Apartment, Townhouse or Villa: Which Renovates Best for Resale in Spain?

Before comparing property types, it helps to separate the variables that genuinely move a renovation project forward from the ones that are mostly marketing. Location within Spain, the legal state of the title, the condition of installations and roof, and whether a local licence is needed all matter more than whether the property is called an apartment or a villa. A well-placed apartment with straightforward works can outperform a poorly located villa with structural problems, and the reverse is just as true.

At Sókerim we buy, renovate and resell properties for investor clients across Spain, with our own renovation team handling the works. Since 2022 our group has completed 19 such projects, with a median renovation budget equal to 22% of the purchase price; these are past results from our own accounts, not a promise of what any future project in Spain will return. What follows is a comparison of the three property types as they typically behave in a renovation-for-resale project, with the practical steps a UK-based investor needs to plan for.

Apartments in Spain tend to have the most contained renovation scope: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, electrics and sometimes layout changes within an existing structure. Because the building envelope and often the roof are shared with other owners, the renovating owner usually has less exposure to major structural surprises, though community rules may limit what can be changed on façades, windows or terraces. This makes budgeting more predictable, which matters when a buyer is coordinating works from abroad.

On resale, apartments usually reach the widest pool of buyers, from first-time owners to holiday-home buyers and tenants, which can support a quicker sale once works are finished. The trade-off is that renovation margin per unit is often lower than on larger properties, simply because there is less to improve and less space to add value through reconfiguration.

Townhouses in Spain typically offer more floor area and sometimes a small patio or roof terrace, giving more scope for genuine transformation: opening up ground floors, adding a bathroom, or recovering unused space. Because they are usually individually owned rather than shared with a community of owners, there is more freedom to plan the works, but also full responsibility for the roof, façade and any structural issues that appear once walls are opened.

Demand for a renovated townhouse depends heavily on the specific street or neighbourhood within Spain, more so than for apartments in a well-known building. Local reputation, parking, and proximity to amenities tend to decide resale speed as much as the quality of the renovation itself.

Villas generally allow the most ambitious renovation projects — pools, gardens, extensions, full reconfiguration of living spaces — and can command strong resale prices when the result suits local taste. They also carry the widest range of unknowns: older villas may need full rewiring, new plumbing, roof repair or boundary and land-registry checks that take longer to resolve than in an apartment block.

Tourist-let villas also face regional licensing requirements that vary by municipality, and some developments restrict short-term rentals altogether, so any plan to rent out a renovated villa in Spain needs that checked before, not after, purchase. Renovation timelines for villas tend to run longer, which affects how soon the property can be resold or let.

Spain is a relatively short flight away from most UK airports, making regular visits to a Spanish property straightforward for owners based in Britain. Many British buyers are drawn to Spain for its climate, coastal lifestyle and established expatriate communities. One practical point to bear in mind is that Spanish inheritance law differs from UK rules, so it is worth taking specific advice on how it may affect the property and one's estate. Currency movements between sterling and the euro can also affect the overall cost of purchase and ongoing expenses.

Spain and the United Kingdom have a double taxation agreement in place, and a local tax adviser should confirm how rental income or gains from Spanish property must be declared and reported to HMRC.

As the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member state, British citizens may stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and must apply for a visa or residence permit for longer stays.

Since the United Kingdom uses the pound sterling (GBP) rather than the euro, buyers should factor in exchange-rate movements and currency conversion costs when paying for a property or transferring funds to Spain.