Apartment renovation in Ķīpsala - for two-storey wooden rental houses and new projects

From fishermen's log cabins to wooden rental houses and new builds

A Riga neighbourhood portal writes that in Ķīpsala the fishermen's small log cabins were over time replaced by small two-storey wooden rental houses and private houses. Today, on the island opposite the city centre, alongside the historic wooden houses there are new apartment projects, as well as university and exhibition complexes. In apartment renovation these are two separate stories.

In a two-storey wooden house, an apartment may occupy one floor, and then there is a neighbour below or above, with whom the wooden floor structure is shared. The condition of the floors, wall finishes and wiring differs in every house, so the list of work depends on the particular apartment. In a new project the apartment may be handed over with a grey or white finish, and then the work is to complete what the developer left.

“Ķīpsalas vēsturiskā apbūve” (the historic development of Ķīpsala) was included in the list of state-protected cultural monuments by a 1998 order of the Ministry of Culture as an urban planning monument of national significance, and in the same list the residential building from 1838 at Balasta dambis 52 is an architectural monument of national significance. In the historic part (Loču iela, Enkura iela, Zvejnieku iela, Ķīpsalas iela, Āzenes iela, Balasta dambis) it is prohibited to replace the original windows and external doors, except where they practically cannot be preserved or are not visible from the public outdoor space (Cabinet Regulation No. 127, paragraph 8.4.1).

If the building is a cultural monument, the solution is agreed with the National Heritage Board. So in a wooden house, start the renovation plan with what will happen to the windows and doors, and plan the interior work around them.

Vanšu Bridge, Ķīpsalas iela and what to put in the request

You reach the island by the Vanšu Bridge and Ķīpsalas iela. During events, traffic near the exhibition complex can be heavier, so write the exact address and where materials can be unloaded by the building. In a new-build, ask the building manager how the lift may be used during the renovation and whether the association has set house rules for the renovation period.

• a wooden house, a private house or a new project;
• the floor, and whether there is a lift;
• the area in m² and which rooms you will renovate;
• in a wooden house: the type of floor and whether the apartment has a stove;
• in a new-build: what finish was handed over and whether there is an apartment plan;
• whether you plan to move walls or change windows;
• the condition of the rooms.

A wooden rental house: the floor and the floor structure

In a wooden house the floorboards may have survived under later coverings. If they are sound, they can be restored, sanded and varnished rather than covered with a new covering. If the boards move or are damaged, the floor structure must be assessed first. For tiles, for example in a bathroom, the manufacturer Ceresit requires a dry, load-bearing, stable and clean base, so on a wooden floor structure you first assess whether it is stable enough.

The partition walls and the floor and wall finishes in an apartment are your property, but the external walls, the roof, the windows and the floor structures with their sound and thermal insulation are common property. So replacing or strengthening a floor structure is not a decision for one apartment. If the apartment still has a stove, write whether you will keep it, because it affects the floor and wall work around it. See wooden house apartment renovation, wooden floor restoration in Ķīpsala and parquet sanding.

A new apartment on the island: from the finish to the layout

The new apartments in Ķīpsala are in very different buildings. The former Celms and Bēms gypsum factory was converted into a residential complex in 2003, the first example in Latvia where a factory became an apartment building, while for Riverstone Residence at Ķīpsalas iela 49 six buildings no higher than three floors are planned, and the first three-storey building with 10 apartments was built from 2015 to 2017. So in the request write the name of the project and what was handed over: whether the walls are plastered, whether there is a screed, wiring run to the points and the bathroom and toilet. In a bathroom, waterproofing is applied before the tiles; the manufacturer Ceresit CL 51 recommends at least two coats.

If you want to combine the kitchen with the living room or move the combined bathroom, decide this before the wiring and pipes, because moving it after the finishing costs more. When completing the apartment, an autonomous smoke detector must also be provided, as required by the Fire Safety Regulations currently in force. See new-build apartment fit-out in Ķīpsala and grey or white finish.

Approval of reconstruction in Ķīpsala

Approval of reconstruction in Ķīpsala is handled by the City Development Department of the Riga municipality (formerly the Riga City Building Board). For an interior design project that does not include renovation, reconstruction, restoration or demolition work, construction proposal documents are not needed. For demolishing a non-load-bearing wall, according to the Riga municipality's explanation, an architect prepares a plan and a construction notice is submitted in the BIS; the notice is not used if the work results in a new apartment.

In Riga, the department's Architecture Division checks BIS notices, with stricter checks since December 2025, and cancels non-compliant notices, so the plan must match what is actually built. With an explanatory memorandum, work may begin only after the building board's note that the conditions for starting construction have been met. If approval is needed, write that in the request. See replanning approval and replanning.

Prices in Ķīpsala

• Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area
• Turnkey renovation: from €600/m²
• 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 new-project apartment of 45 m² turnkey: 45 × €600 = from €27,000 (labour). In an apartment in a wooden house, parquet sanding and varnishing of 18 m²: 18 × €23 = from €414. In a new-build, laminate for 40 m²: 40 × €6.50 = from €260. The price changes with the number of rooms, the condition of the walls and floors and the chosen finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: renovation prices.