Quality repairs will not save money. How to save on renovating an apartment in a new building? Windows and interior doors

Repairing an apartment or house is an unpleasant task, even if there are enough funds and a team to carry it out. However, everyone wants to do it efficiently and at the same time with minimal financial costs. In this review by the editors of the site, we will tell you several ways to save money on repairs, and what types of work you should not do this on.

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Repairing an apartment or house, especially major renovation, is a project, construction and finishing materials, laying new or replacing old utilities, construction services and much more. Let's consider how you can save on finishing various rooms in a new building and secondary housing.

How to save on renovating an apartment in a new building

By purchasing housing in a new building or on the secondary market, you can save a lot if you design everything correctly from the very beginning. By purchasing an apartment in a new building, you get bare walls, the opportunity to remodel and arrange the room to your liking. This is a good opportunity to reduce the costs of preparatory work, dismantling old equipment, finishing walls, floors and ceilings. Some of the work can be done on your own, but some of it is better to entrust it to specialists in order to avoid rework, unnecessary costs and loss of time. It is, of course, possible to save on drawing up a design project when renovating an apartment, but only if you have certain skills in carrying out this type of work. Otherwise, you cannot do without the services of a specialist.

Decorating different rooms, or how to save money on apartment renovations yourself

Each room in an apartment or house has its own characteristics. They affect the complexity of repair work, the necessary finishing materials, communications and equipment. Let's look at how to save money on apartment renovations when decorating different rooms.

Living rooms

If the walls are very uneven and require preliminary plastering, puttying, painting or wallpapering, which entails a lot of time and material consumption, then the best option would be to finish them with plasterboard. It will hide various surface defects and allow you to significantly save on the final decorative coating. In a new apartment, it is better to immediately replace windows and doors, especially if they are made of low quality wood.

How to save money on a kitchen renovation

One of the effective ways to save money when renovating a room is to use a style that involves minimal finishing (loft, minimalism, etc.). Instead, for an apron in the work area, it is best to install a special facing panel made of acrylic or with a plastic decorative coating. It is better not to use it for kitchen flooring. You can also save on furniture by installing shelves of varying lengths and widths on the walls, instead of hanging blocks.

How to save money on bathroom and toilet renovations

How to save money on bathroom renovations? Yes, simple. You can use cheaper, but high-quality materials from less popular brands, such as Ceresit. In the toilet it is permissible to put washable ones, not ceramic tiles, or cover the walls with plastic clapboard. Polyurethane foam panels can be glued to the ceiling.

How to save on finishing materials when carrying out renovations

There are many finishing materials from little-known manufacturers that are not inferior in quality to the products of the most popular brands. You can also use inexpensive analogues for interior decoration. In some cases, it is permissible to refuse to use finishing materials, for example, when the presence of raw materials is welcomed brick walls.

How to save on wallpaper and other materials for wall decoration

What you can save on when renovating is wallpaper. An excellent option would be to putty the walls. In this case, to update the situation, it is enough to repaint the surfaces in a different color. You can also line the walls with plasterboard panels and, thanks to their smooth surface, significantly reduce the consumption of finishing materials. A good option It is considered the use of wallpaper for painting, which can be used several times, changing its color from time to time.

How to save money on floor repairs

The most affordable, budget-wise, flooring option that anyone can install is linoleum. But it is best to use quality material. Floor coverings should be chosen with an eye to the future. For the bathroom, hallway and kitchen - tiles; in the living room, children's room and bedroom you can lay laminate. The main condition for saving lies in high-quality preparatory work, which will allow you to forget about repairs for several long years.

Ceiling finishing

The most economical option for finishing the ceiling is a traditionally plastered or putty surface. However, if we talk about the future, it is best to establish stretch ceiling. This option is preferable due to the fact that in the event of flooding by neighbors above, it is enough to drain the water and avoid new repairs. Despite the high cost of this type of ceiling covering, it pays for itself and brings tangible benefits.

Windows and interior doors

It is advisable to order windows and doors directly from the manufacturer, and not from intermediaries. So, you can save a lot, especially since the manufacturer has its own measurers. You can win by installing laminate doors. This is the most profitable option if you choose between wooden and frame structures. But it is best to install high-quality windows and doors, which, in turn, will save on heating bills.

Electrical wiring and equipment

You can save money in this matter in two ways. The first is the device home network with your own hands, subject to sufficient experience and knowledge, and the second is the purchase of equipment from domestic manufacturers. Will also help you save a lot of money correct calculations electrical wiring, because an error can lead to serious undesirable consequences (equipment failure, short circuit, electric shock or fire).

What else can you save on when carrying out repairs?

You can save a lot on repairs if you take care of the removal construction waste. For some companies, this piece of work is a significant expense item. Also, if you have hired workers, you should take on the purchase of construction materials (cheque fraud is already legendary). You shouldn’t spend money on buying a professional tool, since even products from little-known manufacturers purchased for one repair can easily and quickly pay for themselves.

