Apartment renovation Nice: how to manage your project?

 Nice is known for its real estate structure based on apartment buildings. Apartment renovation in Nice homeowners the opportunity to monetize their properties or bring them up to code. It also allows investors to increase the value of their future purchases with a view to reselling or renting them out. However, renovating an apartment in Nice comes at a cost, and it’s important to know who to entrust with the work. Here are some details.

Know the regional specificities of Nice and its real estate market

Nice, on the French Riviera, is favored by its geographical location. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea and several hills, in an ideal setting for panoramic photos. The town stretches along the Baie des Anges, opposite which stands the famous Promenade des Anglais. The city also boasts several renowned shops and attractions, such as Place de la Masséna. In addition, there are the luxury real estate residences of Mont-Boron and the Belle Époque-style apartments of Cimiez. Each building, with or without an elevator, offers rooms with a terrace and breathtaking views of the Nice panorama.

In the city, you’ll find a housing stock consisting primarily of multi-story buildings constructed before 1975. Renovation work should be considered in every building, whether it has an elevator or a basement. This ranges from a complete apartment renovation to bringing the equipment up to regulatory standards. You can also consider energy-efficient renovations and updating rooms (a separate bedroom, for example).

With its many apartments, houses, and businesses, Nice has grown significantly over the past 10 years. Its real estate market is quite dynamic, and French and foreign investors continue to invest in the city and its Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis. A rise of approximately 22% in real estate prices was observed between 2010 and 2020. This increase in prices means that today the city has reached the same level as Lyon and Nantes, with an average price estimated at €4,500/m ² , despite a stagnation in sales volume linked to the health crisis.

The location of an apartment can influence its sale or rental price. Rents vary depending on the area where you want to invest or where your property is located, ranging from €16 to €36/m² ^, with an average rental price of €20/m² ^. Each building with a lift in Nice offers apartments with one or more rooms, with a separate bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room, etc.

Among the most popular neighborhoods, you can distinguish the Golden Square, the city center (especially the Liberation district), and the Old Port. However, Nice’s families are mostly distributed in the eastern and western districts. Those looking for a higher standard favor the upscale neighborhoods, such as Cimiez in the northeast or Mont-Boron in the southeast. Each Nice apartment can be equipped with various amenities for optimal comfort (terrace, swimming pool, bathroom, etc.).

Evaluate the cost of an apartment renovation in Nice

In Nice, there are over 200,000 apartments, with or without balconies, with or without elevators, dual-aspect or classic. Their owners may wish to renovate them in part or in full to showcase the potential of their facilities in photos. Whether renovating a bathroom, living room, bedroom, or any other room, the project must be budgeted in advance.

Whether your home is located in the Libération district, Nice Port, Cimiez, or the Promenade des Anglais, your budget must be carefully considered. The goal is to cover the cost of your apartment renovation and, if applicable, your labor. Knowing the estimated cost per square meter of your work will allow you to renovate your apartment in Nice under the best possible conditions. Rates in the region vary depending on the local context, the scope of your work, and the initial condition of each room to be renovated. You can therefore obtain different estimates for a complete renovation of your apartment, a total renovation, or small projects.

For example, for a 20 m² apartment in Nice ^, on the first floor, you should plan on an average budget of €18,500. Quotes from local renovation companies vary between €5,000 and €32,000. However, the initial condition of the rooms to be renovated (kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc.), with supporting photos, can have an impact on this budget range, for the same surface area. If the room is in good condition, the operation carried out in the building is costed between €4,700 and €27,000. Otherwise, you will need to plan on €5,100 to €68,000. The nature and extent of the work to be carried out in the rooms will also be taken into account.

You can consider small-scale renovations to renovate an old apartment for sale. This allows you to refresh the interior of an aging living room or to bring outdated installations up to standard or into good condition. You may need to repaint one or more bedrooms, change tiles, install a mixer tap, modernize the lighting, convert a cellar, etc. These small projects cost around €4,600 for an area of ​​10 to 20 m2 ^. For a set of rooms with an area of ​​20 to 40 m2 ^, you will need around €7,200.

For the implementation of complete finishing work, the average cost of the works is €18,500 for a 20 m2 residence ^. You will have to budget between €15,400 and €54,000 if your home to be renovated is intended for sale and has a surface area of ​​18 to 60 m2 ^. The amount of your expenses can however be between €68,000 and €108,000 to renovate a Nice apartment of more than 75 m2 ^. This type of project involves relatively substantial work, such as:

• the restoration of the electrical installation,
• replacement of woodwork,
• the layout of the rooms (living room, bathroom and/or kitchen).

For a complete renovation of your condominium apartment in the Alpes-Maritimes region of Nice, you should consider larger projects. These include plumbing, electrical, attic, facade, and roofing work. The work often requires the involvement of various building trades. In Nice, a complete renovation of a building costs around €32,500. However, this budget is lower than the cost of renovating a traditional or luxury single-family home in Nice Libération, Mont-Boron, or Cimiez.

Consult an interior designer to renovate an apartment in Nice

Renovating an apartment in the city center or the Nice metropolitan area requires careful planning. That’s why you should first define your project needs. You can carry out some of these tasks yourself (wallpaper installation, painting, etc.) and entrust more complex operations to a professional. Relatively technical tasks require specific expertise and equipment. They may involve reconfiguring rooms (kitchen, living room, or bathroom) or replacing electrical installations in a condominium.

It’s worth noting that depending on the nature and complexity of the renovations to be undertaken, you’ll often need to call on several tradespeople in the Alpes-Maritimes region. You’ll need to coordinate these contractors within the building and monitor the work. Since these tasks are relatively time-consuming, the ideal solution is to hire an expert to manage your apartment renovation project, whether upstairs or downstairs, with or without a terrace, in Nice. This could be an interior design agency.

Hiring an architect from the Alpes-Maritimes region is mandatory if your apartment renovation work requires a building permit. You must also follow this recommendation if your project creates a floor area exceeding 150 m² ^upon  completion. An Architect of the Buildings of France will also be required to provide their expertise if your property is located in an area classified as a Historic Monument.

You can, however, hire an interior designer to renovate the rooms of a standard or dual-aspect apartment, with or without a balcony or cellar. They design and renovate the interior spaces of your apartment building, regardless of the number of rooms. This building professional designs various layout plans to maximize the potential of your multi-room residence. The architect also assists you in selecting your contractors, reviewing quotes, coordinating the work, and monitoring the construction site.

There are several advantages to using an architectural firm for apartment renovations in the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan area. This type of service provider renovates your property on a bespoke basis and ensures its feasibility in light of legal, technical, and financial constraints. You also benefit from expert advice on room layout, decor, fixtures, and materials. Working with an agency also saves you time by monitoring the progress of your first apartment or house project in Nice.