In detail: do-it-yourself repair is inexpensive where to start from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Sooner or later everyone will spend DIY repair in an apartment or house ... Therefore, the question is: "How to start repairs correctly?" - is very relevant, and you need to approach its decision seriously.
We are starting repairs. We plan and think about the upcoming work
Photo 1 - Stages of repairing an apartment with your own hands
Before proceeding with the independent repair of the apartment, you must first draw up a plan of all the premises, indicating the location of furniture and equipment. Thus, it will be possible to determine where the sockets, ceiling lights, etc. will be located. This must be done in order to properly design the piping and wiring. The convenience of using the premises in the future will depend on how competently it will be performed.
If you do not like the existing layout of the apartment, then the repair should be started with the demolition of the walls or with their construction.
No less important is the style of the future room, which may be the same for all rooms or have cardinal differences. If it is difficult to decide on this issue, then you can resort to the services of a designer who will take into account your preferences and features of the apartment.
After thinking well and weighing all the points, you can start calculating the amount of necessary materials and purchasing them. It is better to divide the repair work into stages, which will give the process a certain planning.
It is impractical to start repairs from a walk-through room or corridor, because work in other rooms can negatively affect their appearance.
The repair begins with the so-called dirty work:
Video (click to play).
Photo 2 - The first stage of the repair - remove the old wallpaper from the walls
It is necessary to remove old wallpaper, whitewash, tiles and other finishing materials. If the floor has not become completely unusable, then it should not be touched yet. In the event that replacement is not provided, it should be carefully covered with plastic wrap, and its edges should be securely fixed with masking tape. To protect the floor from mechanical damage, it is better to use cardboard, it is much more reliable than paper.
To prevent dust from settling on doors and windows, it is better to leave the dismantling of old doors for later. You only need to remove the cashiers.
Photo 3 - The second stage of the repair - we cut the walls for wiring and pipes
This work is the dirtiest, but at the same time responsible... It will be very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to redo such works later without carrying out a new major overhaul.
It is not wise to save on plumbing, as well as on electrics. Wires and pipes hidden in the wall cannot be repaired. The walls should be channeled according to the scheme, which will need to be saved, so that later you do not accidentally drive a nail in a dangerous place.
It remains to lay the wires of the required cross-section and pipes, it is better to use propylene and neatly close up the grooves.
photo 4 - The third stage of apartment renovation - we dismantle old windows and doors
It is distinguished by its laboriousness, since right now it is necessary to dismantle the old windows and install new ones.
To protect new windows from dust and accidental splashes, they can be protected by covering them with foil. There is another way - to use pleated paper curtains, which looks more aesthetically pleasing and is inexpensive.
Next, you need to perform a rough finish, that is, prepare the floor and ceiling for finishing. Such jobs include:
The material for roughing is selected depending on the type of finishing. Experts do not recommend saving on these materials.
Photo 5 - The fourth stage of apartment renovation - priming of all surfaces
Applying a primer allows you to make the wall or ceiling is much stronger... The primer contains elements that have the ability to penetrate deep into the surface to be treated and connect small particles. Now you need to wait until it is completely dry and you can start painting the ceiling.
If the floor remains old, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you need to fill the base from a modern self-leveling solution, or work on the screed. Only after complete drying can you move on to other work.
Photo 7 - The sixth stage of the renovation - finishing the walls in the apartment
Depending on your preferences and financial capabilities, material is purchased for wall decoration. You can glue wallpapers, the choice of which is extensive not only in color, but also in material, texture, size. For example non-woven wallpaper. Many options include painting, as well as decorative plaster. There are more exotic finishes, it all depends on your desire and the overall style of the room.
Popular wisdom says: the leftovers are sweet. This means that you can buy leftover wallpaper, the price of which will be lower, and create an original combination.
It's time to start laying the floor covering. For this purpose, you can use: linoleum, laminate, carpet, block parquet or a more modern version - parquet board and other materials. If a decision is made to lay the floor tiles, then they begin to install it only after all work on the ceiling has been completed.
Photo 7 - The last stage of the repair - the installation of interior doors
Door frames, thresholds, skirting boards, etc. are installed. At the same time, wardrobes are assembled, furniture is arranged, and decorative elements are added.
Now you need to thoroughly clean all the rooms and you can enjoy the result.
