467 series apartment renovation

What is typical of a 467 series building

467 series buildings were built in the late 1970s and in the 1980s, and they have 9 storeys. The walls are reinforced concrete large panels, and practically all of them are load-bearing. In Riga this series is in Purvciems, Pļavnieki, Imanta, Ķengarags, Iļģuciems and Krasta masīvs, and the 467B variant is in Mežciems.

Worn lifts, water pipes and electrical wiring, as well as heat loss through the facade, are mentioned as the typical issues of these buildings. Lifts and the facade are a matter for the whole building, but the pipes and wires in the apartment up to the riser are your responsibility. The size of the kitchen and bathroom and the ceiling height depend on the particular apartment.

Pipes and risers: what is yours and what is common property

The apartment property includes the utility lines up to the common-property risers, as well as the bathroom, toilet and kitchen equipment. The riser itself is the common property of the apartment owners. In 2023 the Senate of the Supreme Court held that the water supply inlet valve at the entrance to an apartment is part of the building's common water supply system.

So in a full renovation the pipes from the inlet valve to the plumbing can be replaced as you see fit, but replacing a riser section in an apartment is agreed with the building manager. Riser replacement is usually paid for by all the owners in proportion to their share, on the basis of an association decision. If the riser stays behind the finish, leave an access hatch by it for inspection.

Description of the work: riser replacement in an apartment. Who pays for what: common-property risers.

Electrical wiring in a 467 series apartment

In many homes the electrical wiring was installed in the Soviet era, and the wires are 30–50 years old. The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force require an inspection of the electrical installation every 10 years with an inspection report. If the electrical installation is rebuilt, it must be equipped with residual current protection, and for socket and lighting circuits the tripping current of the residual current device is no more than 30 mA.

The installation of electrical wiring takes place under the supervision of a construction specialist, and the wire resistance and earthing tests are carried out by an electrical specialist (LBN 261-15, paragraph 55). More: rewiring an apartment and old electrical wiring in an apartment.

The layout when almost all the walls are load-bearing

Any opening in a load-bearing wall is a simplified reconstruction: you need a structural engineer's solution, an explanatory memorandum and the consent of more than half of the apartment owners. So in a 467 series apartment most needs can be met without changing walls: by redistributing the functions of rooms, built-in furniture, light positions and finishes.

A large room can be divided with a plasterboard partition, because it does not affect the load-bearing structures. Before that, check whether a construction notice is needed in your case, and write your intention in the request.

Order of work when changing pipes and wires

1. Approval The replacement of a riser section and the shutting off of water are agreed with the building manager.
2. Demolition The tiles in the bathroom, the old finish and the old pipes and wires are removed.
3. Pipes New pipes are laid from the inlet valve to the plumbing positions.
4. Electrical wiring A new circuit layout, sockets and light points, residual current protection, an inspection report.
5. Walls and floors The chases are filled, the walls are plastered and skimmed, the floor is levelled.
6. Finishing Bathroom waterproofing and tiling, painting, floor covering.

How long the renovation takes depends on the amount of work and the drying time of the materials.

How much a 467 series apartment renovation costs

Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment floor area, and it already includes new wires and pipes. Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m². If only a wiring replacement is added to a cosmetic renovation, replacing the wiring in an apartment is from €20/m² of apartment floor area, and a socket, switch or light point from €12 per point. Replacing a riser section: from €100 per riser. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Example: for a 50 m² apartment, cosmetic renovation 50 × €100 = from €5,000 and replacing the wiring 50 × €20 = from €1,000, in total from €6,000 (labour, without points). An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: apartment renovation prices.

What the price includes in a 467 series apartment