A Full Apartment Renovation, Week by Week
‘When can we move back in?’ The answer depends not on the tiler but on the sequence and the drying times. This is how a full apartment renovation progresses week by week.
A full-scope apartment renovation is not one big job but 8–10 phases that build on one another. Each can start only when the previous one has been properly closed. If a phase slips or is skipped, the next one either waits or is built on a bad base.
The schedule below applies to an average two-room, brick-built Budapest apartment of about 60 m², with the plumbing, heating and electrics fully replaced. A smaller panel flat can be quicker; a period apartment can take several weeks longer.
Key takeaways
- The full renovation of a 60 m² apartment typically means 10–12 weeks of construction work, plus 2–4 weeks of preparation.
- The order: demolition → plumbing, heating and electrics → walls → subfloor → skim plastering → tiling → painting → second fix → flooring and furniture.
- Most of the time is taken not by the work but by drying: subfloor, plaster, skim coat.
- Items with a manufacturing lead time (kitchen, internal doors, bespoke furniture) have to be ordered before the start.
- Handover ends with a snagging walk-through, not with the cleaning.
Phase 0: preparation before the start (2–4 weeks)
The first week does not start with demolition but on paper. A site survey, an itemised cost estimate, a contract, and then the decisions: tiles and flooring, sanitaryware, kitchen, doors. Anything with a manufacturing lead time (kitchen units, internal doors, a bespoke wardrobe) has to be ordered now, otherwise the apartment stands for weeks with finished walls and no doors.
The schedule week by week
| Week | Phase | Main works | Must be finished before |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demolition | Stripping out tiles and flooring, sanitaryware, old pipes and wiring, partition walls; rubble removal | All further work |
| 2–3 | Plumbing, heating and electrics, first fix | New water, waste and heating pipes, pressure test, new electrical installation, back boxes | Bricklaying, plastering, closing the drywall |
| 3–4 | Walls | Partition walls, plaster repairs, drywall frames, wall linings | Subfloor, skim plastering |
| 4–6 | Subfloor | Screed or levelling, then drying | Tiling, laying parquet |
| 5–6 | Skim plastering | Skimming and sanding the walls and ceiling | Painting, edges of the tiling |
| 6–8 | Tiling | Liquid waterproofing in the wet rooms, wall and floor tiling in the bathroom and kitchen | Second fix |
| 8–9 | Painting I and doors | Primer, first coats, fitting the internal doors | Second fix, flooring |
| 9–10 | Second fix | Sanitaryware, taps, sockets, switches, lights, radiators | Kitchen, final painting |
| 10–11 | Flooring and kitchen | Parquet or laminate, skirting, fitting the kitchen units | Final painting |
| 11–12 | Completion and handover | Final painting, repairs, cleaning, walk-through, snagging list | – |
Where is most of the time lost?
Drying
Depending on its thickness, the screed needs weeks before parquet or tiles can go on it. In practice we check it by measuring the moisture. Rushing here shows up later as parquet that lifts and grout that cracks.
Decisions that were not made in time
If the tiles are chosen in the week of the tiling and are not in stock, the team stands idle. It is worth finalising every element of the bathroom and the kitchen before demolition.
Hidden defects after demolition
In an old apartment demolition always brings a surprise: a rotten floor joist, slag fill, a bad chimney. Because of these the schedule needs some contingency from the outset. A site survey reduces this risk but does not remove it.
Waiting between trades
The electrician waits for the bricklayer, the tiler for the plumber. If every trade is a separate company, these waits add up. With general contracting, one project manager schedules them one after the other.
A fast renovation is not fast because people hurry. It is fast because nobody ever waits for anybody.
How long does it take for other types of apartment?
| Apartment type | Typical construction time | What affects it |
|---|---|---|
| Panel flat, 50–60 m² | 6–10 weeks | Service shaft, dry construction, less plastering |
| Brick-built apartment, 60 m² | 10–12 weeks | Plaster, subfloor, old pipes and wiring |
| Period apartment, 80–120 m² | 12–16 weeks | Ceiling height, floor structure, preserving original features |
| Bathroom only | 2–4 weeks | Condition of the riser, sourcing the tiles |
This is how we work
At TeleHome the lead time goes into the contract too, and you receive the full schedule of the apartment renovation before the start. You can follow progress on the client portal phase by phase, with photos, so you do not have to ask over the phone where the work stands. If you would like to know how long your own apartment would take, request a no-obligation survey.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a full apartment renovation take?
For a 60 m² brick-built Budapest apartment the construction work typically takes 10–12 weeks, plus 2–4 weeks of preparation. It can be shorter for a panel flat and longer for a period apartment.
Can I live in the apartment during the renovation?
For a full renovation it is not recommended: during demolition there is no water or electricity, the dust gets everywhere, and the work progresses more slowly too. With a partial renovation, going room by room, it can be done.
What is the right order of work in an apartment renovation?
Demolition, plumbing, heating and electrics, walls, subfloor, skim plastering, tiling, painting, second fix, then flooring and furniture. Whatever goes behind the wall or under the floor always has to be finished first.
Request a no-obligation quote
On-site survey, itemised cost estimate, fixed deadline and warranty – we reply within 1 business day.
- Reply within 1 business day
- Itemised cost estimate
- Fixed price, fixed deadline, warranty
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