Full Renovation of an Old Apartment: What to Renew and in What Order

Why Renovating an Old Apartment Is a Question of Order

In a new apartment, renovation is usually about surfaces: paint, finishes, perhaps a kitchen. In an apartment that is twenty or thirty years old, the surface is a curtain hiding the condition of the layers behind it. Behind the wall there may be a water pipe that has reached the end of its life, an electrical circuit with no earth conductor, or a leak that has been running under the screed for years. The real value of a full renovation is the chance to reach those layers once, in a controlled way.

The only way to use that chance well is to work in the right order. The most common problem we see in old apartment renovations is not the wrong material but the wrong sequence: plastering above a freshly laid wooden floor, breaking open a finished wall to run an air-conditioning line, discovering the drain fall under a bathroom only after the tiles are down. Each one means tearing out finished work.

In this guide we explain, from a civil engineer's point of view, the order in which a full renovation of an old apartment should progress, from the first decisions to handover. You can find the general scope of whole-building renewal on our building renovation page, and the model in which one team manages the entire process in our turnkey renovation guide.

Before You Spend Anything: Look at the Building Itself

However well you renovate an apartment, it remains part of the building. That is why the first question before a full renovation is about the building, not the flat. If you are considering buying an old apartment in order to renovate it, this assessment belongs before the purchase.

• Year of construction and the rules of its time: Turkey's earthquake regulations changed significantly with the codes that came into force in 1998, 2007 and 2019, and independent building inspection became mandatory with Law No. 4708, which came into force in 2001. A building's year of construction gives a first idea of the rules it was designed and inspected under. Being old does not make a building bad, but it does mean it deserves a closer look.
• Visible signs on columns and beams: In car parks, basements and stairwells, where structural elements are often unfinished or only thinly covered, columns and beams tell you a great deal. Rust stains, spalling concrete and exposed reinforcement indicate corrosion of the steel inside the concrete. Unwashed sea sand is known to have been used in some older buildings in coastal cities; the salt in that sand accelerates the corrosion of reinforcement.
• The type of crack: Not every crack is structural. Fine, irregular cracks in plaster are usually caused by shrinkage or the plaster itself. Cracks at beam–column junctions, cracks running diagonally from the corners of doors and windows, or cracks that are widening should always be shown to a specialist.
• The condition of shared services: Even if you renew the inside of the flat completely, the building's shared water riser, waste stack and main electrical supply may remain old. Their condition, and whether the building management plans to renew them, directly affects how long your own work will last.

One point needs emphasis here: renovating the inside of an apartment does not improve the building's earthquake resistance. New tiles, new plumbing or new windows do not change how the structural system performs. If there is serious doubt about a building's safety, a risky-structure assessment under Law No. 6306, carried out by an organisation licensed by the Ministry, is a step to consider before a major renovation investment.

Technical Survey Inside the Flat: What to Check Before Demolition

Once the building side is clear, attention turns to the apartment. The aim of this stage is to decide what changes based on findings rather than guesses. These are the main items we check during a site survey:

• Structural elements: Which walls are partitions and which are reinforced concrete shear walls; where the columns and beams are. Which layout changes are possible depends on this.
• Water pipe material: Galvanised steel pipes, common in older buildings, corrode from the inside and lose their bore. Low pressure at the taps and discoloured water when a tap is first opened are typical signs.
• Drain lines: Pipe diameter, fall and material. Narrow, poorly sloped drains in old apartments are a source of chronic blockages.
• Electrics: The type of consumer unit, whether the fuses are circuit breakers, whether there is residual current protection and, above all, whether there is an earth conductor at all.
• Signs of damp: Bubbling, mould or staining in the room behind the bathroom wall, under the kitchen worktop and in the corners of external walls. These point to a hidden leak or condensation.
• Windows and floors: The insulation performance of the windows, differences in floor levels and the soundness of the existing screed.

The result of the survey is not just a to-do list but a priority list. Once it is clear which items are essential and which are optional, the scope of the renovation can be set deliberately.

Apartment Rules: Management, Neighbours and Permits

The inside of your unit is yours, but the building's structure, facade and shared services belong to all owners. Turkey's Condominium Law (Kat Mülkiyeti Kanunu) clearly states that owners may not make changes that impair the architectural character, appearance or soundness of the building. In practice this means three things:

• Structural elements cannot be altered. Columns, beams and shear walls belong to the shared safety of the building, even when they are inside your flat.
• Work affecting the facade needs approval. Changing the colour or division of windows, enclosing a balcony, or opening an air-conditioning or extract outlet on the facade is subject to the approval of the management and the other owners. Site management plans usually contain detailed rules on this.
• Connecting to shared services needs coordination. When the connections to the water riser and waste stack are renewed, the building's water supply may need to be shut off briefly. Planning this in advance with the management and neighbours is both a courtesy and a practical necessity.

