“May the renovations in your apartment never end!” - the passer-by throws over his shoulder and goes home. And you stand there and think: “Why is he doing this? Did you wish for wealth or, on the contrary,... tax you?”
But really, the issue of repairs is an unpleasant matter for the average citizen. With today's prices for materials and services of construction Jedi, you will have to fork out seriously. And how much time and nerves you will have to spend, and even live in a ruined apartment! You wouldn't wish it on your enemy. But repairs are a vital necessity, and sooner or later you will still have to face them. Some craftsmen, even in times of crisis, still manage to renovate an apartment with their own hands quickly and inexpensively. But how do they manage to do this? Inexpensive - this is a cosmetic repair with your own hands and domestic materials. Such repairs will not require large financial investments, but you are guaranteed the cleanliness and freshness of your apartment. Cheap is not always bad.
Where to begin?
Keep a small notebook. In it you will write down all the ideas, prices and phone numbers of stores or specialists. But the main thing is that it will contain a plan for your repair and a cost estimate. The plan needs to reflect all your wishes: replacing windows with plastic, a false ceiling or just whitewashing, new tiles in the bathroom, wallpapering or a couple of new sockets in the kitchen. Write exactly what you want. If you decide on wallpaper, that means wallpaper; if you want decorative plaster, then so be it. Pipes are humming - replace it, a cracked toilet - throw it away. You may think that, based on your desires, you won’t be able to do an apartment renovation with your own hands quickly and inexpensively. But you probably don’t know this, and you’re only forcing yourself into limits. If it works, you’ll do it; if not, it’s not a big loss, it’s just a note in a notebook. Next, start making an estimate: what exactly do you need and in what quantity. How many meters of tiles, grout, bags of putty, wallpaper, chipboard and other things. You can always correct these entries.
To find out exactly what materials, what quality and price you will need, go to online stores and construction forums for help. Carefully study the characteristics and pricing policy, approximately calculate the consumption. And at the same time, learn how to replace a faucet, hang wallpaper or install drywall yourself. Determine for yourself: I can do this myself, but here you need to look for an electrician or plumber. Write it down.
How can you save money?
There are many options. First, remember: it is better to buy materials for apartment renovation in the cold season - the price is much lower. But summer is construction season. In winter, you can come across a 50% discount in construction markets or a “Buy 2, get 3 for free” promotion! This way you can buy the same wallpaper at a low price, but of much better appearance and quality. And if they lie for a couple of months in a dry pantry or closet, then nothing will happen to them. Explore local forums, especially if you live in a large city. There you will probably find many people who have already done inexpensive apartment renovations with their own hands. You will probably find photos of finishing, tips, addresses and phone numbers of specialists there. And you will also come across the heading “repair” and “remaining materials”. Periodically look at who is selling or giving away interesting things. People often end up with materials after renovation that no one will buy at the sale price, and it’s a pity to throw them away. So, you can buy a couple of bags of putty or even Spanish tiles for a ridiculous price. A person has an extra 2-3 meters left, there is nowhere to put it, but it will do just fine for you in the toilet. There you can also find the remains of a cable or grout “for a chocolate bar”. More respectable people, when moving into new buildings, often exchange brand new plumbing fixtures or PVC windows for more expensive ones, and these are given away for next to nothing. Why? Because they want “Rehau” or “only France”, and such a window will do just fine for you. Anything is better than the old wooden one. When you get rich, buy yourself a Rehau.Tools for repair
Construction tools cost a lot of money, so it’s better not to spend money on them. Another option is to rent it for a while; it is rented everywhere. And it will be even better if you borrow it from acquaintances, friends or relatives. And be sure to thank the person for their help. How? You know better. Take this opportunity to ask if they can help you decorate your apartment. Especially if your friends are well acquainted with construction literacy. This will also help you do your own apartment renovation quickly and inexpensively, and also with high quality. And your friend will probably make a significant discount for old times sake.
You will need:
Step-by-step instruction
1. The concept of repair includes the following list:
4. The next stage is ceiling repair. Sew all the cracks with a spatula so that they become deeper. Prime with primer, putty and let dry. After the primer has dried, sand the ceiling and prime it again. Before painting the ceiling, make repairs to the walls. 5. After working on the ceiling, start removing the old wallpaper. To do this, wet the old wallpaper with water, let it soak for a while, and as soon as it gets wet, remove it with a spatula. The wall must be dry and clean before you begin repairing it. Sew all the cracks on the wall with a spatula, prime them with primer and seal them with putty. When the areas you putty have dried, sand them and then coat them with primer again. If you are gluing thick wallpaper, do not use finishing putty. 6. The next stage is painting the ceiling or wallpapering the ceiling. Dilute the water-based paint as written on the can and paint the ceiling 2 times. If you decide to glue wallpaper for painting, then glue it and paint it 2 times as well. Domestic paints are cheaper, so your budget will not suffer. 7. Before covering the walls with wallpaper, you need to paint the doors and window frames. If you buy “P” paint from Russian manufacturers rather than imported ones, it will cost you much less. After the paint has dried, proceed to wallpapering. To save money on purchasing wallpaper, choose a domestic manufacturer. In terms of quality and durability, wallpaper from Russian manufacturers is not inferior to imported ones. 8. The final stage is painting the floor. If the furniture was not taken out, then cover the legs and perimeter of the furniture with masking tape, and remove it after painting - the furniture will remain clean. Choose domestic paint - it will be cheaper, but will not affect the quality of the paint.
Walls
Walls are the first thing that always catches your eye. Of course, everyone will like smooth walls and beautiful, stylish wallpaper, but if there is no money for leveling and expensive materials, you can limit yourself to simply replacing the old wallpaper. Just by re-pasting the wallpaper you will already transform the apartment. It is quite possible to choose inexpensive thick wallpaper on a paper or non-woven basis, and you can stick it even on not very smooth walls. Non-woven wallpaper hides minor irregularities especially well.
