Very often, budget repairs are confused with economical ones. In this case, people try and do things for themselves so that they can subsequently live comfortably for several years, without thinking that an update is required. And the economical one is based on the use of the cheapest finishing materials, as a rule, these are light cosmetics for the subsequent stay of the tenants.
Therefore, budget renovation does not always mean the cheapest building and finishing materials, but always high-quality and practical ones.
Photo and design of apartment renovation
You can find many photos or even videos on the Internet that provide detailed information on how renovations can be done on a budget. You can adopt the experience offered in the public domain, as well as be inspired by the ideas of other users.
Insulation of the room
The microclimate in the home depends on humidity and temperature. These factors are ensured by good ventilation and proper vapor barriers and thermal insulation.
In order for a person to feel comfortable in the house, two components need to be taken into account - the temperature of the air and surfaces. The normal temperature is +20 C, and the ceiling and walls are +17 degrees. For older citizens, it is better to make the room warmer.
In old houses and apartments, the thermal insulation of walls is poor or completely absent. Condensation appears, increased air humidity, and the rooms become stuffy. Household members are not feeling well. If you can’t disassemble the wall, you can make thermal insulation inside or outside the room.
Do-it-yourself budget apartment renovation
You can’t just start doing budget repairs yourself. You need to plan everything carefully first. For this:
- A reserve of time is being formed. Certain types of work, for example, with plumbing and electrical equipment, require specific knowledge from the performer. Therefore, time is wasted first studying the instructions and then applying them in practice. It is impossible to complete the project in a couple of days without experience, a specialized team and modern professional tools.
- The condition of the apartment is assessed. In some cases, it will be wiser to modify what is available. For example, tiles that were used during the Soviet Union will look many times better after restoration, but at the same time they are much higher quality than modern offerings on the market. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly work out a scheme where the finishing will be restored, and where it will be removed to the base, and then reinstalled.
- A shopping list is generated. You must first visit all the nearest hardware stores and markets to analyze prices. You cannot buy products that are too cheap, because the manufacturer saves a lot on them, and they certainly will not provide the required quality.
- Drawing up an estimate. Two main features are taken into account here. The budget is planned in advance. It is better to leave one room unrenovated than to save on materials and then have to renovate the entire apartment a year later. And secondly, you need to make an estimate for 70-75% of the budget. The remaining money should be saved for additional expenses that inexperienced repairmen, due to lack of practice, could miss.
The most important thing when performing repairs is to avoid saving on communications. This is especially true for gas hoses and electrics, since cheap or used products endanger the residents of not only the apartment, but the entire house as a whole.
Wall decoration
The walls in a house or apartment are the largest and most visible area. At first, it seems that the majority of financial resources are spent on the walls during finishing. But we are here to prove otherwise!
DIY decorative plaster
It is not so difficult to create an original drawing that will be embossed and unusual, monochromatic or in a mass of colors. All you need is the most diligent preparation, and then a little free time to implement:
- Surface preparation. Removing old decorative materials to the base, if necessary, washing the walls or simply treating them with scrapers and a spatula, and then preliminary repairs - sealing cracks, leveling the surface with starting plaster;
- The next stage is puttying of minor errors, additional leveling with your own hands, as well as double priming with a deep penetration compound, which will create an ideal base and also bind the layers of plaster;
- And finally, applying the finishing, decorative layer. To do this, you will need gypsum putty - a dry mixture for mixing yourself and obtaining a finishing solution. The mixture is applied to the wall, evenly stretched to obtain a thin layer of about 2 mm, and then adapted to the required pattern with a special tool. Spatula, roller, brushes, special shapes... but it can also be an ordinary plastic bag, broom, brush, which will help create an interesting relief on the surface;
- The last step is an additional layer of primer and painting with water-based paint, possibly in several colors!
This is truly an option with minimal costs, which, at the same time, looks very expensive!
