How much does renovating a Haussmann apartment really cost?

Price ranges per m².

In Paris, budgets for a Haussmann apartment fall into three broad families depending on how deep the intervention goes:

Level of intervention	Typical budget	What it covers
Refresh	€500 – 900/m²	Paint, floors, partial electrical work, simple bathroom
Full quality renovation	€1,200 – 1,800/m²	New room layout, plumbing and electrical redone, kitchen and bathrooms, quality finishes
High-end renovation	€2,000 – 3,500/m² and up	Noble materials, custom millwork, restoration of original mouldings and parquet, home automation

At W.A.R.D, a quality residential renovation averages around €1,500/m² — the balance point between exacting finishes and budget control. A 150 m² apartment therefore represents a works budget in the region of €225,000, excluding furniture.

What really moves the budget.

Two apartments that look identical on paper can have budgets that differ by a factor of two. The real drivers:

• The condition of what exists — 1980s electrical systems get fully replaced; lead plumbing too. Invisible during a viewing, decisive in the quote.
• Reshaping the layout — moving a kitchen or creating a master suite means rerouting services, drainage, sometimes structure. This is where Haussmann buildings earn their reputation: stone load-bearing walls, timber floors that need reinforcing.
• The level of finish — between standard paint and woodwork restored to the original, between laminate and original point de Hongrie parquet sanded and sealed, the gap per m² is considerable.
• Custom millwork — walk-in wardrobes, bookcases, designed kitchens: the line item that turns a renovated apartment into a signed one. Allow 10 to 20% of the overall budget.

What makes Haussmann buildings different.

Renovating a Haussmann apartment is not renovating a modern open floor plate. Three points of attention we encounter on every project:

• Timber floors — often sagging or flexible, they require dry levelling or reinforcement before any rigid flooring.
• Mouldings, cornices and ceiling roses — restoring them costs less than remaking them identically after a careless removal. A qualified staff plasterer makes the difference.
• The co-ownership — shared risers, general assembly approval to touch load-bearing walls, regulated working hours: the schedule must absorb these administrative delays.

What timeline to expect?

For a full renovation in Paris: allow 2 to 3 months of design (surveys, plans, material selection, consultations) then 4 to 7 months of works depending on the surface. Our recent projects: 5 months for 145 m² (Le St Georges, Paris 9th), 10 months for a heavy transformation of 227 m² (Le Trocadéro, Paris 16th).

How to protect your budget.

• Demand solid ten-year warranty insurance — ours covers each project up to €5,000,000. It is your ten-year guarantee.
• Prefer a single point of contact — as a general contractor, we carry both design and execution: one contract, one party responsible for timeline and budget. We explain the difference here.
• Provision 8 to 10% for contingencies — in old buildings, the unexpected is not a hypothesis, it is a given.

Every project deserves a precise answer rather than an average: tell us about yours, and we will come back to you within 48 hours with a first estimate.