Where to Save Money During Apartment Renovation?

Experts share their opinion on whether you can do a renovation during a crisis so that you don't end up broke later.

"I am against saving on the quality of rough construction materials"

Areg Samvelyan, Expert, Director of Construction Company "Aleph Build"

Let me say right away that I am against saving on the quality of rough construction materials. Any experienced builder will tell you what the consequences are. In the future, structures will become weak and cracks will appear in walls. To avoid this, budget but quality materials are often used: foam concrete blocks and tongue-and-groove panels. They are cheaper than bricks and require less adhesive and plaster.

It is easier to save on finish finishing: choose affordable paint with good coverage and adhesion from a reputable manufacturer. Plaster mixes don't have to be bought from well-known producers.

For economy, parquet and planks for floating installation method are suitable for flooring. You can save money on plywood and adhesive, which are not cheap, as well as reduce labor costs and renovation time. Ceiling panels also save time and money. With them, there is no need for plastering, spackling, surface sanding, priming, and painting.

It's not worth saving on electrical wiring. Cheap and low-quality wires often burn out and don't handle loads. The same applies to the water supply and heating systems. To avoid leaks, micro-cracks, and other unpleasantnesses, don't save on engineering systems.

Generally speaking, you should think about savings even when choosing a property, as the cost of renovation will depend not only on the type of building but also on its condition. Plan your budget together with builders in advance. Only then can you select budget finishing materials.

"It's better to set a budget for renovation and set aside another 20% just in case"

Vlad Sedov, Expert, Director of Design Studio LINES

The first thing that comes to mind: it's better not to save on renovation. In my practice, I rarely saw a quality project implementation with a limited budget. It's better to define your renovation budget right away and set aside another 20% just in case. These figures should be honestly communicated to builders and designers so they can advise on optimizing your wishes.

But if you absolutely have to save money, you can look for quality replicas of European furniture and lighting brands instead of expensive items. You need to be careful here and use designers' advice. In that case, you can save up to 70% of the budget.

It's better to order carpentry items from domestic craftsmen, preferably private masters. There are many talented young people who make quality furniture "with their own resources". With proper material selection, skilled hands in manufacturing and assembly, your kitchen will be hard to distinguish from Italian.

Another way to save money is to calculate the number of light fixtures, sockets, and switches. Walk through the final layout with a designer: are all these items really necessary? Additional grooves in walls and ceilings significantly affect the estimate. You can also save on the appearance of sockets and switches. It makes sense to buy budget hardware for "invisible" points, such as behind the kitchen, at the baseboard, or behind large furniture.

"You can always save, but only on things that are easy to replace in the future"

Elena Ivashkina, Expert, Interior Designer and Decorator

When buying furniture for the dining room, try to get by with foldable chairs that will also be useful later. When making custom furniture, for example, choose budget material like MDF. However, it's better not to use it in living rooms.

Materials for concealed engineering works, flooring, and doors should always be chosen with regard to not only price but also quality and the manufacturer's reputation.

"When choosing budget finishing materials, you can confidently rely on manufacturers"

Veronika Leva and Maria Kovalyova, Experts, Interior Designers, Founders of Design Studio WeCreate

One way to save money is to apply minimal finishing to walls and ceilings. Nowadays, it's not necessary to paint the walls or hang wallpaper. Concrete panels or exposed brick walls don't require major investments: they can be sanded with a protective layer of primer and varnish.

When buying second-hand property with existing finishes, don't remove the gypsum moldings. In our projects, we update their coating, restore them slightly, and paint in a new color.

By the way, when choosing budget finishing materials, you can confidently rely on manufacturers. Cheap imported tiles are usually of poor quality. However, domestic producers have pleasantly surprised us.

Checklist: Where to Save Money During Apartment Renovation?

On the cost of rough materials. Just not on quality, otherwise you'll have to renovate again in a few years.

On paint and spackle. There's no need to choose popular manufacturers, but always check the properties.

On parquet or laminate installation. They can be laid not on a glued basis but using the floating method.

On plastering and spackling works. They won't be needed with suspended ceilings.

On floor and wall tiles. Affordable tiles from domestic manufacturers are much better than budget import analogs.

On furniture. You can buy good replicas or use budget variants from mass market for now.

On the number of sockets and electrical hardware. Especially if sockets and switches are located behind furniture.