Repair in Old Foundation: 8 Important Tips from Our Heroine

Julia bought a two-room apartment in the historical center of St. Petersburg with her husband. The flat in the Stalin-era building was "destroyed," but our heroine wasn't afraid and decided to do the renovation herself. It was possible to organize a stylish and well-thought-out space: if you're planning a renovation or just about to buy secondary housing, Julia shared recommendations that will be useful at the beginning of the work.

Housewife Julia Arendar
Consider Apartments from the Post-Revolutionary Era

If you want to buy an apartment specifically in old foundation, consider options that are not cultural heritage sites — with these, there are more problems regarding documentation. The same reconfiguration will be much more complicated: in such apartments, you can't do anything without approval (even touching the cornice).

Generally speaking, it's about apartments from the pre-revolutionary era. In non-protected apartments, everything is much simpler.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
Don't Forget About Construction Waste

Don't forget that construction waste will accumulate throughout the entire renovation process. I didn't know about this. Right up until the very last day, you will be hauling away tons of waste: arrange in advance either with building managers or the property management company, or find people who handle this and remove it. We chose the last option.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
Be Prepared for Difficulties

Build up patience and keep in mind that renovation in old foundation is much more complex than in new foundation. It's a diametrically opposite situation: here you need to be ready for anything — that your old pipe or radiator will burst, that neighbors will oppose your construction work.

Anything can happen here: once someone told me that living in old foundation is like living on a powder keg. I agree. Our neighbors flooded us twice, a pipe burst right at the final day of renovation, flooding our entire new parquet. You just need to be ready for that — nothing will go smoothly, it's 100%.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
Distribute Responsibilities

If you're doing the renovation with your spouse, divide responsibilities: don't overlap in duties, otherwise there will be fewer arguments. Each of us handled our own tasks and didn't interfere with the other's. This helped us plan the process properly.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
Plan Lighting Scenarios and Socket/Outlet Preferences

If you're doing the renovation from scratch, it's important to pay attention to every detail. Don't brush it off and say “it’s fine as is, put a socket where you want.” You need to sit down and go through each point carefully.

For example, I made a separate table where I listed lighting scenarios and the number of sockets for each room. Yes, it's tedious work, but trust me, very important.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
I did it this way: I inspected each room and wrote down where and for what purpose I needed sockets, switches, and lighting solutions. That's why everything in my apartment is planned to the smallest detail: there are even sockets in window sills — very convenient for connecting holiday lights. Or, for example, plan lighting for pictures or mirrors — it always looks great.

I lit the paintings above the sofa area with a wall sconce: in the evening, this light is enough for the whole room and looks beautiful.

Think Outside the Box

If not for some unconventional solutions, we would never finish the renovation. Some builders think creatively, others stick to the position “the simpler, the better.” Try to approach every task in a maximally non-standard way and consider all possible options.

Remember: there is no impossible situation in renovation, everything is possible, just some contractors like to be lazy.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
Online Expense Tables

Another very important tip: create online tables and record all links, prices, details, comments — impossible to keep everything in mind or even on paper. It's better to record the information on an electronic medium.

We kept estimates in Google Docs with all links, prices per room, so we wouldn't get confused. This greatly simplified the process. It's easy to check what’s left to buy, what’s already purchased, what’s in delivery and so on.

Photo: Ekaterina LunGU
Save All Receipts

During and after renovation, you’ll have a lot of returns and exchanges. Set up a separate folder for all receipts, warranties, and other documents. It will be easy to find what needs to be returned or the warranty for equipment.