For some, the need to renovate their apartment causes a reaction that is far from positive. The financial side of the issue comes first. A painstaking calculation of funds begins, with a differentiation for the purchase of materials and payment for the services of specialized construction teams.

Repairs can be cosmetic and are limited to painting, pasting and updating the appearance. And it can be overhaul with the replacement of electrical wiring, plumbing and the installation of modern acrylic baths.

The very process of apartment renovation is perceived as a long period of time with many inconveniences. The result ultimately turns from the desired into the suffered, and instead of a feeling of satisfaction, a feeling of fatigue and detachment arises.

The situation is completely different for people with figurative thinking. Having visually imagined how the apartment will look after finishing, it is easier for them to part with money, hoping to quickly see everything with their own eyes.

People from the same category, who are not burdened with funds, often resort to the services of designers. A master decorator of a home interior with the help of computer programs can develop a view of an apartment in 3D format. In many ways, this method is considered a strong incentive to action, since it allows you to see the results of work in advance.

However, people who are purposeful and with high internal enthusiasm never give up, even in a situation where there is a strong limitation of funds. For such people, the way out of the situation is to independently carry out partial or complete repairs.

At the same time, someone chooses a thorough overhaul of housing with redevelopment, and for someone it is enough to carry out inexpensive repairs in an apartment, which is often called cosmetic.

Stages in the repair

When deciding where to start renovating an apartment, some believe that it is necessary to first purchase materials and tools. In general, this is correct, but in order to spend money correctly and not buy too much, you need to make preliminary calculations. Calculate the basic geometric parameters of each room: height, length and width. Determine the dimensions of window and door openings.

The data obtained will help determine the exact amount of work and calculate the amount of each type of building material.

When deciding to carry out a global change in the interior of the apartment on your own, you must first draw up a phased plan. It is a correctly developed plan, including a phased renovation of an apartment, that becomes the key to successful work processes.

The first item will go to dismantling work:

• demolition of the enclosing internal walls and partitions to expand the space;
• dismantling of wooden windows for replacement with plastic double-glazed windows;
• removal of door leaves or complete dismantling of door frames.
• removing old floor coverings;
• dismantling wall coverings or clearing walls from paint compounds;
• clearing or blurring ceilings.

Categories of complexity of conducting workflows

The most time consuming work is considered to be the screed on the floors and plastering the walls. It is especially difficult to deal with surfaces that are endowed with a lot of drops. Some of them are eliminated by knocking down with a hammer, but only a leveling screed or a similar plaster layer can really save the situation.

To carry out high-quality straightening of wall surfaces, plaster beacons are used. To do this, buy aluminum slats or metal pipes of a small square or rectangular section.

In the first case, the material is inexpensive, but when buying, it is worth knowing that when removing the slats from the seams after the plaster has dried, they can no longer be reused in the work.

Metal pipes are more expensive, but the percentage of their preservation after dismantling is much higher. In addition, some people prefer to leave them in the solution for greater layer strength.

The most economical way to achieve the evenness of the screed is considered to be the device of mortar beacons on the floors. But this process is very painstaking and only those who have the appropriate skills can decide on it.

Painting is considered the simplest type of work. At least that's what the majority thinks. The opinion is both right and wrong. The truth of the statement lies in the final process, that is, the painting itself, using quality tools.

Paint rollers and brushes, plastic trays with nets for rolling rollers. By working with quality tools, you can avoid smudges on the walls and highlighting vertical paint stripes.

Capturing an impression

For the sake of interest and to confirm their personal participation, a large number of people take photos of the apartment renovation before and after. Sometimes this translates into a whole series of shots with separate initial and final views of each room.

Some amateurs post photos on the Internet, because today it is considered a fashionable occupation, and someone simply uses them to view with friends and acquaintances. In any case, a photo of a self-made apartment renovation is not only a memory, but also a confirmation of personal skill.

