Renovation budget for a 175 m² retail unit in Berlin (3 bed)

[sailsAndWall]

If the early budget is wrong, the hardest damage to undo may be a disrupted programme rather than a cheaper finish. I am working with a preliminary figure of €129,500 for a 175 m² Berlin retail unit planned with three bedrooms. The proposed works cover a kitchen, bathrooms, floors, decoration, an electrical review and moderate energy improvements; there is no extension in the plan.

I am trying to separate optional finishes from risks that could halt the job. In particular, I need to know what the electrical scope excludes, which concealed conditions should be surveyed and whether approvals could affect the sequence. What would you ask the contractor to price explicitly, and how would you hold the contingency?

 

[lila_escrow]

At this stage I would carry roughly 15–20%, but keep it outside the contractor’s base figure rather than quietly distributing it across allowances. Ask exactly what “electrical checks” includes, whether bathroom and kitchen plumbing routes have been inspected, and what happens if floors or wall finishes reveal moisture. Exclusions matter more than the headline total.

 

[radar.round]

What is the unit’s current approved use, and is the three-bedroom arrangement already established or part of the project? That could affect the programme and permit timing even without an extension. I’d also clarify whether any walls are moving, because “no structural extension” does not necessarily mean there is no structural work inside.

 

[sketchesAndPlan]

I wouldn’t choose a contingency percentage before doing targeted opening-up. A high reserve does not solve an undefined scope. Inspect wet areas, service routes and any suspicious staining; confirm where plumbing can actually be accessed; and have the contractor price reinstatement after those inspections. If the unknowns become smaller, the contingency can be more defensible.

 

[anika.dean]

Build the sequence around decisions that can stop later trades: use and permit questions first, then intrusive investigation, electrical and plumbing scope, layout freeze, and only then finishes. Ask bidders for a written list of exclusions, assumptions, provisional items and client-supplied materials. Also request expected ordering dates for the kitchen, bathroom items and flooring so lead times do not leave completed work waiting or force substitutions.

 

[lila_escrow]

Naomi and Ben’s points would make me qualify my earlier 15–20% suggestion. That range is only a planning reserve, not a substitute for confirming use, internal wall changes and hidden services. I’d ask for two contractor figures: the known scope and separately priced optional work for likely discoveries. That makes comparisons clearer and shows whether €129,500 is genuinely complete or merely the visible portion.