Renovating a condo but where to start?

[Destiny1990]

Hi,

I plan to renovate a condo its about 10 years old 2 bedroom 76 sqm.

I will let a contractor do the job but atleast i should know where its best to start with.

what i intend to do is :

change the kitchen sink and the facet position and the countertops. (To another wall nearby).

change tiles in the living room and the bedrooms and the  kitchen (probably over-tiling the existing ones)

combine the existing bathroom and the  laundry room into one big bathroom.( by taking out the divider wall).Relocating of the toilet. Removing the floor tiles in bathroom and lay new tiles there.(plumbing new shower hotwater)

checking of electricical installation and place several new electrical sockets and new Led lights throughout the whole unit.

take out one plastered wall in the living room and replace it with building blocks. Adding of a third aircon unit to the condo.

So where should i start with first?

Also i will change some windows but that will be last depending on budget.

 

 

[Peterw42]

You may want to look into moving any of the plumbing as that cannot always be done. The pipes are usually in a space between your floor and the ceiling below, and you need access to that space. Or you need to build false floors etc to accommodate the pipes. Its not just a matter of drilling a hole where you want the toilet to be, the pipe under the floor need to be relocated and it cant be done from above..

Other than that, as a project I would start by gutting the place back to a bare shell then rebuild from there. Structure then painting then cabinets then flooring.

[Destiny1990]

33 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

You may want to look into moving any of the plumbing as that cannot always be done. The pipes are usually in a space between your floor and the ceiling below, and you need access to that space. Or you need to build false floors etc to accommodate the pipes. Its not just a matter of drilling a hole where you want the toilet to be, the pipe under the floor need to be relocated and it cant be done from above..

Other than that, as a project I would start by gutting the place back to a bare shell then rebuild from there. Structure then painting then cabinets then flooring.

Yes maybe go back to bare shell and build up from there might work out.

The toilet will maximum be relocated 50 cm from its original location. 

[Peterw42]

6 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Yes maybe go back to bare shell and build up from there might work out.

The toilet will maximum be relocated 50 cm from its original location. 

Even 50cm can be impossible from above, you cant just drill holes in steel reinforced concrete floors, maybe pre-stressed steel inside etc, downstairs electrical wiring etc. You mention moving the kitchen sink as well, thats another pipe to move. Under your floor and inside downstairs ceiling will look like the photo below, very hard to cut relocate and join those pipes from above, through a 100mm hole. Unfortunately with a Condo renovation you are usually limited to designs where the plumbing does not move.

 

 

 

[janclaes47]

Thought we were done with your "friends" condo.

 

 

Edited January 1, 2018 by janclaes47

[Destiny1990]

32 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

Thought we were done with your "friends" condo.

 

 

How it can be done if no work has even been started up? but ur memory works fine.?

[Destiny1990]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Even 50cm can be impossible from above, you cant just drill holes in steel reinforced concrete floors, maybe pre-stressed steel inside etc, downstairs electrical wiring etc. You mention moving the kitchen sink as well, thats another pipe to move. Under your floor and inside downstairs ceiling will look like the photo below, very hard to cut relocate and join those pipes from above, through a 100mm hole. Unfortunately with a Condo renovation you are usually limited to designs where the plumbing does not move.

 

 

 

Will upload some photos of these floors in 3 weeks time as it will be easier to explain.

[Khun Jean]

Did a few and i now like to strip them completely. Saves so much time and you can properly prepare for the new materials. I would leave the plumbing as close to original as possible. Often there is only a tiny area accessible and often only directly under the original bathroom or kitchen.

[dotpoom]

Would it not be a good idea to leave it to the contractor to figure these things out. He would have a lot of experience to say the least....just suggesting?

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Would it not be a good idea to leave it to the contractor to figure these things out. He would have a lot of experience to say the least....just suggesting?

Contractors in Thailand can vary considerably in quality. A guy in my condo had a "plumber" in to change a water outlet in the unit he was renovating. After puncturing a main pipe somehow, the entire third floor was flooded. Damage bill from condo management 40,000 baht. The Thai contractor disappeared sometime during the flooding process.

[Tofer]

Seems like we've been here before Destiny...

 

It appears you are somewhat unsure of yourself to manage this project, in Cebu, PH if I'm not mistaken. Take dotpoom's advice and get a good builder to advise, but first get an architect / interior designer to design the scheme properly, they can save you their fees many times over in increased resale value of a well designed property.

 

There is no need to access the ceiling void below your floor and it would be foolhardy to do so unless that unit is vacant and has no ceilings installed. All relocated connections for drainage and water supply pipe work can, and definitely should be, done above your floor level. As I mentioned previously with rear access wc's pipe work can be run in ducts / vanity units very simply and attractively above floor level to connect into your existing drainage where it drops through the floor. Likewise kitchen plumbing & drainage can run behind the kitchen units in the service void or underneath within the plinth space.

 

Good luck.

[Destiny1990]

So i should strip it nearly bare.

then do first all the plumbing for toilet and shower and the kitchen.

then install new electrical and outlets points.then install the 3 aircon.Then retile the whole unit floors and reinstall the kitchen and bathrooms? Build up some walls and Paint the unit and do ceilings? Would that make sense?

[The Theory]

If you don't renovate any plumbing, at least you have the chance to clean them by snake and high pressure wash. 

[Khun Jean]

On 1/2/2018 at 6:32 PM, Destiny1990 said:

So i should strip it nearly bare.

then do first all the plumbing for toilet and shower and the kitchen.

then install new electrical and outlets points.then install the 3 aircon.Then retile the whole unit floors and reinstall the kitchen and bathrooms? Build up some walls and Paint the unit and do ceilings? Would that make sense?

I would do the walls before tiling as it is better to tie in the walls with the concrete floor instead of on top of the tiles. Also ceilings can be done right after that. Once plumbing and electric is done i like to work from top to bottom. Doing the ceiling after the floors and painting the walls increases the change you damage the work done before.