Budget apartment renovation in Moscow - economical renovation at competitive prices

From this article you will learn:

What is the time frame for a quick apartment renovation?
How to do a quick apartment renovation step by step with your own hands
How professionals advise doing quick apartment renovations
What interesting ideas and tricks can be used to quickly renovate an apartment?
What you definitely don’t need to save on
What mistakes are made most often when carrying out quick apartment renovations?

The process of renovating an apartment often becomes a reason for jokes and sarcasm. The catchphrase that renovations can only begin and cannot be completed very accurately characterizes the duration and complexity of the work, which anyone who has ever encountered the need for changes in their apartment knows firsthand. However, everything is not as hopeless as it seems at first glance, and making a quick apartment renovation is a completely doable task that only requires a responsible approach. It is important to have the right attitude and firmly decide not to delay the repair, but in this article we will tell you how to quickly achieve all your goals and avoid problems.

What is the time frame for a quick apartment renovation?

As a rule, the minimum period of time for repairs is three months, if, of course, a number of other issues have already been resolved, including the availability of funds, a prepared project, as well as coordination of alterations with the management company.

If we consider cosmetic repairs that do not require redevelopment, replacement of communications and other complex manipulations, then it can actually be completed in one month.

The main criteria that determine the duration of repairs are:

Area and degree of complexity of the object

Obviously, the speed of renovation in a one-room apartment and in a two-level apartment with eight rooms will be fundamentally different. For the first option, two or three months are enough, but for the second, it is possible that even a year will not be enough. A simple rule applies here: a small project means a quick repair.

Customer's ambitions

This factor is often difficult to measure in terms of time and even money. For example, the owner of a house intends to order the installation of control, automation and management systems; he also wants to equip the building with security and fire systems; accordingly, the number of standard wiring wires will double, and perhaps triple. In this case, it will take many times more time to complete the work.

The whims of the customer

However, if ambitions can somehow be realized, then the whims of the customer, often expressed in constant changes of decisions and disorganization, are, according to most professionals, the real problem.

An honorable third place, after the size of the area and custom-made materials, in the ranking of the reasons that lengthen repairs is occupied by the attitude and behavior of customers. It often happens that everything goes perfectly: the project has been agreed upon, the materials have been selected, but as soon as the renovation begins, the owners of apartments or houses suddenly begin to think that they like the English style more than Provence. And although they still settle on the already approved option, the time spent on these torments of search and reflection cannot be returned.

What the apartment looked like BEFORE renovation

I want to clarify once again: this is an ordinary Khrushchev panel building. The last time a cosmetic renovation was done here was around the beginning of the 2000s (they put up wallpaper, ceiling tiles and... And basically everything).

In the photo: the hall BEFORE renovation

In the photo: hallway BEFORE renovation

In the photo: bedroom BEFORE renovation

Sequence of quick apartment renovation with your own hands

In order for you to be able to make quick and inexpensive apartment renovations without experiencing unnecessary worries, you just need to follow the right algorithm of actions.

Repair planning

Decide in advance on the type of material needed to finish the walls, ceiling and floor. It is possible that you will decide to replace the floor or decide to make a rearrangement. It is better to include all the nuances in a pre-drawn plan than to rely solely on your memory.

It is recommended to note the amount of material needed, and it would also be nice to know the approximate prices. If you plan to invite a professional to perform any work, mark this in your action plan. At the same time, such planning is a kind of guideline; you can include in it all the aspects that seem paramount to you. In any case, having a plan is already the beginning of the work.

Furniture is moved, unnecessary elements are dismantled

Ideally, when carrying out renovations, all furniture should be completely removed from the apartment. However, this rarely happens; much more often it is simply moved from one room to another. Place all interior items compactly, wrapping them with stretch film. Thus, you can start repairs from other premises. As soon as at least one room is completed, we bring furniture into it and continue to do so as the renovation progresses and the degree of readiness of other rooms.

The next step will be the dismantling of the elements to be replaced. When making cosmetic repairs, we remove the old floor, for example linoleum, and tear off the wallpaper. If we are talking about capital projects, then it is possible to remove interior doors, dismantle partitions, change the location of doorways, create special niches in the wall, remove plumbing fixtures and other work.

