Fixer Upper - Solid Fuel Stove in old Kitchen - What would you do?

condra

Hey all,

Looking at a fixer upper at the moment and trying to weigh up the best course of action.

As you can see in the pic attached, the kitchen needs replacing. I'm wondering about that solid fuel stove though. Would it be worth keeping, and trying to make the area around it more presentable? If so, how?!

Currently the house rads are heated by both that heater and a back boiler fireplace in the living room (according to the agent)

Am I looking at a **** ton of work/expense to bring this place up to a better standard?

Thanks for any suggestions..

Fabio

Interested in an Aga? Maybe that'd hook in there.

Calahonda52

It looks not bad.

BER of F points to a lot of work needed to bring up.

Could be 60+ k for a deep retrofit to B2

Does it need a rewire?

whats the back door, looks like a double door.

I would get rid of the stove and back boiler and put in a new heating system.
Are floors concrete or suspended timber?

condra

Calahonda52 wrote: »

It looks not bad.

BER of F points to a lot of work needed to bring up.

Could be 60+ k for a deep retrofit to B2

Does it need a rewire?

whats the back door, looks like a double door.

I would get rid of the stove and back boiler and put in a new heating system.
Are floors concrete or suspended timber?

Thanks for taking the time to reply. The double doors at the back are double glazed and seem fairly modern and decent.

I'm inclined towards a new heating system, perhaps oil. Would the rads have to be swapped out? I wonder how much work and money that would entail.

Myself and the missus are on a tight budget. Perhaps this one would be best left to someone with deeper pockets and some renovation experience. We were hoping we could make the place more habitable for around 30k. Maybe that's optimistic.

condra

Fabio wrote: »

Interested in an Aga? Maybe that'd hook in there.

Interesting suggestion. Will look into Agas. Thanks

endacl

condra wrote: »

Interesting suggestion. Will look into Agas. Thanks

There goes a massive chunk of your 30k!

condra

Regarding the floors. I don't honestly know. Which would be preferable?

Calahonda52

if timber floors then more work on airtightness.
If concrete may not have much insulation in them, what year is the build?

Airtightness is KEY, 400 mm insulation in the attic is the best spend, and make the attic hatch airtight

Does the double doors open straight into the house: massive draught problem's if it is.

You could do a lot of good work for 30k but as noted an aga will hurt, as will a new kitchen if you go crazy.

IIRC You wont be allowed do oil anymore on a big refurb, look at heat pumps and larger rads.

Good luck

condra

Thanks again for the reply.

1970 build.

The double doors do indeed open into the kitchen/dining room. Will look into heat pumps.

Had a look at some general prices for various things including flooring, front door, furniture, kitchen etc, and it does seem like the house could swallow up 30k before you even tackle the heating situation.

I suppose I could keep the solid fuel system and supplement it with (morning) use of a couple of oil filled rads.

Certainly, there's a reason the property hasn't yet sold, despite the modest price.

2011

You could do a lot for €30k but there would still be a lot left to do.
I certainly wouldn’t be keen on retaining an oil boiler. Very costly to run.
As above I would start with the low hanging fruit, insulate the attic.
As the budget is tight you could consider and IKEA kitchen.

bobbyy gee

Update costs
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/your-grand-design-an-expert-guide-to-renovating-or-extending-1.3261810?mode=amp

Topgear on Dave

I did something a little similar a few years ago OP. As others have said get rid of the stove and back boiler, modernise the heating and concentrate on the insulation.

1970 build, is it cavity block built? What sort of internal insulation has?

What age are those doors and windows? Does the house need a rewire? Changing around the heating system may require a fair bit of rooting, floorboards lifting etc. It would be better to do these kind of very disruptive things earlier rather than later after a new kitchen etc.

Ya dont have to go mad on the kitchen costs, they can be got cheap and second hand and may tide you over for a few years. But you want your wiring, plumbing, heating etc to be done right the first time.

Id get someone with building experience to take a look at it with you, they will see things that you may not notice. When you go to do these things the costs tot up quick, so go in with a good plan and an estimate of costs if you do buy it.

condra

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

1970 build, is it cavity block built? What sort of internal insulation has?

Honestly I have no idea. I'm not up to speed on these things unfortunately. I'm guessing different types of external walls would suit different types of upgrades?

What age are those doors and windows? Does the house need a rewire?

The door at the front is lousy so I'd be tackling that with some urgency. The windows are double glazed aluminium.

Rewire, I don't know yet. I'm guessing it should be done first, if it's needed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told a basic rewire would be in the 5 grand ballpark.

Anyway, thanks again for all the helpful information. We're still in two minds, but it's certainly a less daunting prospect now that we're able to make a better informed plan of action.