How do you renovate an apartment and create a living space that reflects your style?

Renovating an apartment involves transforming a home to suit your lifestyle, updating its look, or bringing it up to current standards. However, not all renovation projects are the same: 

• A partial renovation focuses on specific elements (refreshing paint, renovating a bathroom, etc.). It is quick, less expensive, and can often be done without moving out.
• A full renovation involves a comprehensive overhaul (electrical, plumbing, insulation, reconfiguring rooms, carpentry, etc.). It requires more rigorous planning and the involvement of several tradespeople.

In both cases, renovating an apartment can have several goals:

1. Beautifying and personalizing the home : more modern furnishings and materials, improved lighting, decor that reflects your personality, etc.
2. Adapting the apartment to your lifestyle : adding storage, opening up the kitchen, creating a home office or an extra bedroom, etc.
3. Increasing property value : insulation, upgrading the heating system, bringing electrical systems up to code, etc.

At Maison Kyka, we offer our clients a turnkey renovation for their apartment. From architectural design to interior decoration, our interior design studio is at your disposal to bring your dream apartment to life.

“We used Maison Kyka for our first investment! We are thrilled with the result; our apartment is perfect. We were so well supported by Céline and Anton, who were attentive and very responsive. A huge plus: the timeline was met almost to the day. We highly recommend them!” Jeanne Sergent

Why renovate an apartment?

Improve energy efficiency and the value of the apartment

Renovating an apartment is an opportunity to improve its energy efficiency. This is highly recommended if you are buying an apartment to rent out, as improving the energy performance rating of an older apartment allows you to charge a higher rent... or even to rent it out at all.

Indeed, under the Climate and Resilience Law, apartments with a G energy rating have been banned from the rental market since January 1, 2025. In 2028, it will be the turn of properties rated F, followed by those rated E in 2034. Consequently, an energy-inefficient apartment risks losing its rental value rapidly.

That said, even if you are buying your primary residence, improving an apartment's efficiency leads to significant savings on your energy bills. This quality makes it much more attractive, which increases the property's market value. Thus, buying an apartment in need of renovation often allows for a greater capital gain when reselling your primary residence.

In practical terms, here are a few examples of renovations that can improve an apartment's energy efficiency:

• Replacing windows : opting for double glazing reduces heat loss and noise pollution.
• Heating system : an outdated individual boiler or inefficient electric convection heaters can be replaced with more modern systems, such as an inertia radiator or an air-to-air heat pump (if technical constraints allow).
• Control system : installing a programmable thermostat, thermostatic valves, or smart home controls helps reduce the apartment's energy consumption.
• Thermal insulation : insulating the ceiling (for top-floor apartments) or the floor (for ground-floor apartments) can make a real difference without reducing the apartment's floor area.

Improving the apartment's aesthetics and occupant comfort

Renovating an apartment is also an opportunity to improve its comfort and aesthetics by transforming a living space into a pleasant, functional, and well-thought-out environment.

The kitchen and bathroom are rooms that deserve special attention, as they are often the two spaces most used by occupants. For example, a well-designed kitchen saves space, streamlines movement, and makes daily life more enjoyable. The same goes for the bathroom: walk-in showers, built-in storage, and soft lighting—every detail counts.

However, improving comfort is not just about modernizing a few fixtures; it is often about optimizing space by rethinking room layouts. For example, this might involve knocking down a partition to enlarge the living room or, conversely, adding a wall to create an extra bedroom. In any case, these choices can radically change how occupants perceive and experience the apartment.

Renovating is also the perfect time to design an apartment tailored to your lifestyle. If you are moving into a family apartment, you will likely need one or more children's bedrooms, a large dining room, or a laundry room. If you work from home, having a quiet, bright office is very comfortable (if not essential).

Finally, there are many small aesthetic details that can change everything (especially for apartments with a small floor area): high-quality materials, cohesive colors, well-designed storage, well-positioned lighting, and decorative objects.

Here are some examples ofcustom-renovated apartments by our teams.

“My experience with this team was exceptional. My architect perfectly understood my expectations, and the project team was always attentive. My project was delivered on time, and the final result is fantastic. I am very satisfied with the service I received.” Lyrod Levy

How do you organize an apartment renovation?

Preparing for a home renovation requires a methodical approach and a clear vision, especially for a full-scale remodel. The more rigorous the architectural design phase, the more likely the project is to run smoothly.

To start, lay out your needs, constraints, and desires. Think about how you currently live in your apartment: what are you missing on a daily basis? What frustrates you? Do you want more light? Better insulation? A more functional bathroom? An extra room? List everything you consider a priority.

A good method is to define your requirements room by room as well as across the board, by considering themes such as:

• Improving thermal or acoustic insulation
• Optimizing natural light
• Bringing electrical or plumbing systems up to code
• Space planning and interior flow
• Overall aesthetics: styles, materials, and colors

At this stage, hiring a professional can make all the difference. At Maison Kyka, we support every (future) owner through both the various steps of purchasing a property and the renovation of their apartment.

