Khrushchyovka renovation

What a “Khrushchyovka” is

“Khrushchyovkas” is the name for buildings begun in the second half of the 1950s, for example the 1-317 series and similar. They are mostly 2–5 storey buildings, and the five-storey ones have no lift. The oldest were built of silicate brick, the later ones of panel blocks.

Cityreal.lv gives typical areas: a 1-room apartment 29–35 m², a 2-room 39–41 m², a 3-room about 51 m². The rooms are small and walk-through, and the sound insulation is poor. Nopo.lv writes that in Soviet-era buildings ceilings are generally around 2.5 m, but for a specific series this is not described uniformly, so measure your own apartment.

A small apartment: what to decide before the renovation

• Combined bathroom: in older five-storey buildings the bathroom and toilet are often combined; check your own apartment. More on this: bathroom renovation in a Khrushchyovka.
• The kitchen is smaller than in later series. If you want to join it with a room, you must find out whether the wall is load-bearing. If the kitchen has a gas hob, it can be moved within one room in agreement with the gas supplier. Moving it to another room needs the supplier's technical conditions, a report on the flue and ventilation ducts, and a building design.
• A walk-through room: the passage can be partitioned off with a plasterboard partition wall (from €12/m² of wall) or the door opening can be moved.
• Sound: the walls between apartments and the floor slabs are common property; inside the apartment, insulation can be improved with finishing layers.

Non-load-bearing partitions, finishes, doors and services up to the risers belong to the apartment. Load-bearing walls, walls between apartments and risers are common property; work in load-bearing walls and walls between apartments needs the association's consent, while replacing a riser section is agreed with the building manager.

Khrushchev-era apartment renovation step by step

1. Measurements and plan The estimate is based on the room areas, the wall height and the list of work.
2. Demolition Removing the old finish and floor layers. Old vinyl floor tiles and their adhesive can contain asbestos; it cannot be determined by appearance, only in a laboratory.
3. Wiring and pipes In many homes the wiring is from the Soviet era and worn out. New wiring is installed under the supervision of a certified construction specialist, with residual current protection for socket and lighting circuits.
4. Walls and floors Plastering and skimming, screed or floor levelling. For a cement screed under tiles, the manufacturer Ceresit requires at least 28 days and moisture below 4%.
5. Finishing Tiling the bathroom, painting, floor covering, doors.

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

What to write in your request

• the address and the building series or year of construction;
• the apartment area in m² and the number of rooms;
• a short description of each room;
• whether the bathroom is combined or separate, and whether the kitchen has a gas hob;
• whether you will change the wiring, pipes and riser sections;
• whether you will choose the materials yourself.

Khrushchyovka renovation costs

• Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area.
• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area.
• Bathroom renovation (the whole job): from €3,000.

Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Examples: a 1-room apartment of 33 m², full renovation: 33 × €280 = from €9,240 (labour). A 2-room apartment of 40 m², cosmetic renovation: 40 × €100 = from €4,000 (labour).

The price changes with the area and number of rooms, the type of renovation, the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings, whether the wiring, pipes and risers are changed, and the finish chosen. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. We agree the price and the list of work before the job starts.

What a full renovation includes

For construction waste removal, see buvgruzuizvesanariga.lv.