Guides · G-17
Can you stay at home while your València property is renovated?
Short answer
Sometimes, but it depends on the scope and the household. Decide with the project team before agreeing dates: safe access, essential services and separation from the work must be practical throughout the relevant stages. A full renovation may require alternative accommodation.
Staying in a property during work can be convenient, but it should be a planned arrangement. A spare bedroom does not solve the problem if the route to it crosses an active work area or the only bathroom is disconnected. Discuss the needs of children, pets, people with limited mobility and anyone working from home before the programme is fixed.
Assess the work stage by stage
| Stage | Question for the project team |
|---|---|
| Strip-out and demolition | Can the occupied area be safely separated from removal routes and dust-generating work? |
| Structural work | Is occupation appropriate for the designed work sequence and temporary support arrangements? |
| Installation changes | When will water, electricity, cooking or bathroom facilities be unavailable? |
| Wet trades and finishes | What access restrictions, drying or curing instructions apply to the selected systems? |
| Final fitting and testing | Which rooms need to remain available to the installers and inspectors? |
These are discussion points, not a universal permission to occupy. The responsible team must assess the actual conditions. The promoter must appoint a safety and health coordinator during construction when more than one company, a company with self-employed workers, or several self-employed workers take part. Appointing a coordinator does not remove the promoter’s own responsibilities.[1]
Agree a clear boundary between home and site
Identify which rooms are available to occupants and how they will be accessed. Keep deliveries, tools and waste movement out of the agreed living route where the plan allows. Confirm arrangements for securing the property and protecting possessions, including what should be removed before work starts.
A boundary must suit the work being done. If it cannot provide an appropriate separation, arrange alternative accommodation for that phase. Suspected asbestos or another unexpected hazard requires specialist assessment, not an improvised occupied-work arrangement. [4]
Plan essential-service interruptions
Ask for the expected interruptions to be identified in the programme and confirmed before each affected stage. A kitchen refurbishment may need a temporary place to prepare simple food; a bathroom project requires a realistic plan for washing and toilet facilities. Do not assume that all services can remain operational while they are being renewed.
Record who to contact if an interruption lasts longer than expected. Where an unexpected defect is discovered, the project team should explain the effect on occupation as well as the additional work. A decision to continue living there should be reconsidered if the conditions change.
Consider the building and neighbours
An owner must notify the community’s representative before works inside a flat. Article 7.1 allows those alterations only if they do not impair the building’s safety, general structure or exterior configuration, or prejudice another owner’s rights; notice alone does not authorise changes to common elements.[2] Ask the administrator about the building’s relevant working rules, common areas and lift arrangements. Specific noise, access and public-space requirements should be checked for the address and proposed work; we do not publish a single assumed working timetable for every property.
For works within RD 105/2008’s project requirements, the project includes a waste management study and the contractor prepares the corresponding management plan; waste transfers need documentary evidence. Minor domestic repair works have a specific exception from those national producer and holder duties and follow local requirements.[3] The removal route and collection arrangements should fit the site plan. Keep the community informed about planned deliveries and disruptions through the agreed contact, rather than leaving neighbours to discover them on the day.
Compare a phased project with moving out
Phasing may preserve a usable part of the home, but it can also affect access, sequencing and cost. Ask for both approaches to be assessed where they are feasible. A shorter-looking programme is not helpful if it relies on occupants moving through unsafe or unusable areas.
If you live abroad, our remote-renovation guide explains how decisions and progress updates can be managed at a distance. If you remain nearby, agree planned visits at suitable stages rather than entering an active work area without coordination.
The occupancy plan should be part of the written project arrangements. Review it when the scope changes, and keep a practical alternative available for phases that cannot safely accommodate normal domestic life.