Apartment Renovation in Montenegro: Before & After Transformation Guide

Why did I decide to renovate my apartment in Montenegro? Firstly, because the previous owners had neglected it for quite some time. It didn’t have any furniture in it, not even a kitchen. Secondly, because I wanted to rent it out before eventually living in it myself. Besides, I was also keen to see the value I could add to a property by renovating it. I wasn’t considering flipping the property (meaning: buying a property at a low price, then renovating it before selling it at a profit) but I was curious. Maybe I could put the apartment back on the market after the renovation and make a decent profit? Before we get into that, let’s just have a look at my journey of renovating an apartment in Montenegro.

If you are looking to buy property in Montenegro, be sure to check out my other posts:

• How to Buy Property in Montenegro as a Foreigner
• Montenegro Real Estate Market Guide (from an Expert)
• Buying Property in Montenegro – my Honest Experience
• Property Prices in Montenegro: an Expert Overview
• Montenegro Residency by Buying Property (2026 Guide)
• 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy Property in Montenegro
• Is Montenegro a Good Place to Live in 2026
• How to Rent Out Your Montenegro Property

Before Renovation – the Challenges

The Apartment’s Condition Before the Renovation

My apartment is on the fourth floor of a residential building near Przno, Budva in Montenegro. There is no elevator so a good level of fitness is required to walk up and down the stairs. 

When my contractor (I will get back to how to find a contractor later) first set foot in the apartment, he was almost instantly convinced that this would be a complete renovation job. Walking through the apartment entrance door, you immediately notice the outdated floor. There was an old freestanding boiler in the corner on the left. Straight ahead is the bathroom which looked like it had been unattended for many years. The bathroom was actually the only area that had any furniture, appliances or plumbing fixtures in it. The bath tub, toilet and sink must have been installed over 30 years ago. 

The living and kitchen area was completely empty except for an abandoned air conditioning unit on the wall. There were clear signs of dampness on some of the walls. This led us to look into insulting the walls and inspecting the roof. The bedroom was another empty space. The lighting bowls (not sure what else to call them) in the entire apartment looked grim and stained. 

The doors were in a good condition and the windows had surprisingly been replaced rather recently. At least two areas where I could make some savings. Unlike the rest of the apartment…

Coming onto the balcony showed another area that required renovation. The railing didn’t look all that safe and I was very doubtful that the balcony floor could keep out a heavy downpour of rain. 

Finding a Reliable Contractor

Finding an excellent and trustworthy contractor is a crucial step in the renovation process, especially if you are managing the process from abroad. I wanted to compare contractors who have come to me from different sources: a recommendation from an expat, one from a Google search and one suggested by my real estate agent. I spoke to all three candidates and asked them to show me some of their most recent work and the costs involved. I also showed them my apartment and got their first thoughts. 

What are my criteria for choosing a contractor:

1. Responsiveness: the contractor I chose was always easy to reach and responded to any of my questions within a couple of hours.
2. All-around service: it is such a hassle when you have to deal with many different parties, one for bathroom renovation, one for insulation and roof, one for furniture. My contractor did everything, including the design.
3. Excellent references: I emailed with a previous client of the contractor and spoke with my real estate agent about why he recommended him. 
4. Location: make sure that your contractor is happy with the distance between his home and your apartment. Some contractors prefer only to work in the Budva area and others only in the Tivat/Kotor area. 

---

The Renovation Process (Part 1) – Planning and Budget

Planning and Design

In my case, I didn’t need to hire an architect or interior designer. There were two reasons for that: firstly, because the contractor did it all himself (together with me), and secondly, because the apartment is rather small. Still, it required some careful design and thinking, especially when it came to the kitchen. 

Working with an architect or designer adds another layer of complexity. If you do hire someone, then it is crucial that this person works well with your contractor. Ideally, you work with a team of people who have worked together before. 

Timeline and Budget

My contractor put together a proposal of all the works he planned to do and the associated cost. He gave me an idea of how long it would take but he made me aware that delays are common in Montenegro due to several reasons: an extended holiday season, waiting for a supplier, the longest delay in my case came from waiting for the kitchen cabinet fitter. I required a customized kitchen cabinet due to the lack of space for a store-bought one. Any customized joinery work will set you up for delays, so be mindful of that. 

Overcoming Challenges

Not all materials can be found easily in Montenegro. At times my contractor had to cross the border into Serbia to find some. Be sure to calculate some additional time for the sourcing of materials. 

Your contractor has to be a good project manager in order to plan the different steps of the renovation process. 

My tips, especially if you are managing this project from abroad:

• Ask your contractor to send you lots of videos and photos.
• If your contractor doesn’t call you every day then make sure to set up a regular time to have a chat (there is LOTS to chat about).
• Getting appliances and furniture up to the fourth floor without an elevator was not an easy task. Plan your budget to allow some extra money for the workers who deliver these items. 

---

The Renovation Process (part 2) – Step-by-Step Guide

Let me now break down the renovation of my apartment in Montenegro step-by-step so you can all see the amount of work that goes into it. Maybe there is a step you wouldn’t have thought of?

👉 Step 1: Strip the Apartment

We stripped the apartment of all the tiled walls and floors and additionally we removed the old boiler and all the sanitary wear in the bathroom.  