What you can't save on

When deciding how to save money on home renovations yourself, it’s worth remembering what you should never do. But the following will not bring benefits:

• low-quality electrical equipment and components;
• cheap plumbing;
• workers from “carage-montage” offices;
• finishing materials from completely unknown manufacturers at a “very low price.”

A few words in conclusion

Renovating is a lot of fun and should be approached in the same way. We really hope that the recommendations of our experts will help you when you are thinking about renovating your apartment. If you have any questions or suggestions, ask them in the comments, and our specialists will be happy to answer them.

Are you planning renovations in a new building or have you decided to renovate and are calculating how much the work will cost and how much you can save? First of all, you should not run to the store and buy. This is an important step, but we will leave it for last. First, you should prepare theoretically, this will help, the correction of which will require additional time and financial costs. Today, experts from the online magazine Homius will tell you how to save money on repairs and share several life hacks that will keep about 1/3 of your planned expenses in your wallet.

The basis of high-quality and inexpensive repairs is it. You cannot spontaneously start decorating; first of all, you need to draw up a plan that completely replicates the apartment. It is advisable to measure all areas manually; in practice, there is often a deviation from the cadastral passport.

How to save money on apartment renovation in a new building and secondary housing: drawing up a planning solution

If you don’t know where to start and how to save money on home renovations with your own hands, first of all decide whether it will be done only redecorating or major renovations. While the house is shrinking within two years, it is better to refrain from large investments and make the minimum during this period. Renovation of residential premises in the secondary market differs from the initial finishing in a new building. And there are several explanations for this:

1. Dismantling old coatings and finishing materials will require additional financial investments and time.
2. Most likely, replacement of communications and electrical wiring will be required.
3. Analyze the condition of door and window structures. If they are satisfactory, you can. For “contemporaries” of a house that is more than 15 years old, the clear solution is to install new ones.

Advice! If you are not sure that you can correctly draw up a renovation project, contact designers in order to save money. It is not necessary to order a visualization of the project and an estimate; a planning solution is sufficient.

For a two-room apartment with an area of ​​about 50 m² it will cost about $200. But the designer will help you make the arrangement and determine the correct locations for installing the electrics. As a bonus, the client will receive a visual view of the premises from above.

design project

How to save money on apartment renovations yourself

If you are calculating how to save money on, do the maximum amount of work with your own hands. The only exceptions can be plumbing and electrical installation work, which requires professional skills and special equipment.

Transforming a living room

At the renovation planning stage, you can slightly modify the living room. For example, to do or arrange differently. All further finishing and placement of sockets will depend on this. For example, use two coverings on the floor: carpet and. Repair work should also include, with the help of which you can breathe a second life into your favorite items, in addition, and save significantly on this.

Non-standard techniques on how to save on kitchen renovations

During the first thing you need to pay attention to. The most practical option is to trim it. It's reliable and beautiful. Before renovations, visit hardware stores that sell ceramics. Almost all of them offer samples at a discount - these are the remnants of modern collections or products with a slight defect that is practically not visualized.

mosaic for backsplash

Recently they have been throwing off - at the peak of popularity, it is most often chosen for. An excellent saving option is to paint the wall above the work surface in fashionable graphite and cover the surface with transparent tempered glass.

made of glass

How to save money without losing quality on bathroom renovations

It is important! You cannot skimp on communications. You need to buy only high-quality materials to replace water supply and sewer systems. In addition, entrust the execution plumbing work should only be done by proven professionals.

During this time, only “wet” zones can be laid out: and. In addition, laying it out to the ceiling also makes no sense. Instead, you should cover the walls with moisture-resistant materials or paint the surfaces with water-based emulsion.

water-based paint

If you can’t decide how to save on money, a great option is. You can do it yourself; to do this, first watch several master classes on the Internet. In addition, there is no need to level the walls to perfect smoothness.

decorative plaster

The best option to save on materials

Before you do, you need to calculate the need for building materials in advance and order everything in bulk at one time from construction hypermarkets or wholesalers. Firstly, you can get a significant discount for a large volume. Secondly, you don’t need to order delivery several times, which means you can save on transportation costs.

Advice! Do not rush to purchase expensive imported materials. Domestic brands from well-known manufacturers produce mixtures, compositions and materials of a quality no worse than their imported counterparts.

15 life hacks on how to save money on wallpaper

When the question of saving on wallpaper arises, many immediately decide that they are offered to replace the canvas good quality to paper analogues. But no, we have selected several more interesting options.

As you can see, there are 5 different saving options, but how interesting each of them will look in the interior.

Budget materials for floor finishing

If you are deciding how to save money on floor repairs, use the following materials:

• . Take a closer look at promotional budget materials;
• carpet, a monochromatic covering looks better in the interior;
• with locking connection.

carpet

Saving for the future - choose a suspended ceiling

Choice - yes, at the installation stage the cost is high, in this case the savings will work for the future. It is not necessary to choose textured or European ones. It is enough to install a regular matte canvas in the desired color scheme. Installing one ceiling takes 2-4 hours; finishing the entire apartment will take a maximum of 2 days. The main advantages of this choice:

• minimum of “dirty” work;
• Installer's warranty – up to 15 years. The actual service life with careful care is up to 40 years;
• wide range of colors and textures.

