CARLO Design renovates Altbau apartments, Berlin’s classic period flats, and historic townhouses across the city, from the survey to handover. What has character stays: stucco, floorboards, herringbone parquet, tiled stoves. Wiring, pipes, bathrooms and heating we bring up to today’s standard. For most of our Berlin residential projects a full renovation comes to €1,500 to €3,000 per square metre.
Most of our Berlin work happens in Gründerzeit and Altbau apartments. These buildings are more than a hundred years old and have usually been altered several times, often without records. Behind the plaster run cables from several eras, under an old bathroom there are sometimes decayed beam ends, damp in the base of the walls. None of this is unusual. But it should come to light during design, while changes still cost little.
That is why we start with a survey on site and recommend early openings where they matter. With some carpenters, stuccateurs and parquet specialists we have worked for over a decade. They know original stucco and old floors and how to keep them.
In an existing building the order matters more than in any new build. We investigate the building first, then you decide with us, and building starts only once concept, budget and permit are in place.
Measurements, structure, damp, services, pollutants and floor build-up. With timber beam ceilings we check the beam ends and for dry rot before anyone names a figure. What we find goes into the design and the budget.
Stucco, floorboards, herringbone parquet, double doors and tiled stoves stay where they exist. Box-type double windows often perform better than their reputation and can be carefully upgraded. New services are routed so you do not see them in the finished room.
Materials that age beautifullyWe price with firms we have built with in Berlin for years and keep construction and fit-out in one schedule. Kitchen, lighting and furniture are in from the start. You get the figure before you commit to design.
What an Altbau renovation costsTwo apartments of the same size in the same building can cost very different amounts. The reasons usually lie in things you cannot see on a viewing.
What turns up behind walls and floors determines demolition, structural work and the risk of later variations.
Wiring, water, drainage and heating are invisible in the finished room but one of the largest blocks in the budget. The risers often belong to the owners’ association.
The most expensive room per square metre. A walk-in shower in an Altbau is above all a question of floor build-up height.
Opening a non-load-bearing wall is a different task from inserting a beam into a load-bearing one. Keeping most of the layout saves noticeably.
The one cost you fully control: floors, doors, bespoke joinery, fittings, lighting. It is decided in design, while nothing has been ordered.
In a listed building you reconstruct rather than replace. Anything that touches common property needs a resolution, and that is a fixed date in the schedule.
Then four short questions. We reply within one working day, with no obligation. We speak English, German and Spanish.
Across our two studios, most of our new work comes through recommendations from past clients. 5.0 stars on Google, 5 reviews for our Berlin studio.
"After speaking with them, I knew I didn't need to look elsewhere. Thrilled with the result, highly recommend."
"They gave us excellent advice and ensured smooth implementation with their craftsmen."
"They quickly grasped my taste, found the perfect products, and arranged appointments."
"Tell us about your property, your timeline, what you are hoping for. We will come to you, listen, and present a concept and a realistic cost estimate, before you commit to anything."
We come to you · One project slot remaining for autumn 2026
