Renovation budget for a 75 m² Paris villa: what could €167,600 be missing?

[post.early]

I’d like to complete the essential renovation within €167,600, but hidden moisture or structural work could make that unrealistic. The property is a 75 m² villa in Paris, with kitchen and bathroom work, new flooring and paint, electrical investigation and moderate energy improvements in the preliminary scope. There is no planned extension.

Cosmetic items can become a later phase, whereas unsafe electrics, leaks or active damp cannot. Before choosing a contingency percentage, what missing information would most change it: evidence of moisture, access to the plumbing, the meaning of the electrical allowance, or the possibility that opening floors and walls reveals structural issues?

I’m also considering asking contractors to separate firm prices, provisional sums and exclusions, then provide a sequence for investigations, approvals and long-lead materials. Would that be enough to set a realistic reserve, or should the first contract cover investigation and essential work only before I commit to the finishes?

 

[HandyHarbor]

I’d avoid setting the contingency from the total alone. First ask for the estimate to separate defined work, provisional items and exclusions. The biggest unknowns are likely behind finishes: whether plumbing routes can be reached without opening several rooms, what the electrical “checks” actually include, and whether there is evidence of active or historic moisture. Also confirm who pays for making good after investigations.

 

[stone.swift]

I partly disagree that hidden services are automatically the main risk. Sequencing can consume the reserve even when nothing dramatic is discovered. Ask for a room-by-room programme showing when power and water are isolated, when long-lead materials must be ordered, and which tasks depend on approvals. Also clarify whether removing walls, floors or ceilings could trigger structural investigation despite there being no extension. Price essential work first, then treat cosmetics as a separate phase.