How to choose the finish of an apartment in a new building?

What to pay attention to when buying an apartment with finishing?

Here are the main points that are important to consider:

• Quality of finishing materials. 
  Be sure to find out what materials were used for the finishes. For example, what kind of flooring was laid – marble, parquet, or stone. 
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• The degree to which the finish is complete. 
  Check if all the work is complete – fitting doors, installing skirting boards and thresholds. Sometimes builders may hand over apartments with unfinished elements: without installation of thresholds between rooms, lack of window sills or uninstalled shower enclosures. All these details should be clarified in advance.
• Operation of all systems. 
  Check that all systems in the apartment are functioning well: the electrical wiring should be fully completed, there should be connections for appliances, radiators should not have any damage, and there should be no stagnant air in the apartment itself. 
• Guarantees from the builder. 
  Find out what guarantees the builder provides for the completed finishing work. Often it is a period of 1 to 3 years. Also clarify whether the warranty covers defects in finishing, damage to communications or equipment.
• Compliance with the project and standards. 
  The finish of the apartment must be in accordance with the design approved by the builder. Compare the actual finish with the project documentation provided by the developer. 
• Condition of common areas. 
  Check the condition of common areas – entryways, passageways, elevator lobbies, keller and lobbies.  {
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What factors influence the choice of finish type?

Your choice of finish type depends on a few key things that can influence your decision:

• Budget. Key factor. Turnkey or pre-finish finishes are more expensive than rough-in finishes. If your budget is limited, go for roughing-in.
• Time. If you need to move into an apartment quickly, turnkey – the ideal option. If you do the repair yourself, the process will stretch for several months.
• Personal preferences. If you have a design project that you want to realize, finishing from the builder will only add extra hassle. In this case, it is better to choose the rough version and do everything yourself.
• Builder's offers. In some houses finishing from the builder can cost even cheaper than self-repair – you can choose from several options for finishing and still get a guarantee on the work.

Detailed description of all finishes from the builder

Finishing

What is included:

• rough concrete floor screed;
• brick or concrete masonry without plaster;
• ceiling without leveling and painting, sometimes with utilities laid;
• electrical wiring up to the switchboard, water supply and sewerage pipes are connected to the entry points without wiring;
• double-glazed windows are installed and doorways are formed.

Pros:

Freedom to choose materials and finish style.

Opportunity to realize your own design project.

Cons:

It will take a lot of time and money to make repairs.

You need to find and hire a good repair crew so that the repair will please you for years to come. 

How to check: 

Check the levelness of the walls and ceilings with a level. If you find large differences, it may indicate a sloppy leveling job.

Also with a level and tape measure how level the screed is. It is important that the floor was without major differences, otherwise in the future may skew the floor covering. 

Windows should be installed without gaps with a tight seal. Check that they open and close without problems, do not leak air or squeak.

Walk around the apartment and check how the electrical wiring is done. All switches should be set at the same height and the wiring should not be visible on the wall surface.

Check the ventilation, especially in the bathrooms, as well as the water and sewer pipes. It is important that there are no leaks or blocked ventilation openings.

White box finish

What's included:

• leveled floor screed, prepared for laying the finish flooring;
• leveled, plastered and primed walls, ready for painting or wallpaper;
• leveled and primed ceiling with wiring for recessed lighting;
• electrical wiring, switches and sockets, water supply pipes with connection points for plumbing fixtures;
• installed double-glazed windows and interior doors.

Pros:

• Reduces repair time due to the fact that preparatory work has already been completed.

• The quality of the finish will allow you to realize any design project without additional preparation.

Cons:

• Lack of finishes will require additional investment.

Make sure the window and door jambs are without cracks. If you don't notice a flaw at this stage, you may get insulation problems later on.

Check all installed faucets, taps and piping. Make sure water is not leaking from the faucet and all systems are working properly.

Pre-finish wiring should be hidden, but it's still important for you to make sure it's done without kinks or exposed areas.

Finishing

What's included:

finished flooring – natural wood parquet, marble, stone or quartz vinyl tile;

walls are painted with quality washable paint or wallpapered with designer wallpaper;

has a tiered ceiling with built-in lighting;

installed heating radiators, plumbing, air conditioning, and sometimes – «smart home»

kitchen is equipped with built-in appliances.

Pros:

• The apartment already has all the finishing work done, plumbing, flooring and fixtures installed, so you can start living right away without wasting time on repairs.
• All the work is done by the builder and you don't need to look for professionals to do the repairs.
• You will get a guarantee for the work done.
• You know the cost of the repairs in advance, so you don't have to worry about the extra costs that may appear if you do the repairs yourself.

Cons:

• Sometimes the builder uses the most standard materials for finishing, and the buyer will not be able to choose what suits him better in design or quality.

How to check: 

Make sure that all textures – flooring, wallpaper, decor – are tight and evenly joined, that nothing is blown or going in waves anywhere. If there is a pattern somewhere, it should be one uniform cloth with no joints.

90 degree angles should be wherever furniture will be installed – in kitchens, closets, and other places where any items will adjoin.

All communications should be concealed and fixtures – invisible. Fasteners for moldings, baseboards, shelves and cabinets should be invisible, for drywall – covered by the finish.

How to check the quality at apartment acceptance?

Here are the main points that are important to consider:

• Quality of Finishing Materials. Be sure to find out what materials were used for the finishes. For example, what kind of flooring was laid – parquet, engineered plank, natural stone or marble. 
• Degree of Finish Completion. Check if all the work is complete – fitting doors, installing skirting boards and thresholds. Sometimes builders can hand over apartments with unfinished elements: without installation of thresholds between rooms, lack of window sills or uninstalled shower enclosures. All these details should be clarified in advance.
• Operation of all systems. Make sure that all systems in the apartment are functioning well: the electrical wiring should be fully completed, there should be connections for household appliances, radiators should not be damaged, and there should be no stagnant air in the apartment itself.
• Guarantees from the builder. Find out what guarantees the developer provides for the completed finishing works. Often it is a period of 1 to 3 years. Also clarify whether the warranty covers defects in finishing, damage to communications or equipment.
• Compliance with the project and standards. The finish of the apartment must be in accordance with the design approved by the builder. Compare the actual finish with the project documentation that the developer provided.