How to start do-it-yourself apartment renovation in Khrushchev

At one time, apartments in Khrushchev were a dream for every seven, because after a communal apartment in which several families lived, having your own apartment with separate rooms, a private kitchen and a bathroom (which was not on the street) was just happiness. Despite its small size, it was its own apartment. Time passes, and now Khrushchevs are considered, so to speak, not very prestigious housing, but, nevertheless, on the real estate market, apartments in Khrushchevs are quite a profitable option due to their low prices. Yes, despite the fact that apartments in Khrushchev have a lot of disadvantages, this is the most affordable option if you want to buy an apartment for yourself. If you are in doubt about buying it, then even from Khrushchev you can make an excellent apartment by making major repairs in it.

So, if you are ready for a major overhaul and you have the strength and money for this, then we begin to master the purchased apartment. The design features of the Khrushchevs were supposed to build an apartment for the maximum minimum parameters necessary for living in an apartment. For example, the size and interior of the bathroom presupposed the presence of a bathtub, washbasin and toilet, and this is how the width of this room turned out - plumbing fixtures that were as close to each other as possible, while the length was determined by the length of the bathroom. The area of ​​the main rooms went from the minimum required comfortable space per person. That is why Khrushchevs are so small - it was necessary to build quickly, a lot and economically. Did you know that Khrushchevs were built as temporary housing and, according to their design, assumed that later they would be demolished, and instead of them spacious housing would be built? But, there is nothing more permanent than temporary.

Based on this, it is clear that such minimum parameters are now not suitable for a comfortable stay, since for a comfortable stay it is necessary to fit all the necessary household appliances, furniture, etc. Therefore, after you have acquired an apartment in Khrushchev, you need to make a major overhaul.

It is necessary to start repairs in Khrushchev from the calculations, that is, you must clearly know how much you have for repairs, in order to keep in mind the scope of the repair. In Khrushchev, you can make both cosmetic repairs and major, it all depends, again, on how much you have at your disposal.

As a rule, many of us want to save on repairs, since almost all the money is spent on buying an apartment, so in order to visually refresh the apartment, you can make cosmetic repairs: replace the wallpaper, repair the floor, replace the windows with new plastic ones, and other repair work on little things. As a result, redecoration of a one-room apartment in Khrushchev will cost from 10,000 rubles, and repairs of a two-room apartment in Khrushchev from 15,000 rubles. The price, of course, directly depends on the amount of work and the cost of materials.

But still, by and large, the houses in Khrushchev are almost 50 years old and they physically require major repairs, not to mention the fact that their interior and design is morally outdated. Next, we will tell you how to make a major overhaul in a Khrushchev with your own hands.

Redevelopment

After you have assessed the general condition of the apartment, the first thing we have to decide is the issue with the walls. If you are satisfied with a small bathroom, in fact, we are there for only a few minutes a day, then, probably, few people like a scanty kitchen, where there is really nowhere to turn around.If you are full of energy and optimism in the renovation, then it makes sense to redevelop the apartment. There is nothing complicated in the procedure for redeveloping an apartment, the difficulty lies in how to rationally disperse the space of an apartment, which is already so small. To expand a room, you need to take it from some room, so to speak, which is very difficult. In this situation, you can both independently prove yourself as a designer and use the services of professionals.

If you nevertheless decide to rebuild the apartment, then decide what is more acceptable for you, for example, a spacious kitchen and a large bathroom with a jacuzzi at the expense of part of the hall area, and instead of two small bedrooms, one is spacious, or leave everything as it is. When the priorities are set, we proceed to redevelopment.

New walls

If you decide on redevelopment, then instead of the demolished partition walls, you need to build new ones. We recommend using either drywall or foam concrete as materials for new walls. Partition walls made of plasterboard are easy to install, it is very easy to lay wiring and other communications in them. The only drawback of drywall walls is that you cannot attach anything heavy to them. As for foam concrete, building a wall of foam blocks will not be a big problem. Lightweight structures can be placed on a wall made of foam blocks, and at the same time, it is quite easy to mount wiring in foam concrete. We do not recommend using brick, aerated concrete and other similar materials as materials for interior walls due to their high cost, complexity of installation and other significant disadvantages.