Renovation of an apartment is an expensive pleasure these days. Some save up for it for years, while others give up their last savings and end up in a hole in debt. Regardless of the financial situation, everyone is trying to save money, but in practice, not everyone succeeds in doing this. We will analyze what materials you can save on, and which ones are better not, and we will learn how to expose hired repairmen who are trying to cash in on the ignorance of the owners.
The final estimate will depend on the type, size of the room and the complexity of the renovation. There are three types of renovation: cosmetic, major and European renovation. The cosmetic option is the most economical. These repairs usually include painting, wallpapering, and scrapping the floor. Such work is easy to do with your own hands, saving on calling a specialist. If you lack some specialized tool, you should not purchase it for one-time purposes. Rent it. Make a preliminary estimate for the renovation in order to adjust it in advance and find cheaper options. When deciding to hire a private specialist, redecorating an apartment will cost you, on average, 1,500 rubles per square meter, and through a construction company - 2–2.5 times more.
It is much more difficult to carry out major repairs on your own, since many of the works require special skills and abilities. Stages of such repairs: rough finishing, floor screed, wall leveling, demolition and installation of partitions, dismantling of the old coating and finishing, complete replacement of water pipes, plumbing and electrical wiring, replacement of windows, doors, garbage disposal. The price for calling a foreman during a major overhaul increases to 6000-15000 rubles per 1 m 2. And that's not counting the cost of consumables.
Here are four tips to help you save money on your overhaul:
1. Remove the old wallpaper, tiles, dismantle the flooring, remove and take out the garbage yourself. Such work does not require special skills and tools, and the savings are significant - 5000-8000 per 1 m 2.
2. Do not rush to spend money on expensive ceiling decoration.Just line up and paint it with inexpensive chalk paint. When the money appears, walk around the ceiling with plasterboard or make a stretch ceiling.
3. Do not completely remove the plaster. Remove it only where it flakes. However, consider the peculiarity of the finish. If you plan to apply photo wallpaper, the surface should be perfectly flat. It may be necessary to completely replace the plaster, in which case it will not be possible to save money.
4. In order not to waste time on paperwork and extra funds for garbage disposal, collect waste in bags and send it to storage in the basement, shed or leave it on the staircase in a designated place, it is provided. Throw out a bag every day in a common trash bin, there is nothing illegal in this.
Renovation practically does not differ from a major overhaul. The cost is increased by purchasing expensive and natural materials from well-known manufacturers. The price of materials is automatically reflected in the cost of the master's work, which starts from 25,000 rubles per 1 m 2. ...
If you decide to involve an experienced team of repairmen in the repair, be prepared that you can be deceived. To check this out for sure, pay attention to several important features. The information will be useful for both beginners and experienced homeowners who decide to start a renovation.
Preliminary estimate for apartment renovation
To obtain the exact cost of renovation work, the foreman measures the parameters of your room with his tape measure. It seems that everything is fine and there can be no catch. In this case, we recommend giving your own tape measure for measurements. Often, cunning repairmen cut the tape, for example, by 50 cm, and fasten it to another part of the tape, retreating 20-30 cm or more. From a real size, for example, 2 m, your room increases to 2.3 m and, accordingly, the price increases, because the cost of work is calculated on the basis of 1 m 2.
When receiving the estimate, carefully study all the positions. Repairers often duplicate the cost of services under the guise of other work. For example, leveling the walls - preparing the walls for wallpaper. Read each paragraph carefully so as not to overpay.
Pay attention to the price for 1 m 2. Compare it with other construction firms and individuals beforehand. Below average prices should alert you. Usually, in the process of work, the repairmen who initially offered you a low price raise it and ask you to pay extra for additional services. The owner finds himself in a dead end, as the work is already in progress, and the estimate is automatically increased by 2-3 times.
Saving materials and increasing the cost of work is another technique used by dishonest repairmen. For example, you can put a 1 cm layer of plaster at the price of 3-4 cm, shorten the planned route of laying electrical cables or plumbing pipes, and take the remaining material for yourself. In fact, you are overpaying for material that does not "work" for you. To avoid such mistakes when performing turnkey repairs, ask the repairmen to take a step-by-step photograph of the completed work process in detail and send it to you by mail.