Advice! The best savings on window and door structures is to order them directly from the manufacturer. Trade margins and bonus payments to dealers can range from 30%. And one more piece of advice - you shouldn’t skimp on fittings, because your comfort will depend on its quality.

When choosing windows, it is important to decide what functional load they should bear:

• if the windows face the highway, definitely the frames should be 3-5 chamber;
• if the house is located at a distance, you can refuse the additional one.

Another saving option is blind sashes. If the room has, it makes no sense to install an opening door, you can wash it from the balcony, and a balcony door is also suitable for ventilation. For window openings without a balcony, you can make 1/3 of the window blind, and 2/3 – turn-opening.

Significant savings can be obtained by purchasing unpainted ones, and after installation, you can varnish or tint them yourself. They are often offered by manufacturers and hardware stores. An even cheaper option is to leave the doorways without doors. As practice shows, not all rooms need them, for example, in the living room or dining room.

interior doors

Several life hacks on saving money when repairing electrical wiring

Requires large financial investments. In new buildings, you can not ditch the walls, but lay the cable in corrugation and then perform a rough finish.

How you can save money during electrical repairs:

1. Partial replacement of electrics. If it is in good condition, you can reduce the load on it by installing a new one. Thus, the old wiring will last for a long time.
2. Connect new wires to, leaving the old ones only on the switches.
3. Instead of drilling holes, you can install overhead sockets in places where they will not be so noticeable.
4. Reduce the amount of gating. All wiring can be hidden in or above. All that remains is to cut a channel to the sockets and switches.

Conclusion

If you hire professionals, it is more rational to start work in winter; during this period, prices are slightly reduced. Follow promotions, monitor prices, ask for a discount for large volumes– all this will help reduce the cost of repair work by 30-40%.

Now you know how to save money on repairs, and you can start reconstructing your apartment or house with the help of our detailed instructions. Ask questions in the comments, our editors will be happy to answer them. You can watch the video for more details about savings.

Whatever your financial situation, no one needs extra costs. Unfortunately, during renovation work, not everything can be saved, especially if there is no desire to correct repair deficiencies every six months. To prevent this from happening, you should adhere to simple rules. The article provides recommendations on how to save money on apartment renovations.

What you can't save on

Initially, you should understand what you should not save on when carrying out repair work. If large-scale home improvement work is being undertaken for the first time and there is currently no experience in drawing up a functional and attractive design project, you should definitely use the services of an experienced designer. Specialist knowledgeable in fashion trends, will help you visualize your wishes and draw up a preliminary cost estimate. It’s definitely not worth saving on this, but it’s not necessary to choose a specialist from the Top 10 best designers. There is a high probability that someone from your circle has already collaborated with a designer and can suggest a good specialist who provides services at an affordable price.

Also, you should not save on the purchase and installation of engineering equipment, since cheap options will quickly fail and at the most inopportune moment. Such systems include:

• Electricity supply.
• Gas supply.
• Sewerage.
• Water supply networks.
• Heating.
• Ventilation.

It is important to remember that the safety and comfort of staying in the premises directly depends on the quality of engineering equipment and well-formed communications. The location of sockets, switches and the location of the power wire are determined at the repair planning stage. Even one incorrectly placed socket can ruin the whole picture.

A long-term investment in the comfort of staying in a house or apartment is the installation of high-quality plumbing fixtures. Savings are inappropriate here. It is important to purchase plumbing fixtures for the bathroom, toilet and kitchen only from well-established manufacturers. You should carefully check the documents and the integrity of the plumbing in the box.

How to save on apartment renovation in this situation? Experts advise purchasing a steel bathtub that will last for a long period of time. You can eliminate the shortcomings by lining the bathtub yourself with sound and heat insulating materials. If you already have an old cast-iron bathtub, you can update it with an acrylic insert. Experts do not recommend using plumbing fixtures if they have already developed chips and cracks.

No need to buy “just in case”

It is quite possible to do a budget renovation of an apartment with your own hands. Photo wallpaper, several square meters of tiles or several strips of lining - most likely, every second person has such remnants from renovation work. It’s a shame to throw away materials, so they lie for years as dead weight in closets or on balconies. This occurs due to the fact that before the start of work the estimate was drawn up incorrectly or was completely missing.

At the first stage, you should carefully measure the premises being repaired and determine the exact volumes of consumables that will be needed for repairs. There is no need to buy wallpaper, tiles or laminate “just in case.” If it is difficult to carry out such calculations yourself, you should contact specialists from construction companies. It is important to remember that the excess finishing materials, mixtures, wallpaper, tiles, etc. remaining after the renovation are wasted money.

Studying construction market offers

Many people ask the question: “What can you save on when renovating an apartment?” Of course, on consumables. Please note that for wallpaper, linoleum, paint and other finishing materials from the same manufacturer, prices in different construction stores and markets may differ, and the spread is significant: 10-30%. Before the beginning budget option apartment renovation, photos and other information can be studied in advance by viewing promotional materials, as well as visiting markets and building materials stores. Based on this, all proposals are evaluated, based on which it is possible to determine where and what material can be purchased cheaper.

