DIY apartment renovation

In detail: do-it-yourself apartment renovation from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Where to start repairing an apartment so that the repair work does not stretch out for an indefinite period, and the end result undoubtedly pleases you, this is what will be discussed in today's article. Renovation of the apartment requires serious preliminary preparation. The most important point is drawing up a detailed plan for future repairs, taking into account the smallest nuances. Consider, point by point, the advice of professionals on the correct organization of repair work in houses and apartments.

First of all, you need to decide on the complexity and volume of future repairs. To make the apartment bright and clean, sometimes it is enough to carry out cosmetic, superficial repairs: replacing the wallpaper, whitewashing the ceiling, changing the old linoleum, painting the walls, etc.

If you want to completely get rid of everything that is boring and old, decide on a major overhaul with the replacement of windows, leveling the walls, installing new floors, modern ceilings. Your home will be transformed and become new and beautiful.

You should not refuse the help of experienced specialists when carrying out major repairs. This is especially true for the creation of a modern design for your apartment, including redevelopment and the demolition of some walls and partitions.

Plan renovations based on your financial capabilities.

First, decide on the interior and design of each individual room that you plan to change in your apartment. You can seek advice from a professional designer, which will slightly increase your total financial expenses for repairs. For rooms where renovation will be carried out, it is necessary to complete detailed drawings of the successive stages of repair work.

Video (click to play).

We recommend that you complete five detailed renovation sketches for each individual room. In the first drawing, display the top view of the room, and in the other four, each wall. Complete each drawing with a detailed description and a plan for the sequential implementation of repair work, which will avoid omissions and inaccuracies in the work.

When drawing up a repair sketch, it is recommended to indicate:

Think over the location of the furniture. Those walls that will be most conspicuous need to be given special attention and use the highest quality finishes.
Think about where it would be best to place lamps and chandeliers so that the light illuminates the room as much as possible.
Given the location of the household appliances, indicate the locations for the outlets. To then correctly design the installation of electrical wiring in all rooms.
Consider the location of the main decorative elements: paintings, mosaics, brick walls.

In the repair plan, you need to indicate the desired finishing option: wallpapering the walls, painting, etc. To divide a room into separate zones, designers recommend painting one of the walls in a different color in order to focus on it and visually divide the room. These moments also need to be reflected in the plan.

According to the advice of experienced specialists, in order to avoid unnecessary dirt and dust during repair work, it is recommended to first of all carry out repairs in the rooms farthest from the front door. The final stage of the repair, it is advisable to choose passage rooms and a corridor through which building materials and tools are constantly sweeping. This is necessary in order not to stain or scratch the finish of the already repaired wall, not to damage the new floor.

An additional protection of the repaired room can be a cellophane film (fixed on the outside of the door), which will reliably protect the room from construction dirt, dust, plaster, paint, and accidental damage.

Do not carry out all repairs yourself. At your request, the execution of all repair work or only the performance of particularly complex repair operations can be entrusted to qualified specialists. Firstly, experience and knowledge will allow them to carry out repair work quickly and efficiently. Secondly, you do not have to additionally buy expensive tools, with the help of which the screed is ideally poured onto the floor or the tiles are laid out.

Even if the installation of an interior door seems easy to you, the slightest inaccuracy is unacceptable here. Of course, you can hang and arrange kitchen furniture, level the walls and paint a little yourself. But trust specialists for more complex repair work so that you do not have to redo it, which can significantly increase your financial costs for repairs.

#one. After the final choice of the design of the appearance of the rooms, furniture and interior, it is necessary to draw up a complete list of the necessary building materials. Their number and total cost depends on the amount of repair work and how they are carried out. If the budget allows you, you need to purchase building materials with a small supply.

# 2. Make a separate list of decor items: holders, shelves, mirrors, paintings, etc. Start your purchases with the selected decor elements. If the planned decor element is not available, you can quickly change or create a new design version of the apartment renovation.

# 3. Make a list of the building tools you need to complete the renovation. To do this, you can use the advice of a sales assistant in hardware stores or qualified repairmen.

When the preparatory work has been carried out: plans and sketches of the repair have been drawn up, lists of the necessary materials and tools have been prepared, a decision has been made about the possibility of self-repair or with the help of repair specialists, you will be able to calculate the approximate total cost of the planned repair.

You should not rush to purchase all the materials when you visit your first store. In the compiled lists of materials and tools, put down the prices of different stores, which will allow you to make purchases at a minimum cost. Carefully consider the choice of repair crew services. Pay special attention not only to the proposed cost of repair work, but also to the feedback from your friends about the quality of repair services.

