Guides
What people ask about renovation
In this section we answer the questions our clients ask most often, from the point of view of the people doing the work. The order the work follows, what sets the price, which permissions are needed and what to prepare before starting. Not sales copy, but how the job actually goes.
What should you know before starting?
Most of what decides whether a renovation runs easily is settled before day one. Having the scope in writing, finishing the material choices and knowing which permissions apply removes a large part of what goes wrong mid job. The guides in this group cover that preparation step by step.
What Should You Do Before a Renovation Starts?
Preparation before day one affects how long a renovation takes and what it costs. What to settle in advance, and what to ask of the contractor.
Read the guideGuide · CostWhat Does Renovation Cost Depend On?
Why do two quotations for the same job differ so much? What drives renovation cost, what to look for in a quotation, and where extras come from.
Read the guideGuide · PermissionsDo You Need Permission to Renovate?
Which works need official permission, must you inform the building management, and can a tenant commission a renovation? A practical summary.
Read the guideGuide · TurnkeyWhat Does Turnkey Renovation Mean?
What a turnkey renovation covers, how it differs from hiring trades separately, how the sequence is built and how the schedule runs. Written from the side doing the work.
Read the guideHow do bathroom and kitchen renovations run?
The bathroom and the kitchen are the two rooms that see the most work. In both, the hidden work comes before the visible work, since waterproofing, pipework and floor falls all end up under the finishes. Get the order wrong and the problem returns years later in a form that means lifting the tiling. These two guides cover the real sequence and where a mistake becomes expensive.
How Is a Bathroom Renovation Done?
In what order is a bathroom renovated, how long does it take, and which mistakes are expensive to undo? A step-by-step account from the people doing the work.
Read the guideGuide · KitchenWhat Should You Renew in a Kitchen Renovation?
Does a kitchen always need renewing completely? How to decide on carcasses, doors, worktops and plumbing, and which option makes sense in which situation.
Read the guideHow do you choose materials and systems?
With flooring, paint and glass balcony systems the right choice does not come from the product alone. How likely the room is to get wet, how true the surface is and how exposed the elevation is all shape the decision. The guides in this group compare the options and set out which one works in which situation.
Which Floor Covering Suits Which Room?
The real differences between laminate, engineered wood, tile and vinyl, which room each one works in, and what the subfloor and installation demand.
Read the guideGuide · PaintingWhat Should You Look At When Having a Place Painted?
The real differences between paint types, which one suits which room, what wall preparation actually involves and how a colour decision is made.
Read the guideGuide · Glass BalconyWhat Should You Consider When Choosing a Glass Balcony?
Sliding or folding, insulated or single glazed? The real differences between the systems, which suits which use, and what matters at installation.
Read the guideHow do you deal with problems in the building?
Some problems exist before the decision to renovate, and refreshing the space does not solve them. Ageing pipework, a leak running quietly and an uninsulated facade all belong here. All three sit behind the wall, and all three damage newly finished work if they are not addressed at the right time. These guides cover reading the signs and knowing when to act.
How Do You Plan a Renovation in an Older Building?
What turns up when walls are opened in an older property, which items produce surprises, and what a survey should look for in the Kemalpasa housing stock.
Read the guideGuide · Water LeaksHow Do You Know You Have a Water Leak?
The first signs of a leak, how to run a meter test step by step, what to do the moment you find one, and how leaks are traced without breaking out walls.
Read the guideGuide · InsulationWhat Does Insulation Solve and How Do You Decide?
Inside or outside, how board thickness is chosen, what a thermal bridge is and what happens if only one flat is insulated. A decision led guide.
Read the guideWhere to Start
Which guide should I read first?
The order depends on where you are in the process. If you are still deciding, start with the cost guide, since talking about a budget is hard without seeing how the scope drives the price. Once the scope is settled, the preparation guide gives you the next step.
If you are coming for one particular room, go straight to that guide. The bathroom and kitchen guides cover the real sequence of the work and where a mistake becomes expensive. If you are about to choose materials, the flooring, painting and glass balcony guides compare the options.
If there is an unresolved problem in the property, the order changes. A damp patch on a wall, grout that never dries or a room that will not warm up in winter all need dealing with before the decision to renovate. In that case look at the building group first, because refurbishing over an unresolved cause covers the problem without solving it.
FAQ
Frequently asked about renovation guides
Who writes these guides?
The people doing the work. What goes in comes from situations we meet on site, the questions clients ask most often and the points we end up explaining again at every survey. The aim is not to sell but to let you make the decision. We do not recommend work here that we would not recommend in person.
Why are there no prices in the guides?
Because a single figure would not describe the reality. Of two bathrooms the same size, one is finished by renewing the finishes and the other is rebuilt including services and flooring. A number given from a distance changes after the survey, so rather than starting low and raising it later we prefer to measure and give one firm figure. What drives the cost is set out item by item in the cost guide.
Does what I read here apply to my own property?
The method and the sequence generally do, but the decision always depends on the specific property. The age of the building, the pipe material, the depth available beneath the floor and the orientation of the elevation all change the answer. That is why the guides set out what to look at rather than issuing firm rulings. On regulatory matters we suggest confirming with your municipality, since practice varies from district to district.
What if my question is not covered?
Call or write on WhatsApp and we will answer directly. Questions that come up often end up here as new guides. The survey and the quotation are free in Kemalpasa and the surrounding area, and they put you under no obligation.
If Your Question Is Not Here
Ask directly and we will answer honestly.
If what you are wondering about is not covered in these guides, call us or write on WhatsApp. We explain how the job really works without trying to sell, and we do not recommend work we think you do not need.