DIY apartment renovation photo

They say that repairs are like a natural disaster - it cannot be finished, you can only stop. And this is largely due to the fact that, already examining our newly renovated living space, we often think - but it was better to do it differently. Today we have compiled for you a list of other people's regrets and major repair mistakes that were made during the repair process, and we hope that someone else's experience will teach you no worse than your own. There are many letters awaiting you, but they are worth mastering 🙂

Of course, everyone has their own list of regrets, but there is a set of basic mistakes, and it is with them that we want to introduce you. For convenience, we have divided the list into repair errors in specific rooms.

1. Spontaneous repair
One of the most significant and subsequently costly regrets is the approach to renovation without a clear plan of action. Even before you start stripping the wallpaper or buying plaster, you need to get a complete picture of what and in which room will be the result. Perhaps the main mistake in the design of apartment renovation is the lack of design as such.

2. Combining bathroom and toilet
A shared bathroom is convenient for a small apartment where 1-2 people live. If the population density is higher and the apartment does not have a second bathroom, then it is better to divide the “privacy rooms”.

3. Painting the walls
Painting the walls can seem like a very attractive idea, but until the moment when fingerprints appear around the switches, and if there are children in the house, they will be everywhere.

4. Electrician
Often, when the kettle-microwave-washing machine ensemble is activated, power outages occur, so experienced repairmen recommend immediately installing machines on each device with high consumption.

5. Location of outlets
The approach to electrics and the plan for the placement of outlets should be done only with a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat and where the furniture will be located. Otherwise, the situation will have to be saved with extension cords and surge protectors. Also, do not place the outlets too low - they will interfere with cleaning. In general, it is better to do more outlets than originally planned, on average - by 20%.

7. Switches
The European standard for the height of the switches (90 cm) is quite suitable for Russian houses. The cherished buttons for turning on the light at this height are available to both adults and children. It will also be convenient to make a double of the switch in the bedroom so that the light can be turned on at the entrance and turned off by the bed.

8. Interior doors
Doors with glass inserts are quite attractive and have almost no complaints, however, if there is a bedroom or a nursery behind the door, light from other rooms penetrating through the insert should not reach the bed and interfere with sleep. It is better to place the switches on the side of the door handle; even at the required height, the switch on the side of the door hinges is very inconvenient.

9. Warm floors
In fact, warm floors are one of the best inventions of mankind, however, before making them, you should also decide where the furniture will be, so as not to waste electricity and your money on heating the refrigerator or cabinet.

10. Rough and ribbed floor tiles
Of course, such a tile can be beautiful, but you should always remember that it is also a floor covering, which means that it will have to be washed. Rough floors are a lot of hassle when cleaning, so it's worth considering which is more important - aesthetics or practical value.

11. Double-glazed windows
Replacement of double-glazed windows, if planned, is best done before cosmetic repairs, otherwise the design of the room may be severely damaged during installation.

12. Chandeliers
Another design refinement that can threaten cleaning difficulties is horizontal shades. Dust accumulates in them, the cooled bodies of insects flying into the light and other not very pleasant things.

13. Alignment
It is best to level the walls and floor before wallpapering or installing flooring. Untreated walls can distort the wallpaper pattern and lead to bends at the joints, and different levels of the floor look ugly and lead to minor household injuries.

14. New building
If you have moved into a new building, repairs, in essence, can go to waste in a couple of years, until the complete shrinkage of the house has passed. This factor is especially pronounced on ceilings - beautiful suspended ceilings or plasterboard arches can lop and crack. Fixing such repair errors is especially expensive and frustrating.

15. Children's room
The main mistake when repairing a nursery is too expensive furniture. It will change as the child grows, so it is quite rational to limit yourself to inexpensive, but functional and eye-pleasing things.

1. Tightly sealed the space under the bathroom
Often, there is not much usable space in the bathroom, and under the “font” itself there are often taps and pipes, access to which you still need.

2. Surgical bathroom
White, blue and blue-gray tiles in the bathroom, combined with cool light, create an operating theater feel in the bathroom, where there is no natural light source, which does not create a cozy atmosphere.

3. Sockets in the bathroom
One of the regular mistakes in bathroom renovation is the lack of outlets or their inconvenient position. It is best to provide for the possibility of simultaneously turning on 2-3 devices, and bring the sockets themselves closer to the mirror and equip them with a moisture-proof cover.

