The decoration of your apartment is no longer to your taste? You need an extra room? Do you suffer from the heat in your home during the summer season? Your heating bills increase considerably in winter? Do you lack comfort in your home? All these factors can push you to undertake renovation work. It is a complex operation which requires a more or less important budget. In return for your investment, you will benefit from a home that is pleasant to live in, and a layout that is both more aesthetic and more functional. It is also about giving more value to your property. Don't forget that such a project must be planned seriously. To help you see things more clearly and to make a success of your real estate investment project, discover in this article the essential information you need to know about apartment renovation in Nantes.
Why renovate an apartment in Nantes?
Renovating an apartment in Nantes, as well as anywhere else in France ( Lyon, Bordeaux or Paris), is generally a substantial investment. However, there is no lack of good reasons to carry out this project.
To reduce energy consumption
Heating is the number one energy expense in every household. You can considerably reduce the amount of your bill by renovating your apartment. This includes a combination of good insulation and an efficient heating system. Insulating your attic and roof can save you up to 30% on your heating bill. Opting for a wood-fired boiler will also allow you to save up to 30%.
To improve thermal and acoustic comfort
Uncontrolled draughts, cold and damp walls in winter, unbearable heat in summer, etc., in addition to high energy consumption, a poorly insulated home brings its share of inconveniences in daily life. The best solution to this problem is insulation. The treatment of thermal bridges allows to harmonize the temperature inside your apartment. In addition, you can install a double flow ventilation system for optimal ventilation.
To increase the value of your apartment
If you plan to resell or rent your apartment in the medium or short term, good maintenance is essential. In this case, renovation is a profitable investment. On the one hand, you benefit from a comfortable home and, on the other hand, you optimize its attractiveness. You effectively preserve the value of your real estate by ensuring that it remains in good condition and up to standard.
To adapt the habitat to the needs of the family
When buying a property, it is not always easy to predict the changes that will come. For example, your apartment may be just right for you when you first choose it. However, over the years, it may no longer meet your needs. Has your family grown? Your health no longer allows you to move around easily? Rather than proceeding with a costly and restrictive move, there are several renovation solutions to adapt your apartment to your current requirements.
For a custom-made decoration
Do you have a custom decorating idea in mind? Only the layout and design of your interior do not allow you to bring your imagination to life? The change of decoration is also one of the reasons why many French people consider or have to make a renovation. Indeed, it is always pleasant to live in an apartment that really looks like you and to have a place to live in your image.
How to succeed in your apartment renovation project in Nantes?
When it comes to undertaking an apartment renovation in Nantes, good preparation and organization are the key to success. However, it is not always easy to know where to start. Follow this guide.
Take stock of the situation
To renovate your apartment in Nantes, you must first make an inventory of fixtures. Define all the tasks to be carried out and classify them in order of priority. Remember that some elements can deteriorate more quickly than others. It is therefore advisable to repair the parts that need urgent work to prevent the house from losing value. This is the case, for example, if the wood of your frame is infested by termites.
Sometimes, the renovation project is assimilated to an aesthetic renovation of the house, notably with a redesigned layout and arrangement, a refreshment of the floor, wall and ceiling, and a modernization of the decoration. However, this operation can also be accompanied by work that is not always visible to the naked eye. This concerns, among other things, bringing the plumbing and electricity up to standard, insulation or changing the heating system. These steps must be prioritized.
Define the family's needs
In order to renovate your apartment in a sustainable way, it is important to think about your family's current and future needs. For example, having only one bedroom for your children may become problematic when they are teenagers. For the kitchen and the bathroom, the functional and aesthetic aspects remain paramount. Turning to a walk-in shower may be a good idea if the first symptoms of reduced mobility appear.
Check the feasibility of your project
Now that you've done an inventory and defined your family's needs, you have a clearer idea of the different work to be done. The next step is to conduct a feasibility study of the project. Unlike a single-family home, an apartment is part of a condominium. You must then take note of the co-ownership rules.
You are entitled to carry out work without requesting authorization as long as the operation does not affect the building, its supporting structure, the common areas and the co-owners. Thus, you can redo your kitchen or your bathroom, or embellish your interior.
For more important works, a prior agreement of the co-ownership is required. This is, for example, the case for the opening or removal of a partition, the creation of a door or the installation of attic space.
Furthermore, work modifying the external aspect of the building requires the agreement of the town planning department of your municipality in addition to the approval of the co-ownership. For example, for an extension of more than 150m2, the request for a building permit and the intervention of an architect are mandatory.
