Whether you are an owner or a potential buyer, whether you want to invest, rent or simply bring your interior up to date, there are several things to know before considering renovation work in your home.

Indeed, renovating a house is not as simple an exercise as one might think, but on the contrary requires real know-how for which approximation has no place. In order to avoid the slightest slippage, it is necessary to prepare your project well.

Les Secrets de l’Immo explain everything you need to know before renovating your house and accompany you from your first questions until the completion of your work.

Step 1: The study of the existing

To avoid any unpleasant surprises in the middle of the construction site, it is essential to carry out a thorough preliminary analysis of the existing situation. It is particularly essential to carry out an exhaustive measurement in order to know precisely the dimensions of the house. The realization of soundings is also strongly recommended, in order to auscultate the structure of the building under the surface of the existing coatings.

This seemingly innocuous task is essential and will condition the smooth running of your renovation project. This is why you should not hesitate to call on an expert, who can carry out a complete diagnosis of your home.

Step 2: Design and administrative formalities

An insufficiently prepared site will inevitably lead to redoing things already done. Indeed, the various works to be undertaken are interdependent and must therefore be sequenced methodically. It is also necessary to scrupulously check the compatibility of the different works with each other, otherwise not only will the final cost be higher, but this will have a negative impact on the work schedule and ultimately on the delivery date.

Some projects also require you to complete administrative formalities (submission of an application for a building permit or a prior declaration of work, for example). Carrying out a technical study is a long and time-consuming exercise, which requires know-how and time. Once again, entrusting it to a professional makes it possible to ensure that the site starts in the best conditions.

Step 3: Structural work

The first stage of the work itself is the demolition phase. Before doing, it is indeed most often necessary to undo. You will have to knock down partitions, remove coatings or existing equipment, in order to clear the way. However, be careful not to weaken the building of the house during this stage by touching structural elements.

Then comes the repair of the structural work which is only valid when the solidity of the structural elements of the building is to be reviewed, therefore often in the case of an old house.

The structural work is all the work that contributes to the solidity and stability of the building. It includes the following operations:

Sanitation: sanitation is the system allowing the evacuation of waste water. Whether you are connected to the collective sanitation network (mains sewer), or whether you have an independent sanitation system (septic tank), the repair of your sanitation system is a heavy and complex operation, but sometimes unavoidable.

Paving: the paving is most often made of reinforced concrete. The slab is either poured directly on the floor of the ground floor previously covered with thermal insulation (paving on the ground), or by providing a layer of air between the slab and the existing floor (paving on crawl space ). Elevation of load-bearing walls: they constitute the framework of the house and are most often made from brick, breeze block, cellular concrete, or wood. They serve as support points when creating new floors or when modifying the roof.

Creation of openings in load-bearing walls: in order to be able to open or even remove a load-bearing wall, it is necessary to take up the loads that accumulate there. We then realize what is called a lintel between two supports, in reinforced concrete or by placing a metal profile type IPN. The creations of openings are very useful in the perspective of rearranging the space inside your house.

Frame and cover (waterproofing): made up of pieces of wood and/or metal, the frame supports the cover and contributes to maintaining the stability of the construction. The cover, on the other hand, aims to ensure that your roof is perfectly waterproof. It is necessary to renovate the framework and the cover if the waterproofing of the building is no longer guaranteed fully and permanently. This repair must be planned more or less frequently depending on the materials of your roof (tiles, slates, zinc, etc.).

Exterior joinery (air vent): these are the windows and doors that open onto the exterior of the house. Exterior joinery plays an important role because it contributes to the insulation of your interior. Renovating your exterior joinery can increase the thermal or acoustic insulation of your home, increase its luminosity or even its security. It is therefore one of the most useful renovation works and benefits from a very good comfort/price gain ratio.

Step 4: Finishing work

Finishing work by definition designates anything that is not structural work, and therefore anything that does not contribute directly to the solidity and stability of a building.

There are different finishing works:

Insulation and partitioning: insulation can be carried out from the outside (the most effective, but also the most expensive), from the inside, or be directly integrated into the building material. The interior insulation phase is generally associated with that of the layout of the rooms, that is to say the assembly of the partitions and false ceilings. Indeed, you will then have to incorporate the insulating materials (mineral wool) in the Placoplâtre structures, as well as the sheaths which will be used for the passage of the electrical cables. Insulation (thermal or acoustic) is one of the most important aspects of renovating your home, as it is the one that will improve its comfort the most. It is therefore often appropriate to take advantage of the reorganization of your space to improve the insulation of your walls and floors.

 Plumbing: the plumbing works include the repair of the piping and evacuation network in order to improve the water supply of the rooms concerned (kitchen, bathroom, laundry room) as well as the evacuation of waste water and sewage . It is also of course possible to change your sanitary equipment and your fittings (sink, toilet, washbasin, shower, or bathtub) to improve quality and comfort.

Electricity: the repair of the electrical installation includes the passage of electrical cables and associated sheaths, the installation or change of the meter and the electrical panel. The renewal of electrical equipment (sockets, switches, cable outlets, spotlights, wall lights and light hangers), and finally the installation and connection of electrical equipment (radiators, heated towel rails, household appliances, VMC) are also part of electrical renovation work that you can consider.

Ventilation: to ensure good renewal of ambient air and avoid condensation, a house must have effective ventilation. Adding or improving your ventilation system is therefore also one of the most useful workstations when renovating your home. There are different VMC (controlled mechanical ventilation) systems: self-adjusting VMC, hygro-adjustable VMC, and simple and double flow VMC. Combined with good insulation, the double flow VMC is the most efficient solution because its operation limits heat loss, which reduces your heating bill.

Step 5: Finishes and decoration

Finishes designate the final stage of the renovation work. They are what will determine the final appearance of your interior. They are therefore just as important as milestones because they are even more visible. They include the following works:

Floor coverings: it may be interesting to change your floor coverings. The choice of these must then be based on several parameters such as the use of the parts, the desired aesthetics, as well as the ease of maintenance. In a damp room (bathroom, kitchen, WC, etc.), a waterproof floor will be laid: tiles, soft flooring, or exotic wood flooring. In the living room or the bedrooms, we will rather focus on a resistant, warm and easy to maintain floor: solid or engineered parquet (too fragile for a child’s room), tiles, laminate parquet…

Wall coverings and paintings: in the same way, you can choose to renovate your wall coverings according to the type of room and the aesthetics sought. Choose an easy-to-clean covering in a kitchen or bathroom: tiles, washable paint, washable vinyl or non-woven wallpaper… For living rooms, the choice is vast: paint, wallpaper, paneling, concrete, cork…

Interior joinery: do not hesitate to rethink your joinery. There are many details to be settled between

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