There is another option. The previous owners left a couple of rolls of wallpaper in the apartment, which were of no use to them during the renovation. For example, I simply replaced a few particularly dirty and torn areas of wallpaper. It was enough to replace the wallpaper strips where they were most noticeably damaged. These are protruding corners, places near door jambs, in the hallway at the entrance, in the kitchen near the stove - all this will cost much less than a complete replacement, and the home will look much better.
Ceiling
If we are dealing with whitewash or layers of lime, it is best to clean them first. Numerous lime deposits that peel and crumble are not only aesthetically unsightly, but also harmful to health. It is not difficult to wash away the lime; you first need to soften the layers by wetting small areas of the ceiling with water from a spray bottle, and then clean off the plaster with a hard spatula or scraper. If there is old peeling wallpaper on the ceiling, it needs to be removed.
After cleaning, the ceiling can be additionally sanded with ordinary sanding paper, that is, sandpaper, and primed. If the surface is smooth, without pits or cracks, it will be cheaper to paint the ceiling with acrylic paint; it is better to use matte paint in light, pure tones. If there are small defects, the wallpaper will hide them. Wallpaper for the ceiling should be chosen white or very light, without a pronounced pattern and with very fine corrugation. Another economical option to transform the ceiling is to glue foam boards.
Floors
If these are concrete floors, as a rule, nothing additional needs to be done with them in terms of preparation; they are quite smooth and durable. Creaking wooden floors are a much more serious problem, and repairing them, at least over time, cannot be avoided, but you can temporarily solve the problem of squeaking. Creaking in wood floors occurs when adjacent planks rub against each other. In particularly “loud” areas of the floor, you can drill several holes with a regular drill and fill in a little foam. The foam will fill and seal the voids between the boards and the floor will stop creaking. This must be done carefully, without fanaticism, so that the floor does not swell.
You can even out strong “waves” and unevenness in wooden floors by nailing hardboard, plywood or OSB sheets on top. For the required strength, the thickness of plywood or OSB should be about 1 centimeter. As a finishing floor covering, linoleum is still the most economical and durable. Fortunately, the choice of linoleum in stores is extensive.
Tile
If we have already figured out the wallpaper on the walls, then what to do with the tiled flooring? Replacing the tiles, of course, may be a solution if the tiles do not stick to the wall, because there is no other way out. In rare cases, when the tile easily comes away from the mortar, and the mortar itself adheres well to the wall, the tile can be easily restored by spreading it with a thin layer of PVA glue and pressing it firmly into place against the mortar. The main thing here is to get the back of the tile correctly into its imprint on the mortar, and PVA glue will glue the ceramics to the mortar very firmly - checked! But if the tiles are holding strong, and buying new ones is expensive, you can work a little on what you have. Firstly, the tiles can and should be washed thoroughly. Since it is tile, it will withstand much more aggressive cleaning agents than dish gel, but it will also look much better when it is cleaned of limescale, rust and other signs of use. It is also necessary to clean the seams between the tiles. There is no need to be afraid of damaging the grout; on the contrary, you need to clean off as much grout as possible. Mold often settles between the tiles in the bathroom and it is very difficult to remove it from there.
After removing as much grout as possible along with unwanted flora and fauna, the seams can be treated with a special antiseptic. After this, they can be filled with fresh grout. It is better to choose a grout color that is neutral or close to the color of the tile.
Plumbing
Carefully inspect your plumbing fixtures. Are there any cracks or chips? There is no need to change plumbing. Plumbing cleaning products will help make all sanitary surfaces look more presentable, and a bright shower curtain will complete the job. By the way, you can also refresh a cast-iron bathtub with paint. Not from the inside, of course, but from the outside. But, shining with freshly painted sides, the bathtub will immediately take on a more elegant look. But if the inner surface of the bathtub is damaged and worn out, it makes sense to contact bathtub restoration specialists who will cover the surface of the bathtub with new enamel right at home.
As a rule, such a service is cheaper than purchasing and installing a new bathtub. Here's another option: make a bath curtain not only for the top, but also for the bottom (use glue and Velcro).
Electrics
Inspect all outlets. If you see melted plastic around the plug holes or even just dark spots, such sockets should be replaced without hesitation! Lamps are changed as needed. If they are intact, not obsolete and all the lights are on, you can simply remove them, wash them and hang them back. Do not forget to turn off the voltage in the apartment when working with electricians!10 ways to spend less on decorating an apartment and get a real masterpiece
Designer tips: 1. 100% polyester silk. Stone-like tiles, parquet-like linoleum, onyx-like laminate, Trekhgorka like Ralph Lauren. Python-like porcelain tiles. “Artificially aged” something... It’s embarrassing to even think about. Alas, the number will not work. Look through good interior design magazines. Everywhere there, stone is stone, tile is nothing more than tile, and wood is just that, wood. If you don’t have the money for parquet, and simple laminate is beneath you, look for a good engineered board. The result is a floor that looks worth much more than the money you spent on it. A good alternative to porcelain tiles for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways is cement tiles. The result will look a hundred times more expensive. 2. Adjacent rooms should contrast. If you have a bright living room, have the hallway painted a deep, relatively dark color. The cost of paint will be the same in any case, and the result can look really expensive. 3. If on good carpet no money, look for carpet made from viscose or blended fibers that imitate a silk or wool pile carpet.