Plan the renovation budget
Now that you've been able to determine the renovation work to be done, you need to establish a budget. Even if it is not possible to estimate the amount of work to the penny, it is essential to have at least a rough range before starting the work. Depending on the size of the project, you can do it alone. However, with the help of a real estate professional, such as an architect, you can obtain relevant estimates. At the same time, ask for an estimate from a renovation company.
To be on the safe side, allow for an additional 10% over and above the projected budget to handle unforeseen circumstances.
Establish a schedule
Planning the work is the key phase of your apartment renovation project in Nantes. In order to carry it out successfully, it remains crucial to establish and follow a precise schedule. For practical reasons, but also to avoid oversizing the equipment (heating or air conditioning), the work must respect a certain order. Even if the operation affects only one room (bedroom, living room, kitchen or bathroom), following a chronology is essential.
In general, renovation work is carried out as follows:
- structural work (demolition of the wall or partition),
- finishing work (electrical renovation, thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, improvement of door and window sealing, optimization of ventilation and air conditioning),
- Finishing touches (painting, changing wall and floor coverings, installing sanitary facilities and various equipment, etc.).
It is best to develop this plan with the help of a real estate expert, such as an architect or project manager.
Which professional to contact for an apartment renovation in Nantes?
Architect, project manager, electrician, plumber, mason, carpenter, plasterer, heating engineer, painter, etc., many trades can be involved in your apartment renovation work in Nantes depending on the scope of the project.
The architect or project manager: the project's conductor
The intervention of an architect may be necessary in the context of the renovation of your apartment in Nantes. The use of his services is even mandatory if the project increases the surface of the dwelling to more than 150m2. This is possible in case of extension or construction of a terrace, for example.
In all cases, the architect is the conductor of the renovation or construction work. He organizes all the tasks with the different trades (installation specialist, plumber, mason, electrician, carpenter, roofer, plasterer, etc.). He can make layout proposals taking into account your needs, your budget and the constraints. In the case of a large-scale project, he can select the partner companies.
The mason: for the structural work and the basic work
The mason is one of the specialists who intervenes among the first during a renovation of housing in Nantes. His missions concern in particular the structural work. You must contact him if you wish to carry out :
- an extension,
- a construction of a veranda or a terrace,
- an addition or a reduction of one or more partitions.
The mason can also prepare the wall and floor prior to the installation of new flooring.
The electrician: for the renovation of the electrical system
In Nantes, as in all of France, it is important that all electrical installations within each apartment and house are up to standard. For all work related to electricity, the intervention of an electrician is necessary.
The electrician works on the connections and renovation of electricity. He takes care of the installation and maintenance of the electrical systems of your apartment and of all the connected habitats.
The plumber: for the renovation of the plumbing
In a renovation project as in construction, the plumber intervenes in the second work. His main missions concern :
- bringing the existing plumbing up to standard,
- the installation of sanitary equipment in the bathroom,
- plumbing maintenance,
- installation of air conditioning and ventilation systems.
The plumber can also intervene for a simple repair of the plumbing if you encounter such a problem during the renovation of your apartment in Nantes.
The carpenter: the specialist working on the structure of the building
If the wood of your frame is attacked by termites, the renovation of this structure is necessary. This part is, indeed, essential, because it receives the cover (roof). For this operation, the services of a carpenter are necessary. The role of this specialist includes the design, construction and installation of wooden frames.
Choose a carpenter located in Nantes. This way, you can be sure to work with an expert who is familiar with the rules concerning the slope of the roof and the choice of the coating.
Other professionals
This list of professionals is not exhaustive. Depending on the nature of your apartment renovation project in Nantes, you may need a tiler, a plasterer, a kitchen designer, a glazier, a decorator and a heating engineer. If you are carrying out a complete renovation requiring the intervention of several trades, the recourse to a broker in work can also be useful.
The role of the work broker is to formalize your needs. After evaluation of the project, he proposes you the most suitable companies to realize it. It is thus a commercial intermediary between the professionals of the building and the private individuals.
How to manage the renovation of an apartment in Nantes?
Since several trades can intervene on your renovation project in Nantes, good coordination is the key to success. To better manage the site, two options are available to you.
Using a general contractor
By opting for this solution, you have only one contact person. The representative of the general contractor is responsible for coordinating the various trades until the handover of the key. You will thus benefit from a turnkey renovation service. Indeed, the general company passes on the cost of the management on the estimate.
Contacting independent companies
This involves taking on an independent company for the respective trades. In this case, you need to hire a service provider, who can be an architect, a project manager or a site manager, to coordinate them. However, if you have good technical knowledge, you can manage the work yourself.