To protect furniture from damage, construction dirt and dust, collect it in a central area of the room. Then carefully cover with plastic wrap. This will free up access to the walls and ceiling. Move expensive equipment and clothes to other rooms.

Repair work should start with the most dusty ones: replacing window blocks, window slopes and installing new window sills. This will avoid dirt and dust during painting work, when it is forbidden to open windows in order to avoid temperature extremes and an increase in humidity. When windows, slopes and sills are installed, cover them with plastic wrap or hardboard to avoid accidental mechanical damage and contamination.

Mark the installation locations of additional outlets, make the electrical wiring. Do not install sockets or plug them into the enclosure at this point.

In the case of welding work (for example, when replacing heating radiators), do them at the same time in different places of the apartment in order to quickly complete this dusty and difficult stage of work, sometimes including breaking down walls.

Before repairing walls, floors, ceilings, you must check their condition with a laser or water level. Begin by applying the thickest layers of mortar. As they dry out, you can carry out other minor repairs without downtime.

After completing this preparatory stage, proceed with the repair work, performing them in the following sequence: repair of the ceiling, walls, floor. Initially, work is carried out using putty, cement, gypsum mixtures. Then they begin to work on the installation of the floor, doors, slopes.

Final repairs:

Pasting or painting the ceiling.
Wallpapering or painting the walls.
Installation of flooring.
Installation of skirting boards, sills, platbands.

Do you associate repairs with a difficult, costly and long process? Our site "Remontik" will prove you otherwise! Believe it or not, the renovation process can be a real pleasure if you turn a rather boring and difficult task into a simple and fun process.

If you are thinking about how to make repairs in an apartment with your own hands, then the first thing you need to observe is the sequence of all actions, and all the stages should be passed one after another, according to a prepared plan in advance.

So, if you are in the mood and are seriously thinking about making repairs in the apartment with your own hands, then you should adhere to the following steps:

Indeed, you can make an apartment renovation with your own hands, without resorting to the help of professionals, if you adhere to a clear scheme and carefully study each of the stages, which we will discuss in more detail below.

List of tools required for DIY apartment renovation

Ladder. It may seem to someone that she is not the most necessary tool on the list, but it is not.
Special tools for marking:

tape measure 10 or 2-3 meters;
square;
metal ruler one meter;
carpenter's hydraulic level - use for more accurate marking of horizontal surfaces;
cord - beacons are installed along the stretched cord for alignment;
plumb line - ensures the evenness of the walls during plastering - the surface is fixed.

Hand tools (you can buy them in whole sets or separately):

hammer;
ax - pay special attention to the sharpening of the blade (for the left or right hand) and the ax itself, which should sit as tightly as possible on the butt;
hacksaw - blade thickness from 1 mm with a well-polished surface;
chisel - up to 10 mm (needed for woodwork);
log house;
chisel 20 mm wide (used for woodwork);
scissors for metal;
cutters.

Power tools:

an electric drill with a perforator (necessary both during repair and after its completion);
angle grinder, can be used when grinding surfaces and corners, as well as when cutting stone and metal;
screw cutter (for this you can use a drill at low speeds);
electric jigsaw.

Tools for other jobs:

paint bath (container for paint, glue, primer, etc.);
scrapers, spatulas (for applying plaster, putty, putty and removing old wallpaper and paints);
rollers (large shaggy, small foam rubber) and a "fishing rod" to them;
brushes (round and flat);
skin (different grain size) - designed to smooth surfaces;
a syringe gun (for squeezing out various glue-like mixtures) plus a gun cleaner;
masking tape (used for neat painting).

This is the minimum list of necessary tools for those who are planning to renovate an apartment on their own.

Every renovation, be it major or cosmetic, begins with a global preparation. First of all, you will need to perform all dismantling work: removing plaster, whitewash, wallpaper, door blocks, flooring and, if necessary, you will need to dismantle the partitions, as well as rearrange them.

For this reason, after completing the dismantling of everything old, unnecessary and not subject to replacement, carefully inspect and analyze the results of your work. Think if you did everything right. Image - DIY apartment renovation

Replacing double-glazed windows in an apartment

This is a rather dirty job, especially its first part, when you have to dismantle old window blocks. Upon completion of the installation of the window and sill, cover them with plastic wrap so as not to smear or scratch during further work.