OSB wall finishing
These boards are widely used in construction, finishing works, and furniture production. Therefore, the idea arose to use them to decorate the interior, residential part.
Today, this idea has been adopted by many offices, shops and exhibition halls that need to get started quickly and spend minimal money. Therefore, we see no obstacles to covering OSB walls inside a house or apartment.
The advantages of this method are that you can simultaneously hide all surface defects, disguise communications, insulate the room and soundproof it. To install OSB, you will need to create a frame from a wooden beam or a galvanized steel profile used for plasterboard structures, vapor barrier and mineral wool, which will create a soundproofing and thermal insulation effect!
After installing the slabs on the frame, they can be painted, varnished, and decorative profiles can be installed. Nothing can stop you from hanging furniture, decorative items, and various accessories!
Inexpensive wall decoration with boards
Returning to the truly beautiful interiors of wooden houses, namely half-timbered houses, log houses and timber structures, I really want to take some ideas from them. And we are sure that this is possible!
Decorating the walls with boards, even the most inexpensive ones, will create a natural microclimate and will also help you move further away from synthetic finishing materials, which are already abundant in our lives. You can use a new board, a used one, materials of different sizes, but still achieve the desired effect!
To install the board on the walls, you need a vertically oriented sheathing made of timber or planks. The vertical cores of the frame are installed at a distance of 60 cm from each other, then, in a chaotic manner, for example, in a checkerboard pattern or with a diagonal shift, a board is screwed or nailed onto the frame, horizontally. An interesting fact is that the board can even be of different thicknesses and colors, which will create an even more original picture. But if you prefer order rather than slight chaos, the finished board wall can be painted any color!
Beautiful budget apartment renovation
At the moment, a lot of styles are concentrated within the medium or minimum budget. You can use, for example, the loft style, which implies the presence of some antiquity in the design. In this case, you will be able to save on finishing materials and invest more money in furnishings and furnishings.
You can also use old interior items or decorations that can be repaired and restored. For example, very high-quality parquet was installed in Stalin buildings, which is a timeless material. Accordingly, it can be trimmed and varnished, and it will look the same as on the first day. And most of these materials are in the apartment, you just need to find out more about them.
Modest minimalist style
To create an interior in a minimalist style, choose finishing materials in a calm color scheme:
- white;
- blue;
- brown;
- green;
- burgundy
There should not be many flowers - two or three, no more. This style is characterized by a minimal amount of furniture and only decorative items. Much attention is paid to lighting and zoning the space with color. Interiors in the minimalist style are spacious and airy.
Apartment renovation ideas and options
The most important idea when renovating an apartment is to not be afraid to experiment. Since it is the residents who will spend all their time in this house in the future, they must customize the space completely to suit themselves. Don't consider current fashion trends because they come and go. You need to adapt completely to yourself.
Another important idea is to not be afraid to use proven methods and clichés. No one will blame you for using someone else’s idea during the renovation of your apartment. If you manage to implement it, and it completely suits the residents, then you should not miss this chance.
It is also worth considering several options for renovating an apartment that do not exceed your limited budget. Such financial possibilities correspond to such styles as:
- Beach coastal. This option is reminiscent of Americano, but is characterized by several distinctive features - a checkered finish is used (not necessarily checkerboard), and the interior should contain wicker furniture. You can make the decor wicker, since full-fledged wicker furniture is not cheap;
- Glamorous chic. Don't be scared by the name. In reality, this style is a cheap substitute for Art Deco. But here you don’t need to use real works of art, because for a very reasonable price you can buy a high-quality fake. Glamorous chic will not suit a man's apartment, because... there are mainly pink and light tones;
- Asian chic. Japanese or Chinese motifs have recently become pleasing to most consumers. This is more related to psychology, since such motives have been formed in the East for thousands of years, and here much attention is paid to calmness and tranquility. And in the noisy city they are sorely lacking;
- European urban style. Recently, it has been used in all major European cities, mainly in capitals. The only feature of this style is laconicism, a complete absence of pretentiousness and catchy design elements.
