ᐅ Cost estimates for terrace, fireplace, support beam, windows, bathroom

Hello everyone,

We are currently looking at a house built in 1951, but everything has been renovated and refurbished in the last 10 years, including the roof, heating, etc.

We still want to make a few changes, and for my rough calculations, I only need very approximate values. I need to know whether something will cost around 50,000 or just 10,000, but I’m not familiar with this.

1. From three narrow patio doors, each about 3 meters (10 feet) wide and leading individually to the terrace with some space between, we want to install one large lift-and-slide door, which means removing some masonry and installing the new door, etc.

2. There is currently an aluminum chimney pipe running through the apartment, so there’s a hole in the ceiling between the ground floor and the upper floor, another between the upper floor and attic, and then it goes out through the roof. It looks quite awkward. Can such holes be closed again so that they are load-bearing and the floor can be placed on top, etc.? What would the costs be?

3. On the ground floor, we want to remove a total of three walls to make the rooms more open. I don’t know which ones or whether any are load-bearing; I assume one or two are load-bearing, so a support beam or steel beam would have to be installed. Again, just rough costs for removing walls and what to roughly expect.

4. Possibly enlarging two or three windows, meaning removing them, cutting out more wall, and installing bigger ones (the exterior facade is currently clad with plastic and will have to be redone eventually, so these things can be disregarded for now).

5. This is a bit complicated to explain: Upstairs there is a bathroom, next to it a small bathroom with only a toilet, and in front is a hallway. A section of the hallway should be combined with both bathrooms into one large new bathroom. This means removing about one or two small walls, adding one small new wall, clearing everything out of the bathroom, and installing new fixtures.

Of course, this is very vague because it depends on details, but just normal standard quality... I don’t know if something like this would be around 5,000 or 20,000.

6. Outside there is a concrete pool with some terrace stones next to it. This entire area should be turned into a wooden platform to create a new surface, so that the pool can be permanently closed off for now (small children) and be renovated later (it already looks like it needs work). The area is about 10 x 3.5 meters (33 x 11.5 feet), with about 7 x 2.5 meters (23 x 8 feet) of that as open space above the pool.

I realize this is all quite vague; feel free to provide average costs or a range.

Henrik0817123 schrieb:
1. Currently there are 3 narrow patio doors, each leading separately to the terrace with some space between, spanning over 3 meters (10 feet). I want to replace them with one large lift-and-slide door, which means removing some of the masonry, installing the new door, etc.

It depends on whether the structural engineering allows it. I would consult a window specialist; they often have structural engineers on hand for smaller projects like this and can work more cost-effectively overall.
This is always hard to estimate, especially if, for example, a steel beam needs to be installed.
I’d estimate this could be done for around 10,000€ (about $11,000).

Henrik0817123 schrieb:
2. There is currently an aluminum chimney pipe running through the apartment, creating holes between the ground floor and the upper floor ceiling, and again between the upper floor and the attic, continuing up through the roof... It looks quite unpleasant. Is it possible to close these holes again securely, so they can bear loads and have flooring installed on top? What would the costs be?

Many things are possible, but I can’t really judge the costs here. Keep in mind this will likely also involve renewing the flooring around those areas.
Maybe around 10,000€ (about $11,000)? Probably not as much as 50,000€ (about $55,000), but I would avoid making any firm statements here.

Henrik0817123 schrieb:
3. On the ground floor, I want to remove 3 walls to create a more open layout. I’m not sure which are load-bearing. I guess 1 or 2 are load-bearing, so they might need support beams or steel beams. Rough cost estimates for wall removal?

11 cm (4.3 inches) walls plus a bit of plaster are usually not load-bearing if they connect to thick exterior or interior walls. Load-bearing walls typically align vertically through the floors.
In my opinion, these are just rough guidelines—you should hire a professional.
Removing walls yourself can be done with a heavy sledgehammer; removing one or several walls is doable as a DIY project.
The expensive parts are usually filling or patching the screed/floor and rerouting heating pipes if they run through the walls. Electrical work may also be needed.
I’d estimate around 10,000€ (about $11,000) if you do some work yourself.
If support beams or I- or double-T beams are required, you’re likely looking at more than 10,000€.

Henrik0817123 schrieb:
4. Possibly enlarging 2 or 3 windows—that is, removing the existing windows and wall sections and installing larger ones. The exterior facade is currently clad in plastic panels and will have to be redone at some point, so these changes can be considered independently for now.

If the window specialist comes for the lift-and-slide door in question 1, you can discuss it with them then. Windows are expensive but not outrageously so.
If structurally feasible, I’d expect less than 10,000€ (about $11,000), maybe around 4,000€ (about $4,400), though it depends on the size of the windows.

Henrik0817123 schrieb:
5. This is a bit complicated to describe: Upstairs there is a bathroom, next to it a small toilet only, and in front a corridor. Part of the corridor and the two bathrooms should be combined into one large bathroom. This means removing 1 or 2 small walls, adding one new small wall, stripping out everything in the bathroom, and reinstalling new fixtures. It’s very vague since it depends on details, but just a normal standard finish. I’m not sure if this would cost around 5,000€ or 20,000€.

I’m doing something similar—combining a small toilet with a bathroom. So, removing one wall, bricking up a door, removing the screed (probably unavoidable).
I’m having the plumbing done professionally but am removing the wall, laying the screed, tiling, etc., myself.
New bathroom fixtures (toilet, large shower, bathtub, washbasin, approx. 10m² (108 sq ft)) plus pipe rerouting cost about 13,000€ (about $14,300), and this is better than basic DIY store quality.
Total costs will probably be around 18,000€ (about $20,000).
Just budget about 20,000€ for this.

Henrik0817123 schrieb:
6. Outside there is a concrete pool, next to it some patio slabs. The whole area should be turned into a wooden platform creating a new surface so the pool can be permanently covered (for small children) and eventually renovated (it already looks in need of repair). The area is about 10 x 3.5 meters (33 x 11.5 feet), with about 7 x 2.5 meters (23 x 8 feet) of air space over the pool.

Definitely under 10,000€ (about $11,000). This can usually be done as a DIY project.