Gotele, a textured wall finish common in Spain, is hideous, outdated and impossible to clean. I personally dislike wall textures in general. Most wall textures can be imitated by decorative painting, without the commitment to something which will likely be out of fashion in a few years. Gotele is particularly ugly, and no matter the cost should be removed.

Luckily, though labor-intensive, and messy resurfacing walls with gotele is relatively straightforward. If the gotele is water based removing it requires spraying the wall with water, letting it soak in for a few minutes and carefully scraping off the texture with a wide flat spatula. It’s a good idea to have cardboard or drop clothes to protect the floor and to make clean up easier. It’s important to hold the scraper at a flat angle to the wall to not gouge the surface. After all of the texture is removed spread a layer of joint compound over the entire wall surface. When the joint compound is dry sand it smooth. It is easiest to sand with a pole sander, by hand takes too long, and an electric sander can leave an uneven surface. The sanding process is very dusty, make sure to wear a dust mask and protective clothing. When the wall is sanded smooth apply primer to make the surface more durable before painting.

Again, it’s messy and takes a lot of elbow grease but your newly smoothed walls will significantly increase the value of the apartment.