Why Is It Necessary to Plan an Apartment Before Renovation?

 

An outlet behind a wardrobe. A toilet with three turns of the sewer pipe that clogs every month. A dishwasher door that won’t open fully. These aren’t made-up — they’re real apartments in 2025.

My colleague from the Moscow region bought a two-room apartment in a new building.
“Why pay a designer 150,000 rubles? I’ll figure everything out as I go,” he decided.
Three months later: +280,000 rubles spent redoing electrical wiring, dismantling a wrongly installed towel dryer (moved 4 meters from the riser instead of the recommended 1.5), and — the most painful — tearing out freshly laid bathroom tiles because the furniture placement wasn’t considered.
Result: 23% more expensive, two months longer.

Developers are eager to market “open floor plans” as an advantage. It sounds great — a blank canvas for creativity. But they don’t mention the downside: according to housing inspection data, 67% of owners of such apartments make mistakes when planning on their own. Every third layout requires corrections, and in 2024 the real estate market recorded a drop in demand for apartments with “bad layouts and no renovation” — they were called the anti-trend of the year.

The paradox is simple: the more freedom you have, the more expensive your mistake.
And now, when the average cost of major renovation for a two-room apartment in Moscow starts at 900,000 rubles, and the Central Bank’s key rate remains at 17%, losing money on rework is a luxury only oligarchs can afford. Everyone else needs a layout — before, not during renovation.

The Real Cost of “Maybe It’ll Work”: The Math of Mistakes

Let’s calculate what skipping planning really costs — not in theory, but based on real cases from 2024–2025.

Scenario 1: Electrical Mistakes

The most common issue designers mention — outlets and switches in the wrong places. Sounds minor until you start redoing things.

Reality check:
You’ve already plastered and painted walls, laid laminate, moved in furniture — and realize the outlet is behind the sofa instead of next to your desk three meters away. What do you do?

Option A: Live with extension cords (ugly, unsafe, embarrassing).
Option B: Redo everything:

  • Dismantle wall finish — 3–5k rubles

  • Cut new cable groove — 2–4k per meter

  • Install new cable and outlet — 5–7k

  • Restore finish — plaster, primer, wallpaper — 8–12k

Total: One misplaced outlet = 18–28k rubles.
A typical apartment has 30–50 of them.

With planning:
You know in advance where every piece of furniture, light, and TV goes. The electrician wires accordingly. Zero rework.

Scenario 2: Plumbing and Drainage

A common mistake: the toilet is placed so that the sewer pipe makes 2–3 bends before the riser.

Result: Constant clogs — every 1–2 months.
A plumber call = 3–5k rubles each time → 60k per year → 300k over five years.

Why it happens:
People put the toilet “where it looks good,” ignoring the riser location. Each 90° bend is a clog point.

With planning:
The designer locates risers first, then positions fixtures so pipes run straight.
Ideal: toilet within 1 meter of the riser, no turns.

Scenario 3: Poor Zoning

Studies show a typical layout error — a long, useless corridor taking up 15–20% of the space.

Example:
A 65 m² apartment — 10–12 m² wasted on hallway.
Average price in 2024 = 140k rub/m² → 1.4–1.7 million rubles paid for air.

Selling such an apartment is also harder — in 2025 buyers filter these out instantly.

With planning:
The corridor shrinks to 3–4 m² with built-in storage. The rest becomes living space.

Real Statistics on Rework

Construction companies estimate: without planning, the renovation budget rises by 15–20% due to corrections alone.
For a 1M rubles project — that’s +150–200k rubles.

Meanwhile, a full design project costs 50–150k rubles depending on size and detail.
Saving 50–100k “on design” becomes a 150–200k overpayment in rework.

Five Mistakes That Eat Your Budget (and How Planning Prevents Them)

Mistake 1: “We’ll Think About Furniture Later”

You finish walls, then realize the wardrobe doesn’t fit, the bed blocks the window, or the kitchen lacks 10 cm for the fridge.

Real case:
A family finished renovation, ordered kitchen furniture afterward.
Between fridge and wall: 3 cm instead of required 5 cm for ventilation.
Had to cut the countertop and move outlets.
Loss: 35k rubles and 2 weeks delay.

