Khrushchev vs Euro Renovation: What Can Be Done for 200 Thousand Rubles

"200 thousand rubles for a Khrushchev renovation? That's only enough for materials!" - skeptics will say. And they will be wrong. With this amount, you can dramatically transform a 45 square meter two-bedroom apartment if you know where to save and where it's absolutely impossible to cut costs. The secret lies in setting priorities and smart planning.

Modern renovation does not mean expensive renovation. Italian tiles for 5,000 rubles per square meter won't make a bathroom look better than Russian tiles for 800 rubles if they're laid correctly. And painting walls often looks more expensive than the most expensive wallpapers. The key is to understand what creates the impression of quality and style.

Main points from the article:

• 60% of the budget should go to wall and floor finishing - this is the basis of the impression;
• Plumbing and doors can be chosen from the mid-range price segment - savings of 40-50 thousand rubles;
• The most expensive works are screed and electrical work, it's better to do them well from the start;
• Painting walls costs 3 times less than good wallpapers;
• 33rd class laminate looks like parquet but costs 5 times less;
• Lighting is more important than an expensive chandelier - 10 spotlights are better than one for 50 thousand rubles;
• You can save 60-80 thousand rubles by doing simple works yourself.

Budget planning: where to spend money

Proper distribution of 200 thousand rubles is half the success. Experienced builders recommend this scheme:

• 40% (80 thousand) - rough works: demolition, screed, plastering, electrical work, plumbing connections. This is the foundation on which you can't save. Crooked walls will ruin any expensive material.
• 35% (70 thousand) - finishing materials: floor coverings, paint, tiles in the bathroom, inter-room doors. You can find excellent options in the mid-range price segment here.
• 15% (30 thousand) - plumbing and electrical work: toilet, bathtub, taps, sockets, switches, light fixtures. Choose reliable but not premium options.
• 10% (20 thousand) - unforeseen expenses: they will definitely happen, better to plan them in advance.

The main principle: spend the maximum money on what is hard to change (screed, electrical work), and save on what can be changed in a year (wallpapers, light fixtures).

Walls: painting vs wallpapers

The biggest savings come from wall finishing. High-quality painting costs 2-3 times less than good wallpapers and looks much more modern.

• Cost of painting the whole apartment: spackle for painting (15-20 thousand), paint (10-15 thousand), work (20-25 thousand). Total: 45-60 thousand rubles for the whole apartment.
• Cost of wallpapering: wallpapers of medium quality (30-40 thousand), adhesive and consumables (5 thousand), work (25-30 thousand). Total: 60-75 thousand rubles.

Savings: 15-20 thousand rubles plus a more modern and stylish look. Painted walls are easier to clean, you can quickly change the color of one wall to create an accent.

Best colors for Khrushchev: white, light gray, milk, beige. Dark and bright colors visually reduce the already small space.

Design: Polina Andreeva

Floors: laminate as an alternative to parquet

High-quality 33rd class laminate looks like natural parquet but costs 5-7 times less. This is the perfect solution for a Khrushchev with a limited budget.

• Laminate cost: the laminate itself (15-20 thousand for the whole apartment), underlayment (3-5 thousand), trim (5-7 thousand), installation (15-20 thousand). Total: 38-52 thousand rubles.
• Parquet board cost: material (80-120 thousand), installation (25-35 thousand). Total: 105-155 thousand rubles.

Savings: 70-100 thousand rubles. Modern laminate lasts 15-20 years, is moisture-resistant, doesn't fear animal claws and heels.

Important: buy 33 or 34 class laminate only from well-known manufacturers. Cheap 31st class laminate will last only 2-3 years and ruin the entire renovation.

Bathroom: tiles and plumbing

In a bathroom of 4 square meters, you can create a stylish interior for 50-60 thousand rubles if you choose materials correctly.

• Tiles: Belarusian ceramic tiles cost 800-1200 rubles per square meter and look no worse than Italian tiles for 3000-5000 rubles. For a Khrushchev bathroom, you need 15-20 square meters of tiles. Cost: 15-25 thousand rubles.
• Plumbing: compact toilet (8-12 thousand), acrylic bathtub 150 cm (10-15 thousand), tap (3-5 thousand). Total: 21-32 thousand rubles.

Works: tile laying (15-20 thousand), plumbing installation (5-8 thousand).

Total bathroom cost: 56-85 thousand rubles. This is one-third of the budget for a radical transformation of the most problematic room.

