Oh dear. This sounds like expensive trouble.

Torontoboy45

A small cottage in need of renovation/extension and suffering from rising damp. The surveyor advises ripping up all 40m. sq. of concrete flooring, excavating to an undefined depth, laying a membrane and underpinning all walls before reinstating. No quotes as yet but I'm bracing myself for some serious figures.

Is there anyone on here prepared to hazard even a rough guess as to what all this is going to cost?

gctest50

Flatten it and build something

Calahonda52

This was the original idea?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=97612031

as suggested 'doze and rebuild

smjm

Torontoboy45 wrote: »

A small cottage in need of renovation/extension and suffering from rising damp. The surveyor advises ripping up all 40m. sq. of concrete flooring, excavating to an undefined depth, laying a membrane and underpinning all walls before reinstating. No quotes as yet but I'm bracing myself for some serious figures.

Is there anyone on here prepared to hazard even a rough guess as to what all this is going to cost?

You said in your other post that the house is 200+ years old, so it's a fair question to ask: Is your surveyor a specialist in these types of structures? Before you spend a fortune on any works, or demolition/rebuilding, it might be worth taking a step back and getting a second opinion from a surveyor who does specialise in older buildings. This crowd are in the UK, but I'm sure there are similar companies in Ireland:

http://www.heritage-house.org/
http://www.heritage-consulting.org/damp-advice

Your surveyor could, of course, be right. But there's no harm in a second opinion!

Disclaimer: I'm no expert in these things; just been doing a bit of reading lately!

Torontoboy45

Thanks for coming back.

The surveyor I used came recommended and was quite thorough. Although not a specialist, he has had a fair amount experience of buildings in this age bracket.

Structurally, the property is sound but underpinning is essential once I start to excavate to put a stop to the rising damp.

I'll take a look at the links you provided: thanks for those.

eeguy

So your choice is A: pay an unknown amount of money to dig foundations, lay membrane, pin walls, uncover who knows what else and hope everything works out for the best

Or B: Pay a known amount of money to knock the structure and rebuild a modern house on sound foundations. You can always build in the same style and face the house with the old stone to keep the original look.

Torontoboy45

My choice is to ask a question and half-expect a guesstimate or forget entirely the idea of holding on to a piece of local history and demolish.

Thanks for your input.

eeguy

Torontoboy45 wrote: »

My choice is to ask a question and half-expect a guesstimate or forget entirely the idea of holding on to a piece of local history and demolish.

Thanks for your input.

I suppose you're right. You'd also have to apply for new planning permission too.

Markcheese

I think I'd look at getting a specialist on old buildings out ....
It'd a cost you a few hundred but it could be the best/ cheapest move you make ...
If he can see an immediate cause of the damp that can be remedied then you could save you a fortune ... also he can recommend appropriate materials to use in renovation... plastic/airtight /moisture tight membranes may not always be suitable for traditional building... even if they are often used ..

onrail

Markcheese wrote: »

I think I'd look at getting a specialist on old buildings out ....

Guys - would anyone know of such a specialist? Have a similar problem myself and finding it very difficult to find anyone suitable through google.

Metric Tensor

Hi OP,

One of the problems with buildings this old is that without actually opening up and starting works no-one knows exactly what's there. People who are expert in the construction type and time point could give a reasonable estimate of what is hidden and then a "less accurate" estimate of what works might be necessary and then an "even less accurate" estimate of how much it's likely to cost.

I think the only way you're going to get a halfway decent estimate is to do a little opening up work in a small area. If you can remove a little floor and expose the base of the wall then it would be easier for your expert to give you a tighter opinion and easier for suitable contractors to tell you what the work might cost. The unknowns are a huge issue with old buildings - and the good experts will let you know from the start that the best they can do is guesstimate what will be found based on their previous experience and that of others on which they rely.

In a more general sense:
1. Fair play to you for wanting to retain some architectural heritage.
2. It's going to cost you more going this route than a new build.
3. It's going to cost a lot more in regular maintenance than a new build.
4. It is a labour of love and there are like minded people out there.
5. Three important words to remember if your project goes ahead: ventilation, ventilation and ventilation! (actually make the last one breathability!)

smjm

onrail wrote: »

Guys - would anyone know of such a specialist? Have a similar problem myself and finding it very difficult to find anyone suitable through google.

Had a quick search meself. Not easy when you're not too sure what you're looking for! :P

There's a few links here: http://www.igs.ie/conservation/list/register/category/surveyors
Can't make a recommendation, although one of those in the list gives a few quotes in this interesting article:

'Too many renovated period homes wrecked by ignorance, stupidity and bad advice'
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/too-many-renovated-period-homes-wrecked-by-ignorance-stupidity-and-bad-advice-1.300969

It might be an idea to contact the Heritage Officer of your local council. They're bound to be able to point you in the right direction, and might know some decent local specialists, depending on what it is you actually want. They should know if there are any heritage grants available as well.

This might give you a few tips on who to avoid!
'How to pick a Building Surveyor for an old building'
http://www.heritage-house.org/how-to-pick-a-building-surveyor-for-an-old-building.html

Good luck!