4. Place the curtains on a thick lining. Even inexpensive curtain fabric will greatly benefit from this. Look for fabrics that are three meters wide. This results in significant savings. If you are not willing to spend a lot, avoid printed textiles (fabrics with a pattern). When cutting patterned fabrics, due to the need to properly join the fabrics, a lot of scraps remain. The more rapport, the more waste. Do not use curtain tape for curtains. Let the seamstress lay down the “hand” folds. It's not that expensive, and the pleats, gathered with braid, look very cheap. 5. Set-set-set. Identical things in the interior are permissible only in one case: if they are paired items that form a symmetrical composition. Leave the chandeliers, table lamps and sconces from the same set to those to whom God has not given imagination. They also have sets of upholstered furniture “a sofa and two armchairs” and similar gentle sadness. For more details, see the next paragraph. 6. Ready-made solutions. Bad news: there isn't any. At least for us. The shower room is built using construction methods because it is a room. Unless you run a student hostel or an underground massage parlor with striptease, a shower stall (that sad structure of yellow acrylic and lopsided doors) will not suit you. Don't spend money on “designer” plumbing fixtures. Let the appearance of the plumbing equipment in the bathroom (kitchen, bathroom) be dictated by the function. Buy washbasins and faucets of simple shapes, without inappropriate decor. The toilet should be inconspicuous and do its job. No one will admire him, right? 7. Paintings, prints, engravings, photographs and posters frame in simple but deep frames with glass and always with a mat. Even a picture printed on a home inkjet printer (or a naive child’s drawing) looks very significant in such a frame. Play with the size of the mat. A small work in a very wide mat looks very “designer-like”. And, by the way, cardboard for mats can be of almost any color. 8. Cosiness. Another collective fetish. According to my observations, what in our Palestinians is called “comfort”, in 99 percent of cases, is poetic closeness. In many ways, this is a physical memory of a bygone childhood, of the warm and affectionate meager Soviet life with carpets teeming with saprophytes, a kind grandmother, Czechoslovak crystal and the unread Dreiser in the polished Polish wall of “Hanka”. Moreover, expensive devilry such as a round bed with music and a minibar, a bar counter with a built-in aquarium, etc. will not add comfort. The same is true for such rich things as lambrequin, garland and swag. Don't worry: in a good, well-thought-out interior, comfort inevitably comes naturally. Therefore... 9. ...Goodbye, gypsy Sera! Duvet covers made of calico in fine Nefertiti, towels in scarlet roses, pillowcases in eye-catching shades, nylon blankets with Shanghai leopards. All these are attributes of collective farm chic, forgive me for being blunt. They will not add comfort. Variegated coloring is often necessary for these things solely to hide their exceptionally lousy quality. Keep bed linen and bath towels simply white (options: ivory, ecru). But made from excellent Egyptian cotton. 10. However, it is also important not to overdo it with ivory. Peach, beige, sand... The average nuanced range is good for chain hotels. Because their stenciled interiors are bound to please everyone. You should like your interior. After all, he is a manifestation of your essence, right? Pick up a fan palette from any paint manufacturer. Do you feel pleasant heaviness? These are your possibilities. Don't miss them!
For a person in life, an apartment is the place where he goes after a working day, where he raises children, lives with hope for the future and simply relaxes, and each of us wants the apartment to be cozy and comfortable, like in a country house. The time comes when it is necessary to make repairs: it can be not only major, but also budgetary and inexpensive. In order not to hire a construction company, you can start renovating the apartment yourself. At the family council, decide on the design of the apartment (both each of the rooms and the overall style), and invite your child to do this. To do this, you can see photos of the apartment renovation on our website. When the design is approved, don’t forget to make a list of materials and necessary tools. It is better to always take the material with a small reserve. If you live in an apartment that is being renovated and the furniture cannot be completely removed from the apartment, then do it in parts, first making repairs in one room of the apartment, then in another. When starting to prepare the walls and ceiling, you need to consider whether the electrical wiring in the apartment will change. It is better to entrust this stage to an experienced electrician, because... The safety and correct operation of electrical appliances depends on the wiring.
Then we move on to the walls and ceiling: level, if necessary, apply a layer of putty and prime. The drying time of plaster or putty depends on the applied layer, do not forget about this. After this stage, we move on to the floors, open them, set them level, if necessary, we replace the old boards that have become unusable with new ones or cover the floor with plywood. When renovating a bathroom, start from the ceiling - just like in all the rooms in your apartment. The cladding, on the contrary, is carried out from the floor. If there is humidity in the bathroom, you can install a heater. Be sure to check the waterproofing: if it is old and cracked, it is better to replace it.
When renovating an apartment with your own hands, the main thing is to be calm and take your time, otherwise you can “break the woods.” The walls in the kitchen can be covered with wallpaper, tiles, or MDF panels can be installed. It is advisable to tiled the wall near the gas stove and sink. This can all be done on your own, as in the photographs in our articles. It is better to entrust the dismantling and installation of window units and double-glazed windows to a company specializing in this type of work. If the repair takes place in frosty weather, then the installation of the blocks is carried out within two hours, so the heating system will not be able to defrost.
As you understand, this is only a brief and superficial overview of do-it-yourself apartment renovation. Each stage of self-repair must be prepared very carefully and step by step; you will find more detailed tips with photos and videos in the topical articles on our website. The choice is yours: to renovate the apartment yourself or hire a construction team.
When starting an apartment renovation, many are faced with a huge number of problems and questions to which they do not know the answer. Especially often, difficulties arise for those who have never done such work with their own hands. In this article, we will tell you what a renovation can be like and analyze all its stages step by step. You will learn where to start renovating an apartment with your own hands and how best to do it, we will offer step-by-step instructions that will help you determine the order of work.
We will also talk about how to carry out rough finishing of an apartment so that further repairs take place without problems, what materials are the best, what is the price for them, and much more that will help us determine the procedure for repairing an apartment with our own hands.
There are several types of apartment renovation: major renovation, cosmetic renovation.