Wiring in Khrushchev

The next stage is to replace the wiring and lay a new one in the constructed walls. This must be done without fail, since for some, the wiring may not be in the wall at all, but outside, which is wrong and not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the existing wiring probably has not changed since those ancient times and therefore it may not withstand the load of your equipment.

Plasterboard wall wiring is easy. To do this, we hide the cable in a corrugation and put it in the opening between the sheets of drywall. If your partition walls are made of foam concrete blocks, then you can make grooves for wiring using a hacksaw or a grinder, making longitudinal grooves, the core of which can be knocked out either with a hammer and chisel, or with a puncher.

Floor repair in Khrushchev

Regardless of the type of repair, be it major or cosmetic, be sure to replace the floor if it was built during the construction of the house. There is no need to talk about what bad wooden floor boards are, they just need to be dismantled, the floor should be leveled with a cement screed and then a new floor covering should be laid.

Start renovating an apartment in Khrushchev from the farthest room so as not to spread debris and dust to the renovated rooms. For example, the repair of a Khrushchev can be done in the following order: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, hall, hallway. Repair of any room should begin with leveling the ceiling and walls - this is the most important procedure, since the quality of the walls in Khrushchev is terrible. Wall repair in all rooms consists of the following steps: cleaning the walls and ceiling from the old coating, replacing the wiring, leveling the ceiling and walls, decorating, installing the floor covering.

Kitchen renovation in Khrushchev

If you have not redeveloped the kitchen, then when designing its interior, focus on the maximum ergonomics and rational distribution of the available minimum space.

As for specific solutions, we recommend making a window sill from a table top, that is, using it as a cutting table. Instead of a classic stove, it is better to install a separate, kitchen stove and small oven.Traditionally, we install the sink in the corner, and mount the refrigerator in the cabinet so as not to take away the usable area. A gas water heater or a modern boiler can also be hidden in a cabinet. Try to use all the wall space for the cabinets to disperse all the necessary kitchen utensils into them.

Repair of a toilet in Khrushchev

Before repairing a bathroom in Khrushchev, completely replace all plumbing communications. It also makes sense to move the bathroom door to the hallway so that it comes off outward and not inward. To save space, instead of a bathroom, install a shower stall; you can install a washing machine in the resulting free space. We do not recommend getting rid of the sink, as you will later regret it, at least make it as compact as possible.

Renovation of a bedroom in Khrushchev

If you made a two-room from a three-room Khrushchev, then you can build an additional wall in the hall so that it is not a walk-through, and the free space taken away from the hall can be compensated by demolishing part of the wall onto the balcony, thus making the balcony a continuation of the hall, but for this it is necessary will repair the balcony.

Renovation of the hall in Khrushchev

We carry out repair of the hall or living room in Khrushchev according to the above scheme. Alternatively, the hall can be made a living room by combining it with the kitchen into one room, part of the hall space can be given to the kitchen, and the other part to the living room. In a three-room apartment, such a decision will be very correct, since at the expense of the hall you will be able to expand the kitchen and the bathroom, using a walk-through corridor, part of the hall will be a living room, and you can leave two bedrooms, so to speak, for your personal space.

When renovating apartments in Khrushchev, the main goal is to combat worn-out communications, expand a small space and save money. The latter is especially important for residents of Moscow Khrushchevs in connection with the adopted housing renovation program. Of course, I don’t want to invest in renovating an apartment in a house that is going to be demolished. But what to do if the resettlement schedule is unknown or the resettlement is not planned for the current or at least the next year, but only after five or even ten years? We found out from the pros.

