2026 guide · renovation
Old apartment renovation cost 2026
Renovating an old apartment starts with demolition — breaking out old floors and wall tiles, removing sanitary ware and doors, hauling debris, repairing the plaster — then a full finish with new installations. Here is each stage at current market prices.
Renovating an old 150 m² apartment at standard level costs about EGP 734,104 (EGP 4,894 per m²). Around EGP 36,194 of that is demolition, debris removal and plaster repair; the rest is a full finish with new electrics and plumbing — only about EGP 41,623 more than a plastered unit.
Cairo market prices · updated · incl. 15% engineering supervisionDemolition and removal, item by item
| Item | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break out old floors (m²) | 150 | 60 | 9,000 |
| Remove old wall tiles (m²) | 105 | 60 | 6,300 |
| Remove old sanitary ware, doors and windows | 1 | 2,231 | 2,231 |
| Debris removal off site (truck loads) | 4 | 1,530 | 6,120 |
| Plaster repair after demolition (m²) | 113 | 111 | 12,543 |
| Total | 36,194 |
Replacing the electrics and plumbing
In older flats the cabling is usually too thin for today's loads and galvanised steel pipes rust and leak, so the estimate assumes completely new installations: new cables, conduits and boxes; polypropylene supply pipes, new drains and bathroom waterproofing.
| Trade | Cost |
|---|---|
| New electrical rough-in | 46,601 |
| Electrical finish (sockets, switches, lighting, panel) | 85,519 |
| New plumbing rough-in and waterproofing | 88,659 |
| Sanitary ware and mixers | 111,652 |
What you can keep — and save
Not everything has to go. If these are in good condition, take them out of the bill of quantities and keep the money:
| Can stay if sound | Approx. saving |
|---|---|
| Aluminium windows and balcony doors | 27,115 |
| Wooden doors (refinish instead of replacing) | 34,765 |
| Marble vanity tops and sills | 16,590 |
- Electrics: if rewired within the last ten years with 2 and 3 mm cable and it passes an insulation test, new sockets and a new panel may be enough.
- Plumbing: old steel pipes should go; modern polypropylene pipes can stay after a pressure test.
- Floors: good marble or terrazzo can be polished instead of broken out, which removes the demolition and debris lines for those areas.
Full renovation or just a repaint?
| Scope | Total | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Full renovation of an old unit | 734,104 | 10–14 weeks |
| Finished unit — repaint only | 68,082 | 3–5 weeks |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate an old 150 m² apartment?
Do I have to replace the electrics and plumbing?
What does debris removal cost?
How long does a renovation take?
Can I live in the flat during the renovation?
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