Recommended articles on this topic:

Arrangement of a small apartment
Stages of renovation in an apartment
Turnkey cosmetic repairs

Water, heating, electricity

It is important to plan communications in advance and think about wiring first. In situations where it is necessary to install new partitions, first lay the wiring and pipes in advance. This is necessary so as not to have to redo everything again later. If you have a frame house, then it is recommended to hide the wiring in the wall. In cases with other wall materials, you will have to break through the grooves and lay the wiring in them.

The next step will be plumbing. It is important to install pipes that supply water to the washing machine and to drain it into the sewer. This scope of work also includes installation of connections to faucets, bathtubs, showers, dishwashers, and toilets.

Finishing work

It is recommended to start finishing work from the top, that is, from the ceiling to the walls and floor. This sequence allows you to prevent cases where areas that have already undergone repairs are damaged. The only exception is suspended ceilings, which are done as a last resort.

Then the plumbing is installed, and since all the connections have already been made, we begin to lay the flooring and decorate the walls.

Door installation

The next stage is the installation of interior doors, which, by the way, should be selected in advance and, if necessary, prepare openings for the new width and height. After installing the frame, we hang the door leaf. You should first cover the clean floor with film, and then proceed to the walls.

Budget renovation

Encyclopedia map
Often, when moving into a purchased or rented apartment, we are faced with the fact that the old owners did not really care about it, and if at the preliminary viewing everything looked more or less decent, then upon entry various troubles are discovered. Whether it’s wallpaper peeling off in the corners, tiles coming off, or interior doors that won’t close.

There can be many such “surprises”, and here you just have to blame your inattention and their dishonesty. In order not to be ashamed to receive guests, and to spend time in a pleasant environment, a small renovation may be required. One of the solutions may be to carry out budget renovations that do not require large financial investments, but are quite suitable for a rented apartment, or if after purchasing an apartment there is no money left for a major full-scale renovation.

You can carry out repairs either yourself or with a hired construction team. The first option must be chosen if you have at least some construction and repair skills and at least some free time, otherwise the repair risks turning into a rather protracted undertaking. If you are a complete novice when it comes to repairs, and you have practically no free time, then, of course, you should turn to the services of professionals. It may be a little more expensive, but your time is worth money. If you have moved into an apartment in a new building without finishing, then it is possible to carry out budget finishing of the apartment, the main thing is that it has electrical and plumbing connections. Depending on the degree of “devastation” of your home, the amount of work required is determined. You can determine this required volume yourself, and, accordingly, decide on the budget for repair work. Many construction companies and teams offer their own options for budget solutions to repair problems.

With some differences, there is an approximate list of works that can be included in the budget repair framework:

electrical installation work, replacing electrical points, adding new ones;
plumbing work;
leveling walls;
floor leveling;
leveling ceilings for painting;
leveling walls for tiling;
laying ceramic tiles on walls and floors;
finishing of ceilings: painting, installation of suspended ceiling;
wall decoration: painting, wallpapering, installation of PVC panels;
laying carpet: linoleum, carpet, laminate;
installation of window and door blocks.

Vote

In addition, it is worth noting that budget renovation is such not only in terms of the limited scope of work, but also in terms of the construction and finishing materials used in it. Preference is given to inexpensive but high-quality materials.

Andrey Nosov

Ideas and tricks for quickly renovating an apartment on a zero budget

You shouldn’t mentally push back the start time of renovation every time, because there are effective methods that, inspired by them, will definitely decide to change your home. There is no need to stop yourself from creating a cozy and beautiful environment, because a quick cosmetic renovation of an apartment is much easier than it seems.

Doors

First, get rid of the old layer of paint, and in this case we recommend using a solution of sodium silicate in water, it will cope with this task as quickly as possible. Use a primer to smooth out dents and nicks. After these simple procedures, the door is completely ready for painting, varnishing, plastering and even wallpapering - the choice depends only on your imagination.

Wallpaper

A very interesting and non-standard option is to combine wallpaper with a variety of patterns. The big advantage of this approach is the consistency of execution, since to begin with it will be enough to decorate only one wall and fit it into the interior.

Old furniture

From old furniture that you want to give a second life, you need to remove the varnish or paint. So, a grandmother’s chest of drawers, which has had its internal and external appearance changed, will look completely different.

After the surface is cleaned, it should be treated with sandpaper. Then it is recommended to prime the furniture and then paint it, preferably with acrylic paints.