In many series of Khrushchevs, the internal walls are not load-bearing, this makes it possible for redevelopment with the unification or expansion of the premises. So, the bathroom can be expanded at the expense of the corridor, and the kitchen can be partially combined with the next room, provided that it is installed in the resulting doorway, if a gas stove remains in the apartment and a gas water heater is present.

One of the characteristic features of the Khrushchevs is the heating pipes inside the interior walls. To form an opening, you will have to retreat from the outer wall enough so as not to destroy the heated part of the interior partition. Or, having dismantled the wall as much as possible, weld pipes to the riser and place a new wall-mounted radiator.

The level of the floor in different rooms of apartments in Khrushchev often differs and during repairs, its leveling becomes a mandatory step. Be careful when calculating the thickness of the screed - slabs are not designed for heavy weights. You should also take a differentiated approach to the reconstruction of the floor in rooms with a screed (kitchen and bathroom) and with a wooden floor on logs (usually in rooms).

For the same reason, use only lightweight materials such as drywall to erect new partitions.

Calculate the technical equipment of the apartment in accordance with the capacity allocated for the apartment. In Khrushchevs, it usually does not exceed 3 kW, which forces a thoughtful approach to the choice of a particular piece of equipment and a general set, giving preference to class A.

To minimize risks, change the aluminum wiring to copper and install a separate circuit breaker for each stressed line.

The thickness of the internal and even inter-apartment partitions in Khrushchev is so small that it becomes difficult to create hidden electrical wiring and install sockets and switches.

If replacing partitions is not part of your plans, open wiring can be a good solution, moreover, it fits into completely different interior styles - depending on the design of the switches and sockets chosen.

The thickness of the outer walls in those Khrushchev buildings, which are built of reinforced concrete panels, is only 30–40 cm, which provides insufficient thermal insulation. Insulation of the walls, which should not take place from the inside of the house, but from the outside, is a rather difficult job, if it is done within the framework of one apartment, in addition, it violates the appearance of the facade of the building.

When replacing radiators, add one or more sections to each room. But do not abuse this advice - a significant increase in the number of radiators or sections in an apartment can disrupt the thermal balance of the entire house.

After the renovation, the joy from the retained ceiling height is likely to be higher than the frustration from the visible joints of the slabs - therefore, plaster and paint the ceiling instead of “eating” the priceless centimeters with the stretch profile.

In small areas, it is important to minimize the thickness of the finish layer so as not to “eat up” precious space. So, for example, by abandoning tiles in the bathroom in favor of paint, you can save 1–2 cm on each wall.

Do not use high skirting boards that visually shorten the height of the ceiling, or at least paint them in the color of the walls. And choose the ceiling cornices, which with their larger side go to the ceiling.

Another opportunity to compete for height is high interior doors that visually raise the ceiling. But being non-standard by the standards of manufacturers, they always entail a rise in the cost of the project. As a more affordable alternative, you can offer a false extension of the door upwards - for example, installing a transom or painting a part of the wall above the opening in the color of the door.

To make the 5.5 square meters of the kitchen functional, place wall cabinets up to the ceiling and use a wall with a window. When installing kitchen cabinets along it, the only limitation is the height of the window sill - it is lower than the standard work surface. The decision must be made individually - sometimes the level of cabinets above the window sill is acceptable, if there is an opportunity to wash the windows when they are not fully opened.

In other cases, a variable (lowered in this part) headset height is acceptable. Or a narrow dining table can be a continuation of the window sill, the required height of which just coincides with the window sill. A completely cardinal option, which is sometimes found in design projects, is a partial bookmark of the window opening from the bottom to the desired level of the countertop.

When organizing a U-shaped kitchen, remember that, according to ergonomic requirements, the passage between two rows of cabinets should be at least 120 cm. Sometimes, in order to comply with this parameter, the lower cabinets, which do not accommodate household appliances, require a non-standard, shallower depth.

