Below is an order that works in a prefab block, an old tenement and a new developer flat alike. What comes first, what follows, where an expensive mistake is easiest to make, and how to order the work in stages. Prices are rough ranges from the HandyMan24 price list for Warsaw; in other cities they may differ.
Where to start: a list of jobs, measurements and photos
First write down what has to change, room by room. Not “freshen up the living room” but specifics: pull up the carpet, add two sockets by the desk, level the wall where the old panelling was, replace three doors. A list like that shows at once which jobs depend on each other and which can happen whenever.
- Split the work into three groups: dirty (strip-out, chasing walls, services), dusty and wet (filling, skim coat, painting) and fitting (floor, doors, skirting, taps and toilets, lights).
- Measure the rooms: floor, wall and ceiling area, the perimeter for skirting, the width of door openings. Most jobs are priced per square or linear metre, so without dimensions any quote is a guess.
- Photograph every room from two sides, plus close-ups: the fuse box, the water connections under the basin and sink, cracks, the floor at the thresholds.
- Note what stays: furniture, appliances, doors. Anything that has to survive the renovation gets moved out or wrapped in plastic sheeting.
With a plan in hand, offers are easier to compare, because every tradesperson prices the same scope. If the scope is large and you are not sure how to break it down, see how a renovation quote in Warsaw works. A site visit with measuring is a separate line in the price list.
Price ranges and offers from tradespeople: handyman in Warsaw.
Apartment renovation step by step: the order of work
Work goes top to bottom, dirty to clean. Anything that makes dust, needs chiselling or splashes has to be finished before a new floor goes down.
- Strip-out. Old laminate, carpet, skirting, doors, furniture to go, tiles to chip off (we covered what that involves in the piece on old tile removal). Rubble removal is usually not included in the labour price, so agree on it before you start.
- Electrics. New points, extra sockets, moved switches, chases for cables. Do it now, while the walls are going to be filled anyway.
- Plumbing. Moved supply points, new drains, a spot for the washing machine or dishwasher.
- Walls and ceilings. Filling the chases, levelling, skim coat, primer, paint. Many people leave the last coat of paint for the very end, after the skirting.
- Floors. Laminate, vinyl, carpet or sanding the parquet.
- Doors and skirting. Frames, door leaves, skirting boards, thresholds.
- Fixtures and lights. Basin, toilet, taps, light fittings, sockets and switches, connecting appliances.
- After-renovation clean. Dust from sanding gets everywhere, including inside cupboards and on window frames.
Safety. Electrics and gas are jobs only for people with the right licence. Wiring is connected by an electrician holding a Polish SEP certificate, a gas cooker only by someone licensed for gas. Before touching wires, switch off the circuit at the fuse box; before touching pipes, shut off the water. A tradesperson’s profile on the platform shows which licences have been checked against public registers, so look there before you choose.
To be straight about what the platform does not offer: running new pipes inside walls, screeds, machine-applied plaster and design projects. If your renovation needs any of that, find a separate company for that stage and give the rest of the work to tradespeople on the platform.
Sequencing mistakes that make you pay twice
Most redone work in a renovation goes back to the wrong order. The usual cases:
- Doors before the floor. A frame set on the old floor ends up too low once the laminate is down, and the door scrapes. Then it is either trimming the door or resetting the frame. Doors go in once the floor is laid, or at least once its final height is known.
- Laminate on a damp screed. A fresh screed gives off moisture for a long time. Laminate laid too early swells at the joints and lifts. Moisture in the base is measured with a meter, and the acceptable value is in the laminate maker’s fitting instructions.
- Painting before the electrics. Every chase cut after painting means filler, primer and two coats across the whole wall again, because a patch never matches.
- No sheeting. Dust from sanding filler goes everywhere. Windows, doors and a finished floor get covered before sanding, not after.
- Buying by eye. Laminate and paint bought without measurements mean either a second trip to the shop and a batch in a different shade, or leftovers sitting in the basement for years.
