Has anyone renovated a property before?

  • Thread starter Thread starter uv
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uv said:
it's a bloody palace :p
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not yet but it will be when its done, I will also have one hell of a mortgage and be completely broke :D

EDIT we are going to put floor to ceiling doors that open on both the living room and dining room
 
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Paras said:
no problem.

I do have a question.

The internal cavity walls have lots of crap in them, ie builders rubbish and stuff. Is this going to be a problem?
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Exactly how much stuff? Ideally the cavity should be empty and it might become a problem if you later decide to fill it with insulation.

The main problem is that the cavity is there as the best defence for damp as water cannot cross a void. If its full of rubbish then it can and defeats its sole purpose.

See here for more info

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/cavities,cavity trays, lintels and insulation.htm
 
Greebo said:
Exactly how much stuff? Ideally the cavity should be empty and it might become a problem if you later decide to fill it with insulation.

The main problem is that the cavity is there as the best defence for damp as water cannot cross a void. If its full of rubbish then it can and defeats its sole purpose.

See here for more info

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/cavities,cavity trays, lintels and insulation.htm
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They are not full but the there is a reasonable amount at the bottom of the walls.
They are all internal walls so I assume damp will not be a problem. Also I am on the 4 th floor.
 
Paras said:
They are not full but the there is a reasonable amount at the bottom of the walls.
They are all internal walls so I assume damp will not be a problem. Also I am on the 4 th floor.
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Shouldn;t be much of a problem since internal. I just wish wokrmen weren't lazy.
 
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Von Luck said:
knocked bathroom & separate toilet into one.
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This house also has a bathroom and seperate toilet, which I intend to knock into one. The kitchen is comparatively small, but the seperating wall is small and non-load-bearing from what I can see, so I'd remove that too to make the kitchen extend into the dining room.

I expect (assuming there's no major problems) that removing non-load-bearing internal walls isn't too expensive? It isn't something I'd do myself, as the kitchen wall has a socket, so I'd need an electrician to remove the wiring before getting a builder in.
 
Yeah, i helped my uncle do a house that hadnt been lived in for 50 years, it was in a state, took a lot of work. Dont take it on if you havent done anything like it before. Plastering, plumbing, wiring, its a steep learning curve for an amateur, or get a skilled mate in to help out.
 
Very nice house Von.

You obviously went the mid cost route, if the op is doing a project to make money he could easily half what you had paid.

Love the bathroom, I think that is the best transformation, oh and the front room!

edit: also you did that about 3 years ago, people are screaming for work at the moment so you could get some nice cash in hand work done :)
 
uv said:
That's a bit catch 22 :D

I have quite a few freinds with varied expertise that will help - electricians, plumbers, builders, decorators, even gardeners :)
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Well it's the size of the job, it's not catch 22, you really need to learn certain skills or know someone who does before starting anything big like an entire house.
 
If you are getting a survey, make sure you discuss exactly what you are getting, and whats excluded. Ask to see an example of their report. A full building survey (what used to be known as structural suvey) will set you back over £600. (in my opinion worth it). Any other survey will be somewhat superficial / limited.

But, don't panic if it comes back with missing DPC or failed wall ties, etc, etc. The majority of defects are straightforward to fix (although this way you can budget for their repair).

For a light touch refurb you are looking at £400/m2. For a refurb extending to re-wire, new heating, and allowance for either fabric or roof repairs, and all new finishes to a high standard, etc, you are looking at £1500/m2.
 
alastair said:
If you are getting a survey, make sure you discuss exactly what you are getting, and whats excluded. Ask to see an example of their report. A full building survey (what used to be known as structural suvey) will set you back over £600. (in my opinion worth it). Any other survey will be somewhat superficial / limited.

But, don't panic if it comes back with missing DPC or failed wall ties, etc, etc. The majority of defects are straightforward to fix (although this way you can budget for their repair).

For a light touch refurb you are looking at £400/m2. For a refurb extending to re-wire, new heating, and allowance for either fabric or roof repairs, and all new finishes to a high standard, etc, you are looking at £1500/m2.
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where the hell are you people getting your prices from? £40 per sq foot for a basic job and £150 for a bigger luxury job? On your basis my house would have cost £156k for a basic job and £510k for0he big job when £200k would have more than built the house from scratch. all i can figure is that there are some rich builders out there who have made a killing out of you.
 
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