As for permits, Turkey's Zoning Law (İmar Kanunu) exempts interior work that does not affect load-bearing elements, such as plastering, painting, windows, flooring, ceiling finishes, electrics and plumbing, from the building permit requirement. Work affecting the structure or the external appearance of the building falls outside this exemption. In addition, most apartment blocks and residential sites have rules on working hours, rubble removal, lift use and protection of common areas; some sites in Antalya's coastal districts also restrict noisy work in the summer months. The information in this section is a general framework. Regulations and management plans can change, so current conditions should be confirmed with the management and the municipality before work begins.

The Right Sequence: 10 Stages of an Old Apartment Renovation

The basic rule of a full renovation is simple: rough before fine, wet before dry, hidden before visible. Everything that goes inside a wall must be finished before the wall is closed, and every wet trade must be complete before timber and delicate finishes arrive. On site, that rule translates into the following sequence.

1. Controlled strip-out and rubble removal. Elements to be kept, such as a sound solid-wood door or a floor to be restored, are marked and protected before demolition begins. Every finding uncovered during strip-out, such as an unexpected leak or a damaged pipe, is recorded and the scope is updated if necessary. In buildings from before 2010, materials containing asbestos may be found in some roofing, flue and ventilation elements; any suspect material should be assessed by a specialist before it is broken.
2. Wall and layout changes. Only partition walls confirmed as non-load-bearing are removed, and new partitions are built. Even a non-load-bearing wall should be checked for whether load is being transferred onto it.
3. Water supply and drainage. New lines are run, drain falls are checked and everything is pressure-tested before it is closed in. If the bathroom or kitchen is moving, this is when it is confirmed whether the drain can reach the new position with an adequate fall.
4. Electrical infrastructure. Conduits, cables and junction boxes are installed; the consumer unit is replaced and earthing and residual current protection are set up. Air-conditioning lines, internet and TV cabling, and the provisions for any future smart home system are planned now. Every line added after the walls are closed means breaking them open again.
5. Windows. Windows and balcony doors are fitted before plastering, so that the sealing details and internal sills around the frames are finished cleanly together with the plaster. Leaving the windows until last means reworking finished plaster and paint around every opening.
6. Plaster and screed. Walls are levelled and floor levels corrected. If underfloor heating is planned, the pipes are laid before the screed. No moisture-sensitive finish should be laid until the screed has fully dried.
7. Waterproofing and tiling in wet areas. In the bathroom and the wet zones of the kitchen, waterproofing is applied, including at wall–floor junctions, and tested before tiling. Tiles laid without waterproofing tend to show up on the downstairs neighbour's ceiling within a few years.
8. Suspended ceilings and concealed lighting. Plasterboard ceilings, concealed light details and downlight openings are built at this stage. Any air-conditioning and ventilation ducts that run through the ceiling must already be in place.
9. Primer and first coat of paint. Walls are primed and given a first coat. The final coat is left until fittings and flooring are complete, so that scuffs and marks made during installation are covered in one go.
10. Flooring, kitchen, doors and final coat. Wooden or laminate flooring is laid only after all wet trades are complete and the indoor humidity has stabilised. Then kitchen units, internal doors, skirting, socket and switch plates and light fittings are installed; the final coat of paint is applied and the apartment is handed over after a fine clean.

This sequence is not applied identically in every apartment; for example, the floor finish may need to be fixed before kitchen units can be measured. But the logic does not change: the next job must not damage the previous one. We cover how and at which stage each flooring option is installed in our flooring guide.

The Hidden Layers: Plumbing and Electrical Risks in Old Apartments

The biggest return from renovating an old apartment is the chance to renew the infrastructure you cannot see. Missing that chance means hiding old risks under new surfaces.

The galvanised pipe problem. Galvanised steel pipes may look sound from the outside but rust from within, losing their bore and affecting the taste and colour of the water. Leaving them in place during a full renovation is not recommended. PPR pipes joined by heat fusion inside the wall offer a watertight, long-lasting solution; the fewer joints there are, the lower the risk of leaks. The boundary to watch is the point where the flat's supply connects to the building's shared riser: while the inside of the flat is being renewed, the condition of that connection and of the main valve should also be checked.

Drain diameter and fall. In old apartments, drain pipes may be too narrow for today's use and their fall may have deteriorated over time. These lines are especially likely to fall short once high-flow appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers are added. Drainage is less flexible than water supply; because of the fall it needs, it is usually the drain that determines how far a bathroom or kitchen can be moved.

