Where to start renovating a new-build apartment: first steps after you get the keys

Step 1. The handover inspection - before you sign the certificate

Until the handover certificate is signed, it's easier for the developer to fix defects and easier for you to prove they existed before the renovation. In the app route, the first new-build stage is “Apartment handover”. It goes in this order:

• entrance door, windows and balcony door: how they open, the seals, the installation joint from the inside;
• walls, floor and ceiling: cracks, chips, damp marks, level differences;
• ventilation: a sheet of paper held to the grille should be pulled towards it;
• radiators, water and sewer outlets;
• electrical panel: breakers labelled, nothing damaged;
• meters: photograph the readings;
• floor area: if in doubt, check the dimensions against the plan.

Photograph every defect you find and add it to one list. How to record defects and what to do if the developer doesn't fix them is covered in Defects at apartment handover. The full list of checks is in the handover checklist.

Step 2. Don't rush to bring in a crew

A common mistake is to start knocking things down in the first week. Until you've decided where the kitchen goes, how many sockets you need and what the floor will be, the contractor will work “as you go”, and redoing things costs more. In the app route, the “Planning” stage comes right after the handover and ends with the “Approve the design” item: rough work starts only after it.

What to decide at this step:

1. The renovation goal - for yourself, to rent out or to sell. The budget and materials depend on it.
2. The budget - the total and a reserve for the unexpected. The route recommends a 10-15% margin.
3. Layout and furniture placement - sockets, switches and lighting depend on the furniture.
4. Appliances - at least their dimensions, especially for the kitchen.
5. Building systems - air conditioning, underfloor heating, leak protection, ventilation.
6. Layout changes - if you're moving anything, find out whether it needs approval.

Each item in detail: Renovation planning.

Step 3. Understand the order of work

A new-build renovation moves from dirty work to clean work and from hidden to visible. In the app, the new-build stages go like this:

1. Apartment handover and planning.
2. Demolition (if needed) and window replacement.
3. Partitions.
4. Plumbing and electrical - pipes and cables in the walls and floor.
5. Air conditioning and ventilation - lines laid before plastering.
6. Rough finishing - plastering the walls and reveals.
7. Floor preparation and screed, then waterproofing of wet areas.
8. Ceilings, tiling, wall finishing, stretch ceiling.
9. Flooring.
10. Final installation: doors, sockets, light fittings, plumbing fixtures.
11. Furniture and appliances, final acceptance, move-in.

The logic is simple: anything that will later be covered by plaster, screed or tiles is done and accepted first. The full list with every stage's items is in Renovation stages in order.

Step 4. Order long-lead items early

Renovations stall more often from waiting for materials than from a lack of workers. The app route flags items ordered long before installation:

• built-in plumbing - installation frames, concealed mixer bodies, a floor drain or shower tray: outlets are marked out for the fixtures you've bought;
• tiles - right after the layout is approved, from one batch and with a margin;
• concealed doors and their frames - the frame goes in before the walls are skimmed;
• air conditioners - the model and unit locations are needed before the lines are laid, and in summer installers are booked weeks ahead.

The kitchen and wardrobes are ordered later, from measurements taken after plastering and screeding: measuring against unplastered walls almost always leads to rework.

Step 5. Agree on how work will be checked

Decide before you start how you'll accept the work: stage by stage, before pipes and cables are covered. Ask the contractor to photograph hidden work - the whole wall, with a tape measure in the shot. Years later these photos will show you where it's safe to drill. More in How to accept a crew's work stage by stage.

First-week checklist

• Inspect the apartment against the list and photograph every defect.
• Hand the defect list to the developer and keep a copy marked as received.
• Photograph all meter readings and the electrical panel.
• Keep the handover certificate and the apartment documents.
• Write down the renovation goal and the budget with a margin.
• Get a measured plan, or at least measure every room.
• Decide who runs the project: you, a designer or the crew.

What it looks like in the Doma app

Create a property: type “Apartment” → “New build”. The app builds a route from the new-build stages, starting with “Apartment handover”. Mark the items, attach photos to every defect, and put the certificate and the defect list on the “Documents” tab. The project survey removes stages you won't have: how to create a property and set up the route. To work together with a designer or contractor, log in with your email: the code arrives by email.