It is not necessary to choose a single style to decorate the entire apartment. If you familiarize yourself with the transition rules, all rooms can be designed in different styles. But special attention should be paid to the transition rules, since otherwise the apartment will look too busy and tasteless.
Some more useful tips
It is more profitable to order windows from the manufacturer rather than from the installer: if you replace all the windows at the same time, you will be able to get an additional discount. You can also save on locking fittings: the fewer there are, the cheaper the finished window will be.
If it is not possible to purchase good doors, pine panels for painting are suitable. They can be varnished or oiled, decorated with painting or aged. If you paint the canvas the color of the walls, you will get an invisible door, which is especially important for a small room. Before applying paint, it is necessary to brush with a wire brush and coat with tinted varnish. Then apply acrylic paint. For a noble aging effect, you should use the dry brush technique.
Various trading platforms will help you save on buying furniture and textiles, where people sell things in good condition at low prices. Some furnishings can be picked up for free and remade to suit your needs. Today, various hand-made decor is in fashion, which makes the environment unique.
There are many ways to create an inexpensive and stylish renovation. If you have taste, time and desire, you can create an original interior without losing quality or budget.
Budget renovation of an apartment in a new building. Step-by-step instruction
Apartments in new buildings are offered mainly with rough finishing. Very often, buyers are offered just a box, and they must arrange the walls themselves, which further increases the cost of repairs. Another important feature is that it is not recommended to start repairs immediately after construction. You need to wait 2 years, since a “fresh” house will definitely shrink.
After the house has undergone shrinkage, you can move on to work. It is recommended to act in stages:
- Purchase of materials. Accordingly, at the time of purchasing building and finishing materials, residents must finally decide on styles and other design features. When calculating the amount of materials, it is necessary, firstly, to take into account 10% in case of defects or damage to raw materials, and secondly, to determine their storage. Usually, 1 room is allocated, which will be repaired last, and all materials, tools, consumables, etc. are stored in it.
- Drawing up a plan. This is done if you need to install the walls yourself.
- Rough work. They include electrical wiring, floor screed, leveling surfaces for subsequent use of cladding, bringing out communications to the connection point with plumbing, gas stove, etc.
- Cleaning work. They include, first of all, the finishing of each room, then the installation of interior doors, and then the installation of sockets.
It should be noted that the scheme under consideration is only general, but it can be taken as a basis. In each individual case it may change or be supplemented.
Floor renovation
If you can use materials of a strictly decorative nature to decorate the walls and ceiling, taking into account the requirements to create an original and practical interior, then for the floor you should choose materials with high strength indicators, since here the coating experiences serious loads. For this reason, we use parquet, porcelain stoneware, linoleum with a high-quality protective layer, and other materials to finish the floor.
Finishing the floor with pebbles or sandstone
As an independent material, the material is not very suitable for a large area, but as a decorative part, for example, edging, it is more than suitable. If you plan to finish the entire floor area in the room, then pebble-type stones are suitable for the bathroom, corridors, kitchens, and patios.
There are enough types of pebbles in nature to choose one that matches the overall style and color scheme of the room. But you can also choose natural stone, however, the price here can increase progressively, depending on the quality and type of stone.
Slate, granite, marble are very expensive, but for patios and hallways you can choose simpler options - sandstone, limestone and others. In any case, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface - repair it and level it, and then install the stone on the floor using appropriate adhesives.
This finish is coated with natural stone varnish to provide protection from moisture and mechanical damage!
Inexpensive flooring made from linoleum scraps
This floor is not ideal in terms of external indicators, but connoisseurs of African styles, or the Boho interior style, magnificent in its colors, will like the option.
