How to start a renovation: 6 essential steps

1. Decide on the type of repair

This is necessary to estimate the scope and cost of work.

Capital

This is the most difficult and expensive type of repair. During it, redevelopment is done, water and sewer pipes, wiring and floor coverings are changed. Install other doors, windows and decorative partitions. Installing new plumbing. Finally, they perform the final stage - a fine finish.

To understand if you need a major overhaul, check all communications and basic structures. You can do it yourself or invite specialists.

Cosmetic

It's great if the communications and basic structures are in order. Then you just need to update the appearance of the rooms, bathroom and hallway.

Usually, during cosmetic repairs, the walls are refinished: wallpaper is glued, wall panels are installed, tiles. Update linoleum or laminate. At the end, new sockets, switches and lamps are installed.

Intermediate

Quite often, just such a repair is required - it is at the junction of major and cosmetic. For example, in the bathroom, workers will have to change the hot water pipe. Then lay new tiles on the walls. And at the end, install a shower and toilet.

designer

The main rule of this type of repair is that the interior of all rooms is completely updated, and they are all decorated in the same style. Before starting work, a design project is created for each room. As a rule, during such repairs, they are engaged not only in the decoration of walls, floors and ceilings.

You will need to replace plumbing, buy or order suitable fixtures, textiles and accessories.

Designer repairs require more preparation time than regular cosmetic repairs. First you need to find a specialist or a studio and choose a project - perhaps from several proposed options.

Then - find in stores or order at the factory the original elements of the new interior. For example, an unusual chandelier or an interestingly shaped kitchen faucet. And only then start work.

2. Find Artists

Cosmetic repairs are easy to do yourself. But with a major one, you will have to do work that you may not be able to handle. And in this case, you can not do without professionals.

Contact a turnkey construction company

This is the easiest and most expensive way. But its main advantage is that you can find out in advance the cost of all alterations, taking into account prices per square meter.

You need to conclude an agreement, purchase materials together with contractors and calmly wait for the completion of work. If the company is not the first year on the market, it has a lot of experience in planning and in carrying out repairs. Therefore, force majeure situations are unlikely.

Choose a company whose specialists will evaluate the scope of work for free, measure all the premises and make an estimate. In addition, many companies make a design project as a gift if you conclude an agreement with them.

Hire a repair team

This option is cheaper, but will require more time from you. The main thing is to find performers who will perform the work with high quality, meet the estimate and deadlines.

If your friends have had a successful experience in this matter, you can ask them to share the contacts of a trusted team. Or contact neighborsthat have recently been refurbished. If they are satisfied with the result, they will recommend their team to you.

And you yourself will be able to see what the apartment looks like and evaluate how satisfied you are with the quality.

You can also find repairmen on free ad sites. When searching, look at photos of real interiors and read reviews.

When the choice is made, be sure to conclude a contract, which will indicate all the work, the timing of their implementation and cost.

3. Choose an interior design

Decide how you want your home to be. If the design project will be done by professionals, they will also be based on your preferences.

Here's what to do:

• Look for photos of rooms that are similar in layout to your apartment. Pay attention to the size of the rooms, the height of the ceilings, the location of windows and doors, the width of the window sills. At this stage, profile sites, Pinterest or search engines will help. Mark the design solutions that seem most interesting to you. Try to imagine whether you will be comfortable in such an interior.
• Save a selection of photos that you like. Do it in the cloud, social network or messenger so you can easily share pictures with everyone involved in this project.
• Choose the most comfortable interior style for you. Minimalist solutions are very popular today - loft, Scandinavian and Japanese styles. But no one will interfere, if you wish, to choose options with a variety of decor - Provence, boho, modern. Or cutting-edge high-tech with futuristic elements.
• Send all materials to the designer. This item is for those who decide to order a project from a professional. Be prepared to describe in detail how you see your apartment. If some ideas are impossible to implement, the designer will recommend alternative options.
• Order 3D models of each room. This is important if you decide to design the interior yourself. On the models, you will immediately see whether the colors are well combined and whether the decorative elements fit harmoniously into the interior.
• Determine which design elements need to be custom made. If you need unique lamps, wrought iron shelves, cabinets or screens of the original design, look for specialized workshops and factories. Don't delay - these orders can take a long time to complete.

4. Make a list of materials and equipment

This list is necessary to make an estimate and start shopping. You will need:

• Materials for capital repairs. These are pipes, ceilings, partitions, floor screed materials, electrical cables and connections. Here you can add equipment for underfloor heating, windows and doors.
• Plumbing. Bathtub or shower cabin, toilet bowl - single or with installation, sinks, faucets and taps.
• Decoration Materials. Porcelain stoneware or tiles for bathrooms and kitchens, linoleum, laminate or parquet for floors, wallpaper or wall panels. Do not forget about skirting boards and various fittings. Add building mixtures, glue, plaster and paint to the same section.
• Electrical materials. These are lamps, sockets, switches, extension cords.
• Decor for windows.Blinds, curtains - ordinary or rolled, tulle. Add window cornices and fittings here.

Check if you have included all the materials in the list, and you can proceed to the next step.

5. Calculate your budget

To determine the total cost of a renovation, you need to know the exact dimensions of all rooms. The amount of materials needed depends on this, which means the total amount.

If you contacted a repair company, then before signing the contract, the apartment will be measured by its employees. And at the start you will receive a calculation of the cost of materials and the necessary work.

If you invite a team of builders, then measurements and calculations will need to be done by yourself. Or entrust it to the contractor for an additional fee.

List all building materials and add the cost of the repairers. Be sure to determine the total amount that you will pay the builders and enter it into the contract. Some crews prefer to charge per day of work. In this case, they may delay the process in order to get more. You can agree to this form of payment only if you trust these people.

Plan your repairs in advance so that you can get everything you need during seasonal discount periods.

If you understand that you have gone beyond the expected amount, it is better to replace some of the materials with cheaper ones or abandon some parts. Do not delay repairs or transfer part of it to the distant future. Perhaps prices will rise, and you will spend even more than you planned.

6. Make a repair plan

It is needed if you do all the work yourself. Or if you want to control how the builders are doing.

The main principle: you need to start with those works that involve more garbage, dirt and dust. Then it is better to act, moving from top to bottom, from the ceiling to the floor.

Here are the main repair steps:

• Redevelopment. At this stage, the builders demolish the old partitions and erect new ones.
• Laying of electrical cables. To lay new communications, repairmen ditch the walls and make holes in them. Please note: this process is accompanied by a lot of noise. Therefore, it is better not to plan such work on the weekend. In some regions, it is forbidden to drill and chisel walls on Sunday, and on Saturday there is a limited time for repairs.

Sometimes builders do not comply with this rule, and the owner of the apartment is responsible for the noise.

• Replacement of water and sewer pipes, installation of outlets for a shower cabin and a washing machine.
• Glazing balcony, replacement of windows and entrance doors.
• Major ceiling and wall repairs. At this stage, workers paint ceilings, install wall panels, glue wallpaper.
• All work on leveling and laying the floor. First comes the stage of screeding and installation of a warm floor. Then the repairmen lay the laminate or parquet - strictly after the screed is completely dry.
• Installation of stretch or suspended ceilings.
• Installation of plumbing in the bathroom and kitchen, as well as radiators in all rooms.
• Installation of sockets and switches.
• Mounting on the walls of hanging cabinets, installation and connection of all household appliances.
• Installation of interior doors, installation of skirting boards.
• Installation of cornices and lamps.

After all this, it remains to do a general cleaning, and the repair is completed.