Do you want to carry out a budget renovation of a one-room apartment in a new building? An excellent solution would be to wholesale everything at once in one construction supermarket. One of your relatives or friends may have a discount card for this hardware store. Thus, it is quite possible to buy almost all materials not at a retail price, but at a wholesale price. This is a significant saving!

Repair plan and estimate

If you do all the work yourself, it’s quite possible to save money on apartment renovations; you just need to prepare thoroughly. So, first of all, you need to draw up a detailed plan and indicate on the diagram the exact dimensions of the premises. This will allow you not only to accurately calculate the required amount of finishing materials, but also to plan the entire repair process step by step.

Important information! Repairs should be carried out in such a way that work begins from the farthest room, after which it gradually moves to the hallway. The finishing of the kitchen and bathroom is done either at the very beginning or at the final stage.

Even if you are planning to do a budget renovation of your apartment yourself, you should definitely familiarize yourself with photos of the interior design in advance. Firstly, the people who created them are professionals in their field. An experienced designer knows how to competently combine elements of different styles in one project so that the overall picture remains holistic and harmonious. And even if in the images the interior looks much richer than you planned, it’s not scary: no one canceled the imagination. Take note of what you like, remove the unnecessary (and there will always be some) - and you will get a project almost of your dreams. Secondly, an integral part of working on the interior is the selection of contrasts and accents. In the photo you can see what the finished room looks like. It’s convenient and practical: if you don’t like the combination of colors and textures that you first thought was interesting, you can just turn the page with the photo. You won’t have to spend money on buying new materials, nor will you have to redo everything in the room.

In addition, a detailed estimate is drawn up, which includes:

• Prices for finishing materials.
• The costs of their delivery.
• Funds for the removal and disposal of construction waste.
• Labor costs for performers of work.

Choose the right wallpaper

When they think about how to save money on apartment renovations, they most often give preference to using paper wallpaper, and this despite the fact that today they are considered almost archaic. However, experts say that this is exactly the case when the stingy pays twice. Most paper-based wallpaper is not washable and fades in the sun. In addition, they are short-lived and fragile. To minimize the likelihood of the material peeling off the wall, you can use special wallpaper for painting, which is periodically updated with rubber or acrylic paint. The cost of such wallpaper is affordable.

Vinyl wallpaper, which is highly durable and dense, will help hide all kinds of wall defects. A more expensive option is non-woven ones, which are easy to glue, do not deform and do not “swell”. Paint adheres well to them.

Those who want to save money on renovating an apartment in a new building can study the remains of vinyl and non-woven wallpaper in construction supermarkets, since the last rolls are sold at a reduced price. This option is suitable for those who planned to wallpaper by combining several shades. This solution is suitable for a child’s room, because “cartoon” wallpaper is expensive and quickly gets boring. So it is better to choose a budget monochromatic accompaniment for bright colored canvases.

Ceiling and doorways

How to save money on apartment renovations and at the same time create a cozy atmosphere? When decorating the ceiling, you should not get carried away with expensive multi-level structures with curved partitions. If you choose this quick way finishing, such as suspended ceilings, you can save money here by replacing the glossy fabric with a matte one and abandoning additional decor.

How to save on renovating a 3-room apartment if there are many doorways? The option of designing openings in the form of a rectangle will be cheaper. Arched structures and other design refinements are much more expensive and are not always appropriate.

You can remove the old layer of paint from the door yourself, which will significantly reduce the cost of repairs. To do this, apply a solution of sodium silicate in water to the old coating layer, after which the paint will be fairly easy to remove. Dents and nicks on the door leaf are removed using a primer. These works do not require any special skills; any home craftsman can handle them.

Many people think that budget renovation and design of apartments (photos of some options posted on specialized resources sometimes amaze with the simplicity and at the same time harmony of the premises) is an absolutely unrealistic thing at the present time. Yes, everything is expensive now. But if you have an ordinary apartment, and not a royal mansion, then you don’t have to buy all sorts of stylish things at a fabulous price, right? You can create a cozy and comfortable home environment yourself and for a minimal amount. Don't believe me? Take a look at the photo below!

Flooring

Looking at the photos before and after a budget renovation of an apartment, you will notice that expensive flooring in the form of parquet is often replaced with carpet and linoleum. Today there is a wide selection of such coatings: from the cheapest synthetic to natural ones. Many of them successfully imitate different types parquet and natural materials. By installing a modern floor in your apartment, you can save on rough floor preparation. Experts explain this by the fact that its flooring does not require a perfectly flat base. Carpet and linoleum are attached with plinths and do not require the use of any adhesive solutions, which will also help save on repairs.

A good alternative to parquet is parquet boards. Laminate is considered a cheaper option. Wear-resistant flooring can be installed quickly, but requires the use of an underlay, which will entail additional costs.

You won’t be able to save money by laying Italian or Spanish tiles, since one square meter of material will cost 1,500-3,000 rubles. You can significantly reduce the cost of tiles by purchasing tiles from Russian and Chinese manufacturers: the cost of such materials starts from 500 rubles per “square”.

