Renovating a resale apartment in Warsaw: what the strip-out reveals

In a new-build apartment you can see everything on the first visit. In a resale apartment part of the services and the structure is hidden and only shows once the finishes come off. An estimate for this kind of renovation therefore has two parts: what we can price straight away, and what we update once the tiles are off and the floors are up.

What we find most often

Wiring from another era

Blocks from the 1960s to 80s often still have aluminium wiring; tenement flats have installations altered several times without a plan. Aluminium carries less current and works loose in terminals, and old circuits have no earth. If the plan includes an induction hob, an oven, air conditioning and a tumble dryer, the consumer unit and the wiring are usually replaced in full.

Pipes you cannot see on a viewing

Steel water pipework, cast-iron drainage, copper joined to steel. A furred-up pipe gives poor pressure, and a corroded connection can fail at the first touch of a spanner. We replace the bathroom and kitchen pipework almost every time; the risers belong to the building and we assess them on site.

Floors at different levels

Under laminate there can be parquet set in bitumen, a screed with holes under that, and a 2–4 cm difference in level between rooms. Levelling means an extra screed or underlay, and at the doors a change of height nobody could measure before the strip-out.

Walls that are not what they look like

The partition the owner wants removed may turn out to be load-bearing; in prefabricated panel blocks many internal walls carry load. Any work on a load-bearing wall needs a structural engineer’s design and a notification to the building authority, so we only do it with a licensed engineer. Add plaster that comes off with the tiles, and damp in a bathroom wall that never had waterproofing.

Ventilation and flues

A ventilation grille boxed in, a cooker hood connected to the flue, a duct blocked with rubble. Cheap repairs, but they surface at the least convenient moment, because you have to go back to them after the boxing is closed.

How this changes the estimate

The estimate before the contract covers what can be seen and what we expect given the age of the building. After the strip-out we walk the apartment with the owner, on site or over photos, and list what needs adding. Every item is priced in writing before we go further, so extra work never appears on an invoice as a surprise.

What you can check before you buy

• Year of construction and building type: brick, prefabricated panel or frame. Each has its typical problems.
• The consumer unit: ceramic fuses and no residual-current device mean the wiring will be replaced.
• Water pressure at the tap, and how long the hot water takes to arrive.
• Signs of damp at the windows, in the corners and behind the bathroom furniture.
• What the neighbours renovated in recent years and what they replaced. It is the cheapest survey there is.

Before you sign a contract we view the apartment free of charge and tell you what to expect once the finishes come off. You can book a visit through the form on the home page.