Apartment renovation in Iļģuciems - from the first 303 series buildings to the 602 series

Six series in one neighbourhood: how they differ in renovation

The Riga neighbourhoods portal (apkaimes.lv) writes that the first standard buildings in Iļģuciems (the 303 series) were built in the 1950s. A new multi-storey residential district was created in the 1960s, and the park of the former manor was built over with panel buildings in the Soviet period. Wikipedia mentions 316, 318, 464, 467, 602 and 104 series buildings and Czech-project buildings in Iļģuciems, and in the southern part of the neighbourhood there is the Grīva residential estate.

In renovation these buildings fall into two groups. The 316 and 318 series are silicate brick buildings from 1956–1964 with 2–5 floors, and in Grīva there are also six-storey buildings; the apartments in them are small, with rooms you walk through and weak soundproofing. The 467 and 602 series are nine-storey panel buildings where, according to nopo.lv, practically all the internal walls are load-bearing; the renovation work is inside the walls: pipes, wiring, plaster. Check the plan of a 303 series apartment against the building's documents; you can send the plan to the specialist when they contact you.

Buildings built up to the mid-1970s are already older than 50 years. In Riga, for such buildings that are not state-protected, the City Development Department can determine the cultural and historical value and the permitted actions when it considers a construction intention.

Daugavgrīvas iela, Buļļu iela and what to state in the request

Iļģuciems is reached along Daugavgrīvas iela, Buļļu iela and by tram. In the neighbourhood, next to the residential estates there are industrial areas and warehouses, so write the exact address and whether materials can be brought up to the stairwell. For Czech-project buildings and the 303 series the plans can differ from other series, so an exact description of the apartment is useful there.

• series (303, 316, 318, 464, 467, 602, 104 or Czech project) or year of construction;
• the floor and whether there is a lift;
• the area in m² and the number of rooms;
• whether the bathroom and toilet are combined and how big they are;
• whether you plan to change the risers or renovate a balcony.

316 and 318 series: a small bathroom and small apartments

In “Khrushchyovka”-type buildings the apartments are small: according to cityreal.lv data, a 1-room apartment is 29–35 m², a 2-room 39–41 m², a 3-room about 51 m². In the oldest five-storey buildings the bathroom and toilet are often combined, and the size of the room must be checked in each building. In a small bathroom every centimetre matters: a shower with a floor drain instead of a bath, a wall-hung toilet and a sink above the washing machine are choices to decide before demolition.

Waterproofing is applied to the floor and to the walls by the shower; the manufacturer Ceresit recommends at least two coats of CL 51 and tape in the joints. If, when combining the toilet with the bathroom, a non-load-bearing wall is demolished, according to the Riga municipality's explanation a plan by a certified architect and a notice in the BIS are needed. See small bathroom renovation in Iļģuciems, 316 and 318 series apartment renovation and “Khrushchyovka” renovation.

Balconies and loggias: what the owners' association decides

In 2018 the Ministry of Economics assessed the technical condition of balconies of the 316 and 318 series and published standard solutions. The external structures of a balcony are the common property of the building, so strengthening them is a decision of the owners' association, while the balcony floor covering and wall finish can be part of your renovation. If you want to glaze a balcony or join it to a room, the State Construction Control Bureau (Būvniecības valsts kontroles birojs) advises consulting the building board and the building manager first, because it affects the facade and common property. Renovation of the inside of a balcony, for example the floor covering, painting and lighting, can be done together with the room.

The annex to Riga's Territory Use Regulations has standard loggia glazing solutions for 464, 467, 602 and 104 series buildings; if you use them, no building design is needed. Consult the building manager before the work. See balcony renovation in Iļģuciems and loggia renovation.

467 and 602 series: full renovation between load-bearing walls

For the 467 series, according to nopo.lv, typical problems are worn water pipes, wiring and lifts, while the bathroom and toilet are separate. In the 602 series the kitchen is about 7–8 m². If the walls are not moved, a full renovation means everything that is in the walls and the floor: new wiring with residual current protection, pipes to the riser, screed and finish. If you change a radiator, note that a radiator whose operation depends on the building's heating is common property, and shutting down the system is agreed with the building manager.

If you nevertheless need an opening in a load-bearing wall, approval of reconstruction in Iļģuciems is handled by the Riga municipality's City Development Department (formerly the Riga City Building Board). An architect, a structural engineer, an explanatory memorandum and the consent of more than half of the apartment owners are needed. See 467 series apartment renovation, 602 series apartment renovation and full renovation in Iļģuciems.

Prices for apartments in Iļģuciems

• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area
• Bathroom renovation (all the work): from €3,000
• Floor drain installation: from €100 per drain
• Waterproofing in a bathroom: from €6/m²

Prices are for labour, materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Example: a 1-room apartment of 33 m², full renovation: 33 × €280 = from €9,240 (labour). In a bathroom, tiling 18 m² × €24 = from €432 + waterproofing 5 m² × €6 = from €30 + floor drain installation from €100 = from €562 (only these three jobs; a whole bathroom renovation is from €3,000). An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: renovation prices.