ᐅ Renovating an Old Building: Yes or No? Budget Approximately €140,000–180,000
Created on: 18 Apr 2015 12:59
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Mr.PiHello everyone,
I hope I have posted this in the right section; if not, I kindly ask a moderator to move the thread accordingly.
Let me briefly introduce ourselves and explain our situation. We are my partner (34) and I (31), currently renting in the Rhine-Main area. We had originally planned to build a house or buy one in the near future.
Due to family circumstances, the situation has changed, as I have inherited my grandmother’s house.
It is located on the same property as my parents’ house. This makes selling it impossible.
Now we are considering renovating the house and living in it ourselves. I understand that questions about costs are difficult to answer remotely, but I would appreciate if someone could give a rough estimate.
Here are a few facts that I can provide as a non-professional:
It is a detached single-family house built in 1926. Thanks to my grandparents, it is in good condition for a layperson like me.
It has been renovated and modernized by every generation. The last major renovation was the roof last year, which was completely renewed and insulated for 40,000 Euros.
Currently, the house offers 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space spread over two full floors and a converted attic. The house also has a full basement.
What we envision is a complete renewal of the electrical system, replacement of the heating system, and new uPVC windows from the 1990s.
We would also like to add another full bathroom and move one or two interior walls, if possible.
Our budget for this is around 140,000 to 180,000 Euros.
I would be very grateful for a rough assessment of whether such a project is feasible within this budget.
If further information is needed for an initial evaluation, I am happy to provide it.
Thank you very much, and have a great weekend everyone!
I hope I have posted this in the right section; if not, I kindly ask a moderator to move the thread accordingly.
Let me briefly introduce ourselves and explain our situation. We are my partner (34) and I (31), currently renting in the Rhine-Main area. We had originally planned to build a house or buy one in the near future.
Due to family circumstances, the situation has changed, as I have inherited my grandmother’s house.
It is located on the same property as my parents’ house. This makes selling it impossible.
Now we are considering renovating the house and living in it ourselves. I understand that questions about costs are difficult to answer remotely, but I would appreciate if someone could give a rough estimate.
Here are a few facts that I can provide as a non-professional:
It is a detached single-family house built in 1926. Thanks to my grandparents, it is in good condition for a layperson like me.
It has been renovated and modernized by every generation. The last major renovation was the roof last year, which was completely renewed and insulated for 40,000 Euros.
Currently, the house offers 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space spread over two full floors and a converted attic. The house also has a full basement.
What we envision is a complete renewal of the electrical system, replacement of the heating system, and new uPVC windows from the 1990s.
We would also like to add another full bathroom and move one or two interior walls, if possible.
Our budget for this is around 140,000 to 180,000 Euros.
I would be very grateful for a rough assessment of whether such a project is feasible within this budget.
If further information is needed for an initial evaluation, I am happy to provide it.
Thank you very much, and have a great weekend everyone!
If you want to remove walls, I would recommend consulting an architect. This also ensures that the entire renovation works together. You mentioned the roof has been renovated; besides the windows, what else is important, possibly the facade? But with 180,000, you can of course accomplish quite a lot.
Umbau-Susi18 Apr 2015 15:19Our house (230 sqm (2,475 sq ft) plus a 70 sqm (750 sq ft) basement, built in 1936) was gutted for 200,000 € and renovated with new wiring, all new supply and drainage pipes, a new floor, and an extension for a terrace. Two new bathrooms were installed. Two windows were replaced with terrace doors.
Only a few windows, the roof, and the facade were left original, although these had also been renewed in the late 1990s.
The budget you are planning is definitely a good starting point. From my experience, I can only advise you to hire an architect or structural engineer who has experience with renovating older buildings. With beautiful old houses like this, you can always expect some strange surprises.
