Tips For Those Who Decided To Redevelop An Apartment: How To Legalize Redevelopment, Where To Start, Possible Options, As Well As Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Redevelopment of an apartment: how to make it right and legal

Most multi-storey buildings, built in the second half of the twentieth century, do not correspond to modern realities, capabilities and desires of the owners. In those days, standard projects were used in construction, designed to meet the minimum requirements for living space. Today, such apartments are not very convenient and comfortable, so many people think about how to redevelop an apartment. Of course, most owners want to reorganize the living space of the apartment as required by their personal tastes and preferences. And if you decide on this option, then the first thing you need to take care of is legalizing the redevelopment of the apartment. In order not to go beyond the scope of the current legislation, it is better to seek help from specialists or use ready-made solutions for standard apartments. In this article, we will look at both the legal side of the redevelopment issue and several practical options.

Content

• 1 Redevelopment of an apartment: where to start registration
• 2 Options for redeveloping apartments: a few secrets that will help make your work easier
• 3 Start redevelopment work: breaking walls
• 4 Redevelopment of a one-room apartment: we build partitions
• 5 Redevelopment of a two-room apartment: consider the most common option

Redevelopment of an apartment: where to start registration

There are several basic requirements for redevelopment work, the violation of which is illegal, which means it is prohibited. Use the rules below for reorganizing the interior space of your home.

1. The ventilation system must not be touched in any way. Since it is, as a rule, the same for the whole house, any manipulations with it can affect all neighbors. Stock up on a floor plan and think over the redevelopment accordingly. Thus, you will protect yourself from troubles with your neighbors, up to lawsuits.
2. Provide free access to the gas pipes. They cannot be walled up in a wall: this is a violation of safety rules, followed by penalties. The first check will detect a violation.
3. A fine is also imposed for the unauthorized transfer of door blocks on staircases and in storey corridors.
4. The transfer of water supply and sewerage communications is unacceptable, therefore, the idea of transferring the kitchen or bathroom to another section of the living space will have to be abandoned.

So, what is permitted and prohibited by building codes for redevelopment? Allowed:

• Combining loggias and rooms;
• Arrangement of fireplaces, only with factory-made chimneys, and on the last floors;
• On the ground floor - arrangement of a new balcony or loggia;
• Dismantling of window sills;
• Relocation of the kitchen is possible if the apartment on the 1st floor or below it is a non-residential premises.

Forbidden:

• Demolition of load-bearing walls;
• Increase in non-residential premises (bathroom, kitchen) at the expense of living rooms;
• Removal of the central heating battery to the balcony and loggia;
• Reducing the area of living rooms (minimum area - 9 X 2.25 sq.m., the presence of a window is required);
• Placement of a toilet and a bathroom above the kitchen;
• Combining the apartment with a common corridor;
• Difficulty accessing communications and devices for other residents.

Apartment redevelopment options: a few secrets to help make work easier

When redeveloping an apartment, it is important to take into account not only legal issues, but also the wishes of family members, the need for everyone in their personal space. The apartment should be comfortable, comfortable, and besides, it should correspond to fashion trends.

Usually the premises are divided into:

• Guest - kitchen, living room, dining room;
• Private - bedroom, bathroom, nursery;
• Private - an office, a dressing room, separate rooms, if the living space allows.

Living and dining rooms traditionally have to occupy a large, spacious area with good lighting.

• 1. A fairly simple and effective way to visually enlarge rooms is to combine them. Make arches or openings in the walls without doors that separate the living room from the hallway or the dining room from the corridor.
  2. Openings in the walls will help to link several rooms into a single space, and at the same time keep them separate from each other. They can be used as a kind of decorative "window".
  3. Dividing the space into sections, for example, between the kitchen and the dining room, can be done using glass panels. Bar counters are also great for this.
  4. An old but still very popular way is to install bookshelves. Thus, you can even create a personal account. An aquarium or terrarium is a good addition to the shelves.
  5. If you want to increase the living space by combining it with a loggia, please note that in this way the rooms are in some cases significantly lengthened. Use this option only when the intended interior of the future room is designed for such an arrangement.

These methods are suitable for simple redevelopment that does not involve a lot of technical work. In such cases, you do not need permission to redevelop the apartment, since the changes are rather decorative.

