Renovating a second-hand flat or finishing a new one?

The dilemmas before buying a flat seem to have no end. Even once you have weighed up all the pros and cons of primary-market and secondary-market flats, it turns out that the question “new or used?” can be… narrowed down further. A new flat may be in shell condition or “turnkey”, while a used one may need renovation or have been refreshed recently. And here is our question: is it cheaper to renovate a second-hand flat or to finish a new one sold in developer's standard (stan deweloperski)?

Both solutions share one important advantage: they let you arrange the living space perfectly to your own preferences. When we buy a flat on the secondary market whose fittings – despite several years of use – are still in very good condition, we simply hate to destroy them, tear them out or throw them away. As a result we live to a good standard, but in an interior that does not quite suit our tastes.

Alongside the advantage described above, both solutions also have a significant drawback. Both a renovation and finishing a shell-condition flat cost money. To estimate properly how much each will cost, you need to divide these projects into stages. That is, consider separately the scale and cost of the work in the kitchen, the bathroom and the rooms.

Renovation costs

The bathroom will probably be the first to be renovated. Removing the tiles and old sanitaryware can cost about PLN 500-700. If it then turns out that the walls or floor are uneven, we have to add the cost of correcting these defects (a dozen or so PLN for mortar). In the next stage we have to lay new tiles, which cost from PLN 20/m2. We will pay the same amount to the person fitting the tiles. The total cost of this work for an area of 10 m2 will not exceed 3 thousand PLN. In the last step we buy new fittings and equipment. Here the costs can vary greatly. They will depend on the quality of the bath or shower we buy. In a cheaper version we will pay about 3.5 thousand PLN for the essentials.

After the bathroom, it is the kitchen's turn. Here too we face dismantling (PLN 500-700) and laying new tiles (from PLN 35/m2; on average prices are around PLN 50/m2), as well as partial painting of the walls and ceiling. As in the bathroom, in the kitchen we also have to level out unevenness and replace appliances. Furniture costs from 1-2.5 thousand PLN to as much as 4 thousand PLN (for fitted units). A new sink and tap cost about PLN 120-150. Of course, the overall cost of the renovation will depend on the size of the room, the number of appliances and kitchen cabinets installed, and the preferred standard. And finally, the rooms. Here it will probably be necessary to remove wallpaper or paint from the walls. Then priming, levelling and painting the walls and ceilings. Fortunately, emulsions, rollers, brushes and other equipment needed for this do not cost much. The paint will certainly be more expensive, especially as it is worth investing in somewhat better paint (PLN 25/l for white and PLN 70/l for colour, which will cover about 5-10 m2). The cost of renovating the floor can vary. We can choose between restoring the existing parquet, laying a new one from scratch (the most expensive option), covering the parquet with laminate panels, or replacing old panels with new ones. Panels vary in price: the cheapest cost about PLN 17/m2, the most hard-wearing about PLN 200/m2. Finally we have to buy new furniture, because previous owners usually leave in the flat only the old, no longer very attractive wardrobes, sofas or sideboards.

Finishing costs

In the bathroom, some costs fall away right at the start – the dismantling and repairs. We go straight to laying tiles and painting. The fittings will cost us the same as in a renovated bathroom, unless the one in the secondary-market flat does not need complete replacement (in which case a renovation is cheaper than finishing a shell-condition flat). For finishing a bathroom we will pay at least 8 thousand PLN. Finishing the rooms will be a little cheaper than renovating them. Otherwise the costs are the same, but in shell condition we do not have to strip off old paint coatings. The situation is similar in the kitchen – in shell condition the costs of tearing off tiles and levelling walls fall away.

So which option is cheaper?

As usual: it depends. A renovation seems to cost less, because in a secondary-market flat not everything has to be refreshed and replaced (you can reuse some of the better-condition fittings), whereas in a new flat everything has to be bought. On the other hand, a used flat may be in such poor condition that more extensive work will be necessary (e.g. replacing the wiring and plumbing), which will significantly raise the final cost of the renovation. So when visiting an estate agency or a developer, it is worth comparing specific listings, because not all flats can be compared with one another.