The formula and the three rates
An indicative renovation price is calculated like this: the area to be renovated in m² multiplied by the tier rate. Basic from €1,000/m², Standard from €2,000/m² and Luxury from €3,000/m², all excluding VAT. A 100 m² flat at Basic starts from €100,000.
These are starting values for a conversation. The exact scope and price come from the quote after a site visit and measurements; how we do that is set out in our article on preparing a quote. Here we look at how to use the table so that the first figure is useful rather than random.
Which area to use
Use the usable floor area of the rooms being renovated: measured inside the walls, excluding external wall thickness and any share of common areas. The cadastral area in a listing is usually noticeably larger than the usable area, and multiplying that inflates the first figure.
If you have a plan, add up the room areas. If not, measure each room at floor level with a tape. Count terraces and balconies separately: renovating them works differently and the per-m² rate for interiors does not fit. If you are only doing part of the home, say the kitchen and two bathrooms, the calculator makes little sense: a partial renovation is priced by the work involved, not by area.
How to choose a tier
The tier is defined not by words like 'budget' or 'luxury' but by the solutions you want in the home. Basic is a full renovation with good materials and well-planned services, without bespoke details. Standard adds more bespoke furniture, pricier finishes, considered lighting and climate control. Luxury means natural materials, complex details, concealed doors and bespoke joinery in almost every room.
A simple test: open your reference images. If they show herringbone parquet, doors flush with the wall and floor-to-ceiling built-ins, that is not Basic, however much you might wish it. The exact content of each tier is fixed in the quote; these descriptions only help you choose the starting rate.
Three worked examples
A 60 m² flat in Gràcia: Basic from €60,000, Standard from €120,000, Luxury from €180,000. A flat the size of Urgel in the Eixample, 109.80 m²: Basic from €109,800, Standard from €219,600, Luxury from €329,400. A 180 m² house in Castelldefels: Basic from €180,000, Standard from €360,000, Luxury from €540,000.
All figures exclude VAT. Whether IVA is 10% or 21% depends on conditions explained in a separate article. These amounts are table arithmetic, not the prices of real projects, including Urgel.
What moves the total up or down
Upwards: replacing stacks and the fuse board in an old building, a new layout with reinforced load-bearing walls, heat-recovery ventilation, new windows, a walk-up with no lift or a narrow street with no room for a skip. A small floor area also pushes the rate up: a kitchen and bathrooms cost about the same in a 50 m² flat as in a 90 m² one, but are spread over fewer metres.
Downwards: services in good condition, keeping the layout, large living spaces with a single kitchen and bathroom. Items the table does not cover go on separate lines of the quote: council permits, appliances and non-bespoke furniture.
What to do with the figure next
Compare the result with your budget. If the gap is large, think about what could come out of the scope rather than dropping the tier for the whole job: sometimes Standard in the main rooms, leaving alone what is in good condition, works better.
Then send us the area, address, plan and photos. We reply within an hour, arrange the visit and, after measuring, prepare an itemised quote. The work is done by our own crew, with specialist trades handled by trusted subcontractors, one person in charge of the site and staged payments under the contract.