Kitchen or Bathroom First in an Apartment Renovation?
Is the kitchen or the bathroom renovated first in an apartment?
The order in an apartment renovation is set by which room is closer to the vertical plumbing stack; the bathroom is usually opened to strip-out first because waterproofing has the longest curing time, while the kitchen can proceed without waiting for that curing.
The kitchen and bathroom renovation order decision is therefore not a matter of taste but of which job makes which job wait; this order was applied clearly in the example apartment at Beysu Konakları.
In which order do the kitchen and bathroom jobs proceed?
The table below shows why the two rooms proceed on a different schedule.
| Stage | Bathroom | Kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| Strip-out | Opened first | Can be opened at the same time as the bathroom |
| Waterproofing | Mandatory, waits for curing time | Not needed |
| Plumbing line | Completed before waterproofing | Can be completed without waiting for waterproofing |
| Tiling/finish | Starts after waterproofing cures | Can start once plumbing is done |
Does changing the order affect cost?
Yes; moving to tiling before the waterproofing cures is the most common mistake and raises apartment renovation cost by requiring a second strip-out. The right order looks slower in the short term but lowers the total time and cost.
If the kitchen plumbing is being moved, this decision is planned separately from the bathroom; if the two rooms are connected to the same vertical stack, the order becomes even more important.
Can the kitchen and bathroom be done at the same time?
Strip-out can start at the same time, but at the tiling stage the bathroom waits for the waterproofing to cure while the kitchen can proceed; this is why the two rooms start on the same day but finish on different days.
Umut GÜRLER is an interior architect and a graduate of Çankaya University Interior Architecture; he has worked since 2009 (more than 17 years) on villa, apartment, office and clinic interiors in Ankara, and his office is in Cepa Ofis Kule. The example in this article comes from an apartment project he has completed.
Frequently asked questions about kitchen and bathroom order
Is the kitchen or the bathroom renovated first in an apartment?
The bathroom is usually opened to strip-out first because waterproofing has the longest curing time.
Can tiling start before the waterproofing cures?
No; this is the most common mistake and raises cost by requiring a second strip-out.
Can the kitchen and bathroom finish at the same time?
They can start on the same day but finish on different days; the bathroom waits for waterproofing curing, the kitchen does not.
How does changing the order affect cost?
A wrong order can require a second strip-out; this raises the total cost and time.
Does the order change if the kitchen plumbing is being moved?
Yes, this decision is planned separately from the bathroom, especially if the two rooms are connected to the same vertical stack.