Everything starts with a style questionnaire that helps us understand your tastes, priorities, and actual needs. This initial exchange guides our property hunters' search and allows us to connect you with the interior designer best suited to you.

This is followed by three architectural design meetings that allow us to refine your project down to the smallest detail, while staying within your budget: 

• The first meeting is used to review your wishes with your interior designer and your real estate project manager.
• The second and third meetings are used to further detail your preferences regarding style, comfort, and energy performance.

At the end of this design phase, you receive a complete file containing all the technical and aesthetic elements validated together: 3D design plans, including colors, selected materials, equipment data sheets, etc. 

This document serves as an essential roadmap, because a poorly prepared renovation project almost always leads to delays, budget overruns, and design errors.

“A big thank you for your support. I immediately felt confident and understood regarding my needs and expectations. Kudos to the whole team for your attentiveness, availability, and meeting the deadlines, which was very important to me. I am delighted with the final result: thank you so much.” Murielle Bardoux

How much does it cost to renovate an apartment?

The question of budget is often central, and that is perfectly normal: before getting started, you need to know what to expect. Unfortunately, there is no universal answer: the budget for an apartment renovation project depends on the scale of the work, which is based on:

• The surface area of the apartment to be renovated
• The number of rooms involved
• The type of work (complete or partial renovation)
• The quality of the materials and equipment selected
• The level of customization (standard, bespoke, high-end)
• The rates charged by the professionals involved: architect, project manager, and contractors

These prices include architectural design, skilled labor, material supply, and interior decoration. In other words, it is a turnkey renovation, designed to reduce your mental load and provide you with a home featuring meticulous finishes.

The budget for an apartment renovation can be reduced through various forms of assistance, such as:

• MaPrimeRénov’ : a government grant that funds energy-efficiency improvements, with the amount depending on your income and the type of work performed. Available to both owner-occupiers and landlords.
• Zero-interest eco-loan (éco-PTZ) : an interest-free loan of up to €50,000, granted by partner banks to fund renovation work (can be combined with MaPrimeRénov).
• Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) : bonuses provided by energy suppliers for specific projects such as insulation or heating system upgrades.‍
• Reduced VAT rate Work carried out on a property over two years old is eligible for a 10% VAT rate, or even 5.5% for energy efficiency improvement projects.

Starting and managing a renovation project

Hiring construction professionals

Once your renovation project is well-defined, it is time to choose the contractors who will bring it to life. To obtain accurate, consistent, and comparable quotes, you must clearly present your project. 

Provide contractors with a complete file: plans, a list of works, technical constraints, and aesthetic preferences. This allows each professional to understand exactly what you expect, leaving as little room as possible for interpretation.

At Maison Kyka, we rely on a team of trusted contractors, selected for their expertise, reliability, and the quality of their work. However, we may call upon an external professional for more technical tasks, such as those related to air conditioning or home automation.

Once the quotes are approved, project scheduling involves coordinating the work of different trades (electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters, etc.) over time. At this stage, delegating site supervision to experienced professionals can make all the difference, because if, for example, kitchen installation begins before the electrician has finished their work, it can lead to delays or additional costs.

At Maison Kyka, this coordination is handled by a dedicated renovation project manager . They orchestrate the entire project, from ordering materials to final delivery. They act as the liaison between you, the contractors, the site supervisor, and our technical team.

Starting apartment renovation work

The project is designed, the contractors are chosen, the quotes are signed… It is time to get down to business: starting the work.

The project always begins with structural work (if applicable). This may involve knocking down certain partitions, removing old floor coverings, clearing out outdated installations, etc.

Next come the interior finishing work : building new partitions, preparing the necessary conduits, etc. At this stage, several tradespeople, such as the plumber and electrician, may work in parallel.

Finally, the project concludes with the finishing touches : flooring is laid (tile, hardwood, etc.), walls are painted, the kitchen and bathroom fixtures are installed, custom cabinetry is fitted, and so on.

At Maison Kyka, we are committed to making this phase as seamless as possible. Your renovation project manager monitors the site's progress daily and anticipates any necessary adjustments. Everything is documented so you can track the work's evolution, ask questions, and make decisions if needed.

Once the work is complete, it is time for the final walkthrough. You tour the property with your project manager to verify that the work complies with the quote and design plan. If everything is in order, you sign the handover report. The project is then legally closed, and the warranties (perfect completion, two-year, and ten-year) go into effect.

"I just purchased my second property, and Maison Kyka handled everything from A to Z.
From the search to the construction, the architect managed to capture exactly what I needed, but even better than I had imagined!
The team is responsive, which allowed me to free up time for myself and hand off the construction side of things with complete peace of mind!
Thanks again, I highly recommend them!" Adrien Balikdjian

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