4. Bathroom curbs
The space between the bathtub and the wall can simply be filled with sealant, but in this case, water can collect on the bend. Borders made of tiles or other moisture-resistant material will help prevent this.

5. Noise isolation
If you use plastic pipes for sewage, then it is worth remembering that they resonate very well with any sound. It is better to wrap such pipes with sound-absorbing material.

6. Light
Ideal for the bathroom - dimmable light and a separate mirror light. If it is not possible to make variable light, then it is better to avoid dim light - such a repair error can threaten injury.

7. Plumbing
One of those mistakes that become apparent after the repair. Poor-quality plumbing quickly loses its appearance and spoils the whole impression of the renovated house.

8. Stretch ceilings
In the bathroom, a stretch ceiling is not only beautiful and neat, but also additional insurance in case of a flood from above. The only thing is that the ceilings themselves must be of high quality and moisture resistant.

9. Mosaic
Mosaic tiles in the bathroom and tiles with a pattern often bring their owners a lot of problems during the installation process, and if it is still difficult to call it a repair mistake, then it is quite a regret.

10. Floor heating
Humid bathrooms often feel damp. If you know that the heating in the bathroom is not at the highest level, then the warm floor may well compensate for this.

Major mistakes in kitchen renovation

1. Floor covering in the kitchen
There are several regrets on this point. Firstly, parquet or laminate in the kitchen, with all the advantages and beauty of these coatings, cannot be called a practical solution. It is best to choose a coating that is more resistant to water and "injury". And then there is a second regular mistake - low-quality linoleum or tiles deteriorate quickly, so it's better not to save on materials.

2. Height of kitchen cabinets
Another common mistake in kitchen repairs is the incorrectly selected height of all the much-needed kitchen cabinets. It is best to hang them at eye level, a lower position will deprive you of some of the usable space, a higher one will be uncomfortable.

3. Materials near the stove
Using gas stoves, high-quality hobs or grills requires strong heating of the materials around them, which means they must be heat-resistant.

4. Hood
It should be located as close to the stove as possible. One of the indicators of a failed renovation is corrugation through half of the kitchen from the hob to the wall. By the way, the corrugation itself should be packed in a durable case - this is both functional and stylish.

5. Working area
When planning a kitchen, be sure to provide a work area next to the hob. For all the beauty of alternative solutions, using them if you cook at home will be very inconvenient.

Based on our knowledge and our experience in communicating with clients, who, before repair, almost always do not understand all the intricacies of repair and the difficulties of choosing, we have prepared a small list for you, as we believe. We hope that this list will help you in carrying out repairs both on your own and by a contractor represented by us or another company. When making a decision, try to take into account our useful ones and you, in the future, will avoid many problems.

1. Always start with the layout of your apartment. Arrange the furniture exactly as you need it. This should be the only final option.
2. When arranging furniture, think about what YOU need. And not about how you will receive guests.
3. Any transfer of walls in an apartment is a redevelopment, therefore, you need to prepare a project for the Housing Inspectorate.
4. Wet areas (kitchen, bath, toilet) are not transferred or enlarged. Although in some houses it is possible to combine or enlarge only through corridors.
5. Furniture has standard sizes and it is better to follow them because it is more expensive in a different way. For example, a custom size kitchen drawer increases in cost by 30%.
6. Regular wardrobe: depth 600 mm, sliding wardrobe - 700 mm.
7. Do not combine a bathroom with a bath if there are more than three people in the apartment and there is no second bathroom.
8. Don't forget about hoods. Natural bathroom - 1 pc. In the kitchen, natural - 1 piece, mechanical over the stove - 1 piece. More is possible, less is not.
9. It is better to make hatches in bathrooms from 600 mm and more, because if access to engineering systems is impossible, the management company has the right to request an increase in access.
10. Before starting repair work, be sure to talk to the Management Company and find out what documents you need. And also take the regulations for the construction work.
11. When calculating the cost of materials for repair, do not forget to include the cost of deliveries, unloading / loading. Because for the repair of "primary buildings" 60-70 m² the first machine with materials for the construction of walls will bring you about 10 tons. In Moscow, the average cost of unloading / loading with a freight elevator is 1000 rubles. per ton.
12. Repair work always begins with the construction of walls.
13. The windows in the apartment need to be changed only after the floors are flooded and the walls are plastered. in this case, they can be installed exactly, in level and taking into account the planes of the walls. Window companies will tell you something else, but your apartment is more important.
14. The floor level in an apartment with a topcoat must be equal to the floor level in the stairwell. Therefore, you need to choose in advance the floor coverings that you will use in the apartment. Tiles with a thickness of 8-10 mm, laminate - 8-10, the array requires plywood to be laid equal to the thickness of the array, respectively, the thickness of the array with plywood varies from 28 mm to 40 mm. Only by choosing the materials for your rooms in advance, you can correctly fill the floors so that there are no floor drops in the apartment.

