Renovation budget for a 110 m² duplex in Munich / price-per-square-metre

[bikesAndEcho]

I can either hold a large contingency within the €335,600 budget or spend more now on opening up concealed areas; neither option feels comfortable while the scope is still loose. The first leaves the programme uncertain, while the second may cause disruption without resolving the important questions.

This is a 110 m² Munich duplex covering the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, decoration, an electrical review and moderate energy work, with no extension. I’m less convinced that one contingency percentage will solve the problem. I would rather verify the condition of the wiring and plumbing, responsibility for any shared services, and whether permit timing affects the sequence. What should the surveyor inspect first, and which exclusions—such as disposal, making good or electrical alterations—should every contractor price explicitly?

 

[jules.wren]

For that breadth of work, I would initially hold 15–20% until the existing services and concealed areas are better understood, then reduce it as the scope firms up. Ask for targeted opening-up around bathroom plumbing, kitchen services and any suspicious staining. Also make every contractor list exclusions explicitly; a low figure is not useful if making good, disposal or service alterations sit outside it.

 

[lila_escrow]

One missing fact: is “duplex” a two-level apartment within a shared building, or a self-contained two-unit property? Access to risers, shutoffs, roof or basement services—and responsibility for shared elements—could change both sequencing and cost. I’d also ask whether the €335,600 includes VAT, design input, surveys and temporary protection, because the per-m² figure alone cannot show that.

 

[mapsAndAtlas]

I’m less convinced that a blanket 20% reserve solves the problem. If “electrical checks” later becomes substantial rewiring, or moderate energy upgrades are still undefined, those are unpriced scope rather than contingency. Split the budget into confirmed work, provisional allowances and genuine unknowns. That makes it much harder for a contractor exclusion to consume the entire reserve unnoticed.

 

[sailsAndWall]

Plumbing access and moisture deserve their own pre-start discussion. Ask where supply and waste pipes actually run, which surfaces must be opened to reach them, and who pays to reinstate adjoining rooms. Moisture readings should be interpreted alongside likely causes rather than treated as a simple pass/fail result. A bathroom cannot sensibly be closed up while an unresolved leak path remains.

 

[jules.wren]

Liam’s distinction matters, and Ravi is right about undefined scope. I would replace “electrical checks” in the tender with a written outcome: what is inspected, what testing is included, what remedial work is priced, and what triggers a variation. Then have the programme show first-fix services before plastering, wet-area preparation before finishes, and commissioning before final decoration.

 

[reed.quiet]

Before choosing the contingency percentage, build a short risk schedule with an owner and decision date for each item: opening-up, electrical findings, plumbing routes, moisture, contractor exclusions, permit questions and long-lead materials. Ask contractors which selections must be frozen first and what work can proceed while approvals or materials are pending. Permit requirements depend on the exact works and building circumstances, so clarify those locally before relying on the proposed start date.