When the idea of renovation has arisen and finally matured in your head, it’s time to calculate how much your financial capabilities are consistent with those dreams of a new, transformed apartment that you are going to bring to life. This means that you need to think over what repair, construction and finishing work and materials you need, and draw up a detailed estimate.
What is the estimate for
No wonder they say that repairs are tantamount to fire. Your home, in whole or in part, becomes unsuitable for living for some time. You, of course, can relocate the family for this time, but in any case, your task is not to prolong the repair, but to make it as quickly as possible. To be sure that in the midst of the work you will not run out of funds for it, you need to have a clear idea of several things: what type of repairs you will be doing, what will be the volume of dismantling and general construction work, will you change the electrics and plumbing, how are going to decorate the apartment.
If you have a clear answer to each of these questions, you can calculate its full cost in advance, before the start of the repair and, if necessary, adjust the amount of work or the cost of materials in such a way as to be sure that you have enough money to complete the repair. A document in which the composition and cost of work, the quantity and cost of materials are calculated in stages, is called an estimate. In order to correctly and competently draw up it, you must have special knowledge in the field of construction and have an idea of the current prices for construction work and prices for materials. If there is no such knowledge, you need to contact a specialist. In many companies involved in construction and repair work, such a service is provided free of charge, on the condition that you subsequently conclude an agreement with this company and work as a customer with a contractor. When you are not going to conclude such a contract, you can simply hire a specialist who will make an estimate for you.
What determines the amount of the estimate
First of all, the final amount that will be indicated in the estimate depends on what type of repair work you have to do. So, for example, overhaul also implies redevelopment with the dismantling and erection of new partitions and walls, replacement of windows and doors, pipelines, electrical wiring and plumbing. Cosmetic repairs can be limited only to the dismantling of old coatings and finishing work. In addition, each type of repair can be standard or exclusive, which can also increase its cost several times only due to the cost of finishing materials, which will also affect the cost of work with their use.
The estimated cost can also be influenced by the type of building in which the renovated apartment is located, the year of its construction, the material from which it was built. Naturally, the final result of the estimate will be influenced by the consumption of building and finishing materials, the volume of work performed, depending on the area, and the prices used by builders. The cost of the same type of work may differ from company to company, as some contractors use federal rates, while others use territorial rates that take into account local multiplying factors.
Estimation procedure
All estimates are carried out in a strictly defined order and are made for each stage of repair work separately. At the first stage, the calculation of dismantling work is done, then the composition and cost of general construction work is calculated, work on the installation of electrical wiring and plumbing is also allocated in a separate calculation. As a rule, the calculation of repair construction work is carried out for separate rooms: bathroom, toilet, living room, kitchen, etc.
Please note that the actual cost of repairs is likely to be 10-15% higher than the calculated one, it is better to take this indicator into account immediately in the estimate
Last but not least, an estimate is made for finishing work on ceilings, walls and floors. When calculating the need for building and finishing materials, it is necessary to calculate all areas and measure the perimeters of the surfaces to be repaired and take into account the consumption rates that each material may have, they are usually indicated on the packaging. The estimator should also take into account that work on uneven surfaces or with wallpaper, the pattern of which requires docking, increases the consumption of materials, which should also be reflected in the estimate.
Make an estimate for the repair
In addition to the listed types of work, the estimate may include additional ones that will need to be done upon completion of the main ones. These types of work can include the installation of a kitchen and the installation of kitchen equipment, outdoor ventilation, installation of hinged shelves, mirrors, curtain rods and curtains.
Sometimes the services of a professional construction quality control expert will help reduce the total cost of the estimate
How can you reduce the cost of the estimate
If you yourself will buy building and finishing materials, analyze their market value and compare prices at several points of sale. If a company will purchase materials, find out if it has discounts or discounts for wholesale at building materials warehouses, in this case, you will be able to save a significant amount. When purchasing bulky materials or those that weigh a lot, check if their cost includes handling and delivery to the place of repair, to the apartment. It is better to buy specialized materials – plumbing, electrics – in those stores that sell them exactly, where you can get cheaper and better quality goods, as well as qualified advice on the selection and installation.