How Long Does it Take to Renovate Condo

Are you thinking of acquiring an apartment that needs total renovation before moving in? Or maybe you just want to renovate your existing condo for the festive season. 

Whatever your reason for renovating is, you will need to begin with a practical sense of timing. How long does it take to renovate a condo?

Renovating a condo is not an easy task, but with proper planning by a skilled contractor, renovating a condo can take anywhere between 3-12 months or even more, depending on how long it took to start the project. Let’s go through the processes/steps it takes to renovate a condo:

• Make a Plan  

• Decide on the Timing of the Project 

• Choose the Right Contractors 

• Go for Approval

• Inspections and End of Project

Make a Plan

Make a plan by deciding how long you want your renovation project to run for, and then hire an architect. A good architect, according to CSG Renovation https://csgrenovation.ca/our-services/condo-renovation/ should be able to give you a clear drawing of the whole process and the duration – say,1 to 2 weeks or 2 months if the process drags on for too long. 

There are three processes in the renovation plan:

1. The first and easiest is the “Build Only,” This process doesn’t require any drawing, you just hire a general contractor to handle the project, as it’s mostly a simple and straightforward renovation. 
2. The second is the Design and Build Only. Here, you will hire an architect and a general contractor, both will have to work together to deliver your project. This option is not ideal for limited-budget homeowners. 
3. Lastly, you have the Design and Bid Build process, which is ideal for well-detailed, and costlier projects.

Decide on the Timing of the Project

If your architect has been hired, the next step is to decide on the timing of the project together. To do this, the architect needs to conduct a physical survey of your condo to understand its structure and capacity. Ensure that discuss your concerns and needs with your architect as this process might take about two weeks or more. 

Choose the Right Contractor 

The process of choosing the right contractor depends solely on the type of renovation project you want. This process can take up to 4 weeks, especially if you have opted for a Design Bid Build process. Here, you will have to bid your project out to numerous contractors to get the right contractor for the job. 

If you are going for the Design-Build approach, this process is faster as the contractor will be able to provide detailed and accurate information along with a risk report that outlines financial exposure to cost overruns. Learn more about how Design and Build works at: https://www.houseup.co.uk/design-build-london/ 

Go for Approval 

Going for approval takes 6-16 weeks. It doesn’t matter the size of your building, it’s expected that you apply for permission to do your renovation and it will be outlined in an alteration agreement. The agreement covers the terms of work rules, procedures,  insurance, schedules, and security deposits.

Note that, questions will be asked about your application, but worry less as this is something your architect should help guide you.  

Inspections and End of Project             

This is the final stage of your renovation. This construction period, which will last about a week to 6 weeks, after which the city will conduct electrical and plumbing inspections. Once all the work is complete, there will be a final inspection before the signing off on the renovation.

A renovation, like every other construction project, needs a good team of Certified Professionals to make the final look come out perfectly.