For example, in our case, the original construction plans were off by between 24 and 35 centimeters (9 and 14 inches) in some rooms. Test drills revealed that each generation of renovation had added new layers: the first layer was from the 1990s, the second from the 1960s/70s, and the third was the original 1936 structure. I can tell you, gutting the place was quite an adventure. First purchase: a Hilti, then 11 tons of debris in a house that looked well maintained from the outside.
But it was absolutely worth it.
Sylvia
Only a few windows, the roof, and the facade were left original, although these had also been renewed in the late 1990s.
The budget you are planning is definitely a good starting point. From my experience, I can only advise you to hire an architect or structural engineer who has experience with renovating older buildings. With beautiful old houses like this, you can always expect some strange surprises.
For example, in our case, the original construction plans were off by between 24 and 35 centimeters (9 and 14 inches) in some rooms. Test drills revealed that each generation of renovation had added new layers: the first layer was from the 1990s, the second from the 1960s/70s, and the third was the original 1936 structure. I can tell you, gutting the place was quite an adventure. First purchase: a Hilti, then 11 tons of debris in a house that looked well maintained from the outside.
But it was absolutely worth it.
Sylvia
Mr.Pi schrieb:
Hello everyone,
I hope I have posted in the right section; if not, I kindly ask a moderator to move this thread accordingly.
Let me briefly introduce ourselves and explain our situation. We are my partner (34) and I (31), currently renting in the Rhine-Main area. We were planning either to build a house or buy one soon.
Due to family circumstances, the situation has changed because I inherited my grandmother’s house.
It is located on the same plot as my parents’ house. This circumstance makes selling impossible.That is not entirely correct, because in connection with a unification easement, it is possible to carry out a real partition with 25 change-of-direction points running right through the house, and – as impractical as that may be – to sell half of the property/house freely if you find someone interested.
Therefore, it would be interesting to know why you believe the house cannot be sold, especially since you state it is a detached house!?
An additional full bathroom would need to be created, and one or two interior walls would have to be moved, if possible.
The budget I have in mind is between 140,000 and 180,000 euros (approximately $150,000 to $195,000).
I would be very grateful for a rough assessment of whether such a project is feasible within this budget.
/QUOTE]
That should allow for quite a bit of work, but I would always recommend discussing it with an architect. Without precise knowledge of the property, it makes little sense to assess the project here in the forum.
Best regards,
Dirk Grafe
Get an experienced person involved, like a structural engineer or an architect.
With your budget, you should be able to do quite a lot inside the house. Since the roof is already done, a major cost factor is already removed.
If you are renewing the electrical system, I would also consider renewing all the (waste) water pipes, since you’ll be opening up the walls anyway.
We just went through this ourselves. We needed significantly more budget than planned. Our double carport has been postponed to next year, and the newly planned main entrance will initially keep the temporary wooden staircase. So always keep some money in reserve.
With your budget, you should be able to do quite a lot inside the house. Since the roof is already done, a major cost factor is already removed.
If you are renewing the electrical system, I would also consider renewing all the (waste) water pipes, since you’ll be opening up the walls anyway.
We just went through this ourselves. We needed significantly more budget than planned. Our double carport has been postponed to next year, and the newly planned main entrance will initially keep the temporary wooden staircase. So always keep some money in reserve.
B
Bieber081522 Apr 2015 10:14Mr.Pi schrieb:
What we are considering is a complete upgrade of the electrical system, replacement of the heating system, and the plastic windows from the 1990s.
An additional full bathroom needs to be created, and moving one or two interior walls if possible. We have planned something similar over the past few months. I have received quotes:
- Electrical system: 12,000 euros
- Heating (gas condensing boiler, 10 rooms/radiators): 15,000 euros
- Bathroom (depending on size and selected fittings): starting at 10,000 euros
- Windows --> no idea/opinion (are they really necessary to replace?)
- Walls --> depends...
- If the windows are replaced and walls altered, you will likely want to paint everything as well (another 10,000 euros or so :-) ).
This is all very approximate. You should invite trusted contractors and then request detailed quotes.
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