Remember that no essential finishing work is done on Sundays and holidays, and on Saturdays – from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Assess that common areas, such as the roof, are the property of all residents of the house, not personal property. Note that without the written consent of the seller, the settlers do not have the right to change the design solutions of the apartment, such as partitions. Unless this was agreed in advance in the preliminary apartment purchase and sale agreement.
These are just a few of the rules that new home buyers are unaware of or are not interested in, which can lead to conflicts with neighbors or damage to themselves. Real estate experts advise new homeowners to carefully read the Rules for Performing Finishing Work, and if contractors are hired to perform the work, to pass the rules on to them as well.
“The rules for performing finishing work are one of the documents that must be followed. Following the rules will make settling in easier and help avoid possible misunderstandings with neighbors. Newcomers in particular should remember that they must contact the seller for all the nuances of redesigning the apartment and coordinate with him what will be done,” notes Maija Nikitina, finishing project manager at Eika.
Another important area is insurance. Experts advise new residents to purchase insurance not only for the apartment, but also for property (e.g. furniture). It is also recommended to take out civil insurance, which will protect you if your neighbors are flooded.
Dispose of construction waste properly
The rules for performing finishing works state that the buyer undertakes not to litter in common areas, entrances, driveways and areas adjacent to the house. It is prohibited to pour construction waste into sewer pipes, as they clog them.
“A particularly sensitive problem is when buyers fill the entire stairwell with construction waste. This often causes dissatisfaction among neighbors. In addition, this also violates fire safety regulations. The buyer of an apartment undertakes to throw garbage only into special containers or remove it, depending on its type. It is also prohibited to store construction materials, tools, and furniture in stairwells, parking lots, common areas, entrances, and driveways,” says M. Nikitina.
According to her, it is not uncommon for staircases to be untidy after finishing work, for example, tiles in common areas are smeared with glue or paint. “Residents are outraged that the building administrator does not tidy up, even though these are premises damaged by people hired by the residents themselves. In order to order post-renovation cleaning of the staircase, the consent of all residents is required, and this is extremely difficult to do,” the specialist points out.
Real estate experts point out that access to the construction site is only possible in designated areas. The buyer is responsible for ensuring that no unauthorized persons, not related to the performance of necessary finishing works, enter the apartment. Also, all persons present at the construction site must wear a helmet.
Coordinate work with the home seller
Those seeking to implement the ideas of interior designers are advised to initially coordinate the work to be performed with the sellers of the housing. The rules prohibit dismantling or having any other negative impact on the reinforced concrete and masonry structures of the house: columns, beams, ceilings, walls, etc. The buyer is not allowed to uncover hidden structures: reinforcement, metal profiles, waterproofing, heat and sound insulation materials, etc.
“Buyers often do not know that it is not allowed to dismantle floor sub-layers, drill or otherwise physically affect balcony floors and the threshold at balcony doors and windows, so as not to damage the waterproofing layer,” says the finishing project manager at Eika.
According to her, settlers cannot be arbitrarily and disconnect heating system devices from pipelines on their own initiative. “If you want to install water-heated floors, you need to coordinate the project with the heat suppliers first,” says M. Nikitina.
There are several necessary rules related to ceilings. One of them is that when installing suspended ceilings, it is not allowed to hide fire detectors – they must be lowered to the outer surface of the suspended ceiling.
Real estate experts point out that a buyer who violates the Rules for Performing Finishing Works undertakes to compensate the seller or third parties for any losses incurred no later than within 5 calendar days.
By following the rules for completing finishing work, buyers of new homes will show respect for those around them, avoid potential losses, and avoid misunderstandings with neighbors.