Apartment Renovation in Quimper: The Best Tips for Success in 2024

Apartment renovation in Quimper can occur in various scenarios. For a space where you spend your significant moments, the style of your apartment can influence your well-being. It must be satisfying in terms of layout, decoration, and comfort. However, such a project must be meticulously planned. Whether it's a simple refresh, partial, or complete renovation, the works are not impromptu. It remains essential to plan them well. Discover the best tips for success in the following lines.

Apartment Renovation Quimper: Why and When to Renovate Your Apartment in Quimper?

Many reasons may drive you to embark on apartment renovation works in Quimper.

Following the Purchase of an Old Property

If you plan to buy an old property in Quimper, it's highly likely that you'll need renovation works. Opting for such real estate offers a good investment opportunity with generally a purchase price much lower than the market average. However, before proceeding further, it's necessary to have it inspected by an industry expert. They can assess the extent of the works and provide a detailed quote to help you evaluate the project's profitability.

For Selling or Renting Out Your Property

If you intend to rent out or sell your apartment in Quimper, renovation works may also be necessary to enhance its attractiveness. It's essential to optimize the interior layout to gain living space. Regarding painting, neutral tones are preferable. This way, future owners or tenants can easily implement their decorative preferences.

Improving Your Well-being

Have you noticed drafts coming in through the bottom of your windows? Are you struggling to permanently eliminate mold in your kitchen or bathroom? Renovating your apartment remains the most effective solution to eliminate these discomforts that affect your daily comfort.

Reorganizing the Interior

Do you feel cramped in your living spaces? Is your interior layout no longer satisfactory? Desires and lifestyles change over time. Consider renovating your home. Indeed, it's possible to carry out works such as demolishing a partition separating the living room from the kitchen. You can take this opportunity to build a custom wardrobe or install closets or a library in the hallway or under the stairs.

Bringing up to Standards

If your apartment in Quimper is over 15 years old and has not been brought up to standards, renovating the electrical installation is necessary. Neglecting these works poses the risk of exposure to electric shocks or even fire. It's not just about outdated switches or worn outlets. It's primarily about an electrical panel and worn wires that jeopardize your safety.

Bringing the heating and plumbing systems up to standards is also essential when the installation is over 12 years old. Indeed, systems evolve regularly for performance. As for plumbing, the network wears out over time. It's therefore advisable to plan renovations for these different aspects.

Lowering Bills

Did you know that poorly insulated housing can cause up to 50% heat loss? This situation can lead to very high energy consumption. Insulation remains a technical point to consider when renovating your apartment.

For example, insulate windows by opting for double or even triple glazing. This operation can reduce your heating bill by up to 45%. You will also benefit from optimal comfort in your interior, both in summer and winter. 

What Are the Steps to Follow to Renovate an Apartment in Quimper?

Embarking on renovating your home requires a phase of reflection and good organization. Want to know how such an operation unfolds? Discover below the main steps to follow to successfully carry out the project.

Project Study

A project to renovate an apartment in Quimper isn't done on a whim. Not surprisingly, the first step of such an operation is defining your project. What is your motivation? What modifications do you wish to make? What result do you expect from such an endeavor? Is it a change of decoration, beautification of an aging interior, creation of an additional room, space optimization, or energy renovation?

To see more clearly, it's necessary to conduct a survey of your habitat. List all the necessary tasks, examining each room (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, dining room). At this stage, it's also useful to define the amount you want to allocate to your renovation. Thus, if your budget is limited, it's advisable to prioritize the works to be done in order of importance. This way, you can have a vision of those to prioritize and those that can wait a few months or years.

Planning

Now that the project study is done, you know what you're going to do. You will then need to proceed with planning the works. To carry out the operation successfully, it's essential to prepare a precise schedule and follow it. Indeed, the site must follow a certain order, for practical and technical reasons.

Here is the progression, step by step, of a renovation :

• Demolition,
• Partitions, insulation, electricity, and plumbing,
• Window replacement,
• Floor, wall, and ceiling coverings,
• Installation of furniture and decorative accessories.

For this planning stage, it's wise to seek help from an architect or a project manager. These building professionals can provide objective opinions and valuable advice to ensure the success of the works.

Demolition Works

During the actual renovation works, the first step is the structural work. It includes demolition, which involves opening a load-bearing wall, removing partitions to enlarge rooms, or destroying a fitted kitchen or fireplace. It's about exposing the habitat.

Partitions, Insulation, Electricity, and Plumbing

Once the demolition is done, the craftsmen will redistribute the rooms in your home. This involves renovating the preserved walls and delineating the rooms by installing new partitions. This stage involves creating chases and installing electrical conduits. Similarly, industry professionals will embed plumbing and run electrical cables. It's during this phase that radiators and the boiler must be replaced if necessary.

Window Replacement

Window replacement is necessary if your renovation works involve thermal and acoustic insulation. It's advisable to replace all windows with double or even triple glazing models for quality insulation. Depending on the condition of your building, the operation can be a renovation installation (changing windows while retaining the frame) or a total removal (frame replacement and installation of new carpentry).

Covering Floors, Walls, and Ceilings

After changing the windows, proceed with covering the ceilings, floors, and walls. To start, paint the ceilings. Then, craftsmen install various coverings on the walls and floors. Of course, if the floor is uneven, leveling must be done before painting the ceilings and walls.

Finishing Touches

The final step in renovating your apartment in Quimper is the finishing works. To perfect the layout and decoration, equipment (sanitary ware and bathroom furniture, wardrobe, kitchen) must be installed. You can then personalize your interior with decorative accessories of your choice. After the end-of-site cleaning, you can finally fully enjoy your new apartment.

