Repair is a sore subject for most owners. country houses and apartments. It often takes a lot of investment and effort to make rooms look stylish. modern look. Do not know, how to renovate an apartment with your own hands inexpensive and fast? Replacing windows, painting the ceiling, re-gluing wallpaper, covering the floor - all this can be done without outside help quickly and inexpensively. At correct selection materials and a little more effort, you can make high-quality and beautiful renovation with modern finishes.

The area that requires the participation of a specialist if repairs or replacement is necessary is electricity. Most economical option in this case, it is a call to a specialist. Installation of sockets in the apartment can be carried out without his help. The cheapest way to rent tools for apartment repairs is to rent them.

Photo of inexpensive ceiling repair

Before starting inexpensive repairs, first of all, determine suitable design and a plan is made. Best time for repairs it is autumn. In warm weather they are carried out facade works, A interior work performed with the windows open.

In addition, prices for materials are always reduced by 15% by autumn. Many materials, such as putty, plaster, sealant, assembly adhesive, leveling screed, have a limited shelf life, and by the fall the store sells it at a big discount.

Photo of inexpensive room renovation

If it is necessary to replace old plumbing when quick repair, you can try to restore the old one, but if this is not possible due to significant damage or chips, you can buy the plumbing fixtures second-hand. Many new settlers in apartment buildings they replace new equipment immediately after moving in, and the equipment, when it goes to a landfill, is sold by the employees of this organization at a bargain price.

Photo of the bathroom before inexpensive renovation

Removing construction packaging and garbage is a rather expensive repair item in an apartment, but if you wish, you can take everything out in bags to the nearest trash can.

How to choose the right materials for inexpensive repairs

Plywood, beams, slats, boards can be bought on the building materials market. The slats for cladding can be taken unplaned. Croaker is bought raw in advance and dried. By autumn, this material dries completely when purchased in the spring. plywood required thickness can be taken from waste packaging material (containers). The material can be made waterproof using two buckets of PVA-based putty.

Photo of inexpensive bathroom renovation

The floor is covered with film. The temperature should not fall below thirteen degrees. A sheet is laid out. Putty is poured into the center and applied to the ends with a paint brush. plywood sheet covered with plastic, another sheet is laid, the puttying process is repeated until all sheets are covered.

Photos of inexpensive home renovations

A bend is placed on a stack of putty plywood (over the entire surface). After a week, the sheets are turned over and puttied on the other side, then also pressed. After two weeks, you can use moisture-resistant plywood. Thick timber and boards can also be taken from disassembled containers and pallets. Inexpensive option for finishing walls and ceilings, this is covering the surface with laminate, MDF.

Beautiful and inexpensive bathroom renovation

If slab stitching is done on a wooden sheathing, leveling the surface is practically not necessary. The walls in the apartment can be covered at chest or waist level; the remaining space can be finished inexpensively and quickly with non-woven wallpaper.

Inexpensive finishing for quick renovation

An economical type of flooring in an apartment is marmoleum. This material is not suitable for wet rooms. For baths and toilets, any type of tile is used. When using laminate, the floor requires leveling before installation. For the walls in the bathroom you can use laminated hardboard.

Photo of inexpensive flooring in an apartment

If it is necessary to insulate or glaze the balcony, this is done in spring period. The outer part is covered with siding. The internal part is finished with plywood with surface gluing self-adhesive film. Used for windows wooden frames, which you can install yourself. Windows are purchased in early spring, installation closer to summer.

Where to start inexpensive repairs

The doors can simply be updated. The door is sheathed on both sides with moisture-resistant plywood. Plywood is glued to removed door using assembly adhesive, then everything is placed under pressure. Before gluing the sheets, the previous lining is removed from the door. Afterwards, the door in the apartment is covered with self-adhesive wood-like tape and varnished. The slopes are covered with the same plywood.

Old plumbing fixtures can be inexpensively cleaned of contaminants using acetic acid and washing powder. For stubborn stains, hydrochloric (technical) acid is used for quick removal. Cracked tiles can be restored quite easily. First cleaned with pemolux and vinegar.

