ᐅ Is Renovating an Older Home Worthwhile?

haydee schrieb:

Have a look under the old carpets or linoleum floors. That’s often where dry rot is found.

We don’t have carpets or linoleum. Just wooden floorboards, and tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. I’ve opened up the beams in quite a few spots. Found only two cases of decayed beams with fungal growth, see the picture in the previous post. (It doesn’t really look like dry rot, but I’m still waiting for lab results.) I briefly removed tiles only at this problematic spot. Found nothing. But that’s a good hint. This weekend I’ll break up a bit more of the floor that has to be replaced anyway. Otherwise, once I remove a bit more, the demolition will be pretty much done 😀

haydee schrieb:

Try to get an expert who specializes in old buildings.

We already have, let me quickly count, four experts involved. I’m not very impressed by “experts.” Everyone calls themselves experts and says something, but none were able to provide information we didn’t already know. Especially none pointed out any potential issues. Even neighbor’s comments and posts in this forum have been more helpful as food for thought. Well, if we have a specific question, we can try to find someone again. But more than enough people have already inspected the house.

Good experts are rare.
@11ant something for your elephant memory: there were/are still two users active here who renovate timber-framed houses. A farmhouse and a villa.
@Winniefred has done renovations. Maybe the user with the 1950s gem can also help to some extent.

I consider 250k to be a very generous budget. Roughly estimated, I came up with costs around 150k. That still leaves plenty of room for the timber framing.
Demolition will probably cost around 30k. What happens to the basement in that case?
Renting out can work if built cheaply. But relying on that is pure gambling.

haydee schrieb:

@11ant something for your elephant memory: there were/still are two users active here who are renovating timber-framed houses. One is working on a farmhouse and the other on a villa

I’ll try my luck with https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/sanieren-im-bestand-immer-wieder-spannend.33080/ and https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/fachwerkhaus-sanieren-niedrige-raumhoehen-gibt-es-moeglichkeiten.35912/ as well as https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/fachwerkhaus-sanierung-architekt-oder-bauingenieur.36083/ – I’m stuck with

haydee schrieb:

the user with the 1950s gem

at the moment.

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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

solocan schrieb:

We have already had, let me quickly count, four experts involved. I'm not very impressed by “experts.” Everyone calls themselves an expert and says something. None of them could tell us anything we didn’t already know. They certainly didn’t point out any potential problems. Even statements from neighbors and posts in this forum were more helpful in sparking ideas. Well, if we have a specific question, we might look for someone again. But more than enough people have already inspected the house.

External links are not allowed here, but I can recommend a website with the name of your house’s construction method (under the plaster). There you will find not only a forum for specific questions but also many PDFs containing valuable information about older buildings and their characteristics. When we renovated our basement from 1935, this information was very helpful to distinguish the essential from the non-essential. Unfortunately, it is true that many experts and tradespeople don’t have much knowledge about the proper materials and techniques for older buildings.

solocan schrieb:

At Solitude Castle. But we get bad terms from the bank because of that :p Just kidding. Of course, it’s nicer to be alone on your own property. Sure. But I don’t imagine living in a multi-family house to be that bad. I’ve never known anything else.


No. We can’t really. But well. There’s not that much difference anyway, that’s true.


We actually tried. That’s why the renovation is calculated with 300,000€ in the table. (Not that we have the money saved up, but considered over a few years what the renovated house would cost us)


Not currently. And these are my main concerns.


I don’t get it. We have to handle a renovated single-family house ourselves. For a bigger multi-family house, we would need rental income. Our financial burden would remain the same.


The building services (plumbing/electrical) must be completely redone. Exterior plastering wouldn’t be necessary. The insulation needs to be redone anyway. Interior plastering will also need to be mostly redone. What’s true is that the dormer windows and attic conversion are not urgent yet.


It’s not about getting nervous. I’ve already knocked out all the infill panels, replacing beams would also be the smaller problem. I’m just considering whether, in the long term, new construction would be more economical. Because money invested in an old building is money invested. Then there’s no turning back. I’m a proponent of “Think first, then act.” That’s why I’m thinking it through.


Of course. The house would suit us. It was bought to renovate, not to demolish.

But you only need to focus on current problems. The basement is fine now. Or are you already worried about your new build basement possibly getting wet? Those are purely hypothetical concerns. Something can always go wrong with a house, old or new. That’s simply the risk the owner takes.

For a multi-family house, you would have to take out a significantly larger loan. That money has to come from somewhere initially. It can all work out perfectly, or it could turn into a nightmare. If you can’t cover the loan for a multi-family house alone for several months in an emergency, it’s too much anyway. And with tenants who sometimes pay but never fully, it can drag on for years. You need financial endurance and the mental strength to handle that. If you demolish the old house, build new, and the general contractor goes bankrupt or does a shoddy job, it’s too late and the money is gone. At least now you know what you have and what you can work with. There are several threads here where homeowners have had serious issues with their new builds.

You seem like someone who likes to plan ahead and have all the information upfront. I completely understand that. But that doesn’t work when renovating or building. You’re too dependent on many factors you can’t control. We’ve had our house for 3.5 years and have gotten used to it. Many things aren’t as dramatic as they initially seem. It’s a huge step from renting to owning. Suddenly, you’re responsible, have to make decisions, and pay for everything yourself. Full personal risk. With a rental, you can simply move out if it gets too much. But you have to get used to that. For us, it was a process. In the beginning, we worried about every little thing; now we see things very differently. We’ve acquired a lot of practical skills. We can assess situations now, and often problems aren’t as bad as you first think. Also, we can fix almost everything ourselves, which gives a lot of confidence and more financial independence from very expensive (and unfortunately often not very competent) craftsmen.