Electrics

Incorrectly located sockets and switches, as well as illiterate electrical wiring, occupy the first places in the ratings called “100 repair mistakes.” Saving on the electrical part contributes to unpleasant consequences in the form of the use of unaesthetic extension cords. A manually formed network may not be able to cope with the load from common household appliances, for example, washing and drying machines, ovens. At best, cheap electrical wiring will lead to “knocking out” of the machines, at worst – to a fire.

The laying of wires in the walls should not be carried out “diagonally”. This is necessary so that when drilling holes in the wall for pictures or shelves, the wires are not damaged. To replace the damaged area, finishing wall materials will be removed, which certainly will not reduce the cost of repairs.

Independent performance of preparatory work

You can safely take on many construction works that do not require highly qualified performers. Literally anyone can remove a door, old linoleum, baseboards and wallpaper, and remove a layer of whitewash from the ceiling. The cost savings can be quite significant. If possible, also remove construction waste yourself - such services hit the budget very sensitively.

Workforce selection

But what to do if you can’t complete the entire volume on your own? Or can a home handyman be called a “loftmaster”? Trust hired workers. Not the best option in terms of savings, but sometimes circumstances are stronger than us. And the main thing here is not to make a mistake with the workers.

So, how to save on renovating an apartment in a new building, namely on performing the work? Today it is quite difficult to find professionals. Main secrets and tricks when choosing repairmen:

1. In advance (2-3 months before the start of repair work), it is necessary to try to find competent specialists, come to an agreement with them on the amount of remuneration, the specifics of finishing and the scope of work. Friends and relatives who have already dealt with repairs, or specialized resources, which are a dime a dozen these days, can help you find qualified specialists. Read the reviews carefully!
2. When hiring a specialist, proceed not only from the low cost of his services. The combination of the words “repair quickly, efficiently and inexpensively” in advertisements should raise doubts. Professional repairmen know their worth and adequately evaluate their work. Finishing a room done by would-be specialists can be exorbitantly expensive.
3. It is important to trust workers, but still control every stage of work.
4. To avoid fraud, payment for construction and repair work is carried out upon actual payment. If any defects arise or deficiencies are noticed, they must be corrected immediately. The contract with repairmen, which is concluded before carrying out repairs, preliminarily stipulates the amount that will be withheld from the person for poor performance of his duties.
5. In many cases, specialists must warn about the risk of certain errors during repairs. This will allow you to assess the situation in advance and prevent a disaster, mutual reproaches and additional financial costs due to damaged materials and nerves.

On a note!

• Wallpaper behind the headset or behind kitchen cabinets You don’t have to glue it: firstly, over time the material will still lose its color and will need to be changed, and secondly, the wallpaper is not visible at all behind the cabinets.
• To reduce the cost of repairs, you can select wallpaper from previous collections, the prices of which are much lower.
• If we talk about curtains, it is best to purchase ready-made products that do not need to be hemmed.
• Finishing work begins with the walls or floor, and only then it is necessary to repair the ceiling. This is explained by the fact that all the construction dust rises to the top, causing the ceiling to quickly become dirty.
• Only after all work is completed are the lamps attached and the furniture placed.
• Instead of wallpaper you can use decorative plaster, which may be updated from time to time.
• Wallpaper with a pattern is not a cheap pleasure, since you will have to buy 1-2 more rolls to achieve a matching pattern.
• If you do the bathroom trim yourself, you can use special plastic - it is inexpensive. By selecting this option, you can forget about the problem for at least 10 years.

The purchase of household appliances can be postponed until later, but it is necessary to allocate space for a dishwasher and other machines already at the renovation stage. Best time The best time to carry out repairs is autumn and winter.

Options for budget renovation of apartments, photos of the designs of which are given in the article, prove that it is quite possible to create a cozy environment for little money.

Repair is certainly a serious matter, but there is no need to overestimate it in our lives. 5-6 years will pass, and again there will be a desire to change something in your own home. Therefore, repairs should be done with ease and not get hung up on trifles.

This time I decided not to write a long and clever text, but simply collected short but extremely useful tricks that will save owners money during the renovation process.

1. Wholesale is cheaper. You should not split the repair into several stages in the hope of finding the cheapest performers for each type of work. The smaller the amount of work, the more each performer will request, and this is justified, since the new master will need to go through the process again organizational stage when starting work on site - purchase temporary work, consumables, tools, etc. In addition, foremen are deprived of the opportunity to “parallel” work and thereby optimize work on site. Accordingly, the total time increases, and in this case, in the literal sense, time is money, Andrey Lyamin-Borodin, general director of the online repair ordering service PriceRemont.ru, shares his experience.

2. Savings with reserve. According to the expert, it is better to purchase rough materials with a small reserve. Delivery of two or three missing bags or a simple team will cost more. The same can be said about clean materials - such as tiles, floor coverings, wallpaper - even if the planned volume was enough, it is better to have a small supply in case you have to replace a damaged element, since after some time your series may not be on sale .