Major renovation
Carrying out a major renovation of an apartment will require a lot of time, effort and, of course, nerves. The cost of such repairs will not be small, so be prepared to spend a lot of money. A major renovation of an apartment involves a complete reconstruction and replacement of windows, doors, wall and floor coverings, pipes, and so on. The scope of work carried out includes:
- Proper planning of the size of the rooms, if necessary, then you can divide or connect the rooms.
- Complete replacement of plumbing or its reconstruction.
- Changing the location of old sockets and installing new ones.
- Issues with old and new lighting are resolved; if necessary, grating work is carried out; they are necessary for laying the wiring.
- Plastering works. It will be necessary to perform the rough finishing of the apartment with special care.
- Complete replacement of door and window openings.
- Selection of built-in furniture.
Above you can see photos of apartment renovations before and after major renovations.
It will take a lot of time to carry out a major renovation of an apartment with your own hands, but if you correctly decide where to start and outline the order of work, then the time costs will be significantly reduced, and your apartment without finishing will very soon acquire an aesthetic appearance.
The first thing you should do is empty the room yourself of the furniture there. To avoid the situation that you have to sleep right on the floor somewhere in the corner of the room among a pile of painting and building materials, peeled wallpaper, so it is better to decide in advance the issue of accommodation for the night - live with relatives for a while or rent a room.
And so that renovations in an apartment without finishing with your own hands do not take much time, you will again need to decide the question yourself, we talked about this above, where to start renovations in a new apartment, it is this decision that will subsequently influence the time, price and order of work. You also need to take into account that the rough finishing of the apartment must be of high quality, so you will significantly simplify and speed up the process of completing the work.
Redecorating
This kind of do-it-yourself apartment renovation involves cosmetic work that will help slightly update your rooms. The price of such repairs will depend on the scope of work and the amount of materials used. Repairing an apartment without finishing will only affect the replacement of coverings of one or all premises, without replacing existing communications.
This also includes replacing the old floor covering with a new one, finishing the ceiling and walls: painting, wallpapering, puttying. In a word, cosmetic renovation of an apartment will not take you much time, but this is only if you approach the work competently and calmly, in this case it will take you a couple of weeks to complete the renovation, while a major renovation will take a month or even several, depending on the amount of work, the main thing is to decide for yourself where to start, and then we will see. If necessary, you can carry out a rough finishing of the apartment, although then the price of your renovation will increase slightly.
Below is a photo of a do-it-yourself apartment renovation – cosmetic renovation.
European-quality renovation
The concept of European-quality renovation is, one might say, quite conventional; it came to us from the beginning of the nineties. Then, during European-quality renovation, all work was carried out strictly according to European standards and only with the use of expensive imported construction and finishing materials, which is why the price of European-quality renovation was too high.
Currently, European-quality renovation is an original design approach to the design of premises, the use of unique technologies, bold style solutions, European zoning of rooms, and so on. In a word, European-quality renovation provides the customer with comfortable, beautiful and exclusive housing.
The decision in favor of European-quality renovation with your own hands should be given if you put forward fairly high demands on the renovation of your home and want to see its complete transformation. Not everyone can afford such repairs, because the price will be simply prohibitive for many.
Above is a photo of the apartment renovation - European-quality renovation.
When renovating an apartment with your own hands, you not only eliminate existing defects in the premises, it also involves a complete replacement of heating systems, lighting, air conditioning systems, and the development of a color scheme for the future design.
Before you begin European-quality renovation, you should create a competent design project for your house, cottage or apartment and determine the order of work. If you wish, you can develop a design yourself using the most original types of finishes.
It is also very important to decide where to start working with your own hands so that it goes quickly and efficiently. If you like to do future design yourself, this indicates that you are a creative person, and that means the results of your own repairs will not keep you waiting.
Where to start renovating an apartment with a rough finish with your own hands?
If you don’t know where to start renovating an apartment with a rough finish, in this case you will need to draw up a detailed plan, which will indicate the stages of work step by step. You should draw up a step-by-step repair plan yourself based on what you want to get as a result of the repairs done. In addition to the plan, you will need to independently develop a design project for an apartment without finishing, choose materials, wallpaper, color scheme, and so on.
Thanks to the design project and plan, you will be able to determine the price of your future renovation, because the necessary materials, their quantity and much more are indicated there. Of course, when doing repairs with your own hands, you still won’t be able to plan everything correctly; you will need more detailed instructions, but this information will help you avoid a lot of typical mistakes that are most often made by those who have never done repairs on their own before.
Now you know where to start renovating an apartment without finishing it yourself and how to determine its price, even if it’s approximate, but it’s better to know at least something than nothing at all.
The photo above shows an approximate repair plan, but it can be taken as a basis.
To understand where it’s best to start renovating your apartment, watch the video:
Repair stages
So, if you don’t know where to start renovating an apartment without finishing it yourself, below we will describe step by step all the steps that will need to be completed.
- Window installation.
- Door installation.
- Installation of heating radiators.
- Pipe installation.
- Installation of electrical wiring.
All this work must be done with your own hands first. Why? The fact is, if you first carry out repairs, which include finishing work on the ceiling, floor and walls, and only then proceed with the above work, you can ruin the work already done, for example, you will splash the new wallpaper on the walls with the solution, and then you will have to make repairs again.
If you do not have enough finances for a complete renovation, then prioritize toilet renovation, bathroom renovation, radiator installation and window installation. And to renovate the remaining rooms, start gradually buying materials: tiles, wallpaper, putty, and so on.
And in order to more accurately determine the costs, decide where to start the repair with your own hands, what to do next and how to finish it, in this case you will know exactly what materials you need to buy, their price, what you can do with your own hands, where to start the repair in apartment when you need to call a specialist.
All other stages of apartment renovation are carried out independently in the following order:
- First, when renovating an apartment without finishing, you need to finish the premises yourself, such work includes: installing partitions, plastering walls, leveling the floor (screed), installing a plasterboard ceiling.
