Guides · G-10
How can you renovate a home in València while you live abroad?
Short answer
Agree a measured assessment, a defined scope, professional appointments, permissions and a written approval process before construction. One project contact coordinates the agreed work, while you receive decisions, progress records and a documented handover remotely.
Distance does not change the building rules. It changes how access, decisions and evidence are organised. Start with an address, photographs, any plans and the intended use; then establish what must be inspected on site before a reliable scope can be agreed.
Establish the project before approving the price
- Brief and estimate. Explain who will use the home, what should change and what should remain. Photos support a preliminary estimate; they do not replace a measured visit.
- Site access. Identify the authorised key holder and agree access. Record visible condition, dimensions and the limits of the assessment; concealed areas may require investigation.
- Design appointments. Identify the independent architectural, interior-design and structural professionals required, their deliverables and fees. [7]
- Planning and protection. Check the property and actual scope before assuming a route. Before buying or designing, the Ajuntament offers an informe urbanístico and planning or heritage viability consultations. Article 13 sets response periods of 1 month for the report and 3 months for the consultations; these are statutory periods, not promised project dates.[3] Use the pre-purchase guide if you do not yet own the home.
- Written scope. Agree drawings, product references, inclusions, exclusions and assumptions. Show official charges and assessed IVA separately. [4, 5] [4, 5, 6]
Authority, keys and the community
Agree who may approve expenditure, receive documents and represent you. A project manager holding keys is not automatically authorised for every legal or financial action. Keep access instructions, the custody record and the return arrangements clear.
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.[1] We can prepare the notice with your authority and coordinate with the community. A required vote or affected-owner consent is a separate step; arrange attendance or appropriate representation before the affected work is programmed.
The tasa and ICIO are paid before the declaración responsable is filed.[2] A valid declaración responsable with all required documents enables the covered works to start on filing, subject to municipal checks. Filing is not a licence or confirmation that an unsuitable project is lawful.[3] Electronic filing can be handled through properly authorised representation. The complete file and other required approvals still matter.
Decisions and progress evidence
Agree the contact language, report format, milestones and decision deadlines. Products should be identified by reference, dimensions and finish. Screens alter colour and scale, so decide which choices need a physical sample or an in-person review.
Record variations with their cost, timing and design/permission implications before approval. Photographs of concealed work are useful, but do not replace required checks, certificates or inspections. If a hidden defect appears, the affected stage is assessed and the next action agreed.
Declared works must start within 6 months of filing and finish within 24 months of starting. The ordinance does not allow extensions except for stoppages caused by force majeure.[3] The 24-month completion period runs from the start. The start and completion of declared works must each be notified to the Ajuntament within 15 days of the event, with the documents required by article 28.[3] Keep actual dates and filing copies with the project records.
Handover without travelling
Decide whether you, an authorised representative or both will attend the review, in person or by video. Walk through visible finishes and agreed operational checks, record outstanding items and the follow-up, and receive the applicable document file. For building works covered by the LOE, the completed project with approved changes, reception record, identification of participants and use and maintenance instructions form the building book delivered to users. The documents required for a smaller renovation depend on its scope and installation work.[7]
Return keys through the agreed method and identify any remaining access permission. The handover checklist helps organise the review; property care is a separate booked service if the home will remain empty.