Textile

The comfort of your home directly depends on the chosen bedspreads, beautiful pillows and all kinds of draperies. A room in which curtains and pillows are in harmony in color and pattern looks very stylish.

What you shouldn’t save on when making quick renovations in your apartment

Renovating an apartment is an undertaking that requires considerable expenses, which is why it is understandable that the owners of premises want to try to save money on the work of craftsmen or on materials. However, it is these two aspects that you should not skimp on. Let's take a closer look at why.

Water supply

The use of low-quality materials when replacing standard elements (such as, for example, pipes, fittings, shut-off valves, faucets) threatens the possibility of flooding the room. The same can be said about the professionalism of the craftsmen who perform such work. After all, often even the presence of high-quality materials does not mean anything if the specialists are negligent.

Electrical equipment

You must be confident in the quality of the electrical wiring, in individual elements of electrical equipment, be it sockets or switches; it is extremely important that there is absolutely no possibility of problems arising when several devices powered by electricity are turned on simultaneously.

Warm floor

When a home owner decides not to install a heated floor system under tiles, he is most likely making a mistake. In most Russian cities in winter, thermometers drop to noticeably low levels, and various differences in heating supply also occur. This is why a warm floor is really necessary, but at the same time, we emphasize that it’s still not worth tearing down beautiful, expensive tiles to install it.

Tile

This is one of the most expensive types of repair work, and the materials themselves cannot be classified as budget ones either. The thing is that this type of finishing can last for quite a long period of time. For example, wallpaper is updated on average after two to three years, but the appearance of tiles remains unchanged for decades.

Window blocks

The service life of window units in maximum values is 25 years, because this is exactly how long metal-plastic windows can stand without any changes, in which only the rubber seals should be replaced after 15 years. When choosing a company specializing in the installation of window units, it is important to pay attention not to the favorable conditions and minimum price, but to the reputation of the company, the degree of responsibility with which it approaches its work.

Rough finish

Rough finishing is usually understood as a set of works related to the construction of interior partitions, leveling of walls, ceilings, floors, including plaster and putty. The complexity of such work certainly affects their cost. And even after their completion, the results are obvious only indirectly. This is one of the reasons that explains the desire of the owners to save money on this type of work and, using the remaining money, purchase more expensive wallpaper and some other additional interior items.

The result of such a thoughtless approach will be a not very happy situation in which expensive wallpaper loses its appearance because it is glued to uneven walls. It is also not recommended to save on screed, because then it is possible that the laminate will creak in places while walking on it. If you are careless about observing the geometry of the walls, then the furniture will look completely crooked and out of place.

Bathroom renovation tips

The bathroom is often very limited in space and it is worth distributing furniture and plumbing there as practically as possible. Tips for beginners in repair will help with this.

Space optimization

The bathroom and toilet need to be carefully thought out, because, often, fatal mistakes and errors follow, such as, for example, a washing machine that does not fit.

A good solution, of course, would be to combine a toilet with a bathroom in pursuit of additional space. But this solution is absolutely not suitable for large families if the apartment does not have a backup toilet.

In order to save space, it is also important to use the space under the bathroom as a chest with household supplies.

Plumbing Tips

The most useful advice for renovating a bathroom would be to install a boiler, which in relation to the entire renovation costs a penny, and will relieve discomfort when the hot water supply is turned off.

The pipe distribution should be in an easily accessible but well hidden place . Under no circumstances should this place be walled up.

It is important to maintain a 15° slope of the pipes, which will help avoid frequent blockages.

Tips for finishing walls, floors and ceilings in the bathroom

In the bathroom, you should definitely level the walls, ceilings and floors, since tiles are often used for finishing, which will bring out all the unevenness and imperfections.

Advice from professionals in construction and renovation insists that cleaning walls before laying tiles is an important process that needs to be approached as seriously as possible.

The place near the washbasin in the bathroom is the main place and it is worth starting laying tiles from there. Under no circumstances should there be halves or pieces of finishing material, only whole tiles.

Waterproofing the floor will be an excellent solution in the bathroom.

Tips for choosing bathroom furniture

Bathroom furniture must be resistant to high humidity conditions . There should be no untreated wood inserts.

Choose shelves for bathroom accessories only made of stainless steel.