- At this stage of the renovation, the flooring is laid.
- Installation of plumbing products: toilet, bathtub, etc.
- Carrying out finishing putty. This stage of repair is very important.
- Wall and ceiling decoration. Repairs related to the finishing of ceilings must be carried out competently.
- Installation of necessary electrical equipment: switches, lamps, etc.
- Next, we install the doors ourselves.
- At the last stage we install the baseboards.
If you doubt that you can make repairs and install electrical and plumbing yourself, then seek help from specialists. When they carry out the repairs, ask them to make for you a plan of existing communications; this will not only help you later when doing the repairs yourself, but will also eliminate the risk that you accidentally damage the pipes and cables laid in the wall.
If, when renovating an apartment with your own hands, you adhere to the order of work and know exactly where to start, this will help you avoid a huge number of mistakes, which in turn will significantly save time spent on renovations in a new apartment and will help reduce the price well.
Which room should you start renovating your apartment from?
It must be said that renovating an apartment with your own hands requires a lot of time and, of course, financial investments, so if your budget does not allow you to renovate the entire apartment at once, then it is better to do one room, and after a while another. The main thing is to decide where to start the renovation, or rather which room.
If you ask the fair half of humanity which room is better to start renovating an apartment from, then most likely every second of them will answer that from the bathroom or from the kitchen, and there is some truth in this. After all, it is in the kitchen that we spend most of our time, and if guests come, the first thing they will want to do is wash their hands before going into the kitchen and sitting down at the table.
Choosing an interior style
There are probably no people who would not want the renovation of their apartment or house to be done with their own hands in full accordance with modern design solutions, so each apartment owner himself chooses a style solution for the interior of his premises, which will be one hundred percent responsive and his personal wishes, and modern trends.
If you prefer to see ease and freedom in your interior, then choose a minimalist or high-tech style. Many people prefer to see their interior in a classic style, which is ideal for rooms of different sizes and any lighting options.
If your apartment is small in size and you want to furnish it with your own hands as comfortably as possible, then your style is country, but for risky and business people the most attractive will be the modern style, where the most original ideas are concentrated, sometimes even too provocative.
In a word, everyone chooses an interior style based on their tastes and preferences; for some, it is comfortable to live in a half-empty apartment with a minimum of furniture and decorative elements, while for others, the house should be a “full bowl” in literally everything. But your imagination will tell you where to start choosing the future design for your apartment.
It must also be said that the cost of your renovation will largely depend on the complexity of the chosen interior. If you prefer to see sophistication and luxury in everything, then get ready for the fact that the cost of creating such an interior will be far from small.
This photo shows the ceiling, which is made in the Rococo style.
In the photo above you can see the decor of the living room, which is made in Indian style.
The photo above shows the classic style in the interior.
In the photo above you can see the bedroom, which is made in the style of constructivism.
Preparing a plan for upcoming repairs
If you have started renovating an apartment with your own hands, but don’t know where to start, below we will offer step-by-step instructions that will determine the order of work in the apartment, this will help you a lot when you ask yourself the question of where to start renovating an apartment without finishing , what is its approximate cost, what materials will need to be purchased, and so on
Stage 1 - dismantling old coatings
We remove old finishing material from the walls, ceiling and floor with our own hands. If there is wallpaper on the walls, you must tear it off. The fact is that many people, in order not to waste their time, glue new wallpaper onto old ones - this is another mistake that is often made when renovating. This cannot be done, because the old wallpaper under the new ones may peel off, but together with the new wallpaper, which will entail a waste of money and time, you will need to buy and glue the wallpaper again.
If your subfloor in your apartment has become unusable, you don’t need to touch it for now, such work should be left for later. If you are not going to completely change the subfloor, then you need to cover it with something; plastic film is suitable for this purpose, which will need to be well secured at the edges with masking tape. To protect it from mechanical damage, you can use cardboard; it is much more reliable than if you used paper for these purposes.
For those who don’t know where to start dismantling old finishing coatings in their apartment - start with the walls: remove old wallpaper or other finishing material, clean the surface of the walls from glue residues, repair cracks, in a word, carry out all the work so that in front of you there was a clean wall left.
The photo shows the removal of old wallpaper from the walls.
In the video below, you can see how to clean the walls before wallpapering.
Stage 2 - laying wiring and pipes into the wall
Here you can already install existing pipes and electrical wiring into the wall yourself. This stage of renovation work in an apartment is considered the dirtiest, but also the most important. Carrying out this work in the apartment next time will be quite difficult, and in some cases impossible, without performing another major overhaul.
It should also be noted that it is better not to save money on electrical and plumbing, because the wiring and pipes hidden in the wall can be damaged, then in order to repair them you will need to dismantle them, just imagine what kind of work this is, and this despite the fact that your The rooms have already been completely renovated and covered with expensive wallpaper.
Do-it-yourself wall nailing must be carried out strictly according to the scheme, which should then under no circumstances be thrown away; it will later help you drive nails into the wall in safe places. In the grooves you made yourself, you need to carefully lay pipes and wires of the required cross-section and then seal the grooves. Advice: it is better to use propylene pipes for laying in grooves.
This photo of an apartment renovation shows how you need to ditch the walls yourself for laying pipes and electrical wiring with your own hands.
In the video below, you can see how the work of gating walls for wiring is carried out.
Stage 3 - installation of new windows
At this stage of rough work, old windows in the apartment are replaced with new ones. Such work is quite labor-intensive and requires professionalism. If you are new to this business and don’t know where to start, then trust the installation of windows to specialists. As soon as the windows in the apartment are installed, they will need to be protected from dust and dirty splashes, without which not a single rough finish can be completed.
