The 2BHK Interior Checklist: 40 Decisions Before Work Starts

A 2BHK interior takes eight to ten weeks on site. It goes over that almost entirely because of decisions that arrive late — a switch position not confirmed, a wardrobe internal layout still undecided, an appliance not bought when the carpenter needed its dimensions. Work through this list before the first panel is cut and the timeline usually holds.

Before design starts

• Confirm your total budget, including a 10% contingency you do not spend on design
• Confirm your move-in date and whether it is genuinely fixed
• List everything you own that must be accommodated — furniture, appliances, an unusual number of books
• Decide whether you are staying in the flat during the work
• Get the society rules in writing: working hours, lift access, material entry, waste removal
• Collect reference images, and be honest about which parts you actually want

Living room

• TV size and mounting height, decided before the unit is designed
• Whether the TV unit needs closed storage or open display
• Seating layout and sofa dimensions, confirmed against the actual floor plan
• Whether you need a dining table in the same room, and for how many people
• False ceiling: full, peripheral, or none
• Lighting layers — ambient, task, accent — and which are on which switch
• Curtain type and whether you need a pelmet or a recessed track
• Number and position of power points, including for a router and a floor lamp

Kitchen

• Layout — straight, L, parallel or U — driven by the plumbing you cannot move
• Hob type and size, and whether it is built-in
• Chimney model and, critically, where the duct exits
• Sink size, material and single or double bowl
• Fridge dimensions, including door swing clearance
• Microwave, oven and dishwasher: buying now or later, but sized now
• Water purifier position and its power point
• Dustbin location — decide it deliberately, or it ends up in a doorway
• Countertop material and edge profile
• Backsplash material and height
• Tall unit or pantry pull-out
• Under-cabinet lighting

Master bedroom

• Bed size and whether you need hydraulic storage underneath
• Wardrobe run length and whether it is hinged or sliding
• Wardrobe internals: hanging vs shelving ratio, drawers, a locker, a mirror
• Dresser — separate unit or integrated into the wardrobe
• Bedside table dimensions and whether they need a socket and USB point
• Study or work-from-home corner and its lighting
• AC position, confirmed against the false ceiling design
• Reading light, and which side of the bed switches it

Second bedroom

• Its actual use — child, guest, parent, office — because each implies a different design
• Whether the bed needs to convert or fold away
• Storage volume required, which is usually underestimated for a child’s room
• Whether it needs a study table now or in three years

Whole home

• Flooring: keeping, polishing or replacing
• Wall finish: paint, texture, wallpaper or panelling, room by room
• Door and door-frame finish
• Overall colour palette, agreed once rather than negotiated per room
• Entryway storage for shoes and keys
• Utility area: washing machine, drying, and whether it stays exposed
• Bathroom scope, if any
• Every switch and socket position, walked through physically on site
• Internet, router and cable routing
• Safe or locker, if you need one, planned into a wardrobe