The edges are covered with masking tape. The seams are painted with two layers (from a spray bottle) of nitro paint. Splashes and drips are removed with solvent, the tape is removed.

Photo of a beautiful inexpensive bedroom renovation

After cleaning, the tiles and seams are sprayed with silicone grease (liquid) from a can. The lubricant is applied until it stops being absorbed. After three days, the silicone surface is wiped with vinegar. Cast iron bath can get a second life after painting with epoxy or acrylic compound. The heated towel rail in the bathtub is cleaned down to the metal surface and coated with a compound.

Useful article: DIY liquid wallpaper, made from paper

Before repairing, it is better to look at the photo, then make a plan and get to work. Make the apartment attractive appearance It is also possible with the help of inexpensive repairs, which can be done fairly quickly.

“May the renovations in your apartment never end!” - the passer-by throws over his shoulder and goes home. And you stand there and think: “Why is he doing this? Did you wish for wealth or, on the contrary,... tax you?” But really, the issue of repairs is an unpleasant matter for the average citizen. With today's prices for materials and services of construction Jedi, you will have to fork out seriously. And how much time and nerves you will have to spend, and even live in a ruined apartment! You wouldn't wish it on your enemy. But repairs are a vital necessity, and sooner or later you will still have to face them. Some craftsmen, even in times of crisis, still manage to renovate an apartment with their own hands quickly and inexpensively. But how do they manage to do this?

In fact, repairs are not as scary as the attitude towards them. If you are a resourceful, sociable person and know what a grinder, drill and trowel are, there is a high probability that you will succeed. We will devote this article not just to how to choose cheap wallpaper or to dilute glue for it yourself. We will share with you some interesting ideas and finds that will help you make quite a decent apartment renovation with your own hands quickly and inexpensively.

Lying on the couch

A piece of whitewash fell off the ceiling and flopped straight onto the bed? Then one thing is clear: there will be repairs! This means that some amount of money needs to be collected, and then mercilessly spent on materials. So start saving now. There is no need to plan repairs immediately: “I’ll start right tomorrow.” Take a few months off - you will really need them. This way you’ll collect some money, get everything you need, and most importantly, clearly understand for yourself what you really need to replace, paint, glue or remove. An apartment renovation done in a hurry with your own hands will certainly bring its own unhealthy results: it has come unstuck here, it is leaking here, something is missing here, and it is not clear why it is here. In the meantime, start small, but most importantly, with a plan.

Plan + goal = result

Keep a small notebook. In it you will write down all the ideas, prices and phone numbers of stores or specialists. But the main thing is that it will contain a plan for your repair and a cost estimate. The plan needs to reflect all your wishes: for plastic, suspended ceiling or just whitewash, new tiles in the bathroom, wallpapering or a couple of new sockets in the kitchen. Write exactly what you want. We decided on wallpaper - that means wallpaper, you want it decorative plaster- so so be it. Pipes are humming - replace it, a cracked toilet - throw it away. You may think that, based on your desires, you won’t be able to do an apartment renovation with your own hands quickly and inexpensively. But you probably don’t know this, and you’re only forcing yourself into limits. If it works, you’ll do it; if not, it’s not a big loss, it’s just a note in a notebook. Next, start making an estimate: what exactly do you need and in what quantity. How many meters of tiles, grout, bags of putty, wallpaper, chipboard and other things. You can always correct these entries.

To find out exactly what materials, what quality and price you will need, go to online stores and construction forums for help. Carefully study the characteristics and pricing policy, approximately calculate the consumption. And at the same time, learn how to replace a faucet, hang wallpaper or install drywall yourself. Determine for yourself: I can do this myself, but here you need to look for an electrician or plumber. Write it down.

Friends and comrades, or Ode to an instrument

Construction tools cost a lot of money, so it’s better not to spend money on them. Another option is to rent it for a while; it is rented everywhere. And it will be even better if you borrow it from acquaintances, friends or relatives. And be sure to thank the person for their help. How? You know better. Take this opportunity to ask if they can help you decorate your apartment. Especially if your friends are well acquainted with construction literacy. This will also help you do your own apartment renovation quickly and inexpensively, and also with high quality. And your friend will probably make a significant discount for old times sake.

