Renovating a flat and preparing it for handover

Clarify the goal and handover condition first

The sensible scope of renovation depends on what is planned for the property: when handing a rented flat back to the landlord, contractually valid cosmetic repairs (Schönheitsreparaturen), neutral light wall colours and filled drill holes take priority. For fast re-letting, durable surfaces (such as woodchip or painter's fleece with scrub-resistant emulsion paint) and a clean overall impression matter. Owner-occupiers more often invest in smooth Q3/Q4 walls or feature colours.

A structured walk-through in daylight with photos of every room creates clarity for planning: which fittings must be removed, where is plaster or filler repair needed, and which surfaces require a fresh coat of paint?

Clear and strip out first, then renovate

Renovation and painting work proceed fastest and cleanest in a completely empty flat. Old furniture, loose carpets, curtain rails, light fittings and built-in items not being taken over by the new tenant or owner are dismantled and properly disposed of in the first step. Only once walls are bare do all rawlplug holes, discolourations or damp marks behind wardrobes become visible.

Fittings that remain in the flat — such as a fitted kitchen, bathroom ceramics or parquet and vinyl flooring — are documented before work starts and completely covered with painter's fleece and sheeting.

Restore walls and ceilings: filling, wallpapering, painting

After removing old wall plugs or loose wallpaper strips, drill holes, settlement cracks and plaster damage are filled and sanded flush, connection joints sealed with decorator's caulk and highly absorbent spots primed with deep primer. Nicotine, soot or dried water stains receive a stain-blocking primer beforehand so they do not bleed through the new topcoat.

Wallpapering and painting then follow from top to bottom: ceilings are painted first, followed by wallpapering or rolling the walls with high-opacity interior paint (hiding power class 1). Finally, door frames, interior doors, radiators and skirting boards are lacquered where needed.

• Fill, sand and prime drill and rawlplug holes
• Seal nicotine and water stains with stain-blocking primer
• Always paint ceilings first and wall surfaces afterwards
• Lacquer door frames, doors and radiators as a separate step

The right sequence of trades and drying times

In practice, working from rough to fine has proved best: flat clearance and wallpaper stripping, any electrical and plumbing work by registered specialist contractors, filling and plastering, wallpapering and painting, final flooring work and, right at the end, the final clean. Reversing this order risks paint mist or scratches on new floors.

Allow sufficient drying time between steps: filler, deep primer, wallpaper paste and wall paint must each dry thoroughly before the next layer is applied. A buffer of one to two days before the official handover date removes time pressure.

Post-construction and move-out cleaning at the end

After sanding, wallpapering and painting, fine construction dust settles on windowsills, door rebates, sockets, radiator fins and inside kitchen cupboards. A thorough post-construction or move-out clean removes sanding dust, paint splashes, paste and silicone residues, descales bathroom fittings and leaves windows and frames streak-free.

This final clean takes place only once all trade work is finished and all protective coverings have been removed — leaving the flat immediately ready for occupancy and handover.

Pre-inspection, handover protocol and all-in-one service

Before meeting the landlord, property manager or buyer, a final check of your own in daylight using a checklist is recommended. At the handover itself, the condition of the rooms, meter readings for electricity, water and heating, and all returned keys are recorded in the flat handover protocol.

TF Clean coordinates and carries out every step from a single source in Riesa and the surrounding area: clearance, wallpaper stripping, filling, wallpapering and painting as well as the final handover and post-construction clean. Send us photos of the rooms and your target date via the contact form — we will put together a clear schedule and quote for you.