Redevelopment start: breaking walls

After all the redevelopment issues have been agreed, walls, partitions and mezzanines can be demolished. This is the initial, rough stage of work. Do not forget that walls can not only have the function of a partition, but also be load-bearing. Therefore, treat demolition professionally. You can safely remove partitions made of bricks, drywall and plaster, about 7 cm thick. Working with walls of a different type should be done by specialists using the appropriate tools and equipment.

Let's say you want to combine two rooms with a load-bearing wall between them. You cannot demolish it, but you can make an arch or an opening in it. To do this, you can use a puncher. But such work is associated with certain difficulties. Firstly, it is quite time consuming, and secondly, it will cause a lot of trouble for neighbors.

If you live in a brick house, then there will be no complications: such walls are resistant to vibration and noise. In panel buildings it is much more convenient to use a slot milling cutter. Outwardly, this tool is similar to a grinder, the differences are in higher power and the presence of a device that sucks dust.

When the work on demolition of partitions and equipment of openings is completed, it is imperative to strengthen the walls. Metal structures will help you with this:

• Corners;
• Channel bars.

Strengthening work is mandatory, otherwise you risk the reliability of the walls not only of your apartment, but of the whole house, especially when it comes to the load-bearing wall.

Redevelopment of a one-room apartment: we build partitions

Demolition of partitions and arrangement of arches is just the beginning of work. You have to work hard to divide the living space into several functional areas, especially if you and your family live in a one-room apartment. Sometimes one partition is enough to separate the recreation area from the sleeping place or to get separate spaces for children and parents. You can see in the photo the redevelopment of a one-room apartment.

The wall that delimits the room into zones is quite simple to perform. Traditionally used as building materials:

• brick;
• drywall;
• tongue-and-groove plate.

The latter material belongs to relatively new developments, it has appeared on the construction market recently, but already deserves popularity among buyers. Compared to brick, GWP is lighter, but much cheaper. If we compare its advantages in relation to drywall, then GWP is much easier in installation work.

• 1. The plate is provided with grooves and grooves to facilitate the installation process. During installation, the slabs are simply stacked on top of each other and fixed with special glue.
  2. The minimum thickness of the tongue-and-groove plate is 5.2 cm, the standard dimensions in width and height are 66 X 50 cm.
  3. The characteristics of the tongue-and-groove plate make it easy and quick to build a partition. You will not need to spend time and money on laying bricks or installing a structure from metal profiles.
  4. The disadvantages of the tongue-and-groove plate can be attributed only to instability to moisture. GWP is made from gypsum, so it is best used in places with low humidity. For the bathroom, use a brick or special moisture-resistant GWP.

Redevelopment of a two-room apartment: consider the most common option

Most often, the owners want to make a three-room apartment out of a two-room apartment. This is especially true of "Khrushchovkas", in which, as a rule, the area is smaller than in modern houses or Stalinist buildings, and the arrangement of the rooms does not always satisfy the residents. The most suitable option is to use plasterboard, PPG, brick partitions.

When redeveloping a two-room apartment (see photo), keep in mind that it is advisable to leave 1 window in each room.

1. By combining the kitchen and living room, you can visually enlarge the space. This will allow you, in turn, to divide the living room into two areas: a guest and a dining area. Please note that there must be at least 2 doors between the living quarters and the gas stove.
2. An additional increase in space can be achieved by combining the hallway and living room. In this case, the entrance to the apartment can be distinguished by a sliding partition or screen.
3. Many apartments have a storage room. Due to it, you can also increase the usable area of a room, corridor or kitchen, depending on the location.
4. Using a loggia to increase the area, be sure to consult with the controlling organizations, as far as possible in your case. Sometimes public utilities and firefighters have every right to prohibit the demolition of the dividing wall.
5. Very often, the owners combine a bath and toilet in a combined bathroom. This significantly increases the usable space and allows it to be used more efficiently.

These general tips will help you make your two-room apartment more functional by dividing it into the desired number of zones.

Redevelopment of an apartment is not easy. But you will provide yourself with coziness and comfort as you wish, and we will help you with advice. Good luck with your work and comfort in your home!