4. Catch discounts. To save on finishing materials, it is worth keeping an eye on promotions and special offers from dealers and large construction networks, points out Lyamin-Borodin. Thus, warehouse balances can be purchased at a significant discount. You can also choose materials with economical consumption. For example, plain tiles require less trimming margin than patterned ones, and wallpaper with a small pattern will require less volume than wallpaper with a large print.

Although, on the other hand, wallpaper with a large pattern can hide small unevenness in the walls, adds Olga Karpinskaya, deputy director of marketing at Kashirsky Dvor. In this case, it will be possible to do without leveling the walls with plaster, that is, save on rough work.

5. Price list ahead. If you do not have a design project for an apartment, unplanned additional work will almost inevitably arise. Therefore, it is better to immediately ask the craftsmen for a price list for all types of work, so that the price is not formed spontaneously during the process, and so that it can be checked and calculated independently.

6. It is better to do repairs in winter. The market for repair services is seasonal; the peak number of orders and price levels is summer, says PriceRemont.ru expert. Accordingly, if it is possible to do repairs out of season, you can save on this, since many, even good specialists, sit without orders and are ready to reduce prices for their services.

7. Insist on bonuses. When you have already reached an agreement with the repair team on a certain scope of work and the cost of this contract, ask to include small but necessary services as a bonus, for example, hanging curtain rods. “Most likely, having already “put in your pocket” a large order, the contractors will not refuse a small additional weight. By the way, the builders themselves use the same technique when the client has doubts and delays the decision,” notes the agency’s interlocutor.

Small jobs save a penny, agrees Karpinskaya. You need to buy or at least look after household appliances in advance so that during the repair process you can place sockets under them and cut holes in the tiles (for example, under the hose of a washing machine in the bathroom). In general, in places where tiling is being done, it is better to immediately ask the craftsmen to screw in all the hooks, shelves, and holders. The fact is that such work in a large volume can come with a discount or even free of charge, a bonus. But an independent attempt to drill a tile can lead to its cracking and, as a result, repeated work.

8. Repair with guarantee. Work with those contractors who guarantee their work. The guarantee must be enshrined in the contract and its duration must be, preferably, at least a year. Even if the work is carried out conscientiously, there is a possibility that something will go wrong, and the problem will “come out” during operation. This is especially true for what is not obvious at first glance - engineering systems.

Karpinskaya agrees with this. She notes that, for example, under no circumstances should heated floors in an apartment be connected to central heating. “This is an administrative violation, you will have to pay a considerable fine. If workers offer to do this, do not contact this team,” insists the agency’s interlocutor.

Having a guarantee for the repairs performed, you will be freed from unplanned additional expenses, adds Lyamin-Borodin.

9. Features are more important than brand. In some cases, the popularity and high cost of a brand does not always mean that there is no better and cheaper alternative. So, when installing batteries, an expert from the Kashirsky Dvor company advises paying attention to their specifications, and not on the origin of the brand. “Some domestic manufacturers present an excellent product much cheaper than their foreign counterparts. Metal radiators, by the way, have higher heat transfer, so it is better to give preference to them,” points out Karpinskaya.

"Also, if you do not plan to redo the renovation in a year or two, think about the colors used in the interior. First of all, it all depends on your temperament, but more often bright colors they still get boring quickly, unlike calm pastel colors,” says Karpinskaya.

Leave samples of wallpaper and tiles after repairs in case you need to patch something up, for example, after your apartment is flooded. “As a rule, the collection in stores changes once a quarter; moreover, the same shades of wallpaper or tiles from different batches can differ significantly, therefore, without samples, you will not be able to select the product you need. This can lead to that we will have to completely change the design of the apartment again,” explains the Kashirsky Dvor expert.

A common everyday thing: the apartment clearly requires renovation, and there is little money. How to make inexpensive apartment renovations with your own hands? It seems to be the simplest, most obvious way: superficial cosmetic repairs. That is, wallpapering, whitewashing the ceiling, painting, fixing the creaky floor; Possibly replacing windows.

However, if you calculate the labor costs and consumption of materials, it turns out that by increasing the labor costs by half and the money spent by a quarter, you can give the apartment a completely different look, and for a long time. How much you need to invest specifically depends on prices in the region, but the general methods by which you can make your apartment cozy and elegant inexpensively are the same.

Saving Money when renovating an apartment with your own hands, like the Earth in ancient legends, it stands on three whales and a slowly hurrying turtle under them:

• We are not afraid of work. Nothing comes from nothing. Either money or labor.
• Wherever possible, we don’t change old things that are capital but have lost their appearance, but renew them.
• We place maximum savings where it will not affect the quality of work and will not be visible.
• We spread the costs of labor and money over time: having planned a renovation in the summer or fall, we spend a year preparing, and then we rush in and do everything quickly. Spending 200-300 thousand rubles at once is a problem, but breaking it up in parts over a year is quite possible. In addition, there will be time for measure seven times and cut once.

The only area where you will have to invite a specialist is to redo and strengthen the electrical wiring, if it is old and weak. The only way to save money here is to negotiate with a DEZ electrician. He will do the work in chunks, in his free time, but the likelihood of hackwork will be even less than with “branded” specialists: after all, he will then have to service it all.

