Hello everyone,
You can never say it enough, forums like this are simply great—thanks to the administrators and participants.
I hope the following text isn’t too overwhelming.
I am currently deciding whether to buy a mid-terrace house or build a new one:
The mid-terrace house was built in 1978, with a plot size of 186m² (2002 sq ft), living space of 130m² (1400 sq ft), a basement, and a garage about 5 meters (16 feet) away. Location: very good, 5 minutes on foot to a discount store and a larger supermarket, doctors, drugstore, bus stops, and schools nearby.
The house would require a complete renovation, meaning a gas heating system including new gas pipes (since there are currently only night storage heaters installed), windows, water pipes (recommended due to age and risk of pipe bursts), and possibly even electrical wiring. The bathrooms need to be redone. These are the major tasks, plus the usual renovations such as painting, wallpapering, and installing new flooring.
The basement has concrete exterior walls and masonry interior walls. The issue is that the first brick on the screed of the interior walls was measured as damp at about 80 (unit unknown). On top of the first brick is a black protective layer or cardboard. The masonry directly above that protective layer is dry according to measurements. The drying company technician said it’s not too bad—it’s just an old house. A mason also said it’s not serious, just an old house. Another experienced craftsman said moisture in the basement is never good and should not be there. If I store things like shelves, tires, etc., mold will form.
The house price is about 160,000. I estimate renovation costs around 70,000 to 80,000.
On the other hand, I can buy a plot of land (432m² (4651 sq ft)) for about 100,000 including additional costs. Also a very good location, 5 minutes to a discount store, a larger supermarket, schools, etc. nearby.
My question to you is the following:
What do you think about the moisture problem in the basement?
If the seller doesn’t lower the price further, would it be more reasonable to build a new house? Could I get a newly built house (only the house) for 150,000 with the same living space as the townhouse if I did some of the work myself (with help from friends)?
Another question is that in the terrace house, I basically have no alternative to a gas heating system.
If I build new, I could use modern technology to keep my monthly utility costs low, for example with underfloor heating, an air source heat pump, or similar systems.
For me, the crucial question is whether to invest in the existing house with a lower mortgage burden but potentially higher heating costs, or have a new house with higher monthly payments but lower heating costs over the long term.
Could someone share their heating costs using the newer heating options?
I appreciate any tips and experiences.
Best regards
Henry168
You can never say it enough, forums like this are simply great—thanks to the administrators and participants.
I hope the following text isn’t too overwhelming.
I am currently deciding whether to buy a mid-terrace house or build a new one:
The mid-terrace house was built in 1978, with a plot size of 186m² (2002 sq ft), living space of 130m² (1400 sq ft), a basement, and a garage about 5 meters (16 feet) away. Location: very good, 5 minutes on foot to a discount store and a larger supermarket, doctors, drugstore, bus stops, and schools nearby.
The house would require a complete renovation, meaning a gas heating system including new gas pipes (since there are currently only night storage heaters installed), windows, water pipes (recommended due to age and risk of pipe bursts), and possibly even electrical wiring. The bathrooms need to be redone. These are the major tasks, plus the usual renovations such as painting, wallpapering, and installing new flooring.
The basement has concrete exterior walls and masonry interior walls. The issue is that the first brick on the screed of the interior walls was measured as damp at about 80 (unit unknown). On top of the first brick is a black protective layer or cardboard. The masonry directly above that protective layer is dry according to measurements. The drying company technician said it’s not too bad—it’s just an old house. A mason also said it’s not serious, just an old house. Another experienced craftsman said moisture in the basement is never good and should not be there. If I store things like shelves, tires, etc., mold will form.
The house price is about 160,000. I estimate renovation costs around 70,000 to 80,000.
On the other hand, I can buy a plot of land (432m² (4651 sq ft)) for about 100,000 including additional costs. Also a very good location, 5 minutes to a discount store, a larger supermarket, schools, etc. nearby.
My question to you is the following:
What do you think about the moisture problem in the basement?
If the seller doesn’t lower the price further, would it be more reasonable to build a new house? Could I get a newly built house (only the house) for 150,000 with the same living space as the townhouse if I did some of the work myself (with help from friends)?
Another question is that in the terrace house, I basically have no alternative to a gas heating system.
If I build new, I could use modern technology to keep my monthly utility costs low, for example with underfloor heating, an air source heat pump, or similar systems.
For me, the crucial question is whether to invest in the existing house with a lower mortgage burden but potentially higher heating costs, or have a new house with higher monthly payments but lower heating costs over the long term.
Could someone share their heating costs using the newer heating options?
I appreciate any tips and experiences.
Best regards
Henry168
Similar topics