Plastering work in the apartment: video, photo

When performing plastering work, you need to follow the following sequence of actions: marking for beacon profiles, priming walls, installing a beacon profile, plastering walls, slopes. Moreover, plasterboard walls are not subject to plastering. Ceiling plastering, installation and installation of suspended and tension structures should be done after you complete the wiring on the ceiling of electrical cables, ventilation and other communications.

Distribution of electrical communications and implementation of plumbing worksAll activities at this stage are reduced to one - a responsible action: installation or replacement of heating radiators, laying and routing of electrical cables, low-current profiles (ground cables, telephone, internet, alarm, TV).Before proceeding with the installation of cables, mark the output of switches and sockets on the walls. Then proceed to grooving grooves and holes for cables, junction boxes, display boxes, take care of installing a built-in electrical unit.Be sure to draw a diagram of the electrical wiring: it will be needed in order to prevent it from entering the places where the wire is laid, where you will drill a hole, and also hammer in nails in the future. It is important in the toilet, kitchen, bathroom, before laying electrical wiring, to lay pipes, as well as all the work that is associated with them. Image - DIY apartment renovation

Floor preparation in the apartment: photo, video

Underfloor heating device, screed and leveling. As soon as the screed is laid, leveled, you need to wait until it is completely dry. Different materials offer different drying times, which means you should carefully read the description on the packaging or instructions.

Finishing work

Once the floor has been prepared, you can install the doors and then proceed with the finishing. Moreover, the sequence of all finishing works directly depends on the materials used and the choice of technologies. So, painting and whitewashing the ceiling is done first of all, and the suspended ceiling is best mounted when the walls are finished. The laying of the floor covering, be it tiles, linoleum or parquet, is done when both the ceiling and the walls are ready.

Then you can install rosettes, skirting boards, platbands, various decorative elements. Faucets, plumbing fixtures and various accessories are installed in the toilet, bathroom, kitchen.

Attention! If possible, it is better to renovate the whole apartment at once. Similar stages of work are, first of all, relevant for the "dirty" ones, which include removing old whitewash, installing windows, not to mention dismantling and rearranging partitions, if it makes sense to do it in different rooms at the same time, so as not to allow this when in the same room the carpet has been laid, and in the neighboring one you have just begun to remove the old whitewash from the ceiling.

If you cannot afford to repair the entire apartment as a whole, you can start it from the farthest room and gradually approach the exit. The renovation of the corridor and hallway is carried out last.This is a fairly obvious rule: it is clear that carrying bags of construction waste and buckets of mortar around only renovated rooms is not the best solution. But be that as it may, in practice this rule is violated very often.

It is also worth moving from the room farthest from the hallway when repairing an entire apartment. First of all, this applies to the last stage of do-it-yourself apartment renovation - finishing.

We have provided instructions on how to repair an apartment on our own. For those who prefer watching videos, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the videos presented above, where all the processes are clearly examined.

If you want to make repairs to your home, but at the same time not spend a lot of money, then do not think that you can save only on materials and services of specialists. In fact, there are not so many secrets of budget repair.

Start renovating in winter. Experienced workers can be hired for a fraction of the cost as they don't have a lot of work in the off-season. Sometimes discounts can go up to 40%. But at the same time, do not forget that winter climatic conditions are unfavorable for repair and construction work, and most people decide to repair in summer.

You can also save on the materials used by replacing expensive imported ones with cheaper domestic counterparts. Imported materials do not always meet expectations, and are much more expensive than domestically produced materials.

Most of the costs are for materials. If you replace vinyl wallpaper with paper, which today can be no less beautiful, then you will save two or three times on wall decoration. Well, instead of a suspended or plasterboard ceiling, you can use paint, which will cost you much less. Of course, in cases where it is necessary to align the ceiling, it is not worth saving and it is better to perform it from drywall.

Sometimes the services of specialists are more expensive than the materials with which they work. For this reason, before choosing a construction team, look at a few offers and do not rush to contact the first specialists you come across.

For cheap kitchen renovations, use vinyl or fiberglass wallpaper. They need to be glued to the very ceiling and finished with ceramic tiles in the kitchen apron area. If you want to save even more, replace the ceramic tiles with plastic panels that imitate tiles, and cover the kitchen work area with self-adhesive tape.

If you don't have enough money for expensive bathroom tiles, then the walls in this room can be pasted over with washable vinyl wallpaper or acrylic paint. Also, PVC wall panels for the bathroom look very beautiful, the cost of which will pleasantly surprise you.

