Renovating a Flat in a New Building: What to Watch For

What is different about renovating a flat in a new building: checking the handover state, building settlement, moisture in concrete, neighbours’ works and shared services.

Renovating a flat in a new building is not the same as refreshing an old one. There is little to strip out, but the building is still “settling in”: the structure is adjusting to its loads, concrete and plaster have not fully dried, and many of the neighbours are renovating at the same time. A renovation that ignores these factors may face cracks and unexpected repairs in its first years.

Establish exactly what was handed over

Flats in new buildings are delivered at different levels of completion. A bare “shell” usually means only the external walls, floor slabs and entrance door. A “white box” may also include partitions, plaster, screed and the main service connections. Because these terms can mean different things on different projects, check the contract and handover certificate carefully to see what has actually been done.

At handover, look at:

• the geometry of walls and floors and whether corners are true;
• how well the windows seal and whether any glazing units are damaged;
• the position and condition of water, drainage and heating connections;
• the capacity of the electrical panel and the number of circuits.

Record any defects before renovation begins. Once a defect has been covered by finishes, it becomes much harder to show it to the developer.

A laser level and a long straightedge are the right tools for these checks. Differences in floor level dictate the screed thickness, and out-of-true walls dictate the plaster thickness, and therefore how much material you will use.

Settlement and cracks

In its early period, a new building’s structure moves slightly under load. This is normally not a safety issue, but it can show up as fine cracks in rigid finishes — in plaster, at wall junctions, along plasterboard joints.

To reduce the risk, reinforcing mesh is used where different materials meet, and flexible joints are planned between partitions and the ceiling. Some owners choose simpler, easily renewed finishes at first and save costly decorative coatings for later. The right approach depends on the building’s structural system and the type of finish.

Moisture in concrete and plaster

In a cast-in-place concrete building, floor slabs and walls hold moisture long after construction. On top of that, the screed and plaster applied during renovation bring in extra water. Parquet laid before this moisture has gone can cup, and painted surfaces can develop patches.

So after wet work, the rooms should be ventilated regularly, and the moisture level of the base should be measured before any timber flooring is installed. It is a simple check, but it greatly reduces the chance of having to lift the floor later.

In winter, before the heating is switched on, drying can slow down considerably, while on hot summer days drying too fast can crack the surface. That is why the ventilation routine is adjusted to the season.

Sound insulation and neighbours’ renovations

In new buildings most flats are renovated at the same time, and the noise can last for months. The more important issue, however, is long-term comfort: sound insulation is one of those things that is hard to add afterwards.

Party walls with the neighbouring flat, impact noise through the floor and drain stacks are the main sources of sound. An acoustic layer under the screed, an insulated lining on the party wall and boxing in the stacks with insulation are all relatively easy to do at this stage.

It is also worth checking at the planning stage whether a bedroom backs onto the neighbours' living room or the lift shaft: sometimes swapping the function of two rooms is simpler than adding more insulation.

Shared services and building rules

Shared water and drain risers, meters and shut-off valves that pass through the flat should not be sealed completely inside walls. Access must be kept through an inspection hatch or a removable panel; otherwise, in an emergency the finishes will have to be broken open. Meters also need to stay easy to read.

Before starting, learn the building management’s rules: permitted working hours, conditions for using the lift for materials, waste removal and any requirements for facade elements such as where air-conditioning units may go. Following them protects both your relationship with the neighbours and the pace of the work.

Zaferoğlu İnşaat renovates apartments in both new and older buildings, from the design project through to finishing. Just collected the keys? Bring the handover sheet and we will go through the first renovation steps with you.