    

15. Use only tiles in the kitchen in the work area. All other coatings will become unusable within six months.
16. It is better not to put light tiles on the floor in the corridors, on the contrary in the bathrooms. Soapy water will always whiten any tile and seams.
17. When using underfloor heating, 3-4 mm of glue and cable must be laid under the tiles.
18. Stock of laminate 10%, stock of solid wood / parquet 15%, because defect often happens, a stock of tiles up to 40 cm - 10%, from 45 cm - 20%. It is better to provide a margin in advance, because different parties will differ in tone. Of course, you can always buy in addition, but it's not a fact that there will be the same batch and you will be in color.
19. Doors to the apartment should be chosen at the stage of filling the floors. You must know exactly millimeter-to-millimeter mounting holes, as the joint of floor coverings in different rooms depends on the installation of the door and the thickness of the leaf. Let's say the corridor and the bedroom are tiled and solid - the joint should run exactly under the door leaf.
20. It is better to lay the skirting board at least 2 cm thick, especially if laminate is used. in winter and summer, he walks a lot. The skirting board looks beautiful from 60-80 mm in height.
21. Before laying the tiles, you need to measure the room and lay it out taking into account the new dimensions, so that it turns out that you need to trim about 2-3 cm. It looks ugly. Beautiful pruning starts at 10 cm.
22. The joints of tiles with underfloor heating must be at least 3 mm. The rest of the seams are prescribed by the tile manufacturer, taking into account GOSTs.
23. Use epoxy grout to keep joints clean. It is much more expensive, but the seams will not turn black even if the grout is white.
24. Warm floors are not placed under furniture.
25. In the joints between the tile and the laminate / solid wood / parquet, either a cork or a molding (convex strip) is placed. It is imperative that you know the mounting size of the molding if you are going to use it.
26. It is better to entrust the arrangement of lamps to professionals, then there will be as much light as needed.
27. If you decide to set the light yourself, then keep in mind: the step between the spotlights should be 600-800 mm. Be sure to look at the SNiPs of lighting. And remember: dim light spoils your eyesight.
28. If the ceiling is suspended plasterboard / stretch - the installation depth of the fixtures must be taken into account.
29. Choose in advance the place where the electrical panel will be located.
30. Be sure to think about where and how the light turns off relative to the door leaves and their opening. It is not convenient to turn on the light behind the door. The height of the switch is 1000 mm from the finished floor.
31. Remember, no switches should be placed in the toilet and bathroom.
32. Also, it is forbidden to place chandeliers and sconces in them, not only according to SNiPs, but also for security reasons. Any moisture deposited on an open light bulb may short-circuit it or the light bulb may burst. It's not safe. Therefore, in the bathrooms, lamps and sockets with IP44 protection are used.
33. Sockets and switches should be placed on the furniture plan. Do not save, otherwise you will regret later.
34. Don't forget TV and internet sockets.
35. It is forbidden to put low-current systems (TV and Internet) into the dashboard with machine guns.
36. Divide the Internet immediately with electrical wiring. It is better to contact the providers of this service in your home and consult.
37. Don't forget the intercom.
38. When placing the sockets in the kitchen, read the installation diagram of the equipment where the outlet should be. On the plan, mark where the equipment and the kettle are located - they cannot be placed on the same line, otherwise the machine will knock out.
39. After you have collected the drawings - warm floor, light, switches, sockets - give it all to the engineers so that they can make a project for you (calculation of the cable cross-section and shield) and take it for approval to the Resource Supply Company (in Moscow and the region - Mosenergosbyt). After you receive permission, you can proceed to electrical work.
40. The most difficult and expensive wall decoration is paintable decoration. If you decide, use expensive and washable wall paint (from 6,500 per bucket). The expense indicated on the banks by the manufacturer is always overstated, take this into account when purchasing.

