Poor workmanship is still costing Hungarian property owners serious money.
According to Mapei's autumn 2026 analysis, 15% of customers suffered financial losses from badly completed construction or renovation work during the past year. The average loss was HUF 688,000, down from HUF 842,000 in 2025 and the lowest level since 2021. But the problem remains widespread: almost 40% of Hungarian adults have encountered poorly executed construction work at some point.
Customers are becoming more careful. More are comparing prices, checking previous work and researching tradespeople before hiring them.
So what else can owners do?
Be Careful With Work You Cannot See
One of the more difficult problems City-Lets has encountered involved the roof of a Rózsadomb villa.
A leak had previously been dealt with using what was essentially a temporary patch. Mortar or silicone had been used rather than properly identifying and repairing the source of the water. Months later, the problem returned.
“Roofing is particularly difficult for an owner because you often cannot see what has actually been done,” says Alex Markus, Chief Executive, City-Lets Ltd.
“A repair can look finished from ground level, but that doesn't tell you whether the underlying problem has actually been fixed.”
Cheap Specialist Work Can Become Expensive
We've seen the same principle with plumbing.
At a District VI apartment, a basin had been installed incorrectly and leaked, leaving the owner with the cost of removing the faulty installation and having the work completed properly.
More serious plumbing mistakes can cause considerably greater damage.
Our experience, and feedback from City-Lets customers, is that qualified electricians and plumbers tend to be among the more consistently reliable tradespeople we deal with. Both require specialist knowledge and proper training, and we generally see greater consistency in the standard of their work.
That doesn't mean every electrician or plumber will do a good job. Owners should still check qualifications, references and previous work, particularly when the job involves something as important as a property's electrical or plumbing systems.
Put What's in Your Head on Paper
Not every bad outcome is caused by a bad tradesperson.
Owners sometimes know exactly what they want in their own minds but haven't explained it clearly enough for a builder or tradesperson to price and deliver it.
Before requesting quotations, prepare a written scope of works. If you want a bathroom renovated, don't simply write “renovate bathroom”. Specify the demolition, plumbing, tiling, sanitaryware, painting, fittings and removal of waste that you expect to be included.
Then ask several suitable tradespeople to quote for that same list.
Three prices are only useful if all three people are pricing the same job.
Ask to See What They Have Actually Done
Don't rely entirely on a website, photographs or promises.
Ask what similar jobs the tradesperson has completed. Speak to previous customers where possible. For a larger project, ask whether you can see a finished job or even visit current work.
Someone producing consistently good work should have examples to show you.
And once your own project starts, keep checking it.
One construction example involved roof capping being missed. The problem wasn't discovered until around ten months later, when paint began bubbling and mould was found behind the walls. By then, what could have been corrected much earlier required substantial rework.
For larger projects, an independent inspection before final handover can help identify defects while they are still easier to correct.
A Conversation Isn't Enough
If something changes during the project, put the change and its cost in writing.
After an important discussion, send an email confirming what was agreed. If the contractor proposes additional work, establish what it will cost before authorising it.
People will spend hours researching which television or microwave to buy, comparing models, prices and reviews.
Yet when renovating a property, they can hand over millions of forints after little more than a quotation and a conversation.
A renovation deserves far more research and careful consideration than purchasing a microwave.