When planning an inexpensive do-it-yourself apartment renovation, you can't afford to buy expensive plumbing fixtures. Therefore, if the old plumbing fixtures look bad, then you can clean or paint them. However, if the plumbing is cracked, then only their replacement remains. You can also save on the removal of construction waste if you organize it yourself.

In no case do not skimp on piping or wiring. Engineering communications must be of high quality and must be installed by specialists. If we talk about finishing, then even the most expensive decorative finishing will look bad if you lay it out with gaps or ugly.The only repair stage that will be difficult to handle on your own is reworking the electrical wiring. For those who are planning to save money, a way out is also offered here - negotiate with an electrician who serves your house. Such a master will be interested in the high quality of his work, since he will have to serve your house in the future. You should not save on the wiring itself, since the safety of your family directly depends on its quality.Well, you can easily install the sockets yourself, saving money.If you do not have repair tools, you will have to buy or rent them. However, a more economical option is to ask friends or neighbors. We recommend compiling a list of all the necessary tools in advance so as not to be left without tools at hand during the repair process.Where should you start repairing an apartment or a separate room in order to do everything in the best possible time, not overpay and get exactly the result you expect?> I put everything on the shelves so that your repair turns from a state into a process. Image - DIY apartment renovation

We will tell you about the main nuances that should be taken into account during various transformations in apartments, including in "Stalin", "Khrushchev" and "Brezhnev" houses.

We have prepared a list of questions that you should ask yourself and the construction team before starting the renovation. Answers will help you finish work faster and spend less money and nerves.

Without a well thought out plan, the renovation will turn into a natural disaster. We tell you what nuances you should definitely pay attention to, as well as list the procedure and terms of work in order to make your task as easy as possible.

Any repair and construction work involves an important stage - the execution of documentation: design, estimate, contract and executive. He is often overlooked. Dealing with official paperwork is quite troublesome, but it will help you to protect yourself from problems in the future.

When arranging a home, it is important to provide for convenient access to hidden elements of engineering equipment - valves and pressure reducers, siphons and filters, meters and regulators. This means that you cannot do without inspection hatches. Here's how to choose the perfect one.

Before starting repairs, it is worth deciding on the complexity and volume of work to be done. Sometimes superficial transformations are enough to make the apartment look fresh and cozy again. New wall decoration, replacement of flooring, reinstallation of doors - all these are parts of cosmetic repairs, faster, more economical, but at the same time not solving serious problems in the apartment.

When more global changes are required, major repairs begin. It includes redevelopment of space, demolition and construction of new partitions, replacement of pipes, electrical wiring and heating elements. Such repairs are an order of magnitude more expensive than cosmetic ones and lasts longer - but after them you get an absolutely renewed home.

Any type of repair can be done independently or with the help of specialists. The first option is less expensive, but does not guarantee a 100% result. If he is closer to you, check out our useful instructions and master classes - they will help you complete the work no worse than an experienced craftsman.

Repairing with a contractor seems like a safer choice, but there are pitfalls here as well. How to choose a good specialist? How to draw up a construction contract correctly? Comprehensive answers to these questions are collected below.

Features of drawing up a contract for construction or repair work: specifics, main points, estimate and design documentation.

When repairing, the question certainly arises: who should be entrusted with the work - a large company or private craftsmen? We compare both options and talk about the pros and cons of each.

We will tell you about all the intricacies of agreeing on the redevelopment of an apartment, including the one already done, so that you do not drown in bureaucratic delays.

We tell you about the main stages of the repair and the approximate time required for their implementation, as well as offer several life hacks on how to speed up the process.

The most burning aspect of the future renovation is the financial one. First of all, you need to decide how much the selected work will cost and what the money will be enough for; what and how you can save money, and what it is better not to skimp on.

Another important aspect is the preparation of a repair estimate, on the basis of which its approximate cost is estimated. There are other questions regarding the budget: for example, is it worth the investment on repair insurance?

Our tips will help you deal with all the financial subtleties. And with the help of simple and understandable calculators, in just a couple of clicks you can calculate the approximate cost of renovating an apartment or a separate room and the cost of building materials.

To prevent home or apartment renovation from emptying your wallet, you need to properly optimize your spending. We will tell you how to do this at the planning stage and during the process itself.

In addition to the previous article in this section, we will allow ourselves, dear readers, to tell you one short story that happened last summer with one gentleman, and show you a certain table, which the performer called an estimate.
Why it is so significant, you will very soon understand.

When starting a renovation, a zealous owner first of all picks up a calculator. However, he will receive expenses close to the real ones only if he takes into account various factors and nuances, including those that are not obvious.