What Determines Apartment Renovation Cost?
What determines apartment renovation cost?
What determines apartment renovation cost is not a single item: material quality, how many wet areas are moved, the building's age and the floor level together set the price. Most of the cost factors in a villa also apply in an apartment, but one item specific to apartments is added: material transport and building access difficulty.
This is how apartment renovation cost differs from a villa; we explained the villa cost factors in our What Determines Villa Renovation Cost? article.
Which factors affect apartment renovation cost?
Four factors together set the price range; whichever one stands out, the budget shifts in that direction.
| Factor | Effect on cost |
|---|---|
| Material quality | Flooring, kitchen counter and fixture choice set the price range |
| Number of wet areas | Plumbing cost rises if the kitchen and bathroom are moved |
| Building age | Hidden infrastructure problems are more likely in an old building |
| Floor and elevator access | Affects material transport time and labour hours |
Which jobs grow the budget fastest in an apartment?
The two jobs that grow the budget fastest are moving a wet area and changing the facade; both of them also bring along the management approval process we explained in our apartment renovation permit and approval article.
These two jobs add not only material and labour cost but also the time spent waiting for approval; the site pauses while approval is awaited.
Is there a way to lower the cost in an apartment renovation?
Not changing the wet area's location and keeping the existing plumbing line is the most direct decision that lowers cost; this decision is made at the survey stage, before material selection.
Doing the kitchen and bathroom in the right order also affects cost; a wrong order can require a second strip-out, which we explained in our Kitchen or Bathroom First in an Apartment Renovation? article.
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 apartment renovation cost
What determines apartment renovation cost the most?
Material quality, the number of wet areas, the building's age and floor/elevator access together set the price range.
Does moving a wet area increase cost a lot?
Yes, when the kitchen or bathroom is moved, the plumbing line changes, which noticeably increases cost.
Does an old building cost more than a new one?
Usually yes; hidden infrastructure problems are more likely in an old building, and these surface during strip-out.
Which jobs grow the budget fastest in an apartment?
Moving a wet area and changing the facade; both bring extra time and cost due to the management approval process.
Is there a way to lower apartment renovation cost?
Not changing the wet area location and keeping the existing plumbing line is the most direct way.