Ventilation

Ventilation in the bathroom is extremely necessary, because in conditions of high humidity, fungus often forms, which is harmful to surfaces and health.

It is also worth installing a special distribution valve when installing general ventilation in an apartment. This valve regulates air flow in the ventilation system and prevents odors from the bathroom from entering the kitchen and vice versa.

Watch the video

This video contains a lot of useful tips on how to save money on bathroom renovations.

Typical mistakes in quick apartment renovations

Spontaneous repair

Perhaps the biggest mistake, the correction of which is not at all cheap, is the lack of a specific work plan. Before you take off the old wallpaper and rush out to buy something, you need to clearly understand what exactly you want to get as a result and what your new room should be like. When working out an apartment design option, the lack of a design plan is also one of the most common mistakes.

Electrics

It often happens that when three appliances are turned on at the same time: a kettle, a microwave oven and a washing machine, power outages cannot be avoided, and for this reason, the advice of professional repairmen is to simultaneously install machines for each device that consumes a large amount of electricity.

Location of sockets

It is worth planning the locations of future outlets and, in general, electricians in general based on where this or that piece of furniture will be located. Otherwise, you won’t be able to do without extension cords and network filters. It is not recommended to place sockets too low, as they will interfere with cleaning. It would not be a bad idea to make a larger number of sockets (about 20%) than with the initial planning.

New building

If you move into a new building, be prepared for the fact that after two years, when the house has completely settled down, your renovation will need to be almost completely redone. First of all, ceilings must be replaced, because even seemingly ideal ceilings and plasterboard arches sometimes crack and become crooked. Correcting such errors is expensive.

Children's room

A common mistake in renovating children's rooms is purchasing overly expensive pieces of furniture. This is not entirely rational, because the child is growing, and as he grows up, new furniture will be needed regularly.

Options for purchasing apartments in a new building

Today, new buildings are radically different from those residential buildings that were built in the USSR, since in most cases today apartments are rented with completely bare walls. Consequently, if previously the homeowner received a living space that was minimally adapted for living: with renovation, a toilet and bathroom, a washstand and a kitchen stove, now you can move into “four” walls that you won’t even bother to plaster.

Even after you have received the keys to the apartment and you have become its legal owner, you still need several months to make this home suitable for living.

They have one inherent advantage: you can personally become a designer and make the kind of repairs that you like. Naturally, this option for purchasing a home is unlikely to allow you to save money. Purchasing an “empty box” very often ends up being quite expensive, since, having saved on the living space itself, a budget renovation of an apartment in a new building without minimal finishing is unlikely to be possible.

The fate of the owners whose apartments have undergone basic rough finishing and completed the following is different:

electrical installation;
plumbing work;

And also aligned:

wall surfaces for wallpaper;
flooring;
ceiling surfaces for painting;
wall surfaces for tiled cladding.

In this case, economical renovation in a new building is quite possible, but you should take into account some, sometimes often “pop-up” nuances, without which you will not be able to achieve the desired result. Since the building is new, it may shrink, so it is advisable to use materials that are resistant to deformation, for example:

for walls: fabric wallpaper, non-woven wallpaper
for the ceiling: stretch fabric.
for floors: linoleum.

Budget renovation in a new building, which is equipped with a fine wallpaper finish, is simply an ideal option for high-quality furnishings. You can create a luxurious living space where the individual characteristics of the owner will be fully visible.

With this purchase option, you have the opportunity to bring your ideas and original ideas to life. At the same time, it is inappropriate to talk about global changes here, since the main work has already been done, significant financial investments are not required and large-scale re-equipment is also not planned.

Creating coziness can be done with your own hands, if you have time for it and at least minimal skills, or you can entrust this work to highly qualified specialists. They will be able to efficiently and quickly carry out the most complex processes associated with finishing and installation:

ceramic tiles;
ceiling surfaces: painting, installation of a suspended ceiling;
wall surfaces: painting, gluing, installation of PVC panels;
carpeting: linoleum, carpet, laminate;
window and door structures.

There is the possibility of purchasing a European model of living space. This is the case when, when you receive an apartment, you can find almost everything you need in it: from the complete decoration of the room to door and window structures, and in some cases you can surprise yourself with the presence of a kitchen unit. This option is suitable for those who hold conservative views and are satisfied with the standardity in everyday life.

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