How to buy for free

There are many options. First, remember: it is better to buy materials for apartment renovation in the cold season - the price is much lower. But summer is construction season. In winter, you can come across a 50% discount in construction markets or a “Buy 2, get 3 for free” promotion! So you can buy the same wallpaper at a low price, but much more best view and quality. And if they lie for a couple of months in a dry pantry or closet, then nothing will happen to them.

Explore local forums, especially if you live in a large city. There you will probably find many people who have already done inexpensive apartment renovations with their own hands. You will probably find photos of finishing, tips, addresses and phone numbers of specialists there. And you will also come across the heading “repair” and “remaining materials”. Periodically look at who is selling or giving away interesting things. People often end up with materials after renovation that no one will buy at the sale price, and it’s a pity to throw them away. So, you can buy a couple of bags of putty or even Spanish tiles for a ridiculous price. A person has an extra 2-3 meters left, there is nowhere to put it, but it will do just fine for you in the toilet. There you can also find the remains of a cable or grout “for a chocolate bar”.

More respectable people, when moving into new buildings, often exchange brand new plumbing fixtures or PVC windows for more expensive ones, and these are given away for next to nothing. Why? Because they want “Rehau” or “only France”, and such a window will do just fine for you. Anything is better than the old wooden one. When you get rich, buy yourself a Rehau.

Barter is power!

In war, all means are good. And even more so if you have started an inexpensive apartment renovation with your own hands. By the way, don’t forget to take “before” and “after” photos (just for memory). Each of us is an expert in something. For example, you are a car mechanic, and your neighbor often travels on business trips and does expensive repairs for people. But he hasn’t been able to assemble his car for a month now. Or maybe he got lost, wandering around law offices, and you, as luck would have it, are a lawyer. Help a person with a claim, and he will help you lay tiles or deal with electrical issues. Let it be in the evenings or on weekends - whatever is convenient. The main thing is that it will be completely free for him, and you will get an inexpensive apartment renovation with your own hands. Well, or almost our own.

We don't litter

Today you have to pay not only when you buy, but also if you throw away. Have you remodeled and found yourself with a lot of broken stone and other debris? Order a car for pickup? Stop! Go to the same forum and advertise: “I’ll give it away for free.” construction garbage! Pickup." Please provide your phone number and address. They will come, load and take away. Where? Someone is building a house, and they need crushed stone, but it costs money. Your garbage will completely replace it, and most importantly - for nothing. Yes to you too good help and another piece of advice to add to the box: “how to make renovations in an apartment with your own hands cheaper.”

Change old toilet and the sink, where do you plan to throw them away? If they are intact and fully functional, write to the forum: “I’ll give them to the builders. Pickup." You’re not the only one who wants to renovate your apartment quickly and inexpensively. Demand a chocolate bar.

New - well forgotten old

Buy new bath Today it is expensive and irrational to replace real cast iron with fragile acrylic. But what to do if your font is frankly yellow color and in colorful streaks? So, it won’t be possible to renovate your apartment inexpensively? With your own hands you can return the bathtub to its original whiteness! Don't believe me? Go to the store. Buy 5-10 packages citric acid and durable rubber gloves. Send your family for a walk while you get busy. Pour 5 packets of acid into a liter of boiling water and coat the bathtub and sink with this solution (work only with gloves). Leave for 20 minutes and then wash thoroughly. Your bath will be like new! Don't like the result? Repeat one more time. If this time fails, then the bathtub will have to be painted. Fortunately, they sell a huge amount of bath paints, and they are easy to work with.

Sleight of hand and no fraud

Well, here are some tips for you on the topic “how to make renovations in an apartment with your own hands cheap and cheerful.” By following such simple tactics, by the time of the planned repair you will have collected the required amount of money, and will even be able to stock up necessary materials at the most convenient price. Or maybe you’ll already have time to do some work. Now all that remains is to buy the missing material and complete the plan on the appointed day.

