Selling an apartment in Orihuela Costa.

• Walking time to the beach. Measured, not estimated. 5-minute versus 15-minute walk moves price 8–12% for otherwise identical apartments.
• Floor and orientation. South-facing terraces are a real premium. Ground floors sell to Spanish and older international buyers; top floors sell fastest when there is a lift.
• Lift access. Absence of a lift above the first floor is a hard discount of 8–15%. Do not price against lifted comparables.
• Private parking. A titled parking space (plaza de garaje) is worth €8k–€18k on top depending on complex and area, provided the deed reflects it.
• Communal amenities. Pool, gardens, and 24-hour security push demand from Northern European buyers. Their absence tightens the buyer pool but is not fatal.
• Community health. Well-run community, current fees paid, no pending derramas (special assessments), tidy common areas — checked by the buyer's lawyer, priced in by the buyer's advisor.

A resale apartment carries every unpaid community obligation with it. The buyer's lawyer requests a certificate from the administrador de fincas confirming: current monthly quota, any accepted derrama (special assessment) not yet paid, and the seller's ledger position. Any negative balance is deducted from proceeds at notary.

Order the certificate at listing, not at completion. Certificates take five to fifteen working days to produce depending on the community; a certificate that arrives late is the single most common reason apartment completions slip.

If the community has recently approved a large derrama (roof, lift, façade), disclose it in the listing. Non-disclosure is grounds for the buyer to renegotiate or withdraw during due diligence, which costs more than an honest headline.

A live tourist licence issued by Turismo Comunidad Valenciana permits legal short-term letting and is a genuine value driver for investor buyers. For lifestyle buyers the licence is neutral. Two considerations:

• The licence must be transferable and current. Confirm licence number, issue date, and any renewal or compliance obligations before listing. Include the licence number in the listing.
• Community bylaws increasingly restrict short-term letting. Even with a valid municipal licence, community statutes may prohibit tourist use. Check both. Buyers' lawyers will.

If your apartment has no licence and short-term letting is now prohibited in your complex, do not market it as investor stock. Position it accurately to lifestyle and long-term-rental buyers.

Apartments benefit disproportionately from correct presentation because they are compared side-by-side against dozens of near-identical units on the same portals. Three rules apply everywhere in Orihuela Costa:

• Remove, do not add. Tired 90s furniture reduces perceived value. Bare is better than dated. Where staging is needed, use neutral modern pieces or a light professional stage-out.
• Professional wide-angle photography with correct light. Golden-hour exteriors, blue-hour terrace shots, natural indoor light. Phone photography reliably extends time-on-market by 40–90%.
• Floorplan and orientation compass in every listing. Buyers scanning 40 listings will skip apartments without a floorplan. It is not optional.

• Original escritura (title deed) and nota simple (Land Registry extract, current).
• Latest IBI receipt (municipal property tax).
• Community fee certificate showing no debts (order early).
• Community statutes and minutes of the last two owners' meetings.
• Valid energy performance certificate (CEE) — 10-year validity.
• Cédula de habitabilidad or licence of first occupation.
• Recent utility bills (agua, luz, community).
• Tourist licence documentation, if applicable.
• NIE for every legal owner (current).