Hello,
we are planning to purchase a single-family house.
Here are some details:
Year built: 1957
Living area: 130 m² (1400 sq ft) / basement
Plot size: 830 m² (0.2 acres)
Price: €85,000
Gas heating from 2005
Garage
Windows from 1980
Double-layer exterior walls
3-core wiring without RCD
Clay roof tiles / no insulation
That should be enough for now.
We really like the room layout.
- Upstairs, only a non-load-bearing wall needs to be removed to create a large bathroom.
- Downstairs, there is a guest toilet that also needs to be renovated.
- Inside, everything must be completely stripped out, meaning carpets and wallpaper.
- The subfloor consists of wooden floorboards that we want to sand and restore, at least in the living room.
- In the upper rooms, we plan to just repaint the floorboards for now.
- The windows need to be replaced.
- New kitchen (relocating connections)
- Blown-in insulation or ETICS (external thermal insulation composite system)
The electrical distribution panel dates from around 1980 and has 3-core wiring but no RCD. The question is whether to completely renew the electrical system while the walls are already open.
The pipes are galvanized and according to the realtor do not need to be replaced.
We have an inspection by a building surveyor scheduled for tomorrow, who will thoroughly check the entire house.
So far we have optimistically estimated renovation costs at around €70,000.
Basically, we have a shell and plan to rebuild everything internally.
What are your experiences with such renovations? What additional issues could arise that we might not have considered? Where can problems occur?
We have already agreed with the realtor that he will "hold" the house for us. We are happy to pay the costs for the surveyor because if everything is okay we get a good feeling. If the surveyor advises us against it, he will have saved us from a bad purchase. He should also give us an approximate idea of what costs to expect.
Do you have general experience with houses from the 1950s regarding structural condition or durability?
Best regards
we are planning to purchase a single-family house.
Here are some details:
Year built: 1957
Living area: 130 m² (1400 sq ft) / basement
Plot size: 830 m² (0.2 acres)
Price: €85,000
Gas heating from 2005
Garage
Windows from 1980
Double-layer exterior walls
3-core wiring without RCD
Clay roof tiles / no insulation
That should be enough for now.
We really like the room layout.
- Upstairs, only a non-load-bearing wall needs to be removed to create a large bathroom.
- Downstairs, there is a guest toilet that also needs to be renovated.
- Inside, everything must be completely stripped out, meaning carpets and wallpaper.
- The subfloor consists of wooden floorboards that we want to sand and restore, at least in the living room.
- In the upper rooms, we plan to just repaint the floorboards for now.
- The windows need to be replaced.
- New kitchen (relocating connections)
- Blown-in insulation or ETICS (external thermal insulation composite system)
The electrical distribution panel dates from around 1980 and has 3-core wiring but no RCD. The question is whether to completely renew the electrical system while the walls are already open.
The pipes are galvanized and according to the realtor do not need to be replaced.
We have an inspection by a building surveyor scheduled for tomorrow, who will thoroughly check the entire house.
So far we have optimistically estimated renovation costs at around €70,000.
Basically, we have a shell and plan to rebuild everything internally.
What are your experiences with such renovations? What additional issues could arise that we might not have considered? Where can problems occur?
We have already agreed with the realtor that he will "hold" the house for us. We are happy to pay the costs for the surveyor because if everything is okay we get a good feeling. If the surveyor advises us against it, he will have saved us from a bad purchase. He should also give us an approximate idea of what costs to expect.
Do you have general experience with houses from the 1950s regarding structural condition or durability?
Best regards
Also, you should carefully consider the insulation. I have looked at many old houses that were newly insulated, and almost all of them had terrible indoor air quality. We experienced this in our last rental apartment as well. It was very well insulated, with low utility costs, but the air was stuffy. After a week of vacation, the apartment couldn’t be entered without airing it out first. Mold was also a constant issue for us. This is currently our main concern as well. We were told we need to replace the windows mainly because of the roller shutters and insect screens.
We will probably have to live with it like this for one winter first, so we can compare our utility costs. They will definitely be lower than in our current rental, I am sure of that.
The point you made about time and helpers also makes us think. Right now, everyone is offering their help, but they still need to work alongside us.
Of course, it is a large and potentially risky project.
It doesn’t have to be dangerous; you just need to plan carefully and understand what to expect. I’ve done a lot of remodeling and renovating in my life (for myself and friends/family), but sometimes you tend to overestimate what you can accomplish in a certain amount of time. On top of that, you have work and family commitments that you can’t simply ignore.