Earthing and protection. In some older installations there is no earth conductor at all, or it has never been connected to the sockets. In that case, even if a residual current device is present, it cannot provide the protection expected of it. In a full renovation, measuring the earth and providing 30 mA residual current protection on socket circuits is not negotiable; it is a matter of personal safety.

Number of circuits and cable sizes. The electrics of old apartments were not designed for today's appliance loads. Separate circuits should be planned for the kitchen worktop, the oven, the washing machine and the air conditioner in each room, and cable sizes chosen according to common practice: generally 2.5 mm² for socket circuits and 1.5 mm² for lighting. If the old consumer unit cannot take the new number of circuits, replacing it is unavoidable. We describe the scope of this work on our plumbing and electrical page.

Problems Specific to Old Apartments in Antalya

Antalya's climate and building stock bring certain issues to the fore when renovating an old apartment.

• Humidity, condensation and mould: High summer humidity, combined with poor ventilation and uninsulated external walls, causes mould, especially in north-facing rooms and behind wardrobes. Painting over mould does not solve it; the cause, whether condensation, a leak or a lack of ventilation, has to be found. If insulation is added, getting the vapour balance right is critical so that moisture is not trapped inside the wall.
• Hard water: Antalya's mains water is known for its high limescale content. A full renovation is the easiest moment to leave space on the main line for a filter or water softener; taps, the water heater and appliances all benefit directly.
• Heat and air-conditioning infrastructure: Most old apartments were not designed with an air conditioner in every room. If air-conditioning lines, condensate drains and outdoor unit positions are not planned during the renovation, cable trunking ends up on the facade and walls have to be broken open later. In top-floor and west-facing flats, roof and facade insulation are among the invisible items that change summer comfort the most.
• Salt air and metal fittings: In buildings close to the sea, balcony railings, window hardware and outdoor unit brackets corrode faster. Stainless and coated products therefore last longer.
• Apartments left empty for long periods: In holiday or investment apartments, dried-out traps, accumulated damp and unnoticed leaks are common. If this pattern of use is known, leak detectors and a remotely operable main valve can be planned during the renovation.

We compare insulation and energy options for Antalya in our energy-efficient renovation article.

What to Keep and What Must Be Replaced

A full renovation does not mean tearing everything out. Some elements of old apartments are made of materials that are hard to find in the same quality today, and with the right restoration they carry the character of the home.

Worth considering for keeping: Mosaic or terrazzo floors in good condition, solid wood floors thick enough to be sanded again, solid wood internal doors and sound marble window sills. Whether they are kept depends on their condition and how well they fit the new layout, and is assessed during the survey. We explain how mosaic and terrazzo floors are restored in our terrazzo flooring article.

What must be replaced: Galvanised water pipes, electrical installations without earthing, wet areas without waterproofing, and leaking single-glazed windows. However good they look, these items should not be left under new surfaces, because the next intervention would mean removing everything that has just been built.

Can You Live in the Apartment During a Full Renovation?

The short answer: it is not recommended for a full renovation. Dust from the strip-out reaches everywhere, water and electricity are cut in a planned way while services are renewed, and the space has to be ventilated so that screed and plaster can dry. Living in these conditions is difficult and also affects the quality of the work: the trades have less room to work, and drying times come under pressure.

If the scope is limited, for example only the bathroom and kitchen, it is possible to live in the apartment by dividing it into zones and controlling dust. For a full renovation, the healthiest approach is to vacate the apartment completely. If you are away or live abroad, you can read how the process is followed remotely in our remote renovation management guide, and what foreign owners should know in our article on renovation for foreigners.

Common Mistakes in Old Apartment Renovations

• Investing in the flat without looking at the building. Renovating the interior does not solve a problem in the structure.
• Drawing a plan without asking whether a wall is load-bearing. The dream of an open kitchen ends at a reinforced concrete shear wall.
• Renewing the surfaces and leaving the pipes. A galvanised pipe left under new tiles will have those tiles lifted within a few years.
• Calling the electrics finished without measuring the earth. New socket plates do not fix what is missing behind them.
• Leaving air-conditioning and internet lines until last. Cutting a chase into a freshly painted wall is the most frustrating repeat job in any renovation.
• Replacing windows after plastering. The plaster and paint around every window have to be redone.
• Laying wooden flooring before the screed has dried. Flooring that absorbs moisture swells and opens at the joints.
• Skipping waterproofing in wet areas. The problem first appears on the downstairs neighbour's ceiling.
• Informing the management and neighbours at the last minute. Water shut-offs, rubble and noise that have not been planned can bring the work to a halt.

What these mistakes have in common is that each could have been prevented with a few decisions at the survey and planning stage, yet once the work is done they require breaking things open. In an old apartment, the right starting point is not a materials catalogue but a technical survey. To have your apartment assessed on site, contact us through our building renovation page; the survey and quotation are free of charge.