Buying a house & renovating

slingerz

I hope this question is in the right forum.

I am looking at buying a house and renovating it and adding an extension. What is the process involved in getting this done from offer stage to commencing building?

I assume that when buying a house an engineer would have to assess it for suitability. I have no experience/knowledge of the process and would like to know what the steps are. I would like to have an architect to draw up the house and encompass the extension.

Can someone help me visualise the process?

BryanF

This is tough for a novice.

A survey when buying is only visual. It's hard to know the full extent of costs until everything is opened up, which can't really happen when you don't own the property.

To cost this pre purchase can be difficult

slingerz

BryanF wrote: »

This is tough for a novice.

A survey when buying is only visual. It's hard to know the full extent of costs until everything is opened up, which can't really happen when you don't own the property.

To cost this pre purchase can be difficult

Ok cool I know the house was upgraded recently with new Windows, and the walls were insulated. Is there anything in particular I should look out for??

BryanF

slingerz wrote: »

Ok cool I know the house was upgraded recently with new Windows, and the walls were insulated. Is there anything in particular I should look out for??

Nothing particular, & everything really.

Allow for all known renovations and a separate contingency of 20% for the unknown unknowns.

I'm an arch tech and recently purchased, I had an eng review, I've still had problems with drains, And until I opened up everything during renovation couldn't have known what issue would be found. for example, there was asbestos in the 60's floor covering which cost ~1500€ For maybe ~20m2 to be removed and disposed of.

I was lucky though there were no renovation carried out when I bought so the house was honest and I didn't have someone's else's half assed upgrades to deal with. Freshly plaster boards/ covered up and painted surfaces should make you wary of what might be covered up, despite what the auctioneer might say.

slingerz

BryanF wrote: »

Nothing particular, & everything really.

Allow for all known renovations and a separate contingency of 20% for the unknown unknowns.

I'm an arch tech and recently purchased, I had an eng review, I've still had problems with drains, And until I opened up everything during renovation couldn't have known what issue would be found. for example, there was asbestos in the 60's floor covering which cost ~1500€ For maybe ~20m2 to be removed and disposed of.

I was lucky though there were no renovation carried out when I bought so the house was honest and I didn't have someone's else's half assed upgrades to deal with. Freshly plaster boards/ covered up and painted surfaces should make you wary of what might be covered up, despite what the auctioneer might say.

cheers. it seems very much to be a take your chances story so when it comes to upgrading/renovating an existing property