At least it is short-lived. Workers standing on chairs and smoking would make me nuts. We are doing a bit of up-dating as our home is now 18 years old and in need of a face lift. Nothing that requires a contractor, but still disruptive. Hopefully by the end of summer I can post a ‘before and after.’ Best of luck in your new home.
It certainly was a big step for us. It just made sense and we both agreed almost instantaneously which was surprising. The remodel so far has been a good experience and l have some pretty ugly ones, including adding a whole second floor to a house. Bet your face lift will be fun and it’s great that you won’t need a contractor. I look forward to seeing the before and after. Enjoy it all! :-).
We have done major renovation work to our last house. We added a whole new floor, new bedrooms and bathrooms…never again. Sounds like it is all going smoothly for you. Great idea to keep some of the furniture and things that were already there. Vintage furniture is often even better quality than new. I hope the dogs will love their new home 😄
I added a whole new floor once. That was fun, especially when trying to do it the frugal way in Hollywood! where everyone seems to be made of money and had no budget. It took a while to find the right guy and he did a great job that sold the house pronto when it came time to sell so l was extremely happy. Yeah, we are just going to supplement just a few things here and there as far as the furniture. We are very happy with what they left and only have a desire to change some things like beds and maybe the dining table/chairs. Really though, we only had to bring our toothbrushes and clothes. The dogs are getting used to it which is good :-).
This is so exciting! I can’t wait to see the finished product. This is a huge step how did you decide? Does this mean it’s your long term base?
It certainly was a big step and yep, we are going to be in Valencia long term. It just feels like home to us and we are very excited :-).
What a challenge you’ve taken on and you remain so calm! Looks like you have some great ideas and have been resourceful, too!
I think it’s because compared to the nightmares l’ve been through with other remodels, this seems like a walk in the park. I am however glad to be done and soon as l catch my breath, I’ll feel even better :-).
Our tax stories are almost identical: over $9,000 US to less than $400 annually in Greece. The concept of getting a work permit for remodels and overhauls is unknown here; I’d almost forgotten such things were required! Love watching your progress!
Isn’t it amazing that it’s this way and not the reverse? :-). Haha! funny about the permits. I’m glad the guy suggested it, I probably wouldn’t have used him. They have substantial fines for non-compliance and l am sure it would have been up to us to pay it. After killing him of course..haha! I will post the results very soon. We are happy with the way it turned out.
How exciting! You’re getting closer! I’m amazed at the permits you need to pull. The deadbeat and I ran a renovations/handyman repair business and from the pictures and your description, there’s nothing that we’d have to pull a permit for here. The closest possibility might be the gas stove/oven. And even then, if it was simply removing the old and installing the new, probably not. If you were changing the lines and moving it to a new location in the kitchen, maybe yes. Your post reminded me of a couple of things. Just about every adult I met in Spain was a smoker. And 2 to 3 hour lunch breaks/siestas. Crazy!
Yeah! Imagine in some places, if you change the color of your walls on the outside or something, you need a permit out in the fincas l’m told. That is crazy. We did ass a gas line because Federico has been jonesing for a gas stove. He absolutely hates electric ovens, so they needed to add a new line for that. Yeah, I don’t understand the really long lunch breaks. There is no way you could get me back to work after a long lunch and a drink :-). They finished up just a few days ago and l have been working like mad to put most things away knowing if l slow, that would be the end of it for a long time :-).
What a great article! I currenlty own some rental property in Los Angeles that I’ve fixed up over the years. I’m considering buying a small 2-4 unit building in/near Valencia soon and eventually living there part of the year. That led me to your article. Do you know of any resources for places to find people to install new bathrooms and kitchens and floors etc at reasonable quality/cost? Thanks again for the inspiration. Edward
Thanks Edward :-). Reading your comment makes me miss L.A very much right now. I bet it’s changed even more since our last visit. I haven’t really seen buildings with units like that in Valencia, most are just flats in a community building. Maybe on the outskirts. I assume you would be renting the other units on long term basis, so you won’t have to worry about AirBnB regulations.
As far as finding people to do the Reforma (remodelling), word of mouth is best. Good contractors are hard to find and l hear so many stories of having to fire and hire which of course brings up the cost and headaches. The good news is that labor is much cheaper here so a remodel that costs like $100,000 in L.A would cost about 1/3 of the amount. Now that l’ve done it in both places, I can say it with confidence.
The guy we used was pretty good, he’s an architect by trade, but of course not all is perfect. There is also someone that we had liked his work and would have used based on other recommendations. Also, a lot of real estate agencies have their reforma divisions, so like when you go to look at a house for instance, they already have the works drawn up, so for instance, they give you a price as is, and one with the designs completed so that is another way to go. I found that actually useful when we went looking, being quoted with “middle of the road appliances price and “top notch” price.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for sharing. I look forward to future blogs on the progress.
Thank you so much for reading. I actually have the video of what the apartment looks like now on the YouTube channel (Nextbiteoflife) so you can see how it turned out. Here is the link. https://youtu.be/xaetaSuQd2c