Renovation budget for a 195 m² serviced apartment in Vienna

[mae_dean]

I can either add a large contingency to the €138,200 budget or delay treating the numbers as meaningful until more investigation is done. The first may hide gaps in the scope; the second makes it difficult to judge whether this 195 m² Vienna serviced apartment is viable.

The plan includes new kitchen and bathroom work, floors, decoration, electrical assessment and limited energy improvements, without adding to the structure. My concern is what happens behind the finishes and in what order the trades can work.

Before choosing a reserve percentage, which items should the surveyor investigate and which should contractors price explicitly? I am thinking particularly about moisture, access to plumbing, whether the electrical allowance means testing or remedial work, contractor exclusions and any permit timing that could disrupt the sequence.

 

[kai.voss]

At this stage I would carry roughly 15–20%, but I would not use contingency to disguise an undefined scope. Ask each contractor whether demolition, disposal, opening and closing access points, substrate repairs, electrical remedial work and final making-good are included.

Will the apartment be fully vacant? Working around guests or operations could change the sequence and cost more than a finish upgrade.

 

[mae_dean]

Vacancy is still a decision. The current €138,200 assumes one continuous project rather than phasing work around guests, but it does not yet put a value on temporary shutdowns or delayed reopening.

The weakest areas are bathroom plumbing access and the meaning of “electrical checks.” I will ask for those to be priced separately rather than leaving all resulting work inside the contingency.

 

[finch.curious]

I disagree slightly with choosing a percentage first. If the bathrooms have not been opened up and the wiring scope is only described as checks, even 20% may provide false comfort.

Before tendering, inspect accessible plumbing routes, take moisture readings around wet areas, identify the distribution board and visible circuits, and confirm whether any walls will be altered despite there being no extension. Then separate known remedial items from genuinely unforeseen work.

 

[kit_escrow]

Sequencing deserves its own contractor response, not just a programme bar chart. Ask what must be ordered before demolition, when dimensions can be verified, and which rooms need to remain accessible for later plumbing or electrical work. Also ask who carries the delay if a specified item arrives late.

A practical order might change once hidden conditions are exposed, so include a clear process for approving variations before areas are closed again.

 

[asha.dean]

Give bidders the same questions and require an exclusions list; otherwise the lowest figure may simply omit the most uncertain work. I would also ask them to distinguish labour, materials, provisional allowances and contingency.

For Vienna, confirm early with the relevant building management and local advisers whether any proposed alterations or energy measures need approvals, and how that timing affects mobilisation. That is jurisdiction- and building-specific, but it should be resolved before committing to material lead times.