Finishing Construction Work Sofia
You can occupy a new built property in Sofia when the property has been granted Act 16 – fitness for use of the building. However, the property that you will receive from the builder will be far from ready to use and you will likely to require a property finishing service in Sofia
The condition of the delivered property is likely to be:
- Rough walls and ceilings
- Rough floors
- No bathroom fixtures and fittings
- No kitchen appliances or cupboards
- Maybe no interior doors
- No electrical lights or switches
- No heating
- No air conditioning
You will need to find someone in Sofia, if you cannot do the work yourself, to complete the work, and, due to the amount of construction work being performed in Sofia, these ‘finishing builders’ are difficult to find for the right price.
Finding a Good Finishing Builder
During a recent house sale in Sofia, we obtained several quotes from finishing builders. Some of the quotes were 4 times more expensive that the builders (that we had used before with good results) for exactly the same work.
Furthermore, it is difficult to schedule the finishing builder as it is often not clear when the house or apartment will be ready to start the work.
- You will probably not allowed to start the work until you have made full payment for the property
- You should not start the work until the property is fully dry, and the external door is fitted with a working lock
Another issue with the finishing builders is that many of them find fault with the building saying things like:
- The walls are not straight
- The bathroom walls are not strong enough to hold the tiles
- The staircases need to be fitted before they can start work
These things slow the work done, cause rework and increase the cost.
We have many years experience of finishing apartments in Sofia and we will put you in contact with quality workmen.
Scheduling the Finishing Builder
It is quite likely that your house or apartment will be ready for the finishing work a long time before the whole property obtains Act 16. This is because the last things that need to be completed are items like the external work, parking and the elevators.
So, it is best schedule the finishing work during the months between when the roof is finished (the apartment is dry) and when Act 16 is obtained.
Normally, the finishing work will take about 2 months but you have to carefully schedule the delivery of all the supplies for this timescale to be met.
Work to be Undertaken by a Property Finishing Service in Sofia
Your property finishing service in Sofia will probably have to complete the work listed below (and a whole lot more) to get your new apartment ready for inhabitation.
Finishing the Walls
Plastering walls and ceilings remove imperfections so that are smooth and geometrically straight and smooth right angles are formed where the walls meet.
Plastering covers all ducts for electrical, internet, alarm system, telephone and other cables, as well as all heat and ventilation, heating and air-conditioning links and pipes.
The plastering of the ceiling is also very important because after the fitting of the lighting fixtures every imperfection of the ceiling becomes quite obvious.
Quality plastering is very important before painting the walls or putting wallpaper. It is wrong to think that wallpaper will hide all the imperfections of the wall.
Plastering will be done both in dry and wet rooms. Plastering is divided into leveling and finishing plaster.
- Levelling plaster fixes large imperfections – cracks, holes, ducts for different cables, etc. and it forms the geometrically straight edges of the walls.
- The finishing plaster corrects small imperfections and scratches from the main plastering.
Finishing the Floors
Our home finishing partners have a team of skilled workers who will install the hard floorings in your home or investment property in a professional manner,
In Sofia, the floors normally consist of:
- Tiles
- Wood – parquet or laminate (much cheaper option)
It is a personal choice on whether you use tiles or wood in each of the rooms but things to look out for include:
- Choosing the same height wood and tiles if you select a combination
- Do you want underfloor heating?
- Choosing tiles that are large as possible to reduce the number of pieces, while making sure that they are not too heavy or need too much cutting
Finishing the Bathrooms
The bathrooms are one of the most complex areas to finish, especially if they are small.
In our opinion, it is best to buy the bathroom pieces and bathroom tiles from one store. The store can then create a design plan that includes all the bathroom fixtures and fittings as well as the tiles.
Things to consider:
- Do you want a bath?
- What type of shower do you want?
- Do you want a toilet with the tank hidden?
- Do you want the sink built in or stand-alone?
We will advise you on who we think will give you the best service depending upon your requirements
Finishing the Kitchen
There are basically two choices when it comes to finishing your kitchen:
- Visit one of the stores in Sofia and choose from their range. The store will then visit your property and make a design (after payment of a small deposit)
- Choose a kitchen designer/manufacturer than will build you new kitchen to your tailor made. The designer will provide everything apart from your sink, taps and handles.
Both options will need to know the exact models of cooker, dishwasher and refrigerator that you are selecting so that they allow for the space in their designs.
We will advise you on who we think will give you the best design depending upon your requirements
Installing The Doors
There are several doors to consider:
- The builder will always provide an external door in the cost of the property but you can choose to upgrade the door if you do not like the one that the builder offers
- The internal doors may or may not be included in the cost of the property. If the doors are included, and you do not like them ,then you can obtain a refund and select your own doors from the many door stores in Sofia
- The garage door may or may not be included in the cost of the property. If it is possible to fit a garage door, then you may want to select a better one (for example automatic rather than manual), or purchase a garage door yourselves if one is not included in the cost of the property
- Meze door. This is exactly the same case as the garage door
Electrical Light and Switch Installation
Do not forget to leave room in your budget for electrical lights or switches. Also, you may want the builder or your finishing contractor to add more lights and sockets if you do not think that there are enough in the original design, or you do not like where they are located.
Design and Installation of Heating System
Choosing your heating system will be one of the most important decisions that you will make when finishing your new home or investment.
Twenty years ago, gas if available, was the best choice if available and Gas Prom set up a Gas provider in Bulgaria, called OverGas, that was charged with the gasification of the country. However, climate change means that gas is being outlawed in many countries with electric being the preferred choice as it can be generated by renewal energy. In the past gas was a cheaper way to heat you home in Sofia but not electricity is the more cost effective option.
Depending where you live in Sofia, you may get access to municipality ‘Central Heating’ system provided by “Toplofikatsiya Sofia”. The hot water will only be available in the colder months and the dates when it is switched on or off is dictated by the outside temperatures.
We will carefully explain the options that you have to heat the house or apartment and introduce you to the eco-friendly heating experts in Sofia who will inform you of the best system for your property and make the calculations to ensure that the property is energy efficient.
Installation of Air Conditioning System
As you may be aware the temperatures in Sofia vary a lot from lows of -20 centigrade in winter to +40 degrees in summer so air conditioning, in the living rooms at the minimum, is a must.
The direction that you property faces will have a strong impact on the temperature of your property. Properties with living areas that are south facing properties are by far the best and your home will even get a lot of sun in the winter, although it is cold outside, which will help keep your home warm.
Many people choose multi-purpose air-conditioning units that can operate from -20 centigrade to +40 degrees in summer and use the air conditioning as the heating system.
We have partnered with the leading energy efficient heating and air conditioning equipment providers in Sofia who will visit your property and inform you what are the best combinations for your heating and air conditioning.
Installation of Video Surveillance, Security and Intercom Systems
We will put you in contact with the residential security experts in Sofia who will install your comprehensive surveillance security system at a reasonable prices
There are no restraints to the number of intercom systems and security cameras that can be offered which will secure your properties today and for the future.
The security specialists will visit your property and recommend the security camera equipment, intercom systems, wireless CCTV camera decisions that are the best for your situation.
The security company will be you long-standing partner from installation of the security equipment until you sell the property.