    

41. Do not skimp on plumbing fixtures: a good tap that will last you 5-7 years will cost you 7,500 rubles and more. Hansgrohe, for example, offers a 3-year warranty.
42. Calculate heating in the apartment taking into account the batteries that were installed. They are calculated taking into account the heat loss of your apartment. By adding sections, you take pressure away from all residents. Better insulate the outer walls with a special compound.
43. Remember, floor heatsinks are deep and have little heat dissipation. They are huge in apartments. And wall radiators are not only bimetal.
44. If you decide to use a boiler, foresee the wiring to it in advance. But remember, a boiler is 2 weeks of use per year, but waiting for you: rotten water with a bunch of bacteria that multiply in it. The boiler cannot be used empty, it will break, and therefore always stands full, even when not in use. Boilers fail on average every 2-3 years.
45. Try to make your bath so that you don't use silicone. Any silicone will turn yellow and moldy. Others have not yet been invented.
46. It is best not to use rough tiles, loppato. It is very difficult to wash (very, very difficult!).
47. It is better not to use glossy floor tiles in the bathroom. when wet, it is very slippery.
48. A shower tray made of tiles looks much more beautiful. A ladder height of about 14-15 cm is a comfortable step for a person. Do not forget to slope the tiles 2o.
49. The shower cubicle looks very nice out of glass, but this is how it looks before the start of operation. After taking a shower, the drops dry out and stains remain, so it is better to be prepared in advance for such circumstances, or take glass with a decorative pattern or matte.
50. Dust is always visible on dark floors. Especially on a sunny day.
51. The black kitchen countertop was created only for photography, you cannot cook on it, just like touching it.
52. A kitchen with egger coating, film, plastic will live for 2-3 years, then it will deform, dry out, and unstick. It is better to choose lacquered MDF, lacquered glass or veneer (expensive). By the way, you can write on glass with a permanent marker, which is very convenient.
53. In the kitchen, it is better to do two types of lighting: for cooking - bright, for a feast - warm, soft.
54. You don't get tired of the interior with natural colors. From well-placed bright accents, the mood rises. Black and red walls are depressing.
55. It is better to entrust your renovation to a good architect, and all your ideas will come true competently.

If you have carefully read and memorized our useful ones, we hope that, as a result, you have more chances to make fewer mistakes in such a difficult matter as renovating an apartment!

about me and my team

Stroganov Kirill

I have been doing renovations for over 15 years. The best part for me is the solid list of satisfied customers.

My main task is to organize the repair process in such a way that it would be easy and pleasant when interacting with me and my team. I am as open as possible to you.

I will help you choose modern material, both expensive and not expensive.
I will optimize the estimate. Many years of experience allows me to offer you the optimal reduction in the cost of repairs without loss of quality, even in the premium class.

I managed to put together a great team that works smoothly. This allows you to clearly adhere to the terms of work, not go beyond the agreed estimate and save your time and effort.

We approach our work with pleasure, starting from the creation of a design project and ending with advice on arranging furniture and decorating a room.

How do customers cheat during repairs?

I want to say right away that the methods of deception I have described are not necessarily used by every foreman, but knowing about these tricks, you will protect yourself and save almost half the cost of builders' services.

What is the cost of the repair?

The cost of repairs is calculated using the formula:

• Cost of materials + cost of work.

Everything seems simple, but I know from my own experience that most customers lose a lot of money on both components.

