ᐅ Home Renovation with High-End Finishes, Cost Estimates

Hello everyone,

We have the following project ahead of us and many, many open questions...

My girlfriend’s parents’ house is going to be partially renovated on the ground floor.

The situation is as follows:

The house was originally built as a bungalow in the 1970s and was extended upward at the end of the 1980s.
Ground floor: 220 square meters (2,370 square feet).
Upper floor: 150 square meters (1,615 square feet).

The ground floor will get new flooring, new wall coverings, new ceilings, new electrical installation (bus system), alarm system, new windows, a new bathroom, a new gas fireplace, the removal of one wall, and a complete new interior.
All of this will be done to a high standard.

We are currently working on a rough cost estimate and are having trouble assessing the individual trades.

What is the best approach? Should I bring in each trade individually and request quotes?

I plan to do the gutting myself, as well as the electrical work together with a friend. I also feel confident laying the parquet flooring myself.

I already have a quote for the windows (around 20,000 euros, including a new front door).

Looking forward to tips.

Thanks in advance.

Dennis_rlp schrieb:
What is the best approach? Should I bring in each trade separately and get individual quotes?

Yes, or you can find an architect or contractor who coordinates everything.

I would like to organize everything myself as much as possible. So, I will probably start by requesting quotes.

220 sqm (2,370 sq ft) on the ground floor is quite something... I would probably recommend involving a building expert. Considering the list you wanted to work through, I would estimate total costs well over €100,000. Spending €2,000 to €3,000 on a qualified expert who can give you good advice on what makes sense and what doesn’t could be money well spent.

In general, you’re facing a construction project that is comparable in scale to many smaller new builds. Personally, I would find it difficult to effectively manage the construction supervision myself. I simply wouldn’t have the time alongside my job. Whether that works for you is something only you can decide.

Good luck!

Best regards,

Andreas

In my job, I have a fairly flexible schedule and working from home, which allows me to coordinate quite a bit.

We have a total budget of 180,000€ (with a buffer of 200,000€). This should include the complete interior fit-out.

My main concern is how to create a detailed breakdown so that we can calculate whether the budget will be sufficient.

There are so many different trades involved. I will probably have to approach and request quotes from each one individually.

What exactly does a building surveyor / construction expert do?
Or would it even be worth hiring an architect? Can their fees be largely offset by better planning?

I would hire an architect who specializes in old buildings and/or renovations. They are better equipped to assess whether the wall to be removed poses a structural issue. Additionally, they can offer suggestions for optimizing the space. If you are investing the cost of a single-family home into a single-family home, it should be the best possible result.

Since you are having difficulty evaluating individual trades, my advice would be to have a professional handle it. This is also a task for an architect.