To successfully renovate an apartment, it is better to plan it in detail. And for a good reason, Apartment renovation is often a much more complex task than it seems at first glance!
Therefore, you lose nothing by finding out in detail about the steps to follow to renovate an apartment in the best conditions and about the points to remember.
When should an apartment be renovated?
Apartment renovation is often a long and restrictive but necessary project. In general, it is often necessary to renovate an apartment:
- Before selling the Apartment: for example, if you want to sell an apartment that has suffered water damage or if you want to redo the paintings or the decoration to stimulate the purchase.
- Before renting the Apartment: it is often necessary to spruce up an apartment between two tenants or properly furnish a rental apartment before it is put on the market.
- After buying an apartment: buying an apartment to renovate is a great way to have the apartment “of your dreams” for a controlled price and make your new purchase your own.
- To bring the Apartment up to standard: in some cases, it may be necessary to bring an old apartment up to standard (this is sometimes essential for rental).
If you buy an apartment to renovate, it is better to start the renovation before moving in. It is much more difficult to refurbish an already cluttered apartment with furniture or boxes than to work in space.
Our advice: it often makes more sense to renovate an apartment after purchase rather than renovating an apartment to sell it.
After all, the new buyer remains in the best position to renovate an apartment as he wishes. Unless your Apartment is unsanitary, it is better to limit your renovation costs as much as possible before the sale, even if it means making an effort on the price.
Steps to renovating an apartment:
The complete renovation can be carried out with an architect or independently.
The advantage of using an architect is that he can coordinate the work and help you select the artisans. But this will inevitably impact the price of renovating the Apartment.
Carrying out the work yourself will often be longer and more restrictive, but it remains the best way to save money on your work. It is still better to entrust the most complex work (particularly the electrical installation of the Apartment) to declared specialists.
In all cases, as in the other, Apartment renovation, your Apartment will go through the following stages:
The preparation of the renovation works of an apartment
First of all, it is imperative to list the work necessary for your Apartment to be renovated. The term “renovation” can refer to many types of necessary work.
The simplest renovations consist of a lick of paint or changing the coatings. Complete renovations will require redoing the interior layout, renovating the electrical installation or even fitting out the plumbing!
Before starting the Apartment renovation work, it is advisable to:
- Go around the Apartment, room by room, listing the necessary work.
- For check the installations (electricity and plumbing) to ensure their conformity.
- To carry out a renovation schedule for the Apartment, listing all the necessary works and their approximate duration.
- The budget for the renovation of the Apartment.
Even if your budget is less than the price of renovating a house, remember that refurbishment work can be very expensive! Hence the importance of preparing your budget well and anticipating the highest costs. (Click here to receive your free quotes from professionals in your area!)
Good to know: if you wish, our site allows you to collect up to five free, no-obligation apartment renovation quotes. It’s a great way to prepare your budget for renovating an apartment in the best conditions.
Demolition work
If you have to redo the interior design of an apartment, the first step will be to carry out the demolition work :
- break down the walls,
- Break down load-bearing walls,
- Remove old wall coverings
- Destroy a chimney,
- Breaking up a fitted kitchen,
This work is very messy and can damage the floor coverings or the walls. Hence the importance of carrying them out first.
Consider working during the day for this type of work (ideally from 10 am to 4 pm) so as not to disturb your neighbors. It would be a shame to start your neighborly relationship with a conflict!
Please note: in condominiums, it may be necessary to obtain the agreement of the syndicates before certain demolition works, in particular the opening of a load-bearing wall or its demolition. Some work must be carried out with the approval of an architect or a technical design office.
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- Structural work and installations
Once the demolition work has been carried out and the rubble has been collected, it will be necessary to redo the structural work and the equipment of the Apartment.
This can go through different works:
- Repair of walls,
- Installation of partitions,
- Making trenches or grooves (especially for electrical cables),
- Renovation of the electrical installation,
- Plumbing Renovation,
- Creation of a screed (on the floors),
- Coating (on the walls).
During this stage, you will redo the electrical installation (if necessary) and install your sanitary equipment (shower, bathtub, sinks, toilets, etc.).
Hiring masons, an electrician, and a plumber may be necessary for this step. The use of specialists is expensive but guarantees that you will have a construction that meets the standards of the shell.
Insulation work
Investing in the insulation of an apartment is far from useless. Especially since the installation of insulation allows you to increase the thermal and sound insulation of an apartment, guaranteeing your comfort.
Insulation can include:
- Floor insulation (installation of sub-floor insulation),
- Insulation of partitions,
- The insulation of the ceiling (installation of an insulated false ceiling),
- Carpentry insulation.
Changing the windows of an apartment is an expensive operation, but it is still highly recommended if you have single glazing. Switching to double glazing will considerably reduce your heating bill and traffic noise!
- Coatings and paint
Finally, you will be able to complete the bulk of the renovation work of an apartment by laying floor coverings, wall coverings and by carrying out paintings and tapestries.
Dressing the walls, floors and ceilings allow you to personalize your space and start decorating the Apartment. It is also an essential finishing touch to make you feel at home.
Once this step has been completed, the complete renovation of the Apartment is practically finished! All that remains is to finalize the last details: choice of lighting, interior decoration, layout.
How to calculate the cost of renovating an apartment?
Now that you know more about the order of an apartment renovation, it is still imperative to budget your project well.
The price of renovating an apartment can depend on many criteria:
- The use of an architect or not,
- The use of craftsmen (electrician, mason, plumber) or not,
- The total area of the Apartment,
- The nature of the work to be carried out,
- The equipment installed
- The materials are chosen and their finish.
It is considered that the renovation budget of an apartment approaches 450 Dollar per m² for a simple renovation. Still, it can reach 1100 Dollard per m² as part of a complete apartment renovation (including plumbing and electricity).
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ArcBazar is a business model that connects space owners and designers through architectural competitions. Space Owners benefit because they get multiple design solutions at an affordable cost. Designers benefit because they win cash, improve their portfolios, and step into the professional world through real and exciting design challenges.
How ArcBazar Works:
A renovation job, an addition to the home, modeling of retail space, design of an entire family home, a landscape project, a mixed-use development, or any other architectural design project. The Space owner describes the project, uploads images, and provides basic dimensions.
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