You can avoid unnecessary expenses only if you study the specifics of the repair well and stand "above the soul" of the repair team.

Cheat 1: Material Cost

After a couple of years of constant work in the field of renovation, I made friends from the sales of building materials.

Almost every experienced foreman has similar connections. Thanks to close cooperation and constant purchases, I can buy cement with a 20-30% discount. However, clients do not know about this, because the builders forge receipts:

• The check indicates the real cost, although in fact the buyer was given a discount.
• The receipt indicates expensive material, but it is not used. Instead, a cheap analogue is used for repairs. This is fraught with poor-quality repairs, and not just lost money for consumables.

Important

Buy materials yourself or check everything after purchase by builders. This approach is more expensive from the words of the masters, you will be confident in the quality of consumables.

Cheating 2: Cost of Works

The initial estimate and the final estimate may differ 2-3 times, so do not trust too much ads with cheap finishers services.

Here are the tricks I have come across from personal experience:

• Incorrect calculation of the amount of work.
  Customers rarely know the area of \u200b\u200ban apartment, so the contractors deliberately overestimate it before starting work, and sometimes during the renovation process.
• The opposite method is to understate the volume, when the builders “forget” to turn on the balcony. It will still be repaired, but it will be added additionally.
• Initially, the cheap cost of services in the process of repair is overgrown with additional types of work, as well as speculation with materials. Due to this, builders will remain in the black.

Attention

Renovation cannot be cheap a priori. Don't choose the crews with the lowest prices. Select 20-30 offers and choose the best one for the price and qualifications of the performer.

Whom to choose: a private trader or a company?

The advantage of choosing a private owner when renovating an apartment will be:

• Cheap services, as in construction companies the payment will be higher. In addition, clients often start bargaining, especially if they order a complete apartment renovation. In companies, discounts are not provided or are provided as a bonus in resolving conflict situations.
• Communication directly with the performer from the very beginning, there is no need to indirectly contact the head office to resolve the shortcomings in the work of specialists.
• Combination of specializations. Almost every fitter today has experience working with an electrician. Or he can advise another private trader who will solve problems with wiring or plumbing for a small price.

Despite the low cost of private trader services, I often come across clients who do not trust lone craftsmen and choose companies.

Ordering a repair in the company - the pros:

• Mandatory drawing up of a service contract.
  This document makes it easier for the client to follow the progress of the renovation work. The contract provides guarantees that reassure the customer.
• A wide range of services.
  The brigades of construction companies often employ high-class specialists. In addition, an interior designer works, and during the repair, the craftsmen will be able to install a fireplace, a bas-relief on the walls and decorate an artistic ceiling painting.
• Quality of work with a guarantee
  The company employs experienced professionals. In this case, any defects caused by the builder are removed free of charge. Due to this, the probability of jambs is minimal, but not excluded.

The final choice remains with the customer. Because the priorities are all set independently. Private owners with low cost of services do not necessarily make bad repairs. And the contract signed with the company is not always a 100% guarantee of repair.

Cheat 3: One-Day Firm

A fairly popular divorce in large cities is a one-day construction firm. You conclude a contract with them, pay an advance payment for materials and work, but no one starts to work within the specified period. There are two options for the development of events:

• Soap bubble. The company is a fiction. Such organizations within a short time recruit many objects, charge them in advance, and then disappear. It is impossible to return money after such a scam even after going to court.
• Mediator. One-day companies will provide services that boil down to finding craftsmen. In this case, payment is made to the intermediary, but the employees themselves do not see the money. In this case, the repair may even be completed, but the workers will not receive their money and will start demanding it from the owner of the apartment, since by the end of the repair the intermediary will quietly disappear with the money.

Advice

Choose a construction firm you've heard of. Ignore positive reviews online, rely on advice from friends, family, or neighbors. This is the only way to get a 100% quality repair from a real organization. In addition, you can immediately assess the quality of the work.

The first step of the renovation is to choose the contractor

Nobody forces the customer to agree to the terms on the first announcement. Even the visit of the master to the object to assess the field work does not mean that you will work with them. But at this stage, you can understand how honest the repair will be.