If you decide to put a warm floor, remember that it is not placed around the entire perimeter of the room. An unscrupulous foreman will offer you to put underfloor heating under the furniture, where it is absolutely not needed, which will also increase the cost of the project.
Complete wiring replacement is another service that almost every foreman will offer you without making sure you really need it. You can make good money on old copper and aluminum wiring.
And the last tip: buy materials yourself, do not entrust this business to the repair team. As a rule, they buy building materials from the market, where the storage conditions of many goods do not meet the standards.In addition, there repairmen can ask for an empty receipt with a stamp, write down the list of goods and their cost with a surcharge themselves.
It is better to start repairs in the off-season - in early or mid-autumn. This period is suitable for both external and internal repair work. It is still warm outside the window, and prices for building materials are gradually decreasing by the winter season. Savings on summer goods reach 15–20% without loss of quality. Therefore, if you were planning to spend 250,000 rubles on renovating a room, be aware that in the fall and winter you can save about 30,000 rubles, which can be spent on renovating the hallway.
Promotions and special offers are a special type of service where you can save money. Pay attention to illiquid assets. They have a limited shelf life and will not last until the next season. Hardware stores give good discounts on these items. If you are going to make repairs right now, take a closer look at putty, plaster, glue, sealant at a bargain price, below the market average.
Replacing plumbing affects a large part of the renovation budget. If it is in good condition, without chips, cracks and only a surface with an old coating makes you think about dismantling it, we advise you to clean and restore the plumbing. We replace expensive detergents with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which is good at destroying stubborn plaque. A budget version of the transformation is the restoration of the bath. You can cover the bathtub yourself with enamel, liquid acrylic, or order an acrylic insert for the dimensions of your plumbing. The restoration will cut the costs of purchasing a new bathtub by about 4 times and, depending on the option chosen, will extend the service life of the old bathtub from 5 to 20 years.
Replacement of plumbing elements
If you do decide to change your plumbing, consider the budget option of buying from the so-called landfill entrepreneurs. Often, when entering a new house, the owners change the faience and cast-iron plumbing, which is in good condition, and throw it into a landfill. Resourceful businessmen have come up with an easy way to make money quickly and easily. They take well-maintained plumbing from the landfill, wash it and put it in order. They do not expose their contacts directly, working on the principle of word of mouth. In the subsidiary warehouse of such entrepreneurs, you can pick up the right plumbing and save a third or even half of the factory cost.
Laying the floor is one of the most important stages in the renovation of an apartment.
To save finances when cladding walls, we advise you to buy not edged (planed) lumber, but a slab (waste sawing wood). The croaker is sold raw and does not correspond to the quality of the usual materials. It is easy to fix this if you purchase it in advance in March-April and keep it in a dry room until autumn. In addition, slab cladding saves finances on leveling the walls. In 80% of cases, it completely hides all the irregularities. Not only to save money, but also to make the wall decoration practical will help the option of covering the walls with a crochet to the waist and pasting the walls to the ceiling with non-woven wallpaper. The lower part is resistant to wear and tear, while the upper complements the overall picture.
The most budget-friendly option for laying the floor in dry rooms is marmoleum. This material requires floor leveling only in 10% of cases. However, for rooms with high humidity (bathrooms), marmoleum is not suitable, you will have to lay classic tiles. An alternative to marmoleum is laminate. This option is also inexpensive, looks beautiful and is suitable for installation under plank floors. True, the floor will have to be leveled.
For wall decoration in the bathroom, choose laminated hardboard. Such material is less common than tiles, but cheaper. It is better to sheathe the ceiling with plastic panels. Don't skimp on waterproofing. The money spent on it will pay off and extend the service life of even the cheapest finishing materials.Instead of gypsum plaster, use a cement-plaster mixture to level the walls. It is not inferior in quality and is cheaper. When deciding to put tiles on walls and floors, buy a solid color finish. Such tiles do not need to be frequently adjusted and matched to the pattern; less material is consumed, which is automatically reflected in the purchase cost.
When carrying out major and European-quality repairs, you cannot do without replacing the electrical wiring. At this event, it is better not to save money and entrust the work to a professional. It is especially important to pay attention to the Soviet wiring due to the high power of modern devices, which the old cable sometimes cannot withstand. During the replacement, you will have to groove the walls with a chasing cutter in order to lay new wiring efficiently. Workers charge for this service from 100 rubles per square meter.