It’s better not to skimp on electricity and wiring, but you can do some things, like installing sockets, yourself.

Tool

A good specialized tool makes the job much easier and cheaper. But buying it is expensive. Therefore, it is better to rent a tool as needed. In terms of costs, it will not cost much if you decide on the design in advance and draw up an approximate work plan for yourself.

Season

The best time of year for self-renovation of an apartment is the beginning and middle of autumn. It’s still warm, you can do outdoor work, and indoor work with the windows open. And at the same time, prices for building materials will already fall significantly in anticipation of the winter lull. Savings without loss of quality can be up to 15% when selling summer stock. If, for example, 200 thousand are set aside for repairs, then the savings will be 30 thousand, and this is a hallway or bathroom - “candy”.

Construction sales

Special mention should be made about illiquid assets. A significant share of the repair costs will be on finishing materials: plaster, putty, floor leveler, assembly adhesive, sealant. They all have a limited shelf life, so construction companies that clearly don’t have leftovers from the season until spring sell them off at a bargain price. Therefore, look for announcements about the sale of building materials everywhere in advance. 50 kg of Aqualayer for leveling walls, which expires in a month, is not needed by professionals, but it will be enough for you for two rooms. The savings will be 70-80 rubles. everything, but the chicken pecks every grain.

Find other ideas on saving on building materials here.

Plumbing

A sore point when doing cheap DIY repairs is replacing plumbing fixtures. If it is still “alive”, just dirty, then you can clean and paint it. How to do this will be described below. But if there are chips and cracks, then whether you like it or not, you need to replace it.

For such a case, here’s some information for you: new residents, especially in houses above the budget category, often immediately begin major renovations upon moving in, and excellent, completely new earthenware and cast iron plumbing ends up in a landfill. Landfill operators (simply landfill workers) have long since turned this circumstance into a profitable business.

They do not make direct contact with strangers via their office phone, but it is quite possible to reach them using word of mouth methods. The rate is from a third to half of the factory price for a household item. And don’t think that they will take you to the landfill and show you where it lies. In the back room you will be offered a choice of clean, thoroughly washed products, which you can immediately sit on.

Construction garbage

The next sore point is the removal of construction waste. The operation is not cheap and requires paperwork. Exit: basement, barn, cottage or closet and several used bags made of plastic sackcloth, bought for pennies. Construction waste does not sour or rot; it can then be poured into a container at the house dump, bucket by bucket. There is nothing illegal about this.

Slats, boards, timber and plywood

For lathing, various utility work and covering large surfaces, you will need wooden slats and plywood. You can buy slats not planed, but slabs - waste from sawing industrial wood. Croaker is sold raw, but if it is purchased in advance, in March-April, and kept in a dry room until autumn, it will not be inferior in quality to edged lumber.

As for plywood, waste packaging plywood from disassembled used containers can be turned into waterproof in the following way:

• We buy a 10 liter canister or two PVA putties; it is similar to very thin PVA glue and is cheap.
• Floor in a country house, barn, attic or some other place non-residential premises cover with plastic film. The air temperature is not lower than +13 degrees.
• We lay a sheet of plywood on the floor, pour a puddle of putty into the center of it and disperse it with a brush.
• We cover the plywood with plastic, lay down the next sheet, putty in the same way, etc.
• We place heavier pressure on a foot of plywood soaked in PVA; better - dispersed over the area: bricks, pieces of metal, concrete, old TV, etc.
• After a week, we repeat the procedure, turning over each sheet.
• After another two weeks, the smooth waterproof plywood is ready for use. Additional exposure under pressure will improve its quality.

Boards and large pieces of thick timber can also be obtained from used containers - pallets for cargo. Advertisements for their sale are common.

Materials

A very economical renovation option is covering the walls and ceilings of living rooms with laminate; for thrifty, richer owners - MDF. When cladding over wooden lathing from slabs, in 80% of cases there is no need to level the walls and ceiling, which already eliminates large expenditures of labor and money.

You can save even more by covering the walls up to your waist or chest, and covering them with non-woven wallpaper up to the ceiling. The work is simplified and cheaper, and the bottom of the walls, which breaks and gets dirty the most, will be reliably protected by resistant material.

The most economical option for flooring is marmoleum. Preparing the floor for it is not required in 90% of cases. But marmoleum is not suitable for the bathroom and toilet; here you will have to fork out money for tiles, especially since you will need only a little of it.

If you want to have a plank-like floor in your rooms, then covering the floor with laminate will not be much more expensive, but the floor may have to be leveled.

The walls in the bathroom can be covered with laminated hardboard instead of tiles - it is hygroscopic and does not require surface preparation.

If you plan to glaze and insulate the balcony, then it is better to do it separately from everything else and in advance: from the end of March to the beginning of May. The outside of the balcony is decorated with siding, but inside it, instead of traditional MDF or lining, it can be covered with plywood and covered with self-adhesive film.