Khrushchev apartments are available in almost every city in our country. And besides, they occupy most of the common buildings. Therefore, many were interested in such a question as repairs in Khrushchev more than once. Considering the fact that mostly middle-class people live in Khrushchev, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the repair, which will now be discussed, is designed specifically for the budget of an ordinary middle-class person. Read also about repairs in the nursery

So, where to start repairs in Khrushchev? First of all, we need a work plan. In it, we must describe in detail the design and style of the room, the materials that will be required for decoration and repair, and also the approximate total amount that we need to spend on the entire repair as a whole.Funds for repairs should always be at hand, so that at any time you can buy the necessary material or pay for any services. You should not start making repairs if you do not have enough finances. Since often, the process stopped at any stage of the repair, most likely, will remain unfinished. And these are far from empty words, but the conclusion of psychologists.

First of all, repairs in Khrushchev should be started from the kitchen or dining room. This room is most in demand on a daily basis by all family members and therefore it is her that we begin to make repairs from her. It is quite difficult to create an original, unique design in a Khrushchev apartment, since the apartment is often very small in size. At the same time, on its area, we need to place all the necessary equipment, cabinets, a table, and so on.

For Khrushchev apartments today, furniture designers have developed a lot of possible options for miniature furniture with a large storage area.

After we have repaired the kitchen, you can move on to the next stage, renovating the hallway.

The hallway in Khrushchev apartments is usually not large, but it just needs to be finished, like the whole apartment. In order to make your hallway look more spacious and comfortable, I propose to disassemble in detail how this can be done.

Corridor repairs usually start from the side opposite the exit. In addition to the main renovation, the entrance hall needs an original style and creative approach, because without this we will not get exactly what we need.

The essence of the overhaul in Khrushchev consists in the following stages of work:

- replacement of all glazing (most often with plastic);

- a change in the layout, most often this includes the wall between the kitchen and the living room, as well as the partition in the bathroom;

- rough and fine finishing of ceilings and walls;

- possible redevelopment of the walls in the rooms.

When there was a shortage of urban housing stock in the country, the problem of a shortage of apartments was solved by the construction of "Khrushchev houses". These 4-storey and 5-storey buildings were remembered for their closeness, but this was the best solution for resettlement of Stalin's communal apartments after the war.

In these houses, the architects obviously skimped on the area of ​​the kitchen, bathroom and hallway - the beginning of a narrow corridor. Original ideas for repairs in Khrushchev are an opportunity not only to modernize the old housing stock, but also to make it as comfortable as possible.

Small houses were built in the 60s and 80s by entire microdistricts and cities, up to the 90s. In the Brezhnev and perestroika times, projects of improved planning appeared. But the so-called Khrushchev buildings, designed for 50 years of operation, have remained the basis of urban development in the Russian Federation. They are actively removed only in the capital.

In the regions, the main method of improving housing conditions is a do-it-yourself overhaul of the Khrushchev. The degree of transformation depends on the "neglect" of the apartment and the financial capabilities of the owners of far from elite housing.

In those days, a number of similar projects were introduced into mass construction:

• Brick 4-storey houses on a reinforced concrete frame.
• Panel buildings made of reinforced concrete panels with a large number of load-bearing walls.

Modernization of old cramped apartments is done in different ways - from "cosmetic" to major repairs. Some projects are so successful that it is difficult to guess in a prestigious apartment with an insulated balcony and warm floor the former "Khrushcheba", as you can see on the photo in the network.

The degree of transformation varies:

• replacement of windows and a number of other measures to insulate the apartment;
• leveling and facing surfaces;
• renovation with redevelopment;
• partial dismantling of walls and partitions with the unification of the areas of adjacent rooms;
• rethinking the usable area through zoning and the addition of an insulated balcony;
• partial dismantling of walls and walls in the form of arches with the installation of glass partitions;
• transfer of interior doors and construction of additional passages so that there are no passage rooms;
• active use of visual methods of expanding the area;
• renovation of the bathroom and kitchen with modern cladding materials (preliminary dismantling of pipes, baths, sinks, sinks and toilet bowls) with the installation of compact plumbing.