To provide protection to new windows during rough finishing, they need to be covered with film or pleated paper curtains; their price is low, but they look quite aesthetically pleasing. Well, then you can begin the rough finishing - we prepare the ceiling and floor for the final finishing.
Rough finishing of an apartment involves leveling the surface of the walls, then all existing seams and cracks are grouted, then puttying begins. The material for rough finishing in an apartment should be selected based on the type of final finishing. Now you know how and where to start replacing windows in your apartment.
Above is a photo of an apartment renovation - showing the dismantling of windows.
In this photo you can see how the installation of new windows takes place.
To better understand how to dismantle and install new windows, watch the video below:
Stage 4 - priming the walls
At this stage of rough finishing in the apartment, you will need to make a primer; it gives the ceiling and walls better strength. After applying the primer, you need to wait until it is completely dry and only then can you paint the ceiling.
Above is a photo of an apartment renovation, where you can see how the ceiling surface is primed.
This video shows the work of priming the ceiling.
Stage 5 - leveling the floor in the apartment
At this stage, you can begin rough finishing the floor. If you are satisfied with the old floor in your apartment, then you will not need the fifth stage. But if you decide to change your floor, then you will need to fill the base of the subfloor with mortar or screed it.
When renovating a subfloor in an apartment, it is better to use a self-leveling mortar, since screeding it yourself will require much more time and effort. Here, decide for yourself what is better and more profitable for you. As soon as the work on screeding the floor in the apartment is completed, you need to wait until the solution dries well and only after that you can begin other work. After finishing the work, you will already understand where to start the next stage of renovation in the apartment.
The photo shows the rough work stage of leveling the floor using self-leveling mortar.
To understand more clearly how leveling works with self-leveling mixtures take place, watch the video below
The photo shows the stage of rough work to level the floor using cement mortar.
The video below shows how to properly level the floor using cement-sand mortar.
Stage 6 - DIY wall decoration
At this stage, we will be finishing the surface of the walls in the apartment with our own hands. The finishing material should be chosen based on your wishes and the monetary component. To decorate the walls, you can buy beautiful wallpaper, preferably non-woven wallpaper.
Currently, the modern market is simply gushing with an abundance of finishing materials, so you won’t have any problems with the choice; there are both expensive and cheap options for finishing. In addition to the wallpaper option, you can choose painting, decorative plaster and others. If your finances allow, you can buy decorative types of finishing for your apartment, although the price will be significantly higher, but the result will certainly please you.
If you have decided on the choice of finishing materials, then think about how and where to start decorating the walls in the apartment yourself. If you are gluing wallpaper, then paste it so that the patterns match. Paneling should be done from the corner of the wall. Important: finishing materials will fit well on the surface of the walls only if the rough finishing of the apartment was done competently and efficiently.
In the photo you can see the decorative decoration of the walls with your own hands, it looks very beautiful.
Important: when carrying out rough finishing of the walls in the apartment, carefully ensure that the surface is perfectly flat, in this case you can choose any type of finish. If the rough finishing of the apartment was carried out poorly and unevenness remained on the walls, then among the finishing materials offered on the market today you will be able to choose only a few options that are suitable for your walls when renovating the apartment. Now you know where to start decorating the walls with your own hands and how to carry out further repairs in a new apartment.
The photo shows wall decoration using wallpaper.
Stage 7 - flooring
At this stage of repair we carry out work related to the installation of flooring. You can buy carpet, linoleum, parquet boards, laminate, etc. If you decide that you will lay tiles on your floor, then it is better to lay them after the work on the ceiling is completed. For the tiles to lay well, the subfloor must be perfectly level.
If the rough finishing of the apartment and the floor was done poorly and unevenness remains, then laying most flooring materials will not be possible for you, since they require a floor that is perfectly smooth. In this case, you will have to either re-finish the rough floor, or resort to other methods that will make the rough floor even.
That is why, in order to avoid such mistakes, you need to take the work of rough finishing the apartment very seriously, then it will become clear to you where to start this or that work related to the installation of floor coverings. If the renovation is done correctly, then your new apartment will acquire an aesthetic appearance.
The photo shows the preparatory work for laying the flooring.
The photo above shows how the flooring is installed.
Stage 8 - ceiling
It must be said that renovating an apartment with your own hands brings a lot of trouble, especially when it comes to the rough finishing of the ceiling. But the finishing process is no easier. The rough finishing of a new apartment, especially the ceiling, worries those people who bought their home on the secondary market.
Such a purchase of a new apartment very often leads to the fact that most owners of such apartments almost every day have to deal with a lot of problems, then the plaster will fall off in one place, then in another, and there’s nothing to say about the appearance of cracks. Many people, looking at such disgrace, don’t even know where to start correcting such problems. In this case, the rough finishing of the new apartment must be done with special care.
So where should you start renovating an apartment with your own hands, especially the ceiling? The answer is this: do-it-yourself apartment renovation, including the ceiling, must be done according to exactly the same scheme as the rough finishing of the apartment, floor, wall surfaces, that is, dismantling, screeding, whitewashing or painting.
The photo shows how to level a rough ceiling in a new apartment with your own hands.
The photo shows how to install a plasterboard ceiling.
The final stage of repair
The final stage of repair involves: installation of door frames, installation of baseboards, and so on. Along with this, pieces of furniture are assembled and placed in their places, and decorative elements are added to the interior. That's all, now you can admire to your heart's content how the new renovation will breathe the same new life into your premises.
And most importantly, you can be proud of yourself, because you had to independently complete all these eight stages of apartment renovation with your own hands and achieve excellent results by carrying out the renovation yourself. In addition, such repairs will teach you how to competently perform rough finishing of an apartment, which will be very useful to you in the future.
In the photo you can see the last stage of renovation of a new apartment with your own hands - installation of interior doors.