👉 Step 2: Insulation and Roof Works

As I’ve mentioned before, there were obvious issues with dampness in the apartment. As the flat is on the top floor, directly under the roof, my contractor examined the entire roof and repaired parts of it that were not in a good condition. He also replaced the gutter so the chance of water damage is minimal.

On top of that, we added a new layer of insulation to help with heat and cold resistance.

👉 Step 3: Install New Boiler and Electrical Fusebox

This step is a MUST for total renovations. We installed a new boiler and a new electrical fusebox. My contractor also checked all the electrical outlets and added a few new ones where there weren’t enough. It’s so important to think carefully about this step because this can only be done before the plasterboard, tiles and paint are up.

👉 Step 4: Choose New Tiles

This is where it starts to get really exciting! We chose new tiles for the floor in the kitchen/living area and the bedroom as well as tiles for the bathroom. This is the part where you personalize your apartment the way you want it to look. I went for a clean, modern look with a bit of a luxury feel.

👉 Step 5: Paint the Walls

We then proceeded to painting the walls. My contractor chose a shade of white that he had successfully used before in a similar project.

👉 Step 6: Finalize the Bathroom

The workers did such an amazing job with the bathroom. The choice of materials and lights also makes the small room look bigger. We had a delay when the first bathtub that was delivered was chipped. You can see the results below in the After Renovation section of this article.

👉 Step 7: Finalize the Balcony

I hadn’t expected the extend of renovation required to the balcony. I just figured that a couple of new chairs and a small table would be sufficient to make the balcony look good again. How wrong was I!

The guys made the balcony look so much more inviting than it was before. They painted it, replaced the barriers, added isolation and put new, durable flooring. It looks stunning and comes with stunning views.

👉 Step 8: Install Cabinets, Appliances and Lights

The design of the cabinets in the kitchen were a challenge. My contractor and I went through different designs. The biggest challenge was working around the sloped roof. I am very happy with the solution. You can see it for yourselves.

❗Don’t forget to install smoke detectors!

👉 Step 9: Add Furniture

First, my contractor sent me some online catalogues then we had video calls whilst he was in the shop. At times, he had to overrule my choice because the item looked very different in person than online. The result was an ensemble of items that blends in well together.

---

After Renovation – the Transformation

Here are some photos of the final result after the renovation process. It is quite the transformation from how it looked before.

The Bathroom

For such a small room with a sloped roof, the bathroom looks spacious thanks to the choice of tiles as well as the light. It looks like a luxury hotel bathroom.

The Kitchen/Living Area

We knew that there was not a lot of space to work with. My main goal was not to make the area look too crammed without space to move around. We therefore chose not to add any more cupboards and focus on having some more countertop space instead.

I love the round table and chairs with the wooden legs. It complements the wooden countertop very well. The couch fits very well in that lounge area. This couch can be used as a bed as well. The brightness of the tiles added with the white painted walls make the room look bigger.

The Bedroom

The bedroom gets some wonderful natural light through the double doors. The double bed still allows plenty of space for some storage or bedside tables on the sides.

The Utilities Cupboard

This is another masterclass in customized joinery. There is plenty of shelf space in the cupboards and the boiler is neatly hidden in the cupboard.

The Balcony

I’ve discussed the balcony in detail above so just have a look yourself, and enjoy the view once again!

---

Cost of Renovating a 32sqm Apartment in Montenegro

I received an initial quote from my contractor of EUR 13,800 which included:

• Roof work: replace broken tiles and put waterproof insulation
• Remove old tiles from bathroom and kitchen
• Remove old metal water pipes from bathroom and kitchen
• Electrical installation
• Replastering the walls in bathroom and kltchen
• Applying hydroisolation on the terrace
• Smooth plaster the walls and ceilings in entire apartment
• Install tiles in all rooms including terrace
• Paint walls
• Install new air-condition unit
• Install new sanitary items in bathroom
• Install new electrical box, fuses, sockets and switches
• New fence on terrace
• New boiler

As expected there were a few add-ons and some small unexpected additional costs so in the end, I paid EUR 14,500 for this first stage of the renovation process.

After those works were completed, I paid another EUR 5,000 for the following:

• Kitchen design
• Kitchen: installation of cupboards and positioning appliances
• Purchasing kitchen appliances
• Purchasing furniture

This brings the total for a full renovation of my apartment in Montenegro to: EUR 14,500 + EUR 5,000 = EUR 19,500. This price includes all materials as well as furniture and appliances.

Value Added Post-Renovation?

I bought the apartment in 2024 for EUR 57,000 and it is now estimated to be worth between EUR 80,000 and 85,000.

👉 I’ve used Moneycorp for overseas transfers—here’s exactly how it works and how you can save on fees.

Check out my Resources page for more useful products and services when moving and buying property abroad.

---

Conclusion: Apartment Renovation in Montenegro

The thought of fully renovating an apartment can be daunting, especially if you are planning to manage the project from abroad. They key is to find a very reliable and responsive local contractor (and designer/architect) who gives you a good – reasonable and fair – initial quote. Budget in some slight adjustments to that quote and be mindful of delays. Other than that, enjoy the process and, more importantly, enjoy the result!

Email me if you have any questions on wouter@propertyinvestblog.com.