For the first time, 1-2 people come to the object, among whom there will certainly be a master. This is necessary to measure the apartment and estimate the cost of work. Please note that this estimate is indicative. The final amount can vary greatly. Indeed, during the assessment, employees "forget" to calculate the cost of repairing the balcony.

Potential performers are trying to charm the customer and immediately conclude a contract. But I do not recommend rushing in such cases. The visiting master-measurer will not carry out repairs with his own hands. Perhaps a brigade of Uzbeks will come to the apartment.

Cheat 4: Measurements

To assess the cost and scope of repairs, it is necessary to measure the apartment. The area of \u200b\u200bthe walls, ceiling is calculated, slopes and corners are taken into account. Already at the first assessment you may be told that the area of \u200b\u200bthe apartment is too high. This means that the price of repairs will be higher, because here the square meter of the work performed is taken into account.

For your information

It is difficult to measure all the required angles on your own. But if you do not want to be deceived, you must know the area of \u200b\u200bhousing.

The second step of the repair is setting the repair time

When concluding a contract, the customer should boldly raise the issue of the timing of the repair.

Some private traders deliberately delay the delivery of the object and use your apartment to live and have fun in it for free. Constant monitoring of the repair will help to avoid this, so do not be lazy to go to your apartment without prior notice to the construction team.

For your information

Private traders usually do not conclude a contract when performing work. Therefore, it is the biggest problem to control compliance with the deadlines.

The terms of repair are determined individually for each object, depending on what work will be carried out and the time of year. For example, the plaster should stand until completely dry for a day, and the concrete screed is dried for 2 weeks. Such nuances of construction work affect the deadlines.

In general, the usual cosmetic repairs in a one-room apartment of a panel house can be done in a couple of weeks. But if you attract good specialists, then you will have to wait about 2 months, repairs with redevelopment will have to wait about six months.

Cheat 5: Timing

When concluding a contract, you are unlikely to be told the real terms of the repair, so do not trust the "fast" masters who promise to do everything in a couple of days. For private traders, the quick completion of an object is not always a priority, because while the floor in your apartment dries, it can begin repairs at another object.

How to understand that repairmen are delaying work

A popular excuse for slow work is that there is no material (not enough plaster, problems with purchasing, and so on). In such situations, it is best to start purchasing materials on your own, and also study the timing of each type of work. Fortunately, it is very easy to find such information via the Internet.

The third step is the repair itself: what else is it used for?

The best customer is the one who gives money on demand and never asks questions about what it was spent on. If you do not want to delve into the essence of the repair work, be prepared to overpay for the service 2 or 3 times. If you want to get quality repairs without overpayments, ask the builders questions about each step.

Acceptance of hidden work as a way to control repairs

Very often, during repairs, money is saved on poor-quality work, so check all the steps that were indicated in the estimate. It is best to sign an agreement with a construction company, where a separate item will go "Acceptance of hidden works" -

Acceptance of hidden work means that the team does not have the right to proceed to the next stage of work until the customer accepts this one. For example, priming the walls. Do not be lazy to go to the apartment yourself during the renovation, this is the only way to control the process.

After renting the apartment, it will be difficult to check whether the walls are covered with insulation. And not everyone wants to redo the repair in a year.

Cheating 6: Paying for Backlog

One of the reasons why it is necessary to prescribe a clause on the acceptance of hidden works in the contract is identification of what was not carried out in the estimate.Once the parquet has been laid, you will not be able to check whether the floor has been leveled. This also applies to many other working points.

Ask for a clear report of each step before repairing and check each step. This can be tiring for the customer and not always pleasant for the contractor, but if you don't trust them, it's better to play it safe and check everything.

REFERENCE:

Uncompleted work indicated in the estimate leads to poor-quality repairs. A missed step in a couple of months can come back to haunt with broken tiles and peeling wallpaper. And no one will redo such a repair.

Cheat 7: Extra work

This option of ripping off money from a client echoes the previous one. There are some compulsory jobs, but often builders impose additional services that are not needed. For example, leveling an already flat floor. These works are not carried out, since they are not necessary for technical indicators, but they are indicated in the estimate.

