Second opinion on ARS 266m renovation budget for 180 m² Buenos Aires condo

[teaAndPath]

I’m testing a preliminary budget of ARS 266,000,000 to renovate a 180 m², two-bedroom condo in Buenos Aires. Scope is kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, paint, electrical checks and moderate energy upgrades, with no planned structural extension.

My concern is less about finish selection and more about sequencing and concealed conditions. What contingency would you carry, and what should the surveyor or contractor answer about plumbing access, moisture, electrical scope, exclusions, material lead times and permit timing before the figure is treated as reliable?

 

[frame.wild]

At this stage I’d carry roughly 15–20%, but separate genuine hidden-condition contingency from future price changes or client upgrades. Ask for a room-by-room scope and an exclusions list, not just a trade total. The biggest questions are whether bathroom and kitchen plumbing can be reached without opening extra floors or walls, what the electrical “checks” actually include, and who pays for making good after investigation.

 

[weighTheRadar]

I’d be cautious about choosing the contingency percentage before knowing the building’s age and whether moisture has been mapped. A large allowance does not fix an unclear scope.

Also ask how the work will be sequenced if plumbing access affects flooring, and which materials must be ordered before demolition. Are the ARS 266,000,000 prices fixed for any period, and does the contractor’s programme allow for building approvals or other permit timing? Those answers may expose more than another survey.