How to make repairs in the apartment

The idea of ​​repair has matured for a long time, but I put it off: sometimes there is no money, then there is time. Finally, I took it and realized: it’s not so easy to finish an apartment with a minimum loss of nerves and money. The repair services market has its own subtleties that a beginner does not know about.

We make an estimate: one is not a warrior in the field

Repair seems to be a simple thing: I bought the material, hired craftsmen and you’re done! But if you have never done this before, you cannot do it alone. Either you buy the wrong thing, or the repairmen will circle around your finger. Be sure to consult with relatives or friends who already have experience. Next to me was an experienced friend Natalia. In five minutes, she drew up a business plan for the repair of my home: who to hire, what and where to buy, how long to expect work. It was her experience that helped me cope.

Handyman from the street or a construction company?

The easiest way to hire private repairmen: just call the ad on the entrance door. But for your short-sightedness, most likely, you will have to pay. Here are the reviews left on the Internet by those who used the services of private traders:

“These scammers in repair and building materials do not understand anything. The tiles in the bathroom and toilet are crooked, the pipes are placed incorrectly, the window sills are installed with cracks. All work has to be redone!”

However, companies that promise professional comprehensive repairs are not a panacea. Catalogs of such firms are regularly thrown into mailboxes, and the Internet is full of their advertising. But here is what often happens, according to the victims, after the signing of the contract:

“Constant transfers, imperfections, alterations. The prices for works are considerable, and for materials in general they are 2-3 times more expensive than the market ones. Calculation of the estimate – from a lantern, if only to meet your amount.

Prices and terms in catalogs and on websites often do not correspond to real ones, so the chances of getting into a good company are the same as for a good private trader. Here again, folk rumor will help you: for sure, acquaintances will recommend a company or a private team, whose work they were satisfied with. At the meeting, evaluate how competent the hired master or representative of the repair team is. If he swims in some matters or promises too much, it is better not to get involved. In order to communicate productively with the craftsmen, it is worth preparing: to study the repair services market on the Internet (prices for work and materials, terms), read the reviews of those who have recently done repairs (they usually contain a lot of pointers to pitfalls, as well as to interesting modern materials and technologies).

Each specialist has his own scope of work

I would like to pay money to one team and get the whole apartment ready at once. Alas, it is rare when “teams of a wide construction profile” are well versed in electrical, plumbing and installing plastic windows at the same time. It is better to separately agree with narrow specialists so that only professionals are engaged in the repair of the balcony, others – on stretch ceilings, and others – on plumbing. In this case, it will be possible to avoid overpayments, because “universal repairmen” usually give specialized work to acquaintances who understand it, paying for their work and taking their commission from the contractor’s money.

Building materials – in large stores

The easiest way to purchase materials is in a store or market near your home: you spend less time traveling, and it’s not far to drag. But nearby materials may not be of the highest quality, and savings on travel and delivery are illusory. It is better to choose a chain hardware store on the outskirts of the city. It takes longer to go there, but the materials there will be better and cheaper, and delivery is not very expensive. What is no less important: you can easily return unsuitable or unused goods to a large store (even a roll of wallpaper or an unused brush that turned out to be superfluous).

Went beyond budget

It’s great when you initially know how much you will spend on repairs. But, as a rule, our desires diverge from reality. Personally, my costs exceeded the original estimate by more than twice!

If I had studied the Internet better, I would have a more realistic idea of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe upcoming expenses.

Often, masters offer to save on the execution of a contract, the work on which will cost 20 percent more. But repairs “on parole” can be very risky.

It is worth bargaining with all masters – they can drop 5 – 10%. But you don’t need to squeeze the price to the maximum: it’s better to overpay than to fall for cheap low-quality materials and services. Otherwise, you will have to redo everything later.

“Free Installment” is actually an expensive loan

An important question: how to pay for the work of masters – all at once or in parts? Often craftsmen and firms require full prepayment for the work. But having received the money, they begin to work through the stump of the deck or may even evaporate. You should not negotiate with the master, requiring a full prepayment. There are repairmen on the market who agree to receive payment upon completion of work and after the elimination of defects. Personally, I finally paid off a week after the completion of the repair: I lived in an apartment for seven days, identified imperfections and monitored their elimination. By breaking down the entire repair into stages, it is easier to control the progress of work. In addition, when payment is made not in one payment, but in parts, the financial burden is facilitated.

Often the company promises installment payment for work. But more often than not, under its guise, a bank loan is sold at exorbitant interest rates. If there is not enough money for repairs, it is better to take a regular consumer loan.

“Let’s do it in a week”

Everyone wants to make repairs quickly, but the promises of the masters to keep within three days or a week are very doubtful. Many stages of work take time: the plaster on the walls must dry before the next finish, the cement must set, etc. A month and a half is a more realistic time. Plan in advance how to free the apartment for repairs and where to live at this time.

Experienced advice

The main thing is the right foreman

The most important thing in a quality and trouble-free repair is choosing the right foreman. The easiest way to find it is on the recommendations of those who have already worked with it themselves. I was not mistaken in what was recommended to me: the foreman saved me a lot of time during the purchase of materials. For small materials, which he purchased on his own, he provided checks. He also suggested an inexpensive hardware store. And most importantly – his team did everything efficiently and on time.

Expert Commentary

– The correspondent of “KP” correctly focused on the choice of foreman, – says head of the construction company “Galmiks” Mikhail Galkin. — Yes, when hiring a construction company, we are dealing with a manager, but there must always be a foreman at the facility who controls the work of the craftsmen and is in constant contact with the customer. I would not advise contacting the “flying brigades”. They can start repairs and quit, and most importantly, they do not give a guarantee for their work.

It can be called a reasonable approach when the balcony is first repaired, and then the rest of the apartment, and also when the balcony, stretch ceilings are at the mercy of narrow-profile specialists. A designer is not really needed for cosmetic repairs. But I would advise you to use his services in case of work from scratch with a free layout.

Realtor’s opinion

Renovate housing – sell more expensive?

“A good repair has little effect on the cost of an apartment, because each new owner will still think about making housing for himself,” Ramil, a Moscow realtor with 10 years of experience, told KP. – But after the repair, the apartment will sell faster. For many real estate sellers, this is an important factor. If the owner wants to rent out the property, renovations can significantly affect the fee. The cost of rent for renovated apartments is 10-50% higher than for housing without renovation. Therefore, it makes sense to make good repairs for rent, but not for sale.