How to Successfully Renovate Your Apartment in Quimper?

You now know the various steps to follow to renovate your home. Here are some tips to avoid unpleasant surprises and ensure the success of your project.

Know the regulations on apartment renovation

When you undertake renovation works in your apartment, there are legal obligations to comply with. Similarly, you must take into account the constraints related to the condominium.

Legal Obligations Regarding Works

Firstly, depending on the type of work to be done in your accommodation, legal authorizations will be necessary. You may need to submit a prior declaration of works. Some projects, such as attic conversion, change of property use, or window replacement, even require a building permit.

If you embark on renovation works with the intention of selling or renting out your residence, you are obliged to carry out mandatory real estate diagnostics. This includes :

• Energy Performance Diagnosis (DPE),
• the condition of the indoor gas installation (if the installation in your building is over 15 years old),
• the condition of the indoor electrical installation (if the installation in your building is over 15 years old),
• the condition of the non-collective sanitation installation,
• the report indicating the absence or presence of asbestos,
• the report on the presence of termites,
• the Lead Exposure Risk Report (CREP),
• risk reports (natural, mining, technological, seismic, radon, etc.),
• noise diagnosis.

Finally, you must inform your neighbors of potential noise disturbances during your construction. In the town of Quimper, authorized noise-making hours are between 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Condominium Constraints

In addition to legal obligations, you must also consider constraints related to the condominium. Indeed, depending on the renovation works to be carried out, you may need the approval of the condominium. This includes, for example, works affecting common areas (load-bearing walls, radiators, collective heating pipes, stairs) or works altering the external appearance of the building (modification of the facade, balconies, or windows).

In general, works that can be done without prior authorization include:

• fitting a kitchen or bathroom,
• interior insulation,
• adding or removing partitions, excluding load-bearing walls,
• painting, tiling, and floor coverings.

In addition, some works require urban planning permission, such as:

• installing an outdoor air conditioning unit,
• changing shutters or windows,
• installing grilles or window bars,
• creating an external opening.

Feel free to consult your condominium regulations for more information.

Regularly Visit the Site

If you cannot be present constantly at the workplace, it is advisable to visit the site regularly to check the progress and progress of the operation. In this case, keep your housing plan, specifications, and quote handy.

In case of a problem, do not hesitate to call a meeting with the various tradespeople and building companies to quickly find a solution. If a craftsman or company has made a mistake, the party involved is required to redo the work. The result must comply with the previously signed quote. However, if you want to make some unexpected modifications, the related tasks will be charged additionally.

Ensure the Completion of the Works

Once the site is completed, the specialized company you hired will organize a meeting for the completion of the works. This visit is essential because it marks the beginning of the perfect completion guarantee, the ten-year guarantee, and the good functioning guarantee.

During this acceptance, it is therefore important to check if all the work has been carried out as agreed in the quote and contract. Do not settle for just a quick glance. Every detail matters. It is therefore necessary to carefully examine your accommodation and check the operation of all equipment (sanitary ware, lighting switches, windows, and doors, etc.).

After the visit and depending on the quality of the work, you can:

• accept them if you have not noticed any anomalies;
• refuse them if they do not comply with the signed contract and quote;
• issue reservations if you have identified visible defects that require repair.

Far from being limited to the mere completion of your renovation project, the completion of the works remains crucial. It's a decisive time, especially to protect yourself over time and for the application of guarantees. Ideally, you should be assisted by a building professional, such as an architect.

Inquire About Financial Aid

Carrying out apartment renovation works requires a significant budget. Fortunately, for any project aimed at improving the energy performance of your building, you can benefit from various financial aids offered by the State and various organizations. You can request:

• the zero-interest eco-loan or eco-PTZ,
• the Ecological Transition Tax Credit (CITE),
• energy subsidies,
• VAT (Value Added Tax) reduced to 5.5%,
• ANAH (National Housing Agency) grants.

These schemes will help reduce the bill for your housing renovation. Note that there are some eligibility conditions to meet to benefit from these aids and subsidies. One of them is to hire an RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) qualified craftsman for the work.

Use the Services of an Interior Designer in Quimper

When it comes to renovating a home, whether in Quimper or anywhere in France, an interior designer remains your best ally. With their experience and expertise, this building professional can provide you with valuable advice during the implementation of your project.

Firstly, the interior designer assists you in the reflection and design of the project. Listening to better understand your wishes, they share their opinions with you. After visiting your home, they inform you about the essential aspects to consider in the renovation or layout of your apartment.

The assistance of an interior designer also allows you to benefit from the expertise of a professional in the field regarding the choice of equipment, materials, furniture, colors, and layout. They can help you optimize the potential of your interior and make the right choices in terms of decoration and layout.

After the feasibility study of the project, the interior designer takes care of the plan's design. Through sketches or three-dimensional renders (3D), this specialist helps you visualize your future apartment in Quimper. From then on, they provide you with an initial estimate of the cost of the work. This is obviously not a quote from a specialized company but a budgetary approach given for informational purposes.

Furthermore, the interior designer assists you in selecting craftsmen and companies that will take care of the site. They can then ensure the follow-up and coordination of renovation or layout works on your behalf. They monitor the progress of the operation and ensure compliance with the deadlines and layout choices agreed upon in the quote.

Thus, if you aim for quality work and value peace of mind, call on the services of an interior designer for your apartment renovation project in Quimper.