You are buying a new apartment and picking it up in a few months. The location is perfect – close to work, lots of greenery around, all amenities in the vicinity of the building: shops, stops, schools, playgrounds. Unfortunately, apartments for sale are not satisfactory for you. You want a large open space with a minimum of corridors. Is it possible for the developer to arrange the walls or part of the installation differently so as not to waste money on additional alterations and stress related to additional construction works?
Of course it is possible. But with some work you have to do for the developer.
First of all, you need to ask the apartment sales manager for the maximum possible deadline for submitting the so-called development changes .
What are developer changes in a new flat design?
Developer changes is nothing more than an executive design of building elements and installations within the purchased apartment. You don’t have to limit yourself here – changes may include removing the walls, moving the toilet, reorganizing the kitchen, or electrical connectors and heaters.
Residential changes may also be a project of joining two adjacent apartments into one common apartment for a large family.
After receiving such a deadline, you must start preparing such a development of changes. If they are small – moving one switch or radiator to the other side – it is enough to inform the caregiver about it. Design documentation is required for major changes. Due to the specificity of executive drawings, this part should be performed by an architect.
How does it work in practice?
In our office, we often deal with such works. At the beginning, we make an interior concept with a functional layout. Then, after accepting the best variant, we proceed to technical drawings.
The technical drawings then consist of the basic information for construction work that is usually done by the developer. These are the most common:
- existing projections,
- arrangement chosen by the client,
- projection with marked walls that change from their original state,
- plan with new walls,
- electrical design with marked new electrical points, connectors and outlets for lighting fixtures,
- water and sewage in case of changes in bathrooms and kitchens,
- design radiator system with proposals of heaters matched to the required power.
This type of documentation will be sufficient material for the developer to make adjustments to the flat design . In the event of changes that do not increase the amount of materials used on the site, the price will not change. When we increase the number of electrical points, change the radiators to more expensive ones, add new walls, etc .: we have to take into account additional costs. Within a few days, your supervisor sends a quote for the scope of work from the new documentation. After accepting the costs, the developer proceeds to amend his documentation and performs the work as agreed.
Why are developer changes beneficial?
A development apartment remodel can save you a lot of time and money. We do not demolish the walls that were put up a few days ago and which we paid for when we bought the apartment. We collect the keys to the apartment we have planned. It gives us a profit of about 1-2 months of work and organization of construction teams. Renovation works are then limited to the preparation of bathrooms and painting the walls.
Tenant changes procedure from the example developer site.