If you reread the first page of your notebook marked “plans,” you will be clearly surprised. It turns out that what seemed overwhelming at first, you can easily master without extra investments. And if something didn’t work out for you, don’t be upset. It’s not without reason that they say that repairs cannot be completed, they can only be suspended.

Own housing periodically requires updating. The difficulties associated with this are simple and clear - often it is simply a lack of budget. In addition, the lack of knowledge about a particular technology makes you think about inviting specialists. Nevertheless best way saving on apartment renovation is preferable budget finishing expensive and do some of the work yourself.

Budget renovation rules

Before deciding to implement budget renovation apartments with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the upcoming difficulties that will certainly arise at many stages of the work. What are they:

1. Apartment owners must have sufficient time for budget repairs. Especially if you have no experience in laying communication lines,... Repair work is timed to coincide with vacations or special days are allocated for this. Spontaneity harms the final result and delays the process. If you hurry, you will make people laugh!
2. It's important to get it right assess the situation apartments before renovation. Budget painting will not solve problems with the floor and walls if the plaster is in poor condition. The same applies to communication wiring. You shouldn’t count on costing a pretty penny for budget repairs in an apartment with your own hands. Decorative inexpensive materials will become a rational purchase if rough finish made with high quality.
3. Required price monitoring and a selection of nearby hardware stores. The latter is important, since the cost of delivery sometimes amounts to an impressive amount. You should not get carried away with a completely cheap product - a construction field, an unplowed field for counterfeits.
4. Compose carefully estimate. This will save you from overuse of material and waste, respectively.
5. And lastly, you cannot save on generally dangerous communications. Gas and electrical equipment is installed exclusively by city service specialists. Otherwise, the lesser evil is non-working devices, the greater is the misfortunes associated with this.

Where to begin?

So, having decided to independently renovate the apartment on a budget, having assessed own strength and funds get to work. Here is an algorithm of actions, following which time is spent rationally:

• The desired plan rooms. The position of communications depends on it - electrical outlets. If you like, the space is divided into - rest, active life.
• Old coverings are removed from all surfaces - floor, walls, ceiling. If the windows and doors will not be replaced, then they are also cleaned for the upcoming finishing. To work, you will need a hammer drill, dissolving liquids, spatulas - depending on the raw materials being dismantled. It is recommended to immediately saturate the walls with antiseptics - mold is common in apartments, and besides, this possibility is no longer expected.
• Laying a new concrete rough screed on the floor - without it it is impossible to arrange an even flooring, qualitatively.
• Satisfied communications - electrical wiring, hidden in the walls, sockets and sockets are brought to the surface. Install plastic water pipes and sewer pipes, change the heating system. If provided for in the plan, frames for plasterboard partitions are arranged.

Now the room has taken on the appearance of a rough finish. Solutions vary depending on the previous condition of the apartment. It is important to keep in mind that during the renovation, residents must have the option of an “alternate airfield” for at least a month. Especially when the apartment is small.

Stages of budget renovation

Now the prepared apartment is being finished inexpensive materials. For flooring, planks and multi-layer plywood are chosen - it is environmentally friendly, inexpensive and beautiful, with appropriate processing. In wet rooms you cannot do without tiles - consider substandard or broken ones offered in stores. It's always inexpensive or even free.

For walls - traditional wallpaper or painting. The ceilings are whitewashed and painted. Drywall gives an unusual look to a city apartment. Portals and partitions are made from it. Doors and windows are painted and subjected to many design techniques- aged, decorated with inserts made of matte or mosaic glass. So, the work begins:

