Help with renovation project decision

freddie

Hi guys,

I'm in the market to purchase a house and have falling for this. Its far bigger and better looking that anything I've seen, but it does need work.

I'm not going to have a lot of money left to renovate (about 45k) so I was wondering if anybody here could have a guess by the photos/experience what the major first costs would be.

It's about 100 years old, 1400 square feet and BER 3. It's got gas central heating and 20 year old alu windows. There is currently no kitchen in it.

I'm happy to live in it and slowly tip away at sanding floors, skimming and painting etc.

My head is being over ruled by my heart so any help with the decision would be really appreciated!

Best,
Freddie

freddie

Just two more images

DOCARCH

Looks like signs of damp to the external walls? I'd get that checked out first/get a decent survey done.

freddie

Thanks.

Looking for a surveyor at the moment to give us the go ahead to even think about it. Would appreciate any recommendations for someone pragmatic that covers the Dublin 3/9 area.


Freddie

Lumen

That house screams moneypit.

I looked at the ad.

Sherry Fitz aren't known for underpricing houses.

The work you propose is cosmetic. It needs more substantial work.

Get a survey if you need to scratch the itch.

Turbohymac

Jesus I've spent double your budget back 10 years ago on a single story house.. windows alone would easily eat up 20 to 25k..new kitchen. Upgrade/replace heating and electricity.. roof...all internal floors doors. Stairs the list goes on..and I'm going off the cost of purchasing items and doing all work myself. And trust me unless you quadruple your budget and really understand the amount of your own labour /time and all the costly mistakes that self diy people make which adds to cost of project and time frame...well it's a huge undertaking.. best initial advice would be get a structural engineer to carry out a full internal /external survey and costing for each defect found...money VERY well spent inmo.. pointless beginning to renovate without the full list of defects clearly identified.. and then proceed in a pre planned renovation which should ensure that things get repaired properly and that you will not be wrecking some of your renovations to fix something that should have been repaired earlier..
Best of luck. And please DO take advice from experts within their field otherwise it will be even more expensive.
Oh as for lumens earlier post..100%

Glass fused light

If it has no kitchen the banks are unlikely to give a standard loan?
The cost of installing a kitchen could eat your current budget.
The stain over the chimney looks like a leak from the roof.
The plaster in the breakfast room looks like damage from water, the vent beside the rad is in a very odd place, the curtain rail says the room is cold and the room behind it will be freezing.
The wallpaper peeling in the other room looks like damp too
There is mold in all the pictures so how long was it unoccupied?
As the others said get a survey done but have it done by someone who can give you a more detailed works schedule and pricing as well as a normal survey report this will cost more but as said before its money well spent.
If the fabric of the building is in reasonable to good shape and fixable and the price is good for the area I would focus on getting a cost estimate of the work and having it ranked in order of importance, and a work flow schedule for the sequence it should occur in.

The big thing about DIYing on a small budget is being able to face come home after work to a place that is in a total mess for a couple of years or more. If you have a partner and/or kids you all have to cope with living in a building site for the duration.

Idbatterim

Is the roof ok? Looks like a lovely house. You’d pick up a kitchen on donedeal for a few hundred. Carpets are horrendous, but another few hundred there, would see something acceptable on the eye put in. This notion that you buy an older house and everything has to be ripped out there and then, is a joke.

Turbohymac

Jesus just do yourself and your money a bit of justice yes you can certainly pick up items on done deal . Adverts etc but you need an expert HONEST opinion as to how much realistically this house will cost to repair/modernize and repair.. otherwise you will be living in squalor for a very long time and always waiting for the next big issue to appear..and require money to repair..oh and not the 40k budget cos that'll be gone real fast. On basics.. stop dreaming and get engineers report..also this report can be used to negotiate a better purchasing price ..that's if you haven't already purchased..
Good luck again.. and just get the upfront facts..(and costs)
Glass fused lights. Earlier post is absolutely spot on also.. I've gone through a large renovation and extension about 10 years back and i am now on second fix on a new 2 story 3700 sq ft house and renovations seem great but are costly and very family unfriendly

freddie

Thanks all,

I certainly agree with some comments and disagree with others. Yes it is an old house but I dont think that necessary means rip it up and throw it out. Completely agree that a brilliant job would cost a fortune, but if the roof is ok and damp is not extensive, surly a re-plumb (10k), re-wire (10k), Kitchen (5k as temporary measure) and 15k for paint and tiling etc. would make it liveable for 3-5 years?

Defiantly getting a surveyor, just thought I would get a feel from asking here first.

I disagree that it would need all new internal doors and floors as they are both in great condition. Happy to sand floors, paint and skim myself where needed. There is no smell at all in the house and my quick visual check showed a solid and well maintained house.

Great to hear the opinions!

Idbatterim

The Doors look lovely. Flooring only you can tell. You can paint yourself. Take the awful wallpaper off and see if walls are in ok condition, if they are, paint them. If not, get them skimmed and paint them. Don’t bother spending 5k on a temp kitchen, get one for a few hundred on DD if it’s not a long term solution. The wiring and plumbing are working I’m sure?
Why would you replumb? If it’s structurally sound and water tight, just sort out the cosmetic stuff, which is relatively quick and cheap ...

That is a gorgeous house by the way!

freddie

Thanks Idbatterim.

I agree with all that. Yes, wiring and plumbing are both working as far as I can see. I just presumed plumbing would have to be done, and will until i'm told otherwise.
Maybe I was just hoping to hear what you are saying, but my gut was saying the same.

The windows are 20 years old, but with plenty of insulation, a large stove I'm sure we would survive a winter.

I'm feeling a bit more optimistic now.

GaGa21

We have a similiar budget too for renovation and it's surprising what can be done with it! If you don't want an architectural show house and are happy with some second hand furniture to temporarily see the next year or 2, I'd definitely go for it. Depending on your survey of course. But be prepared to put a lot of time and energy into working with your budget!

Idbatterim

Is the heating oil or natural gas?

Idbatterim

The transformation you can give that place with a lick of paint, new carpets or flooring and some nice curtains and lamp shades or a chandelier in the lovely front room ! God they don’t build them like they used too, look at the craftsmanship with the plaster etc... lovely ... rash decisions, lead to expensive outcomes. I’m working on a massive project myself, this is the attitude I adopt, as I don’t have a massive lump sum to put into it, I’m always chipping away with it. If something has to be replaced, unless the replacement is long term, it has to be absolute minimal cost if it’s temporary- ish. Those rads in one of the photo, look quite new to me, it might just be the two rads in the photo. It would be lovely to eventually replace them with period or period reproduction rads.

ebayissues

freddie wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm in the market to purchase a house and have falling for this. Its far bigger and better looking that anything I've seen, but it does need work.

I'm not going to have a lot of money left to renovate (about 45k) so I was wondering if anybody here could have a guess by the photos/experience what the major first costs would be.

It's about 100 years old, 1400 square feet and BER 3. It's got gas central heating and 20 year old alu windows. There is currently no kitchen in it.

I'm happy to live in it and slowly tip away at sanding floors, skimming and painting etc.

My head is being over ruled by my heart so any help with the decision would be really appreciated!

Best,
Freddie

hey did you go ahead with this? I'm intereswted to hear your thoughts if you did or didn't.