Even if nothing can be changed in a house without an elevator and a garbage chute, this can be more than compensated for by interior furnishings with a fashionable apartment design.

Attention: It will not be possible to remake the Khrushchev without significant expenses. With a minimum investment, you cannot do without dismantling old coatings, communications and plumbing, it is important to make a high-quality leveling of surfaces.

For redevelopment, you will need permission from the BTI and the city architectural supervision, so that the demolition of the walls does not threaten collapse.

If you make high-quality cladding with modern materials with your own hands, it will come out inexpensively and beautifully, as in the photo of the repair in Khrushchev.

Before choosing wallpaper, linoleum or paint, draw up an algorithm of actions. Competent renovation planning and a sensible choice of interior style will facilitate the workflow and help save energy and finances.

Tip: If the family has a modest budget, it is better to break down the transformation of the Khrushchev into stages, performing step by step, so as not to start an "eternal" repair. After completing one room, proceed to another so that the apartment does not look like a battlefield with barbarians for a decade.

First, make a revision, getting rid of old furniture, mezzanines, doors and everything that is morally outdated. Use surface "modernization" techniques on sturdy, level surfaces.

Draw up a work plan for each room and separately for the types of work covering the entire apartment (insulation, replacement of pipes and plumbing, leveling the floor or ceiling).

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When buying finishing materials, do not forget about ideas for the visual expansion of space (mirrors, photo wallpaper with optical illusions and 3D effect, vertical and horizontal lines).

Use zoning techniques and space optimization with built-in furniture if it is not possible for everyone in the family to assign a separate room. This will somehow compensate for the lack of personal space and will make the time of cooking, resting or working at the PC more comfortable.

Choosing a design style, you can decorate rooms in different ways, but do not forget that adjacent rooms should not contrast, but complement.

The style should match the functionality of the room well if there is no single solution. For example, marine - for the bathroom, romanticism - in the bedroom, fusion - in the living room and hallway, and Provencal style - in the kitchen. They can be combined with a common color scheme - cold, warm or neutral, depending on the type of natural light (north, south).

When decorating the ceiling, walls and floor, do not forget about low ceilings, so multi-level structures will be inappropriate. It is better to choose simple finishes after leveling surfaces, such as self-leveling floors and liquid wallpaper for the ceiling.

If it is impossible to take permission to redevelop the Khrushchev, it is really possible to make an arched opening in the secondary wall with a grinder and strengthen it with a steel corner.

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If at some stage you need the help of specialists or specialized firms, do not ignore this opportunity. They will place your order quickly and professionally. You can save on dismantling and cleaning surfaces from old coatings.

When finishing, use finishing materials of the latest generation, abandoning traditional wallpaper, linoleum and whitewash, so that in a couple of years you will not have to "modernize" the design.

Today, it is difficult to do when renovating in techno, loft or high-tech style without innovative materials, lighting techniques and a combination of spectacular textures.

Attention: It is advisable to use ready-made space planning projects during the renovation of the kitchen in the Khrushchev or for the transformation of the entire living space.This was done by professionals who know all the secrets of the optimal layout of every square centimeter of space.

Small-sized one-room Khrushchev houses are difficult to radically expand, even if they give a more modern look like a studio apartment.

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At the same time, partitions are transformed between the living room and adjacent rooms - the kitchen and the hallway (corridor).

Renovation of a room in Khrushchev usually ends with the purchase of modern furniture, lighting fixtures and necessary accessories.

Curtains are one of the most affordable ways to complete a design.

When choosing the style of curtains, it is important to choose not just the drapery you like or multi-layered sewing, but to be guided by the style.

Japanese minimalism is suitable for the living room - with its free space, compact low furniture and flat screened curtains.

For the bedroom, two-layer curtains of an asymmetric cut are suitable, where the lower panel is solid translucent, the upper one is of an arbitrary shape.

Massive chandeliers with many bulbs are not for Khrushchevs with their limited space. It is better to use economical diodes and flat and hemispherical ceiling luminaires.