With planning:
Designer places real furniture dimensions on plan with required gaps:

  • 5 cm behind fridge for airflow

  • Space for door swing and drawers

  • 90 cm in front of dishwasher

You see all this before work begins.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Ergonomics

Ergonomic standards exist — few people know them.

Examples:

  • Corridor width <120 cm → two people can’t pass

  • TV in bedroom at 80 cm height → neck pain

  • Toilet 10 cm from wall → unusable

Designers say 1 in 5 DIY layouts violate ergonomics.

With planning:
Professionals know optimal distances:

  • Sofa-to-TV = 3–4× screen diagonal

  • Kitchen aisle = min. 100 cm (120 for two)

  • Work triangle (stove-sink-fridge) = 4–6 m total

All included in the project.

Mistake 3: Moving “Wet Zones” Without Knowing the Rules

By law, you can’t place bathrooms/kitchens above neighbors’ living rooms.
People find out too late — after inspection fines.

Case:
A studio owner expanded the bathroom into the hallway.
Neighbors complained. Inspection found illegal reconfiguration.
Result:

  • 2.5k fine

  • Mandatory restoration (walls, pipes) — 150k rub

  • Failure = forced apartment sale

With planning:
Designer checks what’s below you and proposes legal solutions.

Mistake 4: Blocking Windows with Furniture

Placing wardrobes against window reveals cuts daylight, ruins lighting.
Fix: Keep 10–15 cm from window edges.

With planning:
Designer positions furniture respecting light flow — especially crucial in studios with one window.

Mistake 5: Unauthorized Replanning

In Russia, all reconfigurations require official approval — even drywall removal.

No approval =

  • 2.5k fine

  • Order to restore or legalize (takes 3–6 months, 50–150k rub)

  • Cannot sell/exchange/inherit apartment while plan mismatched

With planning:
Professional project = compliant layout + full document package → zero legal risk.

What a Proper Layout Includes: Must-Have Checklist

Technical Section

  1. Measurement Plan

    • Exact dimensions

    • Ceiling height

    • Window/door sizes

    • Wall thickness

    • Vent shafts, niches

  2. Demolition Plan

    • What’s removed / what stays

    • Load-bearing wall identification

  3. New Walls Plan

    • Materials and thickness

    • Sound/thermal insulation

  4. Electrical Plan

    • Outlets, switches, lights, cabling routes, breaker layout

  5. Plumbing & Heating Plan

    • Water points, drains, radiators, towel warmers

  6. Floor Plan

    • Materials, transitions, thresholds

Visual Section

  1. Furniture Layout

    • Scaled items, ergonomic spacing

  2. Ceiling Plan

    • Levels, lighting, vents

  3. Wall Elevations

    • Outlets, lights, decor, furniture mounts

  4. Material Specs

  • List with quantities, model links, pricing

Timeline

A quality design for a 60–70 m² apartment takes 3–4 weeks.
If permits are needed — add 2–3 months for bureaucracy.

Still faster and cheaper than redoing work for the same period at +200k rub.

When You Might Skip a Layout (Spoiler: Almost Never)

Case 1: Cosmetic Renovation

Only wallpaper, paint, flooring — no layout changes → layout not required.
But if changing furniture — you still need planning.

Case 2: Developer “Pre-finished” Apartment

If outlets and lights are fine, you may skip it.
But usually developers install minimal, inconvenient outlets — so at least create a basic plan (20–30k rub).

Case 3: Small Studio

Even in 25–30 m², every centimeter matters.
Planning ensures storage, zoning, and electrical comfort.

Who Really Doesn’t Need Planning

  • Cosmetic repair without furniture change

  • Professional designers/architects themselves

Everyone else: Planning pays off.

DIY Layout vs Professional Project

What You Can Do Yourself

  • Tools: Planoplan, Sweet Home 3D, SketchUp, MagicPlan

  • Skills: accurate measurement, scaling, basic ergonomics, knowing risers & legal norms

Result:
✅ Basic furniture and outlet layout
❌ No professional blueprints, load calculations, or visualization

When DIY Is Enough

  • No wall demolition

  • Simple geometry

  • Standard renovation

  • Time and willingness to learn

Savings: 50–150k rub
Risk: Same amount lost if you make mistakes.

When You Definitely Need a Professional

  • Replanning with walls

  • Old buildings (Stalinka, Khrushchyovka)

  • Complex geometry (multi-level, slanted walls)

  • Expensive renovation (2M+ rub)