A shell new-build home: from interior design to complete fit-out

What does it cost to fit out a shell apartment?

A useful fit-out budget starts with what will actually be delivered, not a general price per square metre. Two apartments of the same size may need different work. First check the walls, screed, building services, kitchen and bathroom that are included. The design, materials and necessary work can then be costed.

Shell condition is a starting point, not a full specification

Do not rely on the sales description alone. Compare the technical specification, option drawings and confirmed extras. What will be supplied, to what finish and by whom? An apartment with a fitted bathroom needs a different budget from one where sanitary fittings and finishes are still missing.

Terms such as wallpaper-ready, move-in ready and turnkey also need further detail to describe your eventual interior. Ask what is included in each room and what you must arrange yourself. Have uncertainties clarified before ordering the same item twice.

First design the relationship between fixed elements

Start with daily use: where do you cook, eat, work and store your belongings? A scale layout shows how the kitchen, dining table, seating area and fitted cupboards affect each other. Materials and colours follow the overall design, instead of becoming separate decisions with each supplier.

We then develop the connections the design requires. Consider kitchen appliances, lighting over the table and integrated cabinet lighting. The responsible installer checks technical feasibility; the joiner checks production dimensions and junction details. An inspirational image alone is not a construction or production drawing.

Does the builder still need to process your options? Read which design decisions are needed before the deadline for extras.

Which fit-out items should the quote include?

Use this list as a check, not as a standard package. Ask each party to state what is included, what is unnecessary and what still needs investigation.

Compare quotes against the same drawing and specification. A missing item is not automatically included. Distinguish between a fixed price and an estimate that still needs development. Keep design fees, fit-out work and product purchases identifiable, and ask about VAT, exclusions and approval of changes.

Furniture, curtains and styling are not automatically part of a fit-out quote. For the full picture, also use our budget checklist for a complete new-build interior.

Which checks come before production and installation?

1. Confirm the starting point. Check the latest drawings and what the builder actually supplies.
2. Resolve technical interfaces. Coordinate the kitchen, finished floor level, cupboards and connections with the contractors.
3. Have the substrate assessed. The flooring installer determines the preparation and moisture checks required by the chosen floor system. A scheduled handover date does not tell you whether a floor is ready for its final finish.
4. Agree on measuring and production. Record which dimensions must be checked before the supplier starts final production.
5. Confirm access and the work sequence. Discuss deliveries, lifts and shared areas, protection and which trades can follow each other.
6. Check and complete. Record outstanding items with a responsible party and agreed next steps.

There is no universal installation sequence for every floor, kitchen or cupboard. Have the suppliers confirm their interfaces and requirements. Read more about substrate assessment at Forbo Flooring; the instructions for your own chosen product remain the reference.

What can Rive Home take care of?

We can combine interior design, material selection, showroom visits and agreed fit-out work. You have direct contact with a designer. We agree in advance which work we handle, what goes through the builder and which suppliers deliver directly. One point of contact does not automatically mean that every commission falls under the same contract.

For Project Noordwijk, we contributed to the design and also carried out the fit-out. This illustrates our involvement in design and construction, but is not a price example for your shell apartment. Explore how design, fit-out and furnishing come together.

Make your first meeting useful

• The latest floor plan and technical specification.
• Your confirmed building options and outstanding deadlines.
• An overview of the rooms and elements you want fitted out.
• Your material preferences, daily routines and budget direction.
• The expected handover date and any confirmed access arrangements.

You do not need a complete shopping list yet. The first aim is to distinguish clearly between what is fixed, what needs designing and what still requires a specialist assessment.