• It is generally accepted that finishing begins from the ceiling. This is not true because in the future construction dust rising upward will settle on it. Removing it later will become problematic. Therefore, they start with the walls or floor.
• Vertical surfaces - walls, window slopes and the ceiling needs to be leveled. In the future, they will allow you to perfectly evenly cover the area with wallpaper or paint without visible differences. Requires basic and finishing mixture.
• The floor is poured with a finishing screed, having previously installed beacons and reinforcing mesh. Setting time depends on the thickness and consistency of the solution. The finished surface can be used only after 3-4 weeks.
• Determine the level for installing the logs - a step of no more than 60 cm. For plywood even less - up to 45 cm + transverse lathing. Lay the boards, knocking them towards each other, without gaps. For plywood, the flooring is made in a checkerboard pattern.
• Paint the walls or cover them with wallpaper. The most budget options are thin paper ones. But the quality is appropriate. Try making your own - it requires an inexpensive finishing mixture and tools to create a pattern or texture. For example, a “bark beetle” will be obtained by smoothing the solution with a grater wrapped in coarse sandpaper. Interesting option- using film. Effective strokes are created with a regular spatula. After drying, the walls are tinted and secured acrylic varnish- this will make them spectacular.
• The turn has come. High-quality whitewash no less relevant than others decorative materials. If you don’t want routine, then do suspended ceiling with your own hands without using special equipment - also on a budget. Installation slatted ceiling made of mirror slats will not only add effect to the room, but will also visually expand it.
• Lastly, the floor is painted or sanded. The last option will highlight the beauty of the tree.

The renovation is complete. All that remains is to give the room a finished look - install, arrange furniture, lay carpets. Sit on soft sofa and calculate how much beauty cost you without the participation of professional artists.

We bring to your attention options for budget renovation - before and after photos. Perhaps among them there will be one worthy of repetition.

Apartment renovation now expensive pleasure. Some save for it for years, while others give away their last savings and end up in a debt hole. Regardless financial situation Everyone tries to save money, but in practice not everyone succeeds in doing this. Let’s look at which materials you can save on and which ones you shouldn’t, and we’ll learn to expose hired repairmen who are trying to profit from the owners’ ignorance.

Different types of repairs - how much to pay a technician and how to save?

The final estimate will depend on the type, size of the room and complexity of the renovation. There are three types of repairs: cosmetic, major and European-quality repairs. The cosmetic option is the most economical. This repair usually includes painting, wallpapering, and floor sanding. Such work can be easily done with your own hands, saving on calling a specialist. If something is missing specialized tool It is not worth purchasing it for one-time purposes. Rent it. Make a preliminary estimate for repairs in order to adjust it in advance and select cheaper options. When deciding to hire a private specialist redecorating an apartment will cost you, on average, 1,500 rubles per 1 m2, and through a construction company - 2–2.5 times more expensive.

Carrying out major repairs yourself is much more difficult, since many of the works require special skills and abilities. The stages of such repairs are: floor screed, wall leveling, demolition and installation of partitions, dismantling of old coating and finishing, complete replacement water pipes, plumbing and electrical wiring, replacement of windows, doors, garbage removal. Price for calling a specialist during overhaul increases to 6000–15000 rubles per 1 m2. And this does not include the cost of consumables.

Here are four tips to help you save on major renovations:

1. 1. Remove old wallpaper, tiles, dismantle flooring, clean up and take out the garbage yourself. Such work does not require special skills and tools, and the savings are significant - 5000–8000 per 1 m2.
2. 2. Do not rush to spend money on finishing an expensive ceiling. Just level it and paint it with inexpensive chalk paint. When you have money, cover the ceiling with plasterboard or make a suspended ceiling.
3. 3. Do not remove the plaster completely. Remove it only in those places where it peels off. However, take into account the peculiarities of the finish. If you plan to stick photo wallpaper, the surface must be perfectly flat. You may need to completely replace the plaster; in this case, you won’t be able to save money.
4. 4. To avoid wasting time on paperwork and extra money on garbage disposal, collect waste in bags and send it for storage in the basement, barn, or leave it in staircase in a specially designated place, it is provided. Throw a bag into a general trash container every day; there is nothing illegal about this.

European-quality renovation is practically no different from major renovation. The cost increases due to the purchase of expensive and natural materials from well-known manufacturers. The price of materials is automatically reflected in the cost of the master’s work, which starts from 25,000 rubles per 1 m 2. .