Spotlighting is a popular zoning technique. This is very handy when you can add lighting in different places with the push of a button at arm's length:

• in the kitchen above the cutting surface;
• table lamp, floor lamp or sconce at the computer desk;
• over the head of the bed in the bedroom;
• along the perimeter of the ceiling in the nursery from the diode tape;
• by the mirror in the hallway.

The look of the renovated Khrushchev building largely depends on the choice of furniture. It should be compact and versatile:

• a sofa bed with a convenient transformation mechanism in the living room or bedroom;
• bunk beds and furniture complexes on 2 levels in the nursery;
• transformers and folding planes of any format;
• extended window sill with tabletop function;
• a bar counter in the kitchen instead of a dining table or as a way to differentiate between the cooking block and the dining area in the living room (after the demolition of the partition);
• stackable chairs and stools;
• folding seats in the hallway and on the balcony;
• upholstered furniture with boxes and drawers under the seats;
• built-in wardrobes and narrow pencil cases in any empty corner;
• glass shelves and multi-level corners that create the illusion of no furniture;
• instead of closed cabinet furniture - lightweight double-sided shelving and whatnots, which are used in zoning as partitions.

When choosing textiles and wallpaper colors, keep in mind that a large pattern and black color "steals" space, it is better to refuse them.

Chromed metal and glossy surfaces enhance illumination.

The metamorphoses of the Khrushchevs require large investments, but with the right choice of design, the result will surpass all expectations.

Having bought a two-room apartment in Khrushchev, Sergei and his wife planned to make do with cosmetic repairs: update the wallpaper, touch up something, fix the plumbing, etc. However, when they got down to business and began to delve into the nuances, they realized that there was a lot of dusty work ahead ... The interior turned out without frills and zest, but managed to save a lot. What exactly - this will be discussed in the article.

Dismantling was not technically difficult, but very laborious. We started in the kitchen. The old tiles fell off with a bang. Almost all of the tiles were knocked down with a hammer and chisel. In the bathroom, I had to use a punch with a spatula.

Wallpaper turned out to be a big problem. It seems that no one in this apartment has ripped them off from the very moment it was built. About 5 layers were found, neatly glued on top of each other. The first layer was glued, presumably, with flour and was the most difficult to tear off. Every centimeter gave in with great difficulty. Tried buying special removers, but they were no more useful than regular hot water. So I would not recommend spending money on them.

The wooden floor was very dilapidated, squeaked heavily and could not be repaired. Often in old houses, living creatures can start under the flooring of the boards, so it was decided to dismantle it, put insulation and fill in the screed in all rooms except the bathroom. There were more or less bearable tiles on the floor. Therefore, it was poured, focusing on the level of the bathroom, according to the height of the required screed, taking into account the insulation, it fit perfectly.

Until the last, they planned to fill the floor on their own with the father-in-law. However, in the end, we ordered a dry-pressed screed through the "Services" service on Onliner.by. The guys completed all the work in almost half a day, we would have spent at least a day on each room.

They decided to remove the door to the hall in order to increase the space and make a portal. The most basic tools were required: a hacksaw, a hammer, a nail puller.

The electrical condition was sad. There are few outlets: two per room. The wires were somewhere carelessly hidden under the baseboard, somewhere they were generally dangling around the room. They decided to outsource the draft electrician. It is good to have a chasing cutter for self-cutting of such a volume, and it will take a lot of time, which in our case was not so much.

After looking at examples on the Internet, we made a rough plan. Placed sockets in every corner of the room. Many specialists responded to our order. Moreover, the price tag had a huge gap - from 300 rubles to $ 1000. There were even those who said that their work on the site still needed to be earned, and dictated very strict conditions under which they would agree to take the order.

I liked two performers. Both worked under a contract, and the price was about the same. I chose those guys who could start earlier, because the deadlines were very tight. Together with them, they put down the markings of sockets, switches, discussed all the nuances and signed an agreement. Everything seems to be passable.

