Newbie apartment renovation

[larryk78]

Just moved to Helsinki and bought an ex-rental flat. The building is in great shape, having had all the major renovations (plumbing, facade, windows) done recently. However, the interior decor (floor, walls, kitchen, bathroom, built-in cupboards and wardrobes... pretty much all of it) is nasty. Perhaps it was new, bottom-of-the-line stuff when the last tenant moved in six years ago but now it's just... *ugh*

So I'm looking for hints and tips on renovation planning/permits, buying materials and finding professionals to do the work. I want to:

1. remove an unnecessary, non-loadbearing wall between living room and kitchen (has been done already in other flats in the same building, apparently)
2. block up a doorway in the kitchen so I can...
3. rip out the old kitchen and install a modern, fitted one (covering the part of the wall where the doorway is now)
4. install wooden flooring throughout, except kitchen/bathroom
5. convert the current (wet) bathroom into an en-suite (by creating a door to the bedroom and closing up the other door)
6. install a bath in the (future) en-suite
7. create a new (dry/wet - don't care) shower & toilet bathroom from the wasted hallway adjoining the current bathroom

Any advice/experiences on what to do (or not to do) would be much appreciated by this new Helsinki resident.

Cheers,
Larry

[priki]

You need permission from the housing company for most of the renovations. Basic rule is that everything that might affect your neighbors needs permit, e.g. putting on laminate flooring, anything to done to water/plumbing etc. So the first thing to do is to contact your isännöitsijä and ask for advice. You will need to apply for the permit, and for the permit you need to have plans, materials, work methods, and possibly also the company name listed. It will cost you some hundreds in check up costs, someone from isännöitsijä will come and check if you have done everything according to the laws and regulations.

[larryk78]

You need permission from the housing company for most of the renovations. Basic rule is that everything that might affect your neighbors needs permit, e.g. putting on laminate flooring, anything to done to water/plumbing etc. So the first thing to do is to contact your isännöitsijä and ask for advice. You will need to apply for the permit, and for the permit you need to have plans, materials, work methods, and possibly also the company name listed. It will cost you some hundreds in check up costs, someone from isännöitsijä will come and check if you have done everything according to the laws and regulations.

Thanks priki. I'll summarize my experience to bring some closure to this thread.

I called my management company to talk to the house manager for advice. He was on holiday but his assistant advised me to fill out an online form (Finnish only... completed with the help of a colleague) on the housing company website to describe the plan for the work. I split the work into three logical parts (walls and floor first, kitchen second and bathroom third). I scoped the application to just the first part (explaining that it would be the first of three). I gave as much information as possible and provided attachments with 2D and 3D models that I had created online (http://www.floorplanner.com) for free

This was clearly enough as there were no clarifications requested. I received two signed copies in the post the same week and I signed and returned one copy to the company. There was no charge for this online/postal paperwork and no personal visit by the manager or anyone else (perhaps due to staff shortages during the Finnish summer holiday).

Regarding the work itself, I posted notes through my neighbours' doors to give notice for the wall demolition - to let people know it might be noisy. It only took an hour in the end (well, an hour to knock down and four to tidy up afterwards).

I'm moving onto the second phase now - the kitchen. I'll repeat the steps above and then again later for phase 3 - bathroom. Only if there are any questions or there's something interesting to report would I add more here.

I hope this information might be useful to others thinking about doing some work on their apartment.

[Pursuivant]

Good going

I bought an ex-rental the decor was original from 1972 and "nothing done since" except added paint and wallpaper every so often.. the 70's color schemes... brrrrr...

One note - The bathroom - YOU MUST HAVE THE WATERPROOFING INSPECTED! - there are licensed guys who come do it and can recommend an inspector. If you "just do it" the housing company can have you rip off the tiles... not joking. If theres damage the insurance won't cover if its been done "cowboy". You just have to remember with the anal rules its a co-operative of sorts, you don't "own the flat", you own the shares entitling you to occupy the space between the concrete walls, which belong to the company you have the stock of. Hence anything "fixed" as plumbing, windows, doors, installing satellite dishes etc. need the housing association/isännöitsijä permission.

Oh, another one, also doing the kitchen, have the plumber install stopcocks in all pipes so the next time over the whole house doesn't need the water cut. If he's not a total idiot he will, but just to make sure its not pinching a penny in the wrong place. And its a good idea to think about waterproofing and spill/drain in the kitchen in the scenario the dishwasher leaks... dunno if its a cultural thing but having a clothes washer in the kitchen is a bit "weird" for Finns as its traditionally in the "wet room"... say you get it stuck mid cycle and need to open the filter drain... so you flood the kitchen?

[Upphew]

And its a good idea to think about waterproofing and spill/drain in the kitchen in the scenario the dishwasher leaks... dunno if its a cultural thing but having a clothes washer in the kitchen is a bit "weird" for Finns as its traditionally in the "wet room"... say you get it stuck mid cycle and need to open the filter drain... so you flood the kitchen?

Waterproofing or not, this is (almost?) mandatory now: http://www.gigantti.fi/product/kodinkon ... sukoneelle

[priki]

^^Sounds good.
When we did the laminate flooring in our apt last winter, we had to inform isännöitsijä when we had almost done it, and they sent a guy over to check that we had installed the impact sound insulation (?) correctly. They also sent a bill of the inspection later on, it was 117€.

[kharnynb]

Remember, anything, water, electric etc, should be checked by someone with a finnish license.

Otherwise, no insurance company will ever reward you anything in case of trouble.