Kitchen: backsplash and countertop as accents

On a Khrushchev kitchen of 6-7 square meters, the main expenses are backsplash and countertop. The cabinet can be left old, updated only with new doors.

• Backsplash from "calf" tiles: 3-4 square meters of quality tiles (4-6 thousand), installation (3-5 thousand). Total: 7-11 thousand rubles.
• Countertop from artificial stone: 3 meters (15-20 thousand), installation (3-5 thousand). Total: 18-25 thousand rubles.
• Updating doors: painting or film (8-12 thousand), new handles (2-3 thousand).

Cost of kitchen update: 35-50 thousand rubles. This gives the effect of a full cabinet replacement, which would cost 150-200 thousand rubles.

Design: Anastasia Gurova, Maria Gulebekyan

Doors: saving wisely

Interior doors are one of the most overvalued expenses. A door for 15 thousand rubles with good fittings looks no worse than a door for 40 thousand rubles.

• Cost of doors for a two-bedroom apartment: 3 doors at 12-15 thousand (36-45 thousand), installation (9-12 thousand). Total: 45-57 thousand rubles.
• Alternative: update old doors. Painting white, replacing handles and hinges will cost 5-8 thousand rubles per door. Savings: 25-35 thousand rubles.

Don't touch the entrance door if it's in good condition. A good metal door costs 30-50 thousand rubles - half of the entire budget.

Lighting: lots of light for small money

Proper lighting is more important than an expensive chandelier. 8-10 spotlights will create a modern interior better than one chandelier for 30 thousand rubles.

• Spotlights: 10 units at 800-1200 rubles (8-12 thousand), installation (5-8 thousand). Total: 13-20 thousand rubles.
• LED strip for decorative lighting: 10 meters of quality tape (3-5 thousand), power supply and dimmer (2-3 thousand), installation (3-5 thousand). Total: 8-13 thousand rubles.

Total lighting cost: 21-33 thousand rubles for the whole apartment. This will give multi-level lighting that visually expands the space and creates a cozy atmosphere.

Design: Galina Ovchinnikova

What you can do yourself

Savings on works can reach 50-80 thousand rubles if you do some of them yourself:

• Demolition of old coverings: removing wallpapers, old linoleum, trims. Savings: 10-15 thousand rubles.
• Painting walls: if the walls are flat after spackling, painting them is not difficult. Savings: 15-20 thousand rubles.
• Laying laminate: modern laminate with a locking connection is installed without special skills. Savings: 15-20 thousand rubles.
• Installing light fixtures and sockets: with ready wiring, this is a simple task. Savings: 5-10 thousand rubles.
• Assembling furniture: installing kitchen cabinet, wardrobes. Savings: 10-15 thousand rubles.

Total savings: 55-80 thousand rubles, which can go to higher-quality materials.

What you shouldn't cut costs on

There are works where saving will result in much higher expenses in the future:

• Electrical work: poor wiring is dangerous. It's better to spend 25-30 thousand rubles on a good electrician than to redo everything in a year.
• Plumbing connections: leaks in Khrushchev apartments flood neighbors. Saving 5-10 thousand rubles can result in damage worth hundreds of thousands.
• Floor screed: uneven screed ruins any floor covering. It's better to spend 15-20 thousand rubles upfront than to redo the entire floor.
• Wall leveling for painting: paint highlights all imperfections. High-quality spackle costs a lot, but without it, painting will look terrible.

Real example of 200 thousand rubles distribution

Demolition and preparation: 15 thousand rubles:

• Electrical work: 25 thousand rubles;
• Floor screed: 20 thousand rubles;
• Wall leveling: 30 thousand rubles;
• Laminate throughout the apartment: 45 thousand rubles;
• Tiles in the bathroom: 25 thousand rubles;
• Painting walls: 15 thousand rubles;
• Plumbing: 30 thousand rubles;
• Doors (3 units): 45 thousand rubles;
• Lighting: 25 thousand rubles;
• Unforeseen expenses: 20 thousand rubles.

Total: 295 thousand rubles. Overrun of 95 thousand - a typical situation, so either plan a larger budget or do some works yourself.

With 200 thousand rubles, it's really possible to do a quality modern renovation of a Khrushchev apartment if you set priorities correctly and don't chase brands. The key is to understand what creates the impression of an expensive renovation, and invest in these elements.

Cover: Galina Ovchinnikova's design project