About a month later, shoals of electricians surfaced when it came to connecting a clean electrician. It was found that the pass-through switches do not work. The reason was that the electrician did not know how to connect them, but tried to hide it. Fortunately, a three-core cable was used everywhere and it was enough to connect everything correctly in the junction box. I had to fix everything myself. In addition, the electrician installed the machines upside down. The Internet turned out to be full of opinions on this matter. Someone believed that this was normal and someone even the Germans installed them in this way, someone argued the opposite. Electricians did not get in touch and did not react to comments in Viber. I decided not to waste time and reconnected the machines myself. Quite a simple task, as it turned out. In general, most of the work is done quite simply if you study the issue well.

I connected a clean electrician myself. The work is simple, the main thing is the presence of an indicator screwdriver. Sockets and switches were purchased on the market (Schneider Electric), where they are much cheaper than in hypermarkets. Plus a return without any written statements, copies of the check and other red tape, all on a trusting relationship.

The walls in the rooms turned out to be quite even, therefore they did not do much plastering, only old holes from sockets and especially large cells in the slab were repaired. After plastering everything was putty. One 5-liter canister was used for the whole apartment. I bought everything at the construction market in Uruchye.

In the kitchen, the old water pipes were replaced with metal-plastic. A specialist was invited to work on pipe welding, since the cost of equipment and the ability to screw up outweighed the cost of the work of a professional.

The batteries were painted with paint for radiators, they took the Polish one (Sniezka). We installed new shields on them. They decided to order a ready-made kitchen - to save money. It cost $ 350, while it has MDF facades and the simplest door closers. The hood was bought on the Internet.

The tiles were laid on the floor together with the father-in-law. With the pruning, it turned out to be an interesting story. Polish tile Cerrad Urban Steel 600 × 600. Initially, it was planned to cut it with a glass cutter, but it did not give in to a glass cutter.We decided to rent a tile cutter. Since the tiles had to be trimmed only 3 pieces and I didn't want to waste time on transporting the tile cutter there / back, I agreed with the rental company that I would cut it right there. I had no experience in slicing. The girl (rental worker) also did not really know how to work with the tool, so she cut the first tile “by touch”. It did not cut properly, but was split in half with a cleavage in the center. By this time, the owner of the rental company appeared and, seeing the miracle worker with a tile cutter, began to help. But even with his support, everything turned out crooked. In general, they did not take money from me ...

In the end, my friend, who has experience in cutting porcelain stoneware, saved us. True, our tiles were not easy even for him. They cut it not perfectly, but tolerably enough to lay problem areas unnoticeable for the eyes.

Another thing is "ceramic" tiles on the "apron". Cut like butter. I bought it on the Internet. It was possible to buy in the brand center, but there you have to go through and check each tile while sitting at the warehouse. Private companies check the quality themselves and are more adequate in terms of replacement. I laid the tiles on the apron myself.

The kitchen was assembled with a friend. Upon installation, an unpleasant detail emerged: the countertop of the outermost cabinet did not fit in and rested against the windowsill. We decided to cut the window sill without touching the table top.

The mixer, sink and lintels were taken from the market. A sink with a depth of 18 cm cost 60 rubles, a mixer with a tap for a filter - 100 rubles.

The bathroom in the apartment is combined and has a very modest size - only 2.8 sq. m. A washing machine with dryer did not fit into the existing layout. Therefore, we decided to move the sink to the opposite side, installing a small sink, and slightly displace the toilet bowl to the wall, the old toilet bowl fixing holes were sealed with a joint.

Later we decided that another option was acceptable, which we initially discarded: an overhead sink on the washing machine. They are significantly more expensive than conventional sinks, but then there would be no need to supply pipes to the opposite wall.

The mixer in the bathroom was lowered, the pipes were hidden in the wall under the tiles, and a new coil was installed. Finding a suitable coil turned out to be not easy, the dimensions were not the most popular (50 to 55). As a result, I found it on the Internet.

