Apartment and house renovation in Trīsciems - for older and newer detached houses between the lake and the forest

From an 18th-century house on Jaunciema gatve to new detached houses

The most notable building in Trīsciems is the Baroque residential house at Jaunciema gatve 171, built in the middle of the 18th century, which is now a private house. It shows well the range of the neighbourhood: next to buildings that have stood for centuries there are brand-new detached houses, and the content of the renovation differs in each. The neighbourhood also includes Muižas lauki on the right bank of the Langa, where after the land reform of 1920 land was allocated to participants in the Latvian War of Independence, and Arājciems on the left bank of the Langa, while the buildings on the site of the former Mangaļmuiža were built in the 1930s, when the Mangaļi forestry was set up there. Trīsciems was added to Riga only in 1974.

Detached-house development areas take up 146.0 ha, or 12.9% of Trīsciems, mainly between Jaunciema gatve and Ķīšezers and on both banks of the Langa river. In detached and low-rise houses, typical work is renovating the interior, fitting bathrooms and kitchens, and rebuilding or extending the living area. In an old house that means first assessing the floors, walls, wires and pipes, and only then choosing the finish. In a newer house the renovation can be replacing the finish or adapting the rooms for the family. More on this work on the page private house renovation in Trīsciems.

Jaunciema gatve, local roads and what to write in the form

Trīsciems is reached by Jaunciema gatve and local roads; the choice of public transport here is more limited than in the city centre. Forests, water and the low building density affect seasonal access, so in the request write whether a lorry can drive up to the house.

• the year the house was built, or at least the decade
• the material of the walls and floor slabs, if you know it
• number of floors and total area in m²
• which rooms you will renovate and whether you will change wires, pipes or heating
• whether you plan an extension, new openings or demolishing walls

An old house: what approvals may be needed

In Riga, for buildings older than 50 years that are not state-protected, the City Development Department can determine the cultural and historical value and the permitted action when it examines a construction intent. This applies to any building that old, not only a Baroque house, for example also to a house built in the 1930s. If the house is a cultural monument, the solution is agreed with the National Heritage Board (for a monument of national or regional significance) or with the cultural heritage unit of the City Development Department (for a monument of local significance).

For interior work that does not include renovation, reconstruction or demolition, no construction intent documents are needed. A new opening in a load-bearing wall is a simplified reconstruction, and an explanatory memorandum with the structural solution for the opening is submitted in BIS. Approval of reconstruction in Trīsciems is handled by the City Development Department of the Riga municipality (formerly the Riga City Building Board); the documents are submitted in BIS. Work with an explanatory memorandum may start only after the building board's mark on the fulfilment of the conditions for starting construction work. See replanning and does a renovation need a permit.

When the whole house is renovated: the order of work

1. Demolition The old finish is removed down to the structures so that the walls, floors and wires can be seen. For rubble removal, see buvgruzuizvesanariga.lv.
2. Utilities New wires, pipes and, if needed, reconstruction of the heating, before the walls and floors are closed.
3. Floors and walls Screed or floor levelling, plastering or plasterboard, skimming.
4. Wet rooms Waterproofing and tiling in the bathroom and kitchen.
5. Finishing Painting, floor covering, doors, skirting boards and installing the plumbing fixtures.

How long a renovation takes depends on the scope of work and the drying time of the materials. If old pipes or slate sheets are dismantled in an old house, keep in mind that asbestos cement products can contain asbestos, and this cannot be reliably determined by appearance; it is determined in a laboratory. See full renovation in Trīsciems.

Kitchen and bathroom in an old house: ventilation

If in an old detached house the kitchen and bathroom are converted completely, one of the first questions is ventilation. In residential buildings, kitchens, toilets and bathrooms are ventilated through natural exhaust ducts. The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force require natural ventilation ducts to be cleaned and inspected at least once every five years in rooms with gas appliances and at least once every 10 years in other rooms.

If there is a gas appliance in the kitchen, flue gases must not be discharged into the ventilation duct, and for an appliance with a flue, for example a gas boiler, even in the same room, the gas supplier's permission and a report on the condition of the flues and ventilation ducts are needed. In the request, write whether the house has gas and where the ventilation ducts run. See kitchen renovation in Trīsciems and bathroom renovation in Trīsciems.

Renovation work and neighbours

Even in a detached-house neighbourhood, neighbours hear the noise of demolition and drilling. Under the national law on breaches of public order, disturbing a person's peace can result in a warning or a fine of up to 100 fine units (up to €500). The Riga Municipal Police explain that making noise is not directly prohibited in itself and everyday noise is usually not a violation. Riga currently has no binding regulations of its own with a general quiet time: “Sabiedriskās kārtības noteikumi Rīgā” (Public Order Regulations in Riga, No. 80, 2007) ceased to be in force on 1 July 2024. In practice: warn the neighbours about the noisiest work. See renovation working hours.

Prices for house renovation in Trīsciems

• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area
• Turnkey renovation: from €600/m²
• Demolition of walls, floors and finishing: from €6/m²
• Floor levelling, poured compound or screed: from €6.50/m²

All these prices are for labour, and materials are separate in the estimate. Example for an apartment: a 2-room apartment of 50 m², full renovation: 50 × €280 = from €14,000 (labour). For house renovation the price is by estimate. The total changes with the condition of the walls and floors, whether the wires and pipes are changed and the chosen finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.