Stress-free renovation: where to start and how not to go crazy in the process - expert advice
Kyiv • UNN
The expert advises to start the renovation with planning, checking communications and drawing up an estimate. It is not worth saving on electricity and plumbing, and cosmetic work can be done independently.
To prepare for any renovation, first of all, you need to make a plan according to which all the works will be carried out in turn. This will allow you to visually see the amount of work that awaits you and plan an appropriate budget. In addition, drawing up a plan will help to avoid problems that may arise at the beginning of the work and complicate further repairs.
So UNN spoke with DIY YouTube blogger Ksenia Pankratova to find out how to survive the renovation, how to prepare for it properly, what works can be done on your own, and what is better to entrust to professionals.
Plan for preparing an apartment for renovation in the secondary market
In order to prepare for renovation in the secondary market, the expert advises to deal with key issues - electricity and other communications. After all, usually in old houses they need to be updated first.
First of all, you need to deal with electricity, in old houses - the wiring is accordingly old. If it has any flaws, it must be corrected in the first stages in order to avoid further problems and the need to chase recently painted walls. You can't save on this
The same applies to pipes and water communications. If they are leaking, or their service life has long expired, it is better not to be lazy and replace them, so as not to face even bigger problems and the need to repair a second time in the near future.
"I would put windows and entrance doors in the third item. It would be good to replace wooden windows with plastic, then you will be warmer in winter. The quality of the entrance door also affects the retention of heat in the home.
If they are old and thin, it is better to insulate them. And if finances allow, replace them completely so that you don't freeze in winter," the blogger notes.
If the above items apply to most apartments, then Ksenia singled out "individual problems of each home" as the next item.
"Maybe you live on the top floor and then you need to make sure that the roof of the house is not leaking. If so, it will add work. Or, for example, there is mold in the bathroom (or not only). Maybe the apartment has an old floor, but the owners are not going to replace it completely during the renovation. Then you can fix the old one," Ksenia notes.
Finally, you need to decide on the future design of the apartment. You can order a design project from professionals. Usually, its price depends on the area of the apartment and is calculated according to the cost per square meter.
However, the blogger says that there are now many available materials online that will help you get an idea of the home of your dreams and bring it to life.
You can look at Pinterest, various Telegram channels. There is a lot of information and examples on the Internet and in particular on YouTube. You visualize the picture you want: in light colors, dark colors, with bright, accent colors, and from this you can build on paints, wallpapers, finishes, etc.
Plan for preparing an apartment for renovation in a new building
Preparation for renovation in a new building usually begins with dismantling or installation work, depending on your project, which must be prepared in advance.
For example, the developer makes a partition between the kitchen and the rooms. And a person doesn't need it according to the project and it needs to be demolished. Or vice versa, there are three windows in one of the rooms and the person wants to make two rooms out of this room by dividing it. Then you need to install an additional wall
The next step will be the preparation of the floor, because in the new building it must first be poured with cement and leveled, so that in the future it can be screeded under laminate, parquet or linoleum. This work is performed exclusively by masters.
Another problem of new buildings, the expert calls sound insulation, or rather its poor quality.
In new buildings, almost all have a big problem that sound insulation is almost non-existent. Therefore, it is desirable to make sound insulation of the ceiling and floor, so as not to hear neighbors either from above or from below, if the developer did not do it from the very beginning
Mistakes at the beginning of the renovation
Ksenia emphasizes that most of the mistakes that appear at the beginning or during the renovation are related to insufficiently conscientious planning. And you need to think through even the smallest details, because even seemingly extraneous things can be connected to each other in the renovation.
You need to choose all the finishing finishes in advance. That is, to know and understand what plumbing will be, shower system: attached or built-in. Where there will be tiles on the floor, and where there will be laminate, in order to understand where the transition should be made, at what angle. Because the work of the master in plumbing or tiles will depend on these details and the work will be performed differently or in a different sequence. The same applies to the ceiling: suspended or not
In addition, Ksenia noted that errors can often appear due to the poor work of masters chosen in haste, or the inattention of a person to the work done by the master. In order not to reap the rewards of other people's mistakes, you need to check the work you have done.
"You may not check whether the master, for example, made the angle you need at 90°. And then, when the closet you choose arrives, it won't fit well, because the angle is 85°, that is, this will already be a question for the master. To prevent this from happening, when the master has done his job, you must be sure to check it," she adds.
What works can be done on your own, which is better to entrust to professionals
Ksenia says that electricity and plumbing should be handled exclusively by an experienced master who "can do a little more than everyone else." In these works, you should also pay attention to the quality of the material and take the best, even if it is a little more expensive, that is offered on the market.
People turn to masters because not all of us will be able to properly conduct all these pipes at a normal angle so that everything works properly afterwards. I wouldn't experiment with this. The same applies to electricity. Because then, if something goes wrong, everything needs to be knocked down again, and it's like doing a renovation again. If your husband or father is not an electrician, it is better to contact a professional
The installation of windows and doors is also better entrusted to professionals. Firstly, it is faster, and secondly, most companies that sell windows and doors also provide installation services.
What can be done on your own
Ksenia says that in fact, a lot of work can be done on your own, even if you have not tried to do it before. In this issue, the key role will be played by the time that needs to be spent on familiarizing yourself with tutorials and master classes on these works.
