Prague renovation budget: contingency and hidden risks for a 200 m² house

D

DirectCairn

Homeowner
Established
The figure looked generous until I spread CZK 4,513,000 across a 200 m² house. One moisture problem or a much wider electrical replacement could absorb the apparent spare money very quickly.

This is a detached home in Prague. The planned work covers kitchens and bathrooms, new floor finishes, decoration, an assessment of the electrics and moderate energy improvements; the footprint will not be enlarged. I would prefer to simplify materials or postpone non-essential finishes rather than stop midway. What should be investigated before contractors price the work, and how much would you keep unallocated for hidden damage, broader electrical work and material delays?
 
To clarify, finishes are not my main concern. I am more worried about opening something up and finding moisture, inaccessible plumbing or electrical work that is much broader than an initial “check.” I would also appreciate thoughts on sequencing: what should be investigated before asking contractors for a fixed or itemised price?
 
For that scope, I would tentatively hold back 15–20% rather than allocate every koruna to the visible work. Ask the surveyor to focus on moisture paths and any signs that structural repairs could emerge despite there being no extension. Contractors should state exactly what their electrical and plumbing allowances cover, including access and making good. Otherwise a low quote may simply contain more exclusions.
 
I would not settle on a contingency percentage yet. If plumbing routes are unknown and the electrical scope is only described as checks, the underlying budget is too vague for the percentage to mean much.

Ask each contractor for assumptions and exclusions by trade, plus how discoveries are priced and approved. Also identify anything with a long material lead time and establish whether any part of the energy work or altered layout affects permit timing in Prague; that can depend on the actual scope.
 
A sensible order would be: condition survey, targeted investigation of moisture and service routes, clearer electrical and plumbing scopes, confirmation of any permit issue, then comparable itemised bids. Only after that would I freeze finishes and order long-lead materials. Keep the contingency outside the contractor’s working budget, and require written approval before it is used. That makes simplification a deliberate choice rather than an emergency halfway through.
 
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