Cost of apartment renovation
There are several indicators that have a huge impact on the cost of turnkey apartment renovation. There are three such indicators:
- The complexity of the created project. The more complex the project, the higher the cost of renovating a turnkey apartment with your own hands will be.
- The cost of a turnkey renovation will depend on the amount of materials used and their price.
- The cost of repairs that will be carried out on a turnkey basis is greatly influenced by the technologies that are used to implement the developed project.
It will be difficult for an inexperienced person to calculate the cost of turnkey repairs on their own, but today there are other ways by which you can accurately determine how much turnkey repairs yourself will cost you.
- The first option is to call a specialist to your home, who will competently give you an estimate of the cost of turnkey repairs.
- The second option is that you can use an online calculator; it will quickly and competently calculate the cost of future repairs. To calculate the cost of repairs, you will need to answer a number of questions that will be asked of you and fill out a special form, then you should click on the “calculate” button and that’s it, the results are in your pocket.
- The third option, in this case, you will need to ask what prices construction companies offer today for apartment renovations, so you will find out a more accurate cost. Below is a table showing the average cost of turnkey repairs.
There is no need to manually calculate the cost of repairs. We suggest you save time and use one of the following options:
- Call a specialist for free to draw up an estimate for apartment renovation in St. Petersburg. To do this, you need to contact us by one of the phones and call a specialist. Our specialist will come to you, calculate the cost of repairs and draw up an estimate - completely free of charge. Moreover, the arrival of the master is possible on the day of the call;
- perform an online calculation of the cost of apartment renovation. To do this, you need to answer the questions asked and fill out the apartment renovation cost calculator form - an exclusive opportunity only for our clients;
- estimate the approximate cost of repairs by reading the prices for apartment renovations. You can do this using a price list that shows the average cost of repair work.
Based on cost, apartment renovations are divided into categories:
| Conditional categories of repair work | The approximate cost of repairs per 1 m2 of total area expressed in rubles. | ||
| Repair work | Materials used | Total cost. | |
| Regular apartment renovation. | From 3000 rub. up to 5000 rub. | From 2000 rub. up to 3000 rub. | From 5000 rub. up to 8000 rub. |
| High-quality apartment renovation. | From 4000 rub. up to 6000 rub. | From 2000 rub. up to 5000 rub. | From 6000 rub. up to 11,000 rub. |
| High quality apartment renovation. | From 6000 rub. up to 11,000 rub. | From 5000 rub. up to 10,000 rub. | From 11,000 rub. up to 21,000 rub. |
In this table you can see only the approximate cost of renovating an apartment with your own hands. In order to more accurately find out the cost of the planned repair, it is still better for you to call a specialist who will competently draw up an estimate for you based on the volume of work performed and the cost of it.
It must be said that renovation of an apartment is water and fire in one bottle. For those who are faced with such work for the first time, renovating an apartment will not only take a lot of time, but will also spoil a lot of nerves. If you have never done renovations in an apartment yourself, in this case it is better to seek help from knowledgeable people, this will save you from numerous mistakes and save money, plus the renovation will be carried out at the highest level, especially when it comes to the rough finishing of the apartment .
Below are instructions from an expert that you can rely on before carrying out renovations in your new apartment yourself.
- It is best to buy doors that have high sound insulation. If finances allow, then think about the general soundproofing of your home. Such renovation will provide you with a comfortable and peaceful stay in the apartment, because you will not be disturbed by the noise that comes from the neighbors above, the noise of passing cars, the noise of the wind...
In the photo above you can see doors with good sound insulation.
- To carry out repairs in a new apartment, hire highly specialized specialists; practice has proven that high-class specialists do their work somewhat worse because they feel that they are irreplaceable, but there are no irreplaceable people, and other people can do good repairs.
- If small children will live in the house, then when repairing and decorating the walls, give preference to washable wallpaper; you can wash off the children’s art from it at any time.
The photo shows washable vinyl wallpaper.
- Before you begin renovations in your new apartment, you need to remove the furniture, so it will definitely remain safe and sound.
- When renovating an apartment, you should not install doors between rooms before starting your own repairs, because then it may happen that you will have to file the doors, for example, if the screed level is made higher with your own hands.
- If the apartment renovation is major, then consider installing walk-through switches in corridors and walk-through rooms.
- Before starting rough renovations in a new apartment, plan in advance where electrical appliances and furniture will be located. If you know the location of electrical equipment, you will be able to correctly determine the exact number of outlets and resolve the issue of their location. By the way, this is perhaps the most common mistake made during rough renovations in a new apartment. Such errors lead to a shortage of sockets, which forces you to resort to extension cords.
- Many who do rough renovations in a new apartment are trying to save money on wiring; this should never be done. The fact is that cheap wires often cannot cope with the electrical load, begin to melt, short out and can cause a fire.
The photo shows how the wiring is installed.
To understand how electrical wiring is laid and electrical work is carried out, you can watch the video below
- If you plan to install a washing machine or some other electrical equipment in the bathroom, then in this case it makes sense to install an RCD on the line for this room with a current of no more than ten mA. In old apartments such as Khrushchev, you will not be able to do grounding, because it was not provided there, but with an RCD you will provide good protection to the installed equipment.
In the photo above you can see a diagram of how to properly connect the RCD.
- In no case can metal-plastic pipes be completely hidden in the walls; threaded connections must be provided with free access, because they will need to be tightened from time to time. If, when renovating a new apartment, you decide to wall up pipes in the walls, in this case you need to buy polypropylene pipes; they are not twisted, but soldered, so they will not leak at the joints even after a long time of use.
In this photo you can see a water supply system based on pipes made of metal-plastic.
- If the bathroom floor is tiled, then it is better to have a warm floor.
In the photo you can see the installation of heated floors in the bathroom.
The photo shows how the heated floor is installed.
