Apartment renovation in Avoti - for pre-war rental buildings and courtyard wings

Masonry buildings on Čaka iela and wooden buildings in the side streets

Čaka iela and its surroundings are dominated by multi-storey masonry rental buildings, while further from it the share of low-rise and wooden buildings grows. This pattern has its history: in the second half of the 19th century, the area around Avotu iela had low wooden buildings, and masonry buildings appeared only towards the end of the century. Today the neighbourhood has pre-war rental buildings, courtyard wings, restored masonry buildings and commercial premises on the ground floors.

In old wooden and pre-war masonry buildings, the job may be restoring floors, walls and electrical wiring; the buildings are old, and the floor slabs may be wooden. In pre-war masonry buildings the floor slabs are mostly wooden, ceilings are high, windows are non-standard in size, and without reconstruction there is no lift. For a renovation, this means you need to know what is under the floor covering, that high walls need more m² of skimming and painting, and that the request must state the floor and whether there is a lift.

Courtyard wings, the paid parking zone and what the request should contain

Avoti is easy to reach along Aleksandra Čaka iela and Avotu iela, and the neighbourhood is served by city-centre public transport. The buildings are dense, access to courtyards is limited, and Avoti is in Riga's paid parking zone (zones B and C), so in the request write whether the gate to the courtyard is locked.

• the address and, if the apartment is in a courtyard wing, which entrance
• the floor, the lift (pre-war buildings may not have one) and the approximate ceiling height
• the apartment area in m² and which rooms to renovate
• the floor covering now and whether there are boards or parquet under it
• whether the bathroom, risers or wiring will be changed
• the condition of each room, also the stove or distribution box, if there is one

High ceilings, wooden floors and old wiring

In a pre-war apartment in Avoti, the floor can be kept: if there is sound parquet or boards under the linoleum, they are sanded and varnished. If the floorboards give underfoot, the work starts with the base. Walls and ceilings with many layers of paint need skimming before a new finish, and absorbent surfaces are primed before painting.

The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force require an inspection of the electrical wiring every 10 years. If the wiring is changed, from 01.07.2025 the rebuilt installation must be fitted with residual current protection, and the installation is carried out under the direction of a certified construction specialist. Approval of reconstruction in Avoti takes place at the Riga municipality's City Development Department (Pilsētas attīstības departaments), formerly the Riga City Building Board, if the renovation changes walls or openings. See pre-war building renovation, parquet sanding in Avoti and old electrical wiring in an apartment.

The bathroom in an old masonry building

In a pre-war building, the place and size of the bathroom depend on the plan of the particular apartment, so write the bathroom dimensions in the form. If the bathroom is enlarged or moved, you need to know the rules: in apartment buildings, sanitary rooms are placed above similar rooms, but above the rooms of the apartment below they are permitted if the requirements for soundproofing, waterproofing, thermal insulation, fire safety, ventilation and safety are met. Kitchens, toilets and bathrooms are ventilated through natural exhaust ducts, so the new location must be tied to an existing duct.

Risers are common property, so replacing them affects common property and the association's consent is needed; turn to the building manager. See bathroom renovation in Avoti and combining a bathroom with a toilet.

A rented apartment in Avoti: what to decide before the renovation

If you are renovating an apartment in Avoti to rent out, the renovation has a different aim than for your own home. For renting out, it is worth choosing a durable finish that is easy to restore: painted walls, vinyl flooring or laminate and a simple bathroom. Before the renovation, decide whether the wiring and pipes will be changed, because doing that later in an apartment with a tenant is harder.

If the apartment is renovated before selling, the list of work can be shorter: walls, floors and damaged spots. See rented apartment renovation in Avoti and renovation before selling.

A shop or workshop on the ground floor

The ground floors of Avoti have local commercial premises: shops, cafés, creative workshops. If such premises are renovated, write in the request what activity will take place there, because the requirements for floors, walls and the sanitary unit depend on it. If the use of the premises changes, for example an apartment becomes a shop, it is no longer a simple renovation, and the type of documents is chosen according to the content of the work. See premises renovation for businesses and café renovation.

What a renovation in Avoti buildings costs

Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area. Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area. Parquet sanding and varnishing: from €23/m². Skimming walls or ceilings: from €10/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Example: a 15 m² room with 40 m² of walls. Skimming 40 × €10 = €400 and painting 40 × €4 = €160, in total from €560. In a pre-war apartment, the wall area per m² of floor is larger because of the high ceilings, so wall work is calculated by m² of walls. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.