The specifics of the repair are not clear to everyone, so many customers simply agree that this stage was needed and pay for it at an additional rate. This will not affect the quality of the repair, but the client will lose part of his money.

Cheat 8: Stealing Materials

Even if the client tried to protect himself and bought all the materials himself, repairers may simply ask for the wrong number of bags of cement and take the extra ones for themselves. This happens very often. Moreover, the "saved" bags are never idle. The team will be able to use them for repairs at another facility, including it in the price for another client. It turns out that 2 clients will pay for a bag of cement at once, which means that the difference will go into the pocket of the repairmen.

How to protect yourself?

It is not easy to save yourself from this fate. I recommend that customers familiarize themselves with the technical characteristics of the material. The manufacturer indicates the consumption of material on each bag. Knowing the area of \u200b\u200bthe apartment, you can roughly calculate how much putty or glue is required.

But don't overdo it with such calculations. Manufacturer's stated consumption is approximate. If it is necessary to level the walls, then the plaster will be applied in 2 or even 3 layers. Hence, problems with calculations can arise.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask where and how much of what went. Be meticulous. Perhaps this will save you some money.

Cheat 9: Jobs Pop Up Out of Nowhere

Sometimes in the preliminary estimate the finishers "forget" to indicate the important stage of the repair. For example, plastering the walls before wallpapering. When it comes to this stage, the client understands that it is impossible to do without it. This increases the final estimate of the repair.

It is because of such "forgotten" nuances that the final estimate may be 2-3 times higher than the one stated initially. Read carefully all stages of work before concluding a contract. It is also recommended that you familiarize yourself with certain documents that describe the procedure and quality for repairs:

• SNiP on Insulation and finishing coatings;
• SNiP on Internal Sanitary Systems;

• SNiP on Electrical Devices;
• GOST R52059-2003 for Services and repair of housing.

From them you can find out what kind of work should be carried out and what quality standards are allowed for them. If during the repair you notice deviations, ask the craftsmen to redo it. They are obliged to redo it for free, you will have to pay only for the materials taken again.

Cheating 10: Revenge on the Customer

Craftsmen often leave “gifts” to their clients.

Of the ones I came across:

• A raw egg embedded in a wall. After a while, it will start to rot and stink throughout the apartment. Determining the source of an unpleasant odor is not easy. But even after you realize that it is in the wall, you will have to completely "strip" the walls and repair them again.
• Plastic in ventilation or chimney. To do this, take an ordinary transparent bottle and cut it off so that you get a flat part. It is inserted into a chimney or ventilation. As a result, when renting an apartment, even if you look into the chimney, you see the sky. But when you start using it, the hood will not work.

These are just the most popular ways to take revenge on an unpleasant customer. Compared to them, the dirt after repair does not seem to be such a big mistake. You need to rent out an apartment for renovation completely "naked", otherwise you risk missing your property. And something may just be spoiled.

It is impossible to avoid the builders' revenge. However, large finishing companies value their reputation, so if such shortcomings are identified, they can meet the dissatisfied client halfway. However, poor-quality repairs, most likely, will not be redone for free.

At each point of deception, finishers receive from 1 to 20 thousand rubles. It’s okay if you were deceived only once during the repair. But if a small amount is added for each item, the repair may turn out to be just "golden". This can be avoided only with constant monitoring of repair work, as well as the conclusion of an agreement with the company that you have heard about. Better yet, do the repair yourself. Then, for sure, no one will deceive you, but the quality of such repairs will be much worse.

Comparison table and cost of losses

Trick name	The essence of deception	Losses (in rubles)
Cost of materials	Overpricing consumables
Service cost	Understatement of prices for services at the stage of company presentation
One-day firm	Receiving an advance payment for repairs, after which the company disappears	From 50,000 (30-50% of the amount at which the repair was estimated)
	Incorrect calculation of the amount of work, overestimation of the area	Up to 20,000-50,000
	Deliberately delaying delivery	Priceless - your time is the most precious
Backlog of work	Payment for services that were not performed	5,000-10,000 for each type of work
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