Repair in New Construction: Most Common Mistakes and Unnecessary Expenses

Repair in a new house always requires involvement, time, and financial investment. To avoid redoing mistakes later, you need to plan ahead and consider several key points. Let's discuss this topic with an expert.

Maria Gubina — Design Team Leader, Balcon Studio

What mistakes are most common during repair in new construction

Violating Ergonomics Standards

When doing a repair without a designer, many apartment owners don't refer to ergonomics standards. As a result, narrow and inconvenient passages between furniture items appear, corners where you might hit yourself, doors that open in the wrong direction.

It's also worth mentioning attempts to turn a one-room apartment into a two-room layout and so on. Rooms end up being incomplete, as they weren't originally designed for such changes.

Lack of a Project Plan

The principle of 'start the repair and figure it out on-site' usually leads to problems during work and in future use of the space. You must have an electrical plan, a lighting layout, and plumbing plan before starting any work. Today, we're surrounded by many ideas and resources for inspiration, but the most important thing is to use them wisely.

Cost-Cutting on Masters

Not all owners see the point in investing in repair in new construction. They're wrong! Quality repair is one of the keys to good mood and well-being. Choosing a cheap crew can ruin your future life in the apartment: imagine constantly being annoyed by wallpaper seams, crooked window frames, or a dripping tap.

Mistake in Storage Planning

Don't be lazy to count how many things you have, where you'll store them, and to carefully plan storage systems, their quantity, and placement. Tip: get rid of unnecessary items or rent storage spaces from the developer.

Inattention to Rough Finishing

During repair, every step must be monitored and checked. Otherwise, poorly done waterproofing or incorrect screed under parquet will come back to bite you after some time, when no one can help. These mistakes might even require a new repair.

Lack of Sound Insulation

If you really want to eliminate noise, develop a sound insulation plan and don't hesitate to spend additional money, time, and space on it. Your peaceful and happy life is worth it.

Incorrect Order of Work

Stories are not rare where builders spill paint on a brand new parquet or damage wallpapers while disposing of waste after installing new windows. To avoid such unpleasant situations, finishing work must be done in the correct order: for example, install windows and sills first, then hang wallpaper or paint.

What if you choose an apartment with a completed repair?

Today, many developers offer to buy apartments with a finished repair. For example, in the ЖК 'Danish Quarter' in Mytishchi district, you can purchase an apartment without finishing, with white box finishing, or one of 8 pre-designed designer concepts.

Advantages: you don't need to find a construction crew or buy finishing materials. The construction company takes everything on itself, choosing quality materials and providing a warranty for the work. The electrical system, plumbing, lighting, and material combinations are also pre-planned in a ready apartment. Plus, the repair cost is included in the mortgage — no need to take out a loan for repairs.

Disadvantages: when buying an apartment with a repair, you won't have the opportunity to make individual layout changes based on your family composition and lifestyle. Most developers offer a limited number of design options for ready apartments, and you can't make changes to the project.

What if you still want individuality?

Choose a developer who offers more freedom in choosing finishing solutions. For example, FSK Construction was the first to launch a new feature — a finishing constructor that allows buyers to create an individual design project even before selecting an apartment.

ЖК 'Rimsky'

This is a pilot project where the finishing constructor is operational. It's located in the Moscow suburbs, 15 minutes from 'Domodedovskaya' and 'Marino' metro stations. The feature is planned to be implemented in other FSK Construction projects as well.

You can select the finishing on the new construction website: buyers get a visualization of their custom finishing, assembling their version based on ready projects. The advantage is that you can build a design project from scratch — combine elements from different finishing concepts offered by the developer, changing color schemes. The service allows selecting specific flooring materials, plumbing fixtures, and inter-room doors.

These are the projects created by designers specially for this ЖК

Standard, Dark Chocolate

Comfort, Truffle

Enhanced Comfort, Marzipan

Enhanced Comfort, Grill

In this case, you immediately get the cost estimate for selected materials and the final price of the apartment with the chosen finishing. The final decision with specifications, materials, and work costs is documented during apartment purchase.

What unnecessary expenses can you avoid in this case?

You only pay for the necessary amount of materials.

The developer purchases required items in bulk. The chance that one missing tile will require buying another box is virtually zero.

No overpayment for excessive electrical outlets.

Electrical work is one of the most expensive stages of repair. The more outlets or lights you want, the higher the budget. The correct number of points is calculated in advance.

You can do without a designer and save on the project.

The finishing constructor feature allows you to create an interior tailored to your needs without hiring a designer. There are no extra costs for visualizations or drawings for builders.