Hello,
we are planning to purchase a single-family house.
Here are some details:
Year built: 1957
Living area: 130 m² (1400 sq ft) / basement
Plot size: 830 m² (0.2 acres)
Price: €85,000
Gas heating from 2005
Garage
Windows from 1980
Double-layer exterior walls
3-core wiring without RCD
Clay roof tiles / no insulation
That should be enough for now.
We really like the room layout.
- Upstairs, only a non-load-bearing wall needs to be removed to create a large bathroom.
- Downstairs, there is a guest toilet that also needs to be renovated.
- Inside, everything must be completely stripped out, meaning carpets and wallpaper.
- The subfloor consists of wooden floorboards that we want to sand and restore, at least in the living room.
- In the upper rooms, we plan to just repaint the floorboards for now.
- The windows need to be replaced.
- New kitchen (relocating connections)
- Blown-in insulation or ETICS (external thermal insulation composite system)
The electrical distribution panel dates from around 1980 and has 3-core wiring but no RCD. The question is whether to completely renew the electrical system while the walls are already open.
The pipes are galvanized and according to the realtor do not need to be replaced.
We have an inspection by a building surveyor scheduled for tomorrow, who will thoroughly check the entire house.
So far we have optimistically estimated renovation costs at around €70,000.
Basically, we have a shell and plan to rebuild everything internally.
What are your experiences with such renovations? What additional issues could arise that we might not have considered? Where can problems occur?
We have already agreed with the realtor that he will "hold" the house for us. We are happy to pay the costs for the surveyor because if everything is okay we get a good feeling. If the surveyor advises us against it, he will have saved us from a bad purchase. He should also give us an approximate idea of what costs to expect.
Do you have general experience with houses from the 1950s regarding structural condition or durability?
Best regards
we are planning to purchase a single-family house.
Here are some details:
Year built: 1957
Living area: 130 m² (1400 sq ft) / basement
Plot size: 830 m² (0.2 acres)
Price: €85,000
Gas heating from 2005
Garage
Windows from 1980
Double-layer exterior walls
3-core wiring without RCD
Clay roof tiles / no insulation
That should be enough for now.
We really like the room layout.
- Upstairs, only a non-load-bearing wall needs to be removed to create a large bathroom.
- Downstairs, there is a guest toilet that also needs to be renovated.
- Inside, everything must be completely stripped out, meaning carpets and wallpaper.
- The subfloor consists of wooden floorboards that we want to sand and restore, at least in the living room.
- In the upper rooms, we plan to just repaint the floorboards for now.
- The windows need to be replaced.
- New kitchen (relocating connections)
- Blown-in insulation or ETICS (external thermal insulation composite system)
The electrical distribution panel dates from around 1980 and has 3-core wiring but no RCD. The question is whether to completely renew the electrical system while the walls are already open.
The pipes are galvanized and according to the realtor do not need to be replaced.
We have an inspection by a building surveyor scheduled for tomorrow, who will thoroughly check the entire house.
So far we have optimistically estimated renovation costs at around €70,000.
Basically, we have a shell and plan to rebuild everything internally.
What are your experiences with such renovations? What additional issues could arise that we might not have considered? Where can problems occur?
We have already agreed with the realtor that he will "hold" the house for us. We are happy to pay the costs for the surveyor because if everything is okay we get a good feeling. If the surveyor advises us against it, he will have saved us from a bad purchase. He should also give us an approximate idea of what costs to expect.
Do you have general experience with houses from the 1950s regarding structural condition or durability?
Best regards
Hello everyone,
Regarding the roof, the ceiling between floors will be insulated, and the insulation between the rafters needs to be replaced, as there is no proper insulation currently. I have already gathered some information from acquaintances who have done this themselves. It’s not rocket science, but you should have some know-how.
As for the electrical system, there are still 2-core flat cables installed, without conduit. Unfortunately, these need to be completely replaced. All rooms will also be protected by RCDs. Additionally, we need a few more power outlets in the rooms and, of course, home networking. I will probably handle chasing the walls and laying the cables myself, and a licensed electrician will take care of everything else, including inspections.
We are also getting new windows: since we want roller shutters and insect screens (insect screens mainly for our two house cats, so they can stay inside while airing the rooms). The new windows will remain double-glazed. If we installed modern triple-glazed windows now, according to the energy consultant, we would also need to re-insulate the exterior walls; otherwise, condensation would form not on the windows but on the walls, which could cause mold problems (in extreme cases).
Two acquaintances strongly recommended windows from Poland (affordable, good quality, professional installation). They had windows from Poland installed themselves and are satisfied. I am still a bit skeptical about the quality and later warranty.
Gradually, we will also work on the basement.
An old building has its appeal in terms of price. It has exactly the same room layout as our (previously planned) new build. We basically get the shell and can renovate it according to our ideas at a reasonable cost.