How to check the honesty of the estimate - common tricks

If you decide to involve an experienced team of repairmen in the repair, be prepared that you may be deceived. To check this for sure, pay attention to several important features. The information will be useful for both beginners and experienced homeowners who have decided to start a renovation.

To determine the exact costs of repair work, the foreman measures the parameters of your room with his tape measure. It seems that everything is fine and there can be no catch. In this case, we recommend providing your own tape measure for measurements. Often, cunning repairmen cut the tape measure, for example, by 50 cm, and fasten it to another part of the tape, retreating 20–30 cm or more. From the actual size, for example, 2 m, your room increases to 2.3 m and, accordingly, the price increases, because the cost of work is calculated per 1 m 2.

When receiving an estimate, carefully review all items. Often repairmen duplicate the cost of services under the guise of other work. For example, leveling walls - preparing walls for wallpaper. Read each item carefully so as not to overpay.

Please note the price per 1 m2. Compare it with others first construction companies and private individuals. Prices below average should alert you. Usually, during the work process, the repairmen who originally offered you low price, they pick her up and ask her to pay extra for Additional services. The owner finds himself in a dead end, since the work is already in progress, and the estimate automatically increases by 2-3 times.

Saving materials and increasing the cost of work is another technique used by dishonest repairmen. For example, they can put a 1 cm layer of plaster on you at a cost of 3–4 cm, reducing the planned laying path electrical cables or plumbing pipes, and take the remaining material for yourself. In fact, you are overpaying for material that does not “work” for you. To avoid such mistakes when performing turnkey repairs, ask the repairmen to photograph the completed work process in detail step by step and send it to you by email.

If you decide to install heated flooring, remember that it is not placed around the entire perimeter of the room. An unscrupulous foreman will offer you to put a heated floor under furniture where it is absolutely not needed, which will also increase the cost of the project.

Complete replacement of wiring is another service that almost every foreman will offer you without making sure that you really need it. On old wiring You can make good money from copper and aluminum conductors.

AND last tip: purchase materials yourself, do not trust this matter to the repair team. As a rule, they buy building materials on the market, where the storage conditions for many goods do not meet the standards. In addition, repairmen there can ask for a blank receipt with a stamp and enter a list of goods and their cost with a markup.

In what season will repairs cost less - promotions and special offers

It is better to start repairs in the off-season - in early or mid-autumn. This period is suitable for both external and internal repair work. It's still warm outside, and prices are Construction Materials by the winter season they gradually decrease. Savings on summer goods reach 15–20% without loss of quality. Therefore, if you were planning to spend 250,000 rubles on renovating a room, know that in the fall and winter you can save about 30,000 rubles, which can be spent on renovating the hallway.

Promotions and special offers – special kind services where you can save money. Pay attention to illiquid items. They have a limited shelf life and will not last until next season. Construction stores They give good discounts on such products. If you are going to do repairs right now, take a closer look at putty, plaster, glue, and sealant at a bargain price, below the market average.

Budget options for replacing plumbing fixtures

Replacing plumbing affects a significant part of the renovation budget. If it is in good condition, without chips, cracks, and only the surface with an old coating makes you think about dismantling it, we advise you to clean and restore the plumbing. Expensive detergents We replace it with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which destroys stubborn plaque well. Budget transformation option - . You can cover the bathtub yourself with enamel, liquid acrylic, or order acrylic liner according to the dimensions of your plumbing fixtures. Restoration will reduce the cost of purchasing a new bathtub by approximately 4 times and, depending on the chosen option, will extend the life of the old bathtub from 5 to 20 years.

If you decide to change your plumbing, consider a budget option purchases from so-called landfill entrepreneurs. Often when arriving in new house the owners replace earthenware and cast iron plumbing fixtures that are in good condition and throw them into a landfill. Resourceful businessmen came up with easy way quickly and easily make money on this. They take plumbing fixtures in good condition from the landfill, wash them and put them in order. They do not directly expose their contacts, working on the principle of word of mouth. In the subsidiary warehouse of such entrepreneurs, you can select suitable plumbing fixtures and save a third or even half of the factory cost.

