Renovating a new-build home: from shell finish to turnkey

A new-build home is rarely truly ready to live in. Most often it is handed over with a ‘shell finish’ – wiring and plumbing run to their outlets, plastered walls and a screeded floor – and the finishing work starts from there. The good news is that there is nothing to demolish. The bad news is that the decisions you make in the first few weeks determine both the budget and how long it will be before you can move in.

Before the renovation: check what you are accepting

Before you sign the handover report with the developer, inspect the property carefully. Defects recorded at handover are easier to get the builder to put right; once the renovation has started, it becomes difficult to prove what was a defect in the building.

• Walls and ceilings – cracks, visible unevenness, damp patches.
• Screed – levels and unevenness, especially in the larger rooms.
• Windows – how they open, the seals, any damage to the frames and glass.
• Plumbing and electrical outlets – whether they are where the plans show them, and whether they work.
• Balconies and terraces – the fall towards the drainage, and the waterproofing.

The order of the finishing work

1. Plan and layout – where the kitchen, furniture and lighting will go, and what changes compared with the original design.
2. Electrical and plumbing additions – new points, circuits for appliances, relocated outlets.
3. Waterproofing and tiling in the bathrooms.
4. Skim coating, priming and painting the walls and ceilings.
5. Flooring – laminate, parquet or tiles.
6. Interior doors, the kitchen and built-in furniture.
7. Second fix – switches, sockets, lighting, sanitaryware.

Where time and money are most often lost

The most expensive mistakes in a new-build home come from decisions made after the work has started. A socket moved after skim coating, a new circuit for an air conditioner after painting, a kitchen ordered without exact measurements – each decision like this sends the team several steps back. That is why the layout of the kitchen, the bathroom and the lighting needs to be clear before the first stage.

The second common cause of delays is materials with long delivery times – tiles, doors, the kitchen. Order them in good time, so that the site isn’t standing idle waiting for a delivery.

How long it takes

The timeline depends on the floor area and the scope – from painting and flooring through to complete finishing with a bathroom and kitchen. A realistic schedule is drawn up after a site visit, once it is clear exactly what the renovation includes. A written quote broken down by stage gives you both the timelines and the payments linked to them.

A short checklist before you start

• A signed handover report with the developer, with all defects noted.
• A layout of the kitchen and furniture, with dimensions.
• A list of the additional electrical and plumbing points.
• The main materials chosen – tiles, flooring, doors.
• A written quote with the scope, timeline and stages.

If you have received the keys to a new-build home, book a site visit. We will go over the property together, and you will receive a written quote with a clear scope and a timeline up to the day you move in.