All work was performed by 2 plumbers. Both turned out to be not very good, but with proper control of each stage, it is quite possible to get an acceptable result.

For the counters, I made a panel of plasterboard and metal profiles. The profile was taken from steel 0.6 mm, now I would not take such a thick one. Cutting it with scissors for metal is difficult, they are more expensive, the loads are small, so it was possible to take an easier one. Self-tapping screws for metal are best taken with a drill. I took it without, because the seller said that there is no difference, but there is one: with a drill, holes are cut faster and easier. I made a screen for the bathroom using the same system. In the screen, I did not make hidden windows on silicone, but simply left holes the size of a tile at the edges, which are closed by a cabinet and a washing machine.

The bathroom was left old (cast iron), but re-poured with acrylic. A specialist was hired for this work. The service is not very expensive, but it requires special equipment and proven material. You won't be able to save so much, and the probability of messing up is significant.

It was planned to lay the tiles in the bathroom on our own, but by that time we were already very much out of schedule. Therefore, they threw their resource into laying tiles in the corridor and laying laminate flooring, and they invited a specialist to the bathroom through the Onliner.by "Services". The walls were more or less even (within the limits of what is leveled with tile glue), so no additional processing was done. We just plastered all the holes from old dowels and other fasteners.

To save space, we bought a toilet with a direct release due to the peculiarities of the drain, and thus it went into the depth of another 10 cm. All planning work was done independently in the Pro100 program. It is quite easy to learn.I downloaded the pictures of the tiles on the Internet and simply threw them into the program. Dimensions are given in three dimensions and there are many ready-made models. You won't get cool renders of the 3dMax level, but to understand whether this option suits you and how it will look - more than enough.

The corridor turned out to be the last "dirty" section and remained untouched for a long time, and it is always difficult to finish. Gathering will in a fist, with the father-in-law laid the tiles on the floor in two passes. The transitions between the tile and the laminate were covered with a strip with silicone gaskets to prevent squeaking.

Two shields were installed on the wall at the entrance: one for the machines, the second for the tails of the cables. There was a shallow niche in the corridor, previously there was a wardrobe, but it was inconvenient to hang anything there, since the niche is very short. We decided to make an ordinary hanger, and install a bench in the niche itself.

With a price in the region of 300 rubles, we managed to make a cut, purchase all the accessories, drills. From the remnants of the sheet, I additionally made a rack and several shelves. I performed all the additives myself. It turned out not perfect, but it gained valuable experience. I got the mirror for free. The hanger was bought white in Jysk for 20 rubles and repainted in the desired color.

After removing the wallpaper, I plastered and putty the walls. The batteries were painted with radiator paint. The doors, as in the bathroom, were painted with paint in the color of the existing furniture (dark wenge). They decided to lay a laminate on the floor, the same in all rooms. We laid it down with our father-in-law.

There was a mistake with the wallpaper. For the second room, we bought ordinary paper wallpaper (about 5 rubles per roll). We thought: why buy expensive wallpaper if this one looks fine too, but after pasting the joints became dark and looked ugly, besides, the paper wallpaper is very fragile and can be easily wiped off. As a result, vinyl on a non-woven basis was later bought in this room and in all the others. Relatives helped to glue.

For a long time we lived with a light bulb in a socket, and later we bought LED lamps for both rooms. Stretch ceilings in all rooms were made; this is the best option for hiding the wiring under the ceiling. In addition, a big plus in preserving the contents of the apartment when flooding from above. Ceiling stretching work was ordered from specialists.

Some of our furniture and household appliances have been accumulated over the years in rented apartments. Therefore, we drove in with what was, and later bought in addition. In the kitchen: table, chairs, oven. In the corridor: a curbstone, a carpet and a coffee table in the hall. In the future, we plan to equip the hall by adding storage systems.

Along with furniture and household appliances, the renovation of the apartment cost us $ 5,000. Below are the costs (prices are in dollars).

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