Every detail of a home’s decoration or seemingly insignificant detail that has been adjusted can cause various inconveniences for homeowners. Real estate developers recommends that settlers show their home decoration project to construction engineers and consult with them about technical possibilities.
When preparing detailed home decoration projects, less experienced interior designers often focus on the aesthetics and style of the home, while leaving the engineering systems of the premises – electricity, fire protection system, ventilation, heating (especially if it is underfloor) – somewhat to the side.
Robertas Grigalis, head of the project management department at Eika, advises paying more attention to examining the apartment’s finishing project and being sure to discuss it with construction engineers and listen to their advice.
“If you want to change the layout of the partitions, increase or decrease the size of the apartment’s rooms, this can have a negative impact on both the ventilation and heating systems. If the apartment designer recommends installing niches in the apartment walls that border the apartment with the corridor or an adjacent apartment, the sound insulation properties of the aforementioned walls will definitely decrease,” the expert says.
Provide more information to the finishers
By signing the contract, home buyers undertake to follow the Property Finishing Rules annexed to the contract, and are also provided with instructions, descriptions, and specifications for various equipment installed in the apartment.
“Every document or instruction handed over is important when finishing a home, so we recommend that home buyers hand them over to contractors. Then they learn how the electrical or heating system, recuperator, and installed piping system work. When the craftsmen are familiar with the apartment’s equipment, finishing is carried out more smoothly and the owners have to pay less for unforeseen errors. Unfortunately, they are often noticed after the finishing work is completed,” says R. Grigalis.
He advises homeowners to carefully choose finishing contractors and assess their competence as much as possible. There are cases where, after unplugging an existing device, it is no longer possible to connect it, or after switching sockets and switches, half of them simply do not work.
Find out what equipment is in the apartment
Before starting finishing work, it is advisable for the homeowner to inquire with the seller about what equipment is installed in their apartment, how the engineering systems and devices work, and only then allow the finishing craftsmen to enter the home.
It is often assumed that apartment finishers know everything, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. “Pass on the information you receive from the seller about the engineering systems and equipment installed in the apartment to the apartment finishers. Be demanding – when taking over your apartment from the seller, be sure to demand an explanation of the operating principles of all engineering systems and installed equipment,” says an expert from “Eika”.
Experts note that homeowners may encounter situations where equipment installed in an apartment and handed over to them is dismantled by finishing masters, and then, due to poor installation, it simply does not work or works poorly.
“There are cases when equipment is damaged, contaminated with dust, or even replaced with simpler equipment during the finishing of the house. And the new owner knows nothing about this because he was not interested and did not delve into what was installed in his apartment, how to operate that equipment both during the finishing work and afterwards,” says the construction specialist.
R. Grigalis advises not to be shy and ask the seller about engineering systems – it is free, and the answers you receive will help you avoid at least some unpleasant situations both when finishing the house, during finishing work, and when already living in the apartment.