The first question is whether it is enough to renew the surfaces or whether the wiring, pipes and layout must be changed. In Riga and the Riga region we do both cosmetic renovation from €100/m² and full renovation from €280/m² of apartment area.
What is your apartment and what is the building's common property
Under the Law on Residential Properties, the apartment's part is the non-load-bearing internal partitions, the finish of ceilings, floors and walls, doors, services up to the common property risers, and the kitchen, toilet, shower and bathroom equipment. The owner may carry out this work without the agreement of other owners, observing the regulations.
Common property is the external walls, windows and doors in the external structures, the external structures of balconies and loggias, load-bearing walls, walls between apartments, floor slabs and the building's engineering systems. Radiators are also common property if their operation depends on the building's services. If the work affects common property, the consent of the apartment owners' association is needed; work on risers and radiators is organised by the building manager.
Sources: the Law on Residential Properties (Dzīvokļa īpašuma likums), Section 3(2), Section 4(1), Section 11(1), (3) and (4). Checked 11.11.2026.
What to check before renovating a newly bought apartment
- The electrical wiring: its inspection is carried out every 10 years and recorded in a report. In many homes the wiring was installed in the Soviet era and is 30–50 years old. If the wiring is reconstructed, it must be fitted with residual current protection.
- Pipes up to the riser: they are part of the apartment, the riser itself is common property.
- Ventilation: the kitchen, toilet and bathroom are ventilated through natural exhaust ducts; in an apartment with gas appliances they are cleaned and inspected at least once every five years.
- The layout: whether it matches the cadastral survey file, if previous owners have replanned.
- The smoke detector: an apartment in an apartment building must have at least one on each floor of the apartment.
Sources: Cabinet Regulation No. 238 (“Ugunsdrošības noteikumi”, Fire Safety Regulations), paragraphs 56, 57, 80, 119 and 120 (the rules currently in force); amendments to LBN 261-15, in force from 01.07.2025; LBN 231-15, paragraph 90.²; LV portāls explanation on the inspection of electrical wiring. Checked 11.11.2026.
If you want to change the layout
According to Riga municipality's explanation, for demolition of a non-load-bearing wall to join rooms, a certified architect prepares a plan, and a construction notice is submitted in BIS as simplified renovation. An opening in a load-bearing wall needs an architect and a structural engineer, an explanatory memorandum and, if the building is divided into apartment properties, the consent of more than half of the apartment owners. Which walls are load-bearing can only be determined from the building's design or a structural engineer's opinion. See demolishing walls.
Renovation in the usual order in an empty apartment
- Decisions and documents The list of work, the layout and, if needed, a notice or explanatory memorandum before the work starts.
- Demolition The old finish, tiles, floor covering and, if they are being changed, the old partitions.
- Services New wiring and pipes up to the riser while the walls and floors are open.
- Screed and plastering Floor levelling or screed, wall plastering. According to the Ceresit CM 17 manufacturer, a cement screed and plaster under tiles must be at least 28 days old, with moisture below 4%.
- Bathroom Waterproofing, tiling, installing sanitaryware.
- Finishing Skimming, painting, floor covering, doors, skirting boards.
What the new owner decides
- Cosmetic or full renovation; the comparison is on the page cosmetic or full renovation.
- Whether to change the layout and whether it needs documents.
- Whether you will choose the materials yourself; write this in your request.
- If the apartment is in a new project with a grey or white finish, see new-build apartment fit-out.
How much does renovation after buying cost?
Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area. Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area. Replacing the electrical wiring in an apartment: from €20/m² of apartment area, sockets and switches separately from €12 per point. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.
Example: a 1-room apartment of 33 m², full renovation: 33 × €280 = from €9,240 (labour). A 2-room apartment of 50 m² with a cosmetic renovation: 50 × €100 = from €5,000 (labour).
The price is affected by the area and number of rooms, the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings, whether the wiring, pipes and risers are changed, and the finish chosen. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: prices.
What this work includes
What this work includes
- in a full renovation: demolition back to the structures, new wiring and pipes, screed, plastering and all finishing;
- in a cosmetic renovation: walls, ceilings, floor covering, doors and skirting boards.
What is calculated separately
- materials, sanitaryware and the doors themselves;
- replanning documents and updating the cadastral file;
- replacing a riser section (from €100 per riser) and radiators.
Sources
- Apartment part and common property; construction work without approval; the association's consent checked 11 November 2026
- Wiring inspection every 10 years; ventilation ducts; smoke detector checked 11 November 2026
- Residual current protection when reconstructing the wiring checked 11 November 2026
- Wires from the Soviet era, 30–50 years old checked 11 November 2026
- Natural exhaust ducts in the kitchen and sanitary rooms checked 11 November 2026
- Demolishing walls and an opening in a load-bearing wall in Riga checked 11 November 2026
- Ceresit CM 17: screed and plaster at least 28 days, moisture below 4% checked 11 November 2026
- No documents are needed for an interior design project; a construction notice for simplified renovation checked 11 November 2026
- In Riga, the building board's functions were taken over by the City Development Department from 01.09.2021 checked 11 November 2026