Hello everyone,
We are close to purchasing a house from 1987, with 116 sqm (1,250 sq ft) consisting of a basement, ground floor, and attic with a loft space. Unfortunately, the loft is not high enough, so it is not an option for conversion now or in the future. According to the building description, there is 12 cm (5 inches) of roll insulation installed between the rafters, plus a vapor barrier/vapor retarder. The real estate agent said that the ceiling in the attic is also insulated, but I cannot confirm this and it would need to be checked. I’ve attached some pictures. The attic ceiling is covered with wood. The house’s energy efficiency rating is E. We have not yet consulted an energy advisor.
We have about 100,000 EUR available. Planned expenses include a new heat pump (replacing the 2005 oil heating system), new windows, and a new front door (still original from 1987). We are still discussing underfloor heating, but I estimate costs around 45,000 to 50,000 EUR after subsidies (we have a heating engineer in the family). That leaves roughly 50,000 EUR for new floor construction (8,000 EUR), wall opening (5,000 EUR), electrical adjustments (6,000 EUR, currently three-wire), energy advisory (2,000 EUR), and interior finishing (plastering, painting, around 10,000 EUR).
The more you get into the subject, the more ideas come up. We haven’t given much thought to the attic ceiling yet and would have just painted it white if funds are tight. But if the budget allows, new drywall would look better. This also raises the question of whether to keep or renew the insulation. The attic has about 54 sqm (580 sq ft) of living space, with knee walls 75 cm (30 inches) high.
What do you think, does it make sense? Would this bring a significant energy advantage? And how should we handle the loft and the folding stairs? The loft and roof are already insulated, so presumably, no new insulation would be needed there. I also read here in the forum that due to ventilation, no insulation might not be bad. So it might make more sense to insulate the attic ceiling directly rather than laying insulation mats on the loft floor, right?
In the end, as mentioned, it’s also a question of budget. According to what I’ve found online, such insulation work can be quite expensive, but it is also possible to do it yourself. I therefore set a budget of 8,000 EUR for this—is that realistic?
I would appreciate any responses, tips, and advice.
We are close to purchasing a house from 1987, with 116 sqm (1,250 sq ft) consisting of a basement, ground floor, and attic with a loft space. Unfortunately, the loft is not high enough, so it is not an option for conversion now or in the future. According to the building description, there is 12 cm (5 inches) of roll insulation installed between the rafters, plus a vapor barrier/vapor retarder. The real estate agent said that the ceiling in the attic is also insulated, but I cannot confirm this and it would need to be checked. I’ve attached some pictures. The attic ceiling is covered with wood. The house’s energy efficiency rating is E. We have not yet consulted an energy advisor.
We have about 100,000 EUR available. Planned expenses include a new heat pump (replacing the 2005 oil heating system), new windows, and a new front door (still original from 1987). We are still discussing underfloor heating, but I estimate costs around 45,000 to 50,000 EUR after subsidies (we have a heating engineer in the family). That leaves roughly 50,000 EUR for new floor construction (8,000 EUR), wall opening (5,000 EUR), electrical adjustments (6,000 EUR, currently three-wire), energy advisory (2,000 EUR), and interior finishing (plastering, painting, around 10,000 EUR).
The more you get into the subject, the more ideas come up. We haven’t given much thought to the attic ceiling yet and would have just painted it white if funds are tight. But if the budget allows, new drywall would look better. This also raises the question of whether to keep or renew the insulation. The attic has about 54 sqm (580 sq ft) of living space, with knee walls 75 cm (30 inches) high.
What do you think, does it make sense? Would this bring a significant energy advantage? And how should we handle the loft and the folding stairs? The loft and roof are already insulated, so presumably, no new insulation would be needed there. I also read here in the forum that due to ventilation, no insulation might not be bad. So it might make more sense to insulate the attic ceiling directly rather than laying insulation mats on the loft floor, right?
In the end, as mentioned, it’s also a question of budget. According to what I’ve found online, such insulation work can be quite expensive, but it is also possible to do it yourself. I therefore set a budget of 8,000 EUR for this—is that realistic?
I would appreciate any responses, tips, and advice.
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