You can buy linoleum scraps at any flooring store, and the smaller the piece, the lower its price. Today it can be linoleum at a discount of 50%, 70%, or even 90%, that is, you can get it for pennies! The only difficulty with such finishing is the obligatory gluing of pieces of material to the floor, as well as soldering them together. But glue for linoleum, as well as soldering material, are inexpensive, and a soldering iron and cutting tool can be rented for about 400-500 rubles per day!
Advice from the experts! Be sure to use the so-called dry layout. First, lay out the pieces of linoleum on the floor at your own discretion, then cut them, adjusting the sizes, double check that all seams match, write down or sketch the layout, the direction of the pieces, and little by little begin to sequentially gluing the material.
This is a really inexpensive way to tidy up your floors. After installation, it’s quite possible to get a good, high-quality picture!
Budget renovation of an apartment in Khrushchev. Step-by-step instruction
Since the repairs in the Khrushchev house will be carried out with a ready-made rough finish, the instructions here are a little simpler. In extreme cases, residents will only need to level the surfaces a little if they were too aggressive in removing the old finish. This can be done very quickly and simply with the help of a special plaster mortar, which is sold in a ready-made version on the construction market and in hardware stores.
Instructions for cosmetic repairs in Khrushchev:
- Planning. You need to finally decide on the styles of each room, finishing materials, lighting, communications, etc.
- Measurements and purchase of materials. It is recommended to buy a little more materials so that there is a reserve in case of defects. If wallpaper or tiles remain, do not rush to throw them away. Let them lie on the mezzanine, because with their help it will be possible to slightly restore the damaged parts of the surfaces.
- Preparing the rooms. You need to make a plan, prioritize the renovation of each room. And, accordingly, you will need to vacate the rooms one by one; you won’t have to completely move everything out of the apartment onto the street.
- Dismantling old finishing materials. Leveling surfaces for subsequent finishing.
- Installation of new windows (if included in the plan).
- Installation of slopes and window sills.
- Dismantling old and installing new interior doors (if included in the plan).
- Preparation and finishing of ceiling surfaces (can be done throughout the entire apartment at once).
- Priming walls and floors.
- Wall cladding with selected material.
- Installation of sockets, switches and lamps.
- Arrangement of floor covering.
- Framing with plinths.
Ceiling renovation
Today, the most practical solution for updating the ceiling is a suspended ceiling. Fast, inexpensive, a lot of shades, the ability to print on the film, as well as install any type of decorative lighting. But what if we move away from this idea and try to find a more original option? It's doable!
Ceiling made of bamboo, reeds, straw
It’s a little unusual to use living, natural materials in an urban interior, isn’t it? But we still suggest paying attention to straw, bamboo and reeds. There are many finishing options with their participation - weaving into sheaves, cassettes, installation on a frame, sequential tying, gluing finished fabrics. The choice is yours. But we immediately emphasize that ceilings made of reeds, bamboo and straw are more suitable for private houses, verandas, terraces, and patios. Although, nothing prevents you from finishing in a similar style in the kitchen or bathroom, or even the bedroom in a city apartment. Moreover, you can do this yourself, and such a ceiling renovation will be inexpensive!
Budget renovation of a one-room apartment. Step-by-step instruction
Budget renovation of a one-room apartment is not much different in terms of step-by-step guidance from all other types. Follow the instructions:
- Kitchen. First of all, the kitchen is put in order. A lot of money goes into this space because you only need to buy high-quality materials that can withstand heavy loads on a daily basis. It is also difficult to work with the kitchen, because... Several types of materials are used here. For example, a tile apron is laid on the walls, and the remaining parts are finished with other materials.
- Bathroom. It includes work on the bathroom and toilet. The toilet or the space around it, if the bathroom is combined, is better to be tiled, since it is easy to clean and can be treated with various household chemicals. In the bathroom, you can spend on tiles only in those places where you are guaranteed to be constantly wet. The entrance to the bathroom or individual walls can be avoided with tiles, but another more economical material can be used to stay within the budget.