In the video below, you can see how a heated floor is screeded:
- When carrying out rough renovations in a new apartment, you do not need to put a thick layer of tile adhesive to level the subfloor under laying the tiles. First, the glue will shrink, second, its price is not so low. When renovating a new apartment, it is best to level out uneven subfloors using cement-sand mortars. Such rough repairs can be done yourself in a short time.
- If there are large irregularities in the ceiling, then it would be wiser to use a suspended ceiling for finishing during rough repairs.
- If the new apartment has interfloor floor slabs, then before installing the stretch ceiling you need to thoroughly seal the seams that are located between the slabs; pieces of plaster will constantly fall from them and they will be clearly visible on the stretch ceiling. Such a rough repair in a new apartment is not difficult to carry out and even the most inexperienced person, of course, will have to suffer at first, but this is the first five minutes, then things will go very quickly, and most importantly, with the help of the rough repair you will get rid of falling plaster for a long time.
The photo shows the seam between the slabs on the ceiling
Before starting renovations in the apartment, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. The main thing is to carefully plan every step. To begin with, find out the current prices for apartment renovations on the website in order to plan your budget correctly. This will avoid unnecessary costs in time and finances in the future. Now you can move on to the work plan. The entire scope of work is conditionally divided into several stages, which must be performed strictly one by one. Let us consider in detail the stages of repair work and the rules for their implementation.
We are planning renovations
The first thing you need to do before a major renovation of an apartment or house is to draw up a detailed plan of your home. This diagram should indicate where pieces of furniture, interior design, and household appliances will be placed. This will help you decide where to start renovating your apartment, where to place sockets, switches, and chandeliers.
Thanks to the plan, you will be able to install pipes and wires without complications and the first time. After all, the comfort of the room directly depends on the rational placement of these elements.
If the plans include not only cosmetic work, but a turnkey renovation of the apartment with redevelopment, then initially it is worth starting to demolish or build walls. Next, you need to decide on the style of your future home - will you stick to one style when decorating the entire room, or will you combine the future interior from several styles.
People who do not have sufficient experience in this matter are advised to seek advice from a professional designer. A specialist will be able to develop the optimal interior design option, taking into account the specific layout and personal wishes of the client.
After completing the planning, proceed to the financial issue - calculate what materials and in what quantities you will need. It is better to purchase them in specialized stores.
Give preference to well-known and proven brands, the quality of the range of which corresponds to their price. Savings on materials may result in additional financial costs in the future.
Rough work
It is necessary to begin transforming the premises by performing rough work. These include dismantling the old coating. In order for the new interior to look attractive and last for many years, tiles, wallpaper or whitewash must be removed.
If you do not plan to change the floor covering, it must be protected from possible damage during construction work. To do this, use thick plastic film, the edges of which must be firmly secured with masking tape. In the case of planned large-scale work, it is more convenient to protect the floor from mechanical damage with sheets of cardboard, which are much stronger than film.
It is not recommended to replace windows and interior doors at the first stage of renovation. After all, when dismantling and puttying is carried out, a significant layer of dirt will settle on them, which will be difficult to get rid of. Only cash withdrawals are required.
Electrical and plumbing
At the second stage, it is necessary to do the dirtiest, but at the same time the most important part of the work. We are talking about electrical and plumbing. These types of work should be treated with the utmost responsibility, because in order to correct the mistakes, you will have to re-do major repairs in the apartment. For this reason, it is not recommended to skimp on the quality of wires and pipes. After all, they can only be repaired after destroying the wall.
Initially, a corrugation scheme for each individual wall is drawn up. It is recommended to keep these diagrams after repairs to avoid accidentally damaging pipes or electrical wiring with nails. Place wires with the required cross-section, as well as pipes, into the prepared groove, and carefully seal the grooves.
Window replacement
It's time to replace your old windows. But if you are renovating an apartment in a new building, you won’t have to do this part of the work. After all, modern houses already have high-quality metal-plastic windows installed.
In any case, window frames and glass should be protected from paint using film or pleated paper curtains. These curtains are quite high quality and their price is not high.
After finishing the work with the windows, you can begin preparing the floor and ceiling. You need to do the following:
- level the walls;
- seal seams and cracks;
- putty.
The building materials used for the rough repair stage do not necessarily have to match the base materials. But they must be of high quality.
Surface priming
Next, start applying primer to the walls and ceilings. Thanks to this coating, the strength of these surfaces increases. A high-quality primer contains substances that seep into the surface, connecting its small particles. Be sure to wait until the primer is completely dry. Only after this can you start painting the ceilings.
The next step is to level the floor. To do this, screed and fill are done. But it will be much easier and faster to use modern specialized solutions that level themselves. After all, apartment renovations in 2018 should be done using new technologies.
While the floor dries, all work stops. If you break this rule, you will damage its surface and the work will have to be redone.
Wall finishing materials
You choose the materials that will be used to decorate the walls solely at your own aesthetic and financial discretion. The most popular finishing method is wallpaper. The range of this material is quite rich in terms of color, size, texture and material. Often they also turn to painting or decorative plaster of walls.
For those who like more daring decisions, there are other options. The only limitation is your imagination; the materials must be in harmony with the overall interior.
If you want to save money, you can decorate the walls of the room with leftovers from several types of materials. This solution will emphasize your originality and significantly reduce the cost of repairs.
Floor decoration
When the walls are already decorated, start covering the floor. The covering can be made from linoleum, laminate, carpet, block parquet, or parquet boards.
A popular solution in a modern interior is the use of floor tiles. But you can start laying it only after finishing the ceiling design.
The finishing touches of the renovation
This stage is the final one. Now you can start installing door frames, thresholds, baseboards and more. Assemble and install furniture, appliances, and decorative interior items. After which all that remains is to clean up and admire the new home.
Photos of the main stages of renovation in the apartment
