Renovating an apartment is necessary to bring it up to standard, improve comfort, beautify the living space and have an up-to-date habitat. Before starting everything, it is recommended to organize yourself well, to choose an architect if necessary, to find out about the obligations and the rules of the co-ownership. As for the budget to be expected, it obviously varies according to the scope of the work and the quality of the materials used. It includes installation and labor when you entrust the renovation of your apartment to a craftsman.
The different types of renovation of an apartment
There are different ways to restore an apartment, namely:
- The simple refreshment
- The complete renovation,
- Heavy renovation.
Refresh your apartment
This project generally consists of:
- Peel off the old wallpaper,
- Check the condition of the wall and if necessary remove any roughness,
- Install new wallpaper,
- Repaint the walls and ceilings,
- Change the damaged or outdated floor covering,
- Revise the decoration,
- Install a sliding partition to divide a large space into two zones,
- Rearrange the rooms with new furniture.
To refresh his apartment, the owner is under no obligation to call on an architect. On the other hand, he can, if he wishes, ask a decorator architect or to a specialist home staging to take charge of the project. These professionals perform real feats and manage, as if by magic, to transform an entire apartment. From a flat without character, they succeeded in creating a luxury apartment after having rearranged everything in order to optimize the space and make the living space brighter.
Whether you embark on the renovation work yourself or call on a decorator, it is not always necessary to refer to the rules of the co-ownership if these interventions do not deteriorate the quality acoustic insulation and because they have no impact on the exterior appearance of the building or even on the structure of the building.
Completely renovate your apartment
This is an important project because it usually involves:
- The modification of the distribution of the rooms thanks to the creation of new partitions or on the contrary to the destruction of a partition already in place,
- The replacement of old joinery with new ones, whether windows, French windows, bay windows or even the front door.
- The renovation :
- Different networks (plumbing, electricity),
- From the kitchen,
- From the bathroom.
- The installation of more contemporary electric radiators.
To completely renovate an apartment, the intervention of an architect is not obligatory but strongly recommended.
Opt for heavy renovation
This is a major renovation project that impacts the very structure of the building. The works generally concern:
- The intervention on the bearing walls in order to modify them and perhaps even destroy them,
- The total overhaul of the electrical network,
- Modification of all plumbing,
- Changing or installing insulation,
- The transformation of the floor and its structure,
- Intervention on the frame when replacing windows.
Many other interventions can be expected in order to modify in depth the structure of the apartment. And once completed, these works are usually completed by a total transformation of the dwelling in terms of decoration.
The heavy renovation work makes the use of an architect required.
Renovation of an apartment: what does the law say?
The client must start by finding out about his obligations before even contacting companies to obtain various renovation quotes.
Depending on the importance of the renovation and its impact on the structure of the building, it may be mandatory to submit to the town hall of your municipality:
- A prior declaration of work,
- An application for a building permit.
Other constraints must be respected, such as:
- Inform the neighborhood of possible nuisances due to the work (noise, blockage of the elevator, etc.).
- Respect the time slots and the days during which noisy work must be interrupted. These times should be checked at the town hall of the town where the apartment to be renovated is located.
- Review the rules of co-ownership: a distinction must be made between the work carried out in the private areas and in the common areas. In many cases, theco-ownership agreement is necessary. In order not to make a mistake, we start by asking the trustee and seriously re-reading the co-ownership regulations.
Renovation of an apartment: budget to plan
Many factors affect the apartment renovation costto know :
- The type of renovation: refreshment and/or decoration, complete renovation, major renovation,
- The quality of the materials used: entry-level, mid-range, high-end,
- The area of the apartment to be renovated,
- Workforce,
- The intervention of an architect,
- The service of a decorator or a home staging specialist.
Here are some forks of apartment renovation price to take into consideration to get an idea of the budget to be expected. These are the average rates applied for renovation work using good quality materials.
- Sudio or T1 apartment with an area of 30 M²
From €8,000 to €16,000 (refreshment); from €20,000 to €32,000 (complete renovation); from €33,000 to €62,000 (major renovation).
- Apartment with an area of 60 M²
- Apartment with an area of 80 M²
From €14,000 to €29,000 (refreshment); from €35,000 to €60,000 (complete renovation); from €65,000 to at least €100,000 (major renovation).
From €18,000 to €36,000 (refreshment); from €45,000 to €75,000 (complete renovation); from €80,000 to at least €150,000 (major renovation).
With entry-level materials the prices are generally lower, but the quality is not quite the same. If you opt for top-of-the-range, the prices will be much higher with a Excellent value.
It is well worth spending some time preparing for this project. The more seriously you think about it, the better the end result will be. Must therefore contact several contractors locals, as well as architects and their request quotes in order to compare the services, the quality of the materials used but also the solutions proposed. Having three or four quotes on hand is a minimum in order to be able to make a fairly precise comparative study of the rates applied according to the type of renovation of an apartment that you wish to entrust to a professional. Let’s not forget that renovating your apartment increases the value of the property.