High End Renovation

Hi! If you are interested you can give us a call and we will be happy to go through the details of your project with you. We are a high end renovation firm in Manhattan. You can reach us at (212) 685-6358 or email directly to Andrew@manhattanrenovations.com. Hope that helps!

We recently gut renovated our 750 sf one-bedroom co-op. Granted, I work in the field and so I was able to receive some discounts, but I can give you some ballpark figures. We spent $70k on construction and another $25k for appliances and hardware. So around $125/sf. This included upgrading the electric, a brand new bathroom, a brand new kitchen, refinishing the floors, and re-configuring/demolishing several non load-bearing walls to open up the kitchen and convert a dining room into a home office.

I would consider our renovation a mid- to high-end renovation. In the kitchen, for example, we used fancy quartz, Viking cooktop and oven, and custom cabinetry...but didn't go for a built-in refrigerator, opting instead for a far less expensive stainless steel Whirlpool model. We re-did the bathroom but sprayed the tub rather than replacing it completely. I think about a high-end renovation as involving all built-in appliances, lots of custom millwork, and a general avoidance of "off-the-rack" products. Our project, while it looks really great and fancy, was much more about making cost-effective decisions that would have the most impact, rather than going full custom.

Bem,

You will get a lot of different opinions as to what the price of Hi End renovations might be. Keep in mind one persons Hi End is another persons not so Hi End.

To do a Hi End renovation in Manhattan it will cost you at least 250 sq ft but probably will be more depending on your finishes. My clients are spending in the neighborhood of 250 sq ft and higher and you can see what that looks like here.
www.primerenovationsnyc.com Very hi end projects are running 500q ft and up

I think high-end renovations tend to involve central air conditioning, custom mill- or fab- work (one architect I know does a lot of custom Corian), architectural decisions that are "apparent," heavy spending on small details like door hardware, and - often overlooked -- thoughtful lighting and electrical work. That seems to push $300/sf, though I agree with roje12 that if you're thoughtful, you have a great-looking reno for less.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

we definitely want central a/c, and we definitely want a lot of overhead lighting. it's a complete gut renovation - ie, taking down almost all the walls, expanding the kitchen, moving a bathroom. unfortunately, we won't have time to oversee the work, so i'm guessing we will need a designer who will do that. does 250/sf-300/sf include the architect, contractor, and designer as well as all of the labor, fees, and materials? i think i can do 300/sf, but i've heard friends suggest it might be more like 600/sf, which i won't be able to afford.

bem9, Some examples of how you can spend money. Wood floor without install can be $5 to $20 per sq ft. Install can be $4-8 per sq ft. Add on 20% architect bill. So on the high-end we are taking about $30 per ft plus base moldings. For 1500 sq ft, you can spend $50k on the floors. Custom closet can be 300 per linear foot (California closets) to $1500 per linear foot (polyform, or full custom) including architect's cost if you use fancy veneer on the frames and doors. Lighting can be expensive. $50 a fixture to $500 for a simple fixture (not talking chandelier). 9 foot doors in custom width can cost you a pretty penny ($2000-$5000) including hanging. A lot with depend of which architect you chose as some architects will design something very complex which will cost a lot as for them they want to create a fine piece of art.

Also do not forget expeditor, permits, fees, tips, coop engineer, insurance etc. They alone take up $10k.

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300_mercer

2 days ago

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Also do not forget expeditor, permits, fees, tips, coop engineer, insurance etc. They alone take up $10k.

$10,000. Sounds like the breaking point.

The sq ft pricing is an insane way of thinking about this, which seems to be driven by architects and contractors to make it sound less expensive in a $1500+/ sq ft real estate market. How large? How extensive of a kitchen? How many bathrooms/taps? Plaster walls? Full electric upgrade? Complete redo of plumbing? Are the ceilings concrete (ie, how feasible is the overhead lighting you crave)? If this is a 1,000 sq ft 2 bed, 2 bath, it is not realistic to think that this will be done "high end" for $300K. The central a/c, kitchen and two baths alone will approach $200K. On the other hand, I did what you describe (and much more) in a 3,800 sq ft loft last year for under $1MM. And expanding kitchens (at least the wet areas) and moving bathrooms in most cases is a non-starter in Manhattan coops.

NYC_Sport,

It is far away from insane to take about renovations on a sq ft basis. We are talking about typical renovations. Its a starting point for a person who is thinking about purchasing an apartment so they have some sort of basis on what their renovation can cost. When we (contractors) talk about prices without seeing the apartment it is the best way to go.You yourself seemed to have spend around $300 a sq ft right? I said that for a hi end project in manhattan you could expect to spend at least 250 a sq ft. You think that incorrect? You talk about central ac, how many apartments get the opportunity to have that? 5%? Each project is different, we just completed a 1200 sq ft two bedroom two bath and that cost 570K, there are many variables so how else should we give people budgets if not by sq ft?

we just finished one in the 90's UES. 400 per square foot. Architect was at 12% of construction. We negotiated with her. Erica Broberg was her name.

bem9,

I would be interested in speaking with you further regarding your potential project. My office's work focuses mainly on residential gut renovations in the New York City area. Please visit our website to view samples of work.

www.studiolabdesign.com

Best,
Matt
mhm@studiolabdesign.com