An apartment in Orbi City: a 54 m² white frame, an owner living in Moscow, and one task — to be let by the night from the start of summer. Everything ran remotely: the contract was signed by email and we collected the keys from the developer ourselves.
What we found at the start
The handover inspection showed three things that are cheaper to fix before the renovation than after it: walls out of true by up to three centimetres across the room, a ventilation duct with no draught, and a misted window unit in the kitchen. The developer replaced the window under warranty, we corrected the geometry in the screed and the plaster, and fitted an inline fan to the extraction.
What we did
- Laid out the water and the electrics for nightly rental: sockets on both sides of the bed, a separate line for the air conditioners, a washing machine connection on the balcony.
- Screed with acoustic insulation, tiles in the bathroom and on the balcony, laminate in the rooms.
- A bathroom built for guests: a walk-in shower with no tray, a recess for towels, and extraction with a humidity sensor.
- Kitchen and wardrobes from our own workshop: enamelled fronts, quartz worktop.
- Full outfitting — appliances, textiles, dishes, lighting, decor and the photography for the listing.
Timing and money
Seven weeks from opening up the frame to handing over the keys, one of which went on waiting for hardware. The budget was 18,000 $ including furniture and appliances. The itemised estimate matched the final figure: the only extras were two light fittings the owner asked for.
How it turned out
The first guests arrived in June; by the end of the season the average occupancy was 82% and the property was rated 4.9. The owner flew in once, to a finished apartment.
Services used in this case: renovation, outfitting, apartment management.