Contingency and sequencing for a €157,900 renovation in Brussels

[jade_figures]

The €157,900 estimate looks precise, but the plumbing routes worry me more than the finishes. The Brussels country home costs €680,800 and has only 35 m², so opening one floor or wall could affect several parts of the programme at once.

The current scope covers a kitchen, bathrooms, new floor finishes, decoration, electrical checks and moderate energy improvements, with no extension intended. Before committing most of the budget, I want to understand moisture, service access, sequencing and any structural work that might be uncovered. What should the surveyor inspect, and how should contractors state assumptions and exclusions in their tenders? I’m also trying to decide how much contingency to keep outside the contract until those points are verified.

 

[AwakeRoof]

I would keep a separate reserve rather than allowing the entire €157,900 to become committed contract value. Its size should follow the investigation: moisture readings, visible movement, roof and drainage condition, floor build-up, electrical condition and accessible plumbing routes. Ask every contractor to list assumptions, exclusions and what happens when concealed work is uncovered. Without that detail, a precise contingency is false comfort.

 

[CalmOak]

Are you keeping the bathrooms and kitchen connections in their current positions? On 35 m², moving services can affect almost every room. Also, will the property be empty during the work, and is access straightforward for waste removal and deliveries? Those answers could change both sequencing and labour allowances before you even reach hidden defects.

 

[friendly_kite]

I’d challenge the phrase “electrical checks.” Does the price cover inspection only, or any resulting remedial work, chasing and making good? Get the same clarity for plumbing: what can be accessed, what remains concealed and who pays to reopen finished surfaces. A detailed description of outcomes is more useful than a broad trade heading.

 

[CalmOak]

Agreed on defining outcomes, although some concealed areas may not be available for opening before purchase or before work starts. In that case, ask contractors to price uncertain items separately instead of burying them in one total. I’d also confirm whether the €157,900 includes design costs, permit-related costs, waste removal and temporary protection; otherwise the apparent contingency may already be spoken for.

 

[plantsAndLens]

The programme matters as much as the total. I’d want investigation and opening-up first, then any moisture or structural response, followed by electrical/plumbing routes and energy work before surfaces are closed. Only then lock final measurements for fitted items. Ask which materials have long lead times, the last dates for selections, and whether any permit uncertainty could delay the planned start.

 

[friendly_kite]

One caveat to that sequence: urgent long-lead orders may need to overlap with investigation, so make the contractor identify which dimensions are genuinely fixed and which depend on opening-up. For the budget, separate agreed work, uncertain concealed work and optional finishes. Protect the reserve for the second category; otherwise upgrades will consume it before a moisture, wiring or access problem appears.