Economical wall covering and flooring in dry and wet rooms

To save money when covering walls, we advise you to buy not edged (planed) lumber, but slab (wood sawing waste). Croaker is sold raw and does not match the quality of conventional materials. This can be easily corrected if you purchase it in advance in March-April and keep it in a dry room until autumn. In addition, slab cladding saves money on leveling the walls. In 80% of cases, it completely hides all irregularities. The option of covering the walls with waist-high slabs and covering the walls up to the ceiling with non-woven wallpaper will help not only save money, but also make wall decoration practical. The lower part is resistant to wear and contamination, and the upper part complements the overall picture.

The most budget-friendly option for laying floors in dry rooms is marmoleum. This material requires leveling the floor only in 10% of cases. However, for rooms with high humidity(bathrooms) marmoleum is not suitable, you will have to lay classic tiles. Alternative option marmoleum - laminate. This option is also inexpensive, looks beautiful and is suitable for installation under plank floors. True, the floor will have to be leveled.

To decorate the walls in the bathroom, choose laminated hardboard. This material is less familiar than tiles, but cheaper. It is better to sheathe the ceiling plastic panels. Don't skimp on waterproofing. The money spent on it will pay off and extend the service life of even the cheapest finishing materials. Instead of gypsum plaster To level the walls, use a cement-plaster mixture. It is not inferior in quality and is cheaper. When deciding to lay tiles on the walls and floors, buy a plain finish. Such tiles do not need to be frequently adjusted and matched to the pattern; less material is required, which is automatically reflected in the purchase cost.

What is better not to save on, so as not to pay twice later?

When carrying out major and European-quality repairs, it is impossible to do without replacing the electrical wiring. It is better not to save money on this event and entrust the work to a professional. It is especially important to pay attention to Soviet wiring due to the high power of modern devices, which the old cable sometimes cannot withstand. During the replacement, you will have to use a wall chaser to properly lay out the new wiring. Workers charge 100 rubles per 1 m2 for this service.

Complete replacement of wiring two-room apartment, on average, will cost 40,000 rubles. Private specialist He may charge less, but he does not provide a guarantee for installation, so if any malfunctions occur, you will have to pay the technician again for the work. To save money, we advise you to contact an electrician from DEZ. Such a specialist performs the work slowly depending on his workload, but the quality and guarantee of service are an undoubted advantage of choosing this particular specialist. But you can install sockets and switches yourself.

Another job for which you need to involve a specialist and not save money: replacing plumbing pipes. Consumables choose according to your budget. Hiring a plumber will cost, on average, 15,000–20,000 rubles. If you do not have experience in connecting plumbing, we also recommend that you seek help from a specialist.

1. A good face for a bad game.

100% polyester silk. Stone-like tiles, parquet-like linoleum, onyx-like laminate, Trekhgorka like Ralph Lauren. Python-like porcelain tiles. “Artificially aged” something... It’s embarrassing to even think about. Alas, the number will not work. Look through good interior magazines. There, everywhere a stone is a stone, and a tree is just that: a tree. If you don’t have the money for parquet, and simple laminate is beneath you, look for a good engineered board. The result is a floor that looks worth much more than the money you spent on it. Good alternative porcelain tiles for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways - cement tiles. The result will look a hundred times more expensive.

2. Leave the ceiling alone.

Everyone has become obsessed with ceilings! If you think sensibly, focusing your attention on the ceiling only reminds everyone of its existence. And according to its height. Even if it cracks, the two-sixty-high ceilings will not turn into majestic vaults melting somewhere in an unimaginable height. This cannot happen, no matter what the “decorator’s tricks” promise you. Just accept it. Tall doorways can do much more for your home than a ridiculous five-layer ceiling with neon lighting. Let the interior doors be two, say twenty, high. A door handles lower it a little, five to seven centimeters. By taking a non-standard approach, you will be pleasantly surprised by the result.