Of course, it’s also an advantage that we already have a garden, garage, shed, and driveway.
Of course, we still have several construction tasks open that need to be addressed gradually, and you never know what problems an old house might bring in 10 years.
We are also aware that we cannot convert the house into a passive house (at least not with little effort), but we can affordably realize our dream.
Regarding the roof, the ceiling between floors will be insulated, and the insulation between the rafters needs to be replaced, as there is no proper insulation currently. I have already gathered some information from acquaintances who have done this themselves. It’s not rocket science, but you should have some know-how.
As for the electrical system, there are still 2-core flat cables installed, without conduit. Unfortunately, these need to be completely replaced. All rooms will also be protected by RCDs. Additionally, we need a few more power outlets in the rooms and, of course, home networking. I will probably handle chasing the walls and laying the cables myself, and a licensed electrician will take care of everything else, including inspections.
We are also getting new windows: since we want roller shutters and insect screens (insect screens mainly for our two house cats, so they can stay inside while airing the rooms). The new windows will remain double-glazed. If we installed modern triple-glazed windows now, according to the energy consultant, we would also need to re-insulate the exterior walls; otherwise, condensation would form not on the windows but on the walls, which could cause mold problems (in extreme cases).
Two acquaintances strongly recommended windows from Poland (affordable, good quality, professional installation). They had windows from Poland installed themselves and are satisfied. I am still a bit skeptical about the quality and later warranty.
Gradually, we will also work on the basement.
An old building has its appeal in terms of price. It has exactly the same room layout as our (previously planned) new build. We basically get the shell and can renovate it according to our ideas at a reasonable cost.
Of course, it’s also an advantage that we already have a garden, garage, shed, and driveway.
Of course, we still have several construction tasks open that need to be addressed gradually, and you never know what problems an old house might bring in 10 years.
We are also aware that we cannot convert the house into a passive house (at least not with little effort), but we can affordably realize our dream.
A quick question:
How did you start your renovation?
I’m currently drafting a step-by-step plan in my head.
1. Remove everything old that needs to go (wallpaper, carpets, old bathroom, old plaster)
2. Electrical system update, remove old wiring, install new (in my opinion the most extensive work)
3. New roof insulation and attic insulation (you have to open up 4 drywall walls to access the old insulation)
4. Bathroom including wall demolition
5. Guest toilet
6. Kitchen
7. Windows
.
.
.
.
The "small tasks" like sanding and painting solid wood stairs and solid wood door frames, sanding wooden floorboards and checking if the color matches the furniture, installing new doors, are done "on the side."
I’m realizing now that our planned timeline of 3 months’ notice period plus 1 month of overlapping costs might not be realistic.
How would you plan this and what kind of timeline would you expect?
How did you start your renovation?
I’m currently drafting a step-by-step plan in my head.
1. Remove everything old that needs to go (wallpaper, carpets, old bathroom, old plaster)
2. Electrical system update, remove old wiring, install new (in my opinion the most extensive work)
3. New roof insulation and attic insulation (you have to open up 4 drywall walls to access the old insulation)
4. Bathroom including wall demolition
5. Guest toilet
6. Kitchen
7. Windows
.
.
.
.
The "small tasks" like sanding and painting solid wood stairs and solid wood door frames, sanding wooden floorboards and checking if the color matches the furniture, installing new doors, are done "on the side."
I’m realizing now that our planned timeline of 3 months’ notice period plus 1 month of overlapping costs might not be realistic.
How would you plan this and what kind of timeline would you expect?
Yes, it is built with a cavity wall. We were told that this type of insulation is more cost-effective, faster, and more aesthetically pleasing. However, the insulation material should be natural.
I watched a report today showing that woodpeckers like to build their nests in EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems). That fits well with the topic.
I watched a report today showing that woodpeckers like to build their nests in EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems). That fits well with the topic.
N
nightdancer23 Aug 2016 11:39jan2110 schrieb:
We are also getting new windows: Since we’d like roller shutters and fly screens (mainly fly screens for our two house cats, so they can stay inside while airing the rooms). However, the new windows will remain double-glazed. According to the energy consultant, if we install modern triple-glazed windows now, we would also have to insulate the facade again; otherwise, condensation won’t form on the windows but on the walls, which could lead to mold problems (in extreme cases).
That’s nonsense, you don’t need exterior wall insulation, neither with double-glazed nor with triple-glazed windows. Both types are nowadays installed airtight, which—if there is insufficient ventilation—can cause mold. It doesn’t matter how thermally insulating the windows are. I’d tell that energy consultant to take a hike.
N
nightdancer23 Aug 2016 11:40Peanuts74 schrieb:
The 1000 euros probably refer to a full renovation, wIt depends again on what you mean by full renovation... 1000 euros per square meter is nothing if you really have to do everything.
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