- Corridor. The main expense item here is the front door. Since it directly affects the safety of residents, it is extremely important not to skimp on it. All other repairs will be inexpensive.
- Room. A bedroom or bedroom-living room should be formed taking into account the zoning of space. You can make level differences to highlight the sleeping area, study, dining area, etc. It is advisable to think through the arrangement of furniture and areas before starting renovations so that you know exactly how to proceed.
If the apartment has a balcony, then it is repaired last. Usually, the remnants of all materials or funds that were included in the budget but were not spent are used here.
Take on some of the work yourself
Surely you will be able to dismantle the old renovation yourself or with friends, prepare the walls, if the unevenness is not critical, paint something or hang wallpaper. You will also accurately cope with the installation of skirting boards and faucets.
You can take on the installation of waterproofing or soundproofing before screeding the floor.
Leonid Novgorodov
Head of educational in St. Petersburg.
Working with roll materials sold for these purposes does not require special knowledge and skills at all.
Budget renovation of a two-room apartment. Step-by-step instruction
The step-by-step instructions for renovating a two-room apartment are fully consistent with those presented above. But after the first room they move on to renovating the second. And only after that they work with the balcony, if there is one in the apartment, or if it is also planned to be renovated.
But you can consider a few useful tips that will come in handy in the process of renovating a 2-room apartment:
- Combining the bathroom into one common room. In this case, a little space is freed up, which can be attached to the corridor. As a rule, the corridors in apartments are narrow; it is very difficult to create a functional space here that will cope with the assigned tasks, but at the same time correspond to the chosen style.
- Balcony insulation. This is a rather expensive procedure, but it provides residents with an additional room that can be used at their discretion. This approach is ideal for families with children, when it is not possible to exchange a 2-room apartment for a 3-room apartment, and the child already needs his own room.
- Combination of balcony and kitchen. In this case, it will be possible to create full-fledged working and dining areas, as well as add a relaxation area with a corner sofa and TV.
Before planning a redevelopment, it is recommended to coordinate potential work with the BTI. Some walls should not be touched or moved, as this puts the entire house at risk. To avoid problems with the law, it is better to do everything right away, correctly, competently and thoughtfully.
Find a crew
Architect, co-founder of the architectural bureau HEADS Group Arsen Khairov proposes to organize a kind of tender and consider several proposals.
Arsen Khairov
The more experienced the team, the more detailed the estimate for the work it will provide. If builders only tell you the cost per square meter, immediately refuse.
At a minimum, all wet processes, painting work and decorative finishing should be delegated to specialists. In this matter, qualifications have a very serious impact on quality and aesthetics. There are hardly any people who want to admire the crooked ceiling or walls.
Additionally, you need an experienced plumber and electrician. Saving here is fraught with incidents with unpleasant consequences.
Restoration of vaulted windows in a private house
The window openings gave a special touch to our home. White plastered window sills, very wide - 60 centimeters, brick vaults - it was beautiful in its laconicism and simplicity, nothing superfluous. We really wanted to preserve this ascetic charm.
When they began to remove the old plaster, the window sills collapsed, one of the vaults miraculously did not collapse, some bricks in the masonry were loose, and huge cracks appeared.
Cleaning windows
After a moment of despair, a list of tasks for window restoration was compiled:
- Fill the window sills with concrete mortar (with the addition of bricks and metal reinforcement)
- Fill deep cracks in openings with a solution of sawdust concrete. Sawdust was added to make the mixture lighter and give less load on the support
- To strengthen the vaults, insert wooden boxes into the window openings. This way we gave support to the fragile vaults and created a level base for installing the frame with double-glazed windows
- Make window frames. To do this, we used timber for the door frame; the choice fell on it because the required groove for the double-glazed window was selected there, this simplified the task. Double-glazed windows were made to order, single-chamber, according to our non-standard sizes
Window boxes inserted
Window. Inside view