3. When choosing paint for walls, think about the movement of color throughout the house.

Neighboring. If you have a bright living room, let the hallway be painted in a deep, relatively dark color. The cost of paint will be the same in any case, and the result can look really expensive.

4. Buy modular cabinets from laminate in a store, and order the doors for them from a good carpentry workshop.

This will give you significant savings, which, however, no one will ever notice. The same is true for kitchen equipment.

5. If you still purchase ready-made cabinet furniture, let the veneer of the facades be dark, and the door panels be simple (rectangular).

Remember: light wood always looks cheaper. Avoid yellowish and reddish shades veneer And, while saving on the furniture itself, invest in good handles!

6. If on good carpet no money, look for viscose carpet or mixed fibers imitating a silk or wool pile carpet.

Choose the color and texture that suits you and order a piece of the size you need. For a little extra money, its edges will be covered with braid.

7. Place the curtains on a thick lining.

Even inexpensive curtain fabric will greatly benefit from this. Look for fabrics that are three meters wide. This results in significant savings. If you are not willing to spend a lot, avoid printed textiles (fabrics with a pattern). When cutting patterned fabrics, due to the need to properly join the fabrics, a lot of scraps remain. The more rapport, the more waste. Do not use curtain tape for curtains. Let the seamstress lay down the “hand” folds. It's not that expensive, and the pleats, gathered with braid, look very cheap.

8. Set-set-set. Identical things in the interior are permissible only in one case: if they are paired items that form a symmetrical composition. and leave the sconces from one set to those to whom God has not given imagination. They are the kits upholstered furniture“a sofa or two armchairs” and similar tender sadness. For more details, see the next paragraph.

9. Ready-made solutions.

Bad news: there isn't any. At least for us. The shower room is built using construction methods because it is a room. Unless you run a student hostel or an underground massage parlor with striptease, a shower stall (that sad structure of yellow acrylic and lopsided doors) will not suit you. Don't spend money on “designer” plumbing fixtures. Let the appearance of the plumbing equipment in the bathroom (kitchen, bathroom) be dictated by the function. Buy washbasins and faucets simple shapes, without inappropriate decor. The toilet should be inconspicuous and do its job. No one will admire him, right?

10. Paintings, prints, engravings, photographs and posters frame in simple but deep frames with glass and always with a mat.

Even a picture printed on a home inkjet printer (or a naive child’s drawing) looks very significant in such a frame. Play with the size of the mat. A small work in a very wide mat looks very “designer-like”. And, by the way, cardboard for mats can be of almost any color.

11. Comfort. Another collective fetish.

According to my observations, what in our Palestinians is called “comfort”, in 99 percent of cases, is poetic closeness. In many ways, this is a physical memory of a bygone childhood, of the warm and affectionate meager Soviet life with carpets teeming with saprophytes, a kind grandmother, Czechoslovak crystal and the unread Dreiser in the polished Polish wall of “Hanka”. Moreover, expensive devilry such as a round bed with music and a minibar, a bar counter with a built-in aquarium, etc. will not add comfort. The same is true for such rich things as lambrequin, garland and swag. Don't worry: in a good, well-thought-out interior, comfort inevitably comes naturally. That's why…

12. ...Farewell, gypsy Sera!

Duvet covers made of calico in fine Nefertiti, towels in scarlet roses, pillowcases in eye-catching shades, nylon blankets with Shanghai leopards. All these are attributes of collective farm chic, forgive me for being blunt. They will not add comfort. Variegated coloring is often necessary for these things solely to hide their exceptionally lousy quality. Keep bed linen and bath towels simply white (options: ivory, ecru). But made from excellent Egyptian cotton.

13. However, with ivory It’s also important not to overdo it.

Peach, beige, sand... The average nuanced range is good for chain hotels. Because their stenciled interiors are bound to please everyone. You should like your interior. After all, he is a manifestation of your essence, right? Pick up a fan palette from any paint manufacturer. Do you feel pleasant heaviness? These are your possibilities. Don't miss them!