Renovation Plan of Action

WonderingJu

I am looking at a house in south Cork to buy and renovate. I'd like to put an offer in next week but I really need to get some idea of how much money will be needed for the renovation before I can decide what to offer. I know no-one can predict what the structural surveyor might find or even what might be unearthed during the renovation but a rough idea of the jobs involved, the trade rates for those jobs and materials costs would be a huge help in starting my research.

I've also broken the work into sections. I need to see if it's feasible for me to divide the work into affordable chunks (listed below). I don't think I can get more than 20,000 from the bank on top of purchase price. I hope to try and get the major upheaval jobs(i.e. 1-7) done with that much and then move in and take the rest in stages. I'll be spending big on insulation and tiny on finish. The lodger's part will be plastered, painted and floored but I'll have to rough it for a while.

The house is a bungalow: 100sq metres floor space divided into six rooms: 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and living room. It is close to gutted at the moment. It's got 2 fireplaces with back-boilers in the kitchen and livingroom. No central heating. It's around 100 years old but 'seems' to be structurally sound and no sign of damp.

Here's what I think I'd need to do. If anyone can give any advice on pricing or if any of it is omitted not feasible, it would be great to hear ideas.

1. Pull up floor

2. DPC, insulation and radon barrier

3. Screed (have a quote for about 1300 on labour for these first three jobs, have to ring cork builders for quote on materials and also cement truck and skips)

4. Ripping out the floors implies ripping out pipes so there goes replumbing into the mix too even though the current plumbing seems to be in good order :-(

5. while I'm re-plumbing, get the plumber to install gas boiler and fit thermostat controls on the rads(will keep the old rads to begin with- they're in good shape)

6. Insulate attic (maybe I could do this myself but I want to have as little dust as poss -asthmatic- so I was thinking of that spray-on stuff)


7. Next priority is to make two of the bedrooms (10-12 m sq each) into a sort of granny flat for a lodger. These two rooms are beside eachother at the end of the house. One of them has an old blocked up front door which could be re-instated, the other has a half-done ensuite(plumbed shower, no toilet yet, right beside the main bathroom, untiled). I will also put in a mini-kitchen: sink, small fridge-freezer, breakfast cooker, toaster, microwave, cupboards. I'll make it as close as possible to self-contained but the lodger will also have access to the main kitchen, bathroom, laundry and living area. I'll fit the two windows in this with double glazed windows(hopefully salvaged). Furnish with double bed, locker, wardrobe, small table, chairs, sofa-bed.






--- Next I sit tight for a while and save (This will be easier now I have a lodger helping with the mortgage. I'll probably have to spend

(8.) on my own kitchen fittings, appliances, a temporary paint job and some furniture(esp. beds) but might try to survive a while without flooring, plaster etc. Hope to get a lot of salvage stuff.)



9. as soon as i can afford it i'll insulate the external walls (I'll do this externally)

10. double-glazed windows in the rest of the house

11. knock a shoddy 10 m sq extension that has been added outside the kitchen and properly extend the kitchen. (Something that will let in loads of light and views of/ access to the lovely garden.)

12. fix a broken sliding glass door in the porch



---Sit tight and save again



13. Re-wire (the current wiring works fine but will need to be replaced)

14. Painting

15. flooring (cork, real linoleum or marmoleum, bamboo)

16. Get nice bathroom fittings. Get nice kitchen fittings.


All advice much appreciated.

BryanF

Hi & welcome, I think the labour may be underestimated for new floors with appropriate radon membrane, sump & sealed etc, for instance will electro osmosis be needed? What's the ground level outside like? How far is it plumbing septic tank/ waste treatment etc, is there planning for waste system?

WonderingJu

Thanks BryanF.

I'll have to find out the answers to those questions. By memory, I think there is a step up at the front door of about 1/3 or 1/2 foot so I assume the inside floor level is raised by that much above outside ground level. What should I be looking out for there?

The estate agent hasn't been a great source of information. Is there another way to find out about the sewage treatment system? Or is that something the structural engineer will be able to determine? There's a lot more I'd like to investigate before putting in an offer but I can't afford to spend on a structural engineer until I know the vendor will actually accept my offer.

pabloh999

I would advise getting any work that needs to go "in" the walls done first. Get the place rewired and replumbed first, then the walls can be closed up.

WonderingJu

Thanks Pablo999, it's a good point and it's what I'd ideally like to do.

However, my problem is that with an initial budget of only 10,000- 20,000, I won't be able to afford a re-plumb, central heating (gas connection and boiler), insulation AND re-wire. I also need to budget for getting the granny flat finished to a nice standard and getting the bare necessities for myself (bed, cooker, fridge, etc).

Because of this, I hoped to live with the walls in their current state for another couple of years and then do the re-wire. They are not too bad as they are.

What do you think? It might not be pretty but I could get by, right?

pabloh999

Basic rewire shouldnt cost more than 2500/3500. Replumb around 8000?
With 20k you should have enough. Depending on how much your external insulation costs?

WonderingJu

pabloh999 wrote: »

Basic rewire shouldnt cost more than 2500/3500. Replumb around 8000?
With 20k you should have enough. Depending on how much your external insulation costs?

Hmmm, it seems tight enough. I have to also calculate for gas connection (not too far: there is gas in the house across the road) and plumbing for a new boiler. Basically, I'll need to get as far down the list as I can but, at the very minimum, jobs 1-8 done with 10,000 -20,000.

Unfortunately, I will have to leave the external wall insulation for a while, I think.

BryanF

Op planning is technically required for separate accommodation, perhaps you mean the lodger's room
Your next step might be to seek info on the existing structure followed by an eng and an outline spec by an arch

WonderingJu

BryanF wrote: »

Op planning is technically required for separate accommodation, perhaps you mean the lodger's room

Yes, the "granny flat" is a reference to the lodger's room. It's not a separate accommodation as we will be sharing the house but I do want to give them some facilities of their own (i.e. small living-room with small secondary kitchen area, ensuite toilet +shower). I think I can re-open the old front door which has been blocked up so that it would lead directly to their rooms. That way we can each have a bit more independence. They will be free to use my own bathroom and kitchen too though and there is no separation between their rooms and the rest of the house.

pabloh999

Why are you ripping out the floor? Why bother

WonderingJu

pabloh999 wrote: »

Why are you ripping out the floor? Why bother

Because there is no insulation, DPM or radon sump.

pabloh999

Would new windows and well insulated walls and attic not be enough?

BryanF

pabloh999 wrote: »

Would new windows and well insulated walls and attic not be enough?

Can you define 'enough', thanks.

pabloh999

BryanF wrote: »

Can you define 'enough', thanks.

Probably a decent level of warmth and insulation without bankrupting yourself, like walls, attic and new windows.