The common thread: every stage leaves something for the next one. The electrician leaves chases for the decorator, the decorator leaves dust, and the floor sets the height of the doors. So settle the order at the very start.
Before you book the first job, go through the pre-renovation checklist.
What each stage of a renovation costs
There is no single price for “renovating an apartment”, because every renovation is a different mix of jobs. Each stage can be estimated on its own, though. The table shows rough ranges from the HandyMan24 price list (Warsaw) for the jobs that come up most often. In other cities the figures may be different, and the final price is the one the tradesperson gives in their bid.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Inspection and measurement | 200–300 zł/h |
| Floor panel removal | 20–30 zł/m² |
| New electrical point | 150–250 zł/pkt |
| Gypsum skim coating | 55–90 zł/m² |
| Walls and ceilings, one colour (2 coats) | 30–50 zł/m² |
| Floor panel installation | 50–90 zł/m² |
| Interior door installation with frame | 400–700 zł/szt |
| Post-renovation cleaning | 12–20 zł/m² |
Indicative prices. Ranges for a typical scope. Fixings included, materials separate. Minimum order 300 zł.
Say that in one room you pull up old laminate, add two electrical points, apply a skim coat, paint and lay a new floor. Each item is counted separately: laminate removal from 15 to 25 zł/m², an electrical point from 120 to 180 zł, skim coat from 55 to 90 zł/m², painting from 30 to 45 zł/m², laminate fitting from 70 to 90 zł/m². Take the metres from your own measurements and treat the result as a rough guide.
Some costs do not show in the table. Materials, rubble removal and carrying materials in are usually charged separately. We do not show tiling prices: the tradesperson sizes up the job from photos or a visit and gives a price in the bid.
How to order the work in stages
The platform has no single turnkey contractor with a site manager and one estimate for everything. You order the work in stages: each service can go to a different tradesperson, or several to one person if they do them all.
- Strip-out: a handyman, or a flooring fitter if they will lay the laminate later.
- Electrics: a licensed electrician. Chases and new points at the start, lights and sockets at the end, often by the same person.
- Walls: a filling and painting specialist. Give the skim coat, primer and paint to one person, so nobody blames whoever came before.
- Floors, doors and skirting: one fitter for both laminate and door frames will keep the heights right.
- Fixtures and appliances: a plumber, or a handyman with experience fitting taps.
- At the end, the after-renovation clean, priced per square metre.
Agree with each person who brings in materials, who takes away waste and what state the room is left in for the next one. The apartment finishing in Warsaw page shows what can be ordered at the finishing stage, and smaller jobs are covered in the piece on what a handyman does.
Whoever did the work answers for it. He redoes his own fitting, but crooked walls, old pipes and a predecessor’s mistakes are not on him. That is why before and after photos of each stage are worth having.
Common questions
Where do I start an apartment renovation?
With a room-by-room list of jobs, measurements and photos. Only then collect offers and buy materials. The first job on site is the strip-out, then the services.
Which comes first, the floor or the doors?
The floor. Door frames are set to the final floor height. Doors fitted earlier often have to be trimmed later.
Can I do the electrics myself to save money?
Removing skirting or painting, yes. Wiring, no. Connections are made by a licensed electrician, and gas only by someone licensed for gas. A tradesperson’s profile shows which licences have been confirmed.
How much does an apartment renovation cost?
There is no single figure. You add up the individual jobs: strip-out, services, walls, floors, doors, fitting and cleaning. Rough ranges are in the table above; the final price comes in the tradesperson’s bid.
Can I order a turnkey renovation?
Not as one contractor with a site manager and a single estimate. You order the work in stages, each from a tradesperson you choose. Screeds, pipe runs inside walls, machine plastering and design projects are not available on the platform.
Got your list of jobs? Describe the job in the app and add photos: tradespeople send their own prices, and you decide who takes which stage. The app takes orders from anywhere in Poland.
Are you a tradesperson who does renovations? Join HandyMan24: you work for yourself, choose your jobs and set your own price.