Priming, plastering and painting the walls is within the power of most people. The same as wallpapering or laying laminate.
"There is plaster that is laid on brick and has a rather uneven texture, and then a finishing layer is laid on it, so that it is then smooth as an egg, and then it can be painted or wallpapered. And so, both the first and the second can be tried," the expert says and adds that even if you make a mistake in this work, it can always be corrected.
In addition, Ksenia suggests that some may even try their hand at tiling or stretching the ceiling.
"Regarding tiles, we now have such a trend among people that very many are starting to do it themselves. And if five years ago you asked me about it, I would have said: "No, only to the master." And when I encountered the renovation myself, I am sure that it can be laid. There are very many examples on YouTube. There is a lot of everything revealed there. Therefore, you can, if you want, lay the tiles yourself," says the blogger.
"We have popular suspended ceilings, but we can't do them with you. But recently I saw that they have already come up with suspended ceilings, which are called "Do it yourself." There is a simpler design, where expensive tools are not needed, in particular a hair dryer, to stretch them. There are profiles that are installed around the perimeter of the ceiling, and then fabric is stretched over them.
And it is many times cheaper to do it yourself. I am thinking about trying to install such a system," the blogger shares.
What you can't save on
Regarding what you will have to spend money on, Ksenia included electricity, in particular the replacement of wiring and plumbing systems.
"You should never save on electricity. You have to invest here. And all the wires, they are different, both cheap and more expensive - you need to take the most expensive ones. The same applies to plumbing. If you have an installation for the toilet to be sewn inside the wall, you need to take a good system from trusted manufacturers. Because you won't open it and change it later. You will have to disassemble everything," says the expert.
Also, according to Ksenia, it is better not to save on windows and entrance doors. The first guarantee you warmth in winter and sound insulation, and the second - also safety.
"The main thing here is not to look at the brand, but at the characteristics. The more cameras in the window (the number of glasses), the warmer, the quieter it will be if your apartment faces some avenue and it is noisy outside. There are a lot of companies that make windows for 20 thousand UAH, for example, because they have a brand. And there are those for 15 thousand, but they are a less well-known brand, but no worse. In the entrance doors, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the metal and the quality of the locks. Good doors, of course, usually cost more. If you are lucky enough to find a high-quality, but cheaper option, that's great," comments the blogger.
How to prepare an apartment for renovation?
The first thing to do is to free the apartment or room from which the renovation begins from unnecessary things. Those things, or furniture, that cannot be taken out or removed must be covered with a film to protect them from contamination as much as possible.
"We cover everything, clean up so that we don't have to wash it off later. Windows on the windowsills also need to be covered or sealed. If the floor will not be replaced during the renovation, it is better to cover it with something too. Then we proceed to dirty work: we remove old sockets from the walls, having previously de-energized them, wallpaper and proceed to priming and plastering the walls," says Ksenia.
Which room is better to start renovating the entire apartment from
According to the expert, it is better to start the renovation with the kitchen or bathroom in order to first close the issue with the basic needs in cooking and hygiene. To choose between these two rooms, you need to proceed from what needs repair the most or based on financial capabilities. After all, your plans and vision of the final result of each of these rooms may differ.
How to plan a budget for renovation?
In order to plan a budget for renovation, the expert advises to draw up a detailed plan and write down in it all the tasks that the owner sets for himself. Based on the cost of each of them, we get the approximate cost of the renovation. Next, Ksenia recommends adding another 10-20% to this figure for unforeseen expenses, which almost always arise.
"Those companies that offer the performance of individual repair works themselves calculate their cost. You need to send them a video of your room or a plan, tell them what you need and get an approximate price. And you will get such a checklist for all the works that you plan to do with their cost," says the blogger.
As for unforeseen expenses, they are more often associated with the rise in price of some materials, a change in the exchange rate during your renovation, or an omission of some details in planning.
"You will definitely forget something, something has become more expensive, the dollar has jumped, the price of fuel has risen, or the master you wanted to invite has left and only the one who charges a little more for his services remains," the expert explains.
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Should you buy building materials with a margin
Ksenia says that she advises to buy with an average margin of 10% those materials that relate to finishing. Those materials that go to the so-called dirty work are better to buy based on real needs.
"Tiles, for example, should always be taken with a 10% margin, because when you receive this material, it is in boxes, which you do not open in the store. There may be, for example, a defect. The same with laminate. Secondly, for example, you live happily for a year or two, and then you have a piece of wallpaper ruined and you need to replace it, and that wallpaper is no longer on sale. Or the wall is smeared. Then you will have to go and buy a whole bucket of paint, color it to the color of your wall in order to fix a small defect. Or this paint is no longer on sale at all. Therefore, it is better to have a small supply," Ksenia explains.
She also advises to have designer sockets in stock if you choose them for your project, because they are also often discontinued after a certain time and it will not be possible to replace them with the same ones in a few years.
"Everything that concerns the appearance of the home should be taken with a margin," adds the blogger.
Quite another thing is materials for dirty work. Moreover, they are more often made by masters who know exactly how many bricks or cement they will need.
"If there are not enough bricks, then in fact you can just go and buy them. Because what will you do with that brick and plaster afterwards? You don't need it," advises Ksenia.
