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Finishing your shell

Finishing a shell form apartment: the steps and what it costs

Reviewed and approved by Neil Bennett on 2026-10-26 · updated 2026-10-22

AI-generated illustration, not a real property

A shell is a building with nothing inside it. Finishing it means bringing in, roughly in this order, about ten trades, and paying for each one. This guide explains what each step is, what decisions it forces on you, and what the whole job usually costs at different standards.

The order of work

  1. Survey and layout. Measure the shell, fix the layout, and decide where the kitchen, bathrooms, sockets and lights go. If you plan structural or façade changes, bring in a perit now. See perits and permits.
  2. Insulation. Where specified, insulation goes onto walls or roof before they are covered.
  3. First-fix electrics. Conduits and back boxes are chased into the walls and laid on the slab before anything covers them.
  4. First-fix plumbing. Water supply and waste pipes are run to every kitchen and bathroom point. The position of the existing drainage stacks limits where wet rooms can go cheaply.
  5. Gypsum or plaster. Walls and ceilings get their finished surface. Gypsum is faster and smoother; render or plaster is harder-wearing in damp areas.
  6. Screed. A levelled layer over the slab, laid over the pipes and conduits and ready for tiles.
  7. Apertures and external doors. Windows, balcony doors and the front door. Lead times can be several weeks, so order early.
  8. Internal doors. Frames are usually fixed before tiling and doors hung after.
  9. Floor and wall tiling. Floors throughout, and bathroom and kitchen walls. Waterproofing in wet areas comes first.
  10. Second-fix electrics and plumbing. Sockets, switches, lights, the distribution board, taps, toilets and showers.
  11. Kitchen and bathrooms. Units, worktops, appliances and sanitaryware.
  12. Painting and making good. The last trade in, after everyone else has finished marking the walls.

What it costs

The table below is read live from Turnkey.mt's rate card, the same file its own calculators use, so the figures never drift from the published card. It prices a whole shell apartment at each standard: every trade above, plus a kitchen and the bathrooms noted under the table.

Loading Turnkey.mt’s rate card…

Three things move a real quote away from these figures:

  • Your layout. Moving a kitchen or bathroom away from the drainage stacks adds plumbing work.
  • Apertures. Large sliding doors to a terrace cost much more than standard windows.
  • Access and logistics. Upper floors without a working lift, restricted delivery times and Gozo projects add cost and time.

For your own floor area and standard, use the finishing budget calculator.

Decisions to make early

  • Standard. Pick one standard for the whole job and upgrade specific items, rather than mixing.
  • Electrical points. Count sockets, data points and lights room by room before first fix. Adding them later means chasing finished walls.
  • Air-conditioning. Decide where indoor and outdoor units go, so the pipe runs and drains can be laid before plaster.
  • Tiles and doors. Choose them early. Lead times on imported tiles and apertures often set the programme.

Grants that may help

The Housing Authority's Grant on First Residence covers a percentage of the fiscal receipts for finishing or construction works on a first home, up to €5,8241. Keep every fiscal receipt from your contractors. Separately, its First-Time Buyer Scheme pays €10,000 in yearly instalments of €1,000 over ten years to eligible buyers of a first property2. Check eligibility on the Housing Authority's pages before you count on either.

Getting quotes

Quotes are easiest to compare when every contractor prices the same list. Send the same plan, specification and standard to each, and ask for a price broken down by trade. Our finishing quotes form does that for you: we pass your details to Turnkey.mt or a CheckYourTraders-verified contractor, with your consent.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to finish a shell form apartment in Malta?

It depends mainly on the floor area and the standard you choose. The table on this page and the finishing budget calculator read Turnkey.mt's published rate card live, so the figures always match the current card. They exclude VAT, which is charged on top.

In what order is a shell finished?

Broadly: first-fix electrics and plumbing and any insulation, then plaster or gypsum, then screed, then apertures and doors, then tiling, then second-fix electrics and plumbing, kitchen and bathrooms, and finally painting. Contractors sequence it slightly differently, and some trades overlap.

How long does it take to finish a shell?

For an apartment, a few months is typical once work starts. Delivery times for apertures and kitchens, and the availability of trades, usually set the pace more than the work itself.

Is there a grant for finishing a first home?

The Housing Authority's Grant on First Residence covers a percentage of the fiscal receipts for finishing or construction works on a first home, up to €5,824. Check the current terms and how to apply on the Housing Authority's site.

Sources

  1. Housing Authority, Grant on First Residence. · checked 22 Oct 2026
  2. Housing Authority, First-Time Buyer Scheme. · checked 22 Oct 2026

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Ask your notary, advocate or perit about your own purchase. Provenance: drafted with an AI model (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources listed, and edited for this site.