Windows and doors

When deciding how to renovate an apartment economically, you need to pay special attention to windows and doors: they account for a significant share of the costs. As for windows, here is the most economical option: installing wooden window frames yourself. It is more advisable to purchase them in March-April, when prices for industrial wood fall, and to install them in late spring - early summer, when the wood dries out properly and shrinks. The technology for installing wooden windows in openings is quite accessible to the average home craftsman.

It would be better to update the doors. Remember about making your own waterproof plywood? So both sides of the door are sheathed with it, using assembly glue, placing the door removed from its hinges on a plastic mat and under pressure. At the same time, you can close the window in the interior door if it is not needed.

The door will become thicker. There are two options here:

• Reinstalling hinges - no The best way"for the lazy."
• Remove the previous lining from the door; it is most often made from construction cardboard or thin fiberboard, and put a new plywood on the frame. In this case, the chipped corners “go away” immediately.

In both cases, the new door is covered with self-adhesive wood or a different texture and varnished. And you will be surprised (pleasantly, of course) by its new appearance. And hard plywood cheeks will ensure durability of the door. It is better to cover the slopes of the doorway with additional panels made of the same plywood: it will be cheaper and more beautiful than replastering.

Bathroom
Toilet and washbasin

Dirty plumbing fixtures, if they are intact, need to be cleaned. The rather expensive active detergents recommended for this can be replaced with much cheaper table vinegar - it is also a weak acid - followed by washing off the soggy deposits with the most common washing powder. Just do not use abrasive detergents - they will scratch the glaze, and objects, especially the toilet bowl, will get dirty very quickly.

For cleaning with vinegar, they make kvasha - a knob made of a rag on a stick. Vinegar is poured where it will not leak, or the kvass is dipped into it, and the drips are cleaned off in a circular motion with pressure. Particularly “stubborn” spots in the recesses are removed with small kvass and technical hydrochloric acid. All this, of course, is done with latex household gloves, a plastic apron and open doors and windows. It is also advisable to wear a respirator, at least a cheap “petal”.

Tiles on walls and floors

Tiles that are not chipped or cracked can be restored using a method well known to motorists; This is how they update the frayed plastic spoilers and bumpers:

• The entire surface is coated with my Pemolux; Do not use active detergents containing acid! For a bathroom in a Khrushchev building, 1 liter is enough; for a larger one - correspondingly more.
• After Pemolux, wipe with a rag generously moistened with the same table vinegar: Pemolux is alkaline based, and vinegar neutralizes its residues.
• Wipe several times with a wet rag “until a clean rag”; Now we have gotten rid of the dirt that has ingrained itself into the surface.
• We cover the edges of the tiles with masking tape (“paper tape”), except for the seams.
• We paint the seams using a spray bottle with nitro paint in two layers; the second - after the first has completely dried.
• Remove the tape, remove splashes and drips of paint on the tiles with a cotton swab soaked in solvent 646 or 647.
• We buy a can of liquid silicone lubricant at a car market or auto store, and properly spray the tiles with the seams.
• If the lubricant is absorbed immediately, you will have to spray again.
• If after 2-3 days there is still silicone on the tile, wipe the surface with a rag soaked in vinegar.

The point of this treatment is that silicone tightens microcracks and pores in which dirt accumulates. Treatment lasts for 3-5 years, and then it can be repeated.

A cast-iron capital bathtub can be restored by repainting it with epoxy or acrylic compound. Complaints about its fragility arise from violations of the technology for preparing the coloring composition and its application. If the technology is strictly followed, the restored bathtub will serve for another 10-15 years.

Heated towel rail

It is not at all necessary to replace it with an expensive one made of stainless steel or brass and make a bypass for it. The heated towel rail is stripped down to metal after cleaning the bathtub for painting with the same cord brush in a drill chuck. If no fistulas are found, it is painted with the remaining compound from painting the bathtub. The look will be no worse than modern branded ones, and the durability will be like that of a bathtub.

You can save up to 1,000 rubles on fasteners during repairs by using phosphated (black) rather than galvanized or cadmium-plated (shiny). The heads of self-tapping screws and dowel-nails will still have to be sealed, but there is no rain or frost in the apartment.

To make a cheap renovation, you first need to know what needs to be done and how, what the apartment should look like after renovation. Don’t be too lazy to confer with the whole family several times, look at more pictures of ready-made apartments. Design is not something incomprehensibly sublime; Most people are endowed with artistic taste. The professionalism of a designer in most cases comes down to understanding the client’s taste and guessing what he wants. And you, since you are doing it for yourself, need to understand what you want. Up to 50% of the costs of do-it-yourself repairs arise from the fact that they start at random and then correct and redo them along the way.

Sequence of work

And finally, carrying out work in correct sequence: we start from a distance from the front door, and as the work progresses we gradually approach it. The living room, bedroom and children's room can be renovated in any order. Then it's time for the kitchen. We make the hallway the second to last one, and complete the renovation with the bathroom. Savings come from the amount of construction waste (and half of it is waste of materials that were paid for) and from the reworking of soiled and battered waste due to unreasonable organization of work.

Based on the above, you can make a comprehensive renovation of an apartment with an original design, spending little more than on cosmetic repairs.