Unexpected issues always come up during renovations. These cost both time and money. I just noticed that again this past weekend. I wanted to install new wiring with my father-in-law. We were happy during the planning stage because there was a conduit between the ground floor and basement that we could use to pull the cables through. The day had been well planned, but unfortunately, the conduit had been pierced when the previous owner installed another line. So half the day was spent breaking/drilling a new hole into the basement (through the underfloor heating), and half the work was left unfinished. These kinds of things happen all the time. No matter how carefully you check beforehand, some issues only become apparent during the renovation. Especially with ceilings and walls, shoddy work is common. The same goes for water, heating, and electrical lines added later. Then you have to level the floors so that tiles or laminate flooring can be installed evenly. With the prices for leveling compounds, it can really make you wince as bag after bag disappears onto the floor.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to discourage you from your project, and you seem to be reasonably reviewing your plans. However, three months isn’t very long if you can only work mostly on weekends. You can’t complete a bathroom or an entire electrical system in just one or two weekends.
Unexpected issues always come up during renovations. These cost both time and money. I just noticed that again this past weekend. I wanted to install new wiring with my father-in-law. We were happy during the planning stage because there was a conduit between the ground floor and basement that we could use to pull the cables through. The day had been well planned, but unfortunately, the conduit had been pierced when the previous owner installed another line. So half the day was spent breaking/drilling a new hole into the basement (through the underfloor heating), and half the work was left unfinished. These kinds of things happen all the time. No matter how carefully you check beforehand, some issues only become apparent during the renovation. Especially with ceilings and walls, shoddy work is common. The same goes for water, heating, and electrical lines added later. Then you have to level the floors so that tiles or laminate flooring can be installed evenly. With the prices for leveling compounds, it can really make you wince as bag after bag disappears onto the floor.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to discourage you from your project, and you seem to be reasonably reviewing your plans. However, three months isn’t very long if you can only work mostly on weekends. You can’t complete a bathroom or an entire electrical system in just one or two weekends.
Thank you for your opinions. I have had exactly the same concerns all along, but then the excitement about the house and the work ahead takes over again when you see the dream coming true.
On the other hand, it can quickly turn into a nightmare, as you said, because you can’t predict how the building was done or botched in the past.
We won’t be doing everything completely on our own either. For example, the bathroom, the roof, and the kitchen will be handled professionally.
We have now increased our renovation budget to 80,000 (about 80,000) so that there is always a buffer or some flexibility.
It doesn’t have to be perfect right away, but it should be livable.
At the moment, I am making a list of the materials we need and creating a priority list.
On the other hand, it can quickly turn into a nightmare, as you said, because you can’t predict how the building was done or botched in the past.
We won’t be doing everything completely on our own either. For example, the bathroom, the roof, and the kitchen will be handled professionally.
We have now increased our renovation budget to 80,000 (about 80,000) so that there is always a buffer or some flexibility.
It doesn’t have to be perfect right away, but it should be livable.
At the moment, I am making a list of the materials we need and creating a priority list.
Apparently, the house has been purchased. You are now working hard, diligently completing the physically demanding preparatory work.
I’m looking forward to it!
I hope we will continue to be involved (as with the tiles) so that we can share in the small successes.
Best regards
I’m looking forward to it!
I hope we will continue to be involved (as with the tiles) so that we can share in the small successes.
Best regards
Currently, we are documenting everything only with photos. I had planned to keep a construction diary, but at the moment I don’t have the time for it.
However, I will occasionally post status updates here at irregular intervals.
Status as of 18.10.:
- 16 new plastic windows including blinds (4 of them electric)
- 9 new basement windows
- 9 new interior doors
- new front door and back entrance door
- kitchen expanded with a patio door
- insulation of the top floor ceiling
- rafter insulation and division of the attic (one half will be used as a walk-in closet, staircase from the bedroom)
- new meter box including 2 RCDs and circuit breakers for each room
- slots and drillings for the electrical boxes are almost all done
- bathroom planning finished and ordered
These are the things that are already definite and I would call “new.”
In addition, I have carried out all the manual labor tasks.
- removed all wallpaper
- removed wood fiberboards (Heraklith) on the sloped ceilings for insulation purposes
- removed paneling and wall tiles in the basement
- got rid of everything old (doors, frames, sockets, switches, wiring)
- removed tiles in the bathrooms and kitchen
- removed old bathtubs (they were built-in -> wall demolished)
- removed floor tiles in the hallway and kitchen
- exposed bathrooms down to the pipes
Next steps:
- waiting for the plumber’s quote -> new pipes from the meter to the guest bathroom, bathroom, and kitchen; possibly underfloor heating in the bathrooms
- plan the kitchen (our cabinetmaker has offered us a solid wood kitchen, we are considering it)
- plan flooring (sanding floorboards, vinyl, laminate, tiles)
However, I will occasionally post status updates here at irregular intervals.
Status as of 18.10.:
- 16 new plastic windows including blinds (4 of them electric)
- 9 new basement windows
- 9 new interior doors
- new front door and back entrance door
- kitchen expanded with a patio door
- insulation of the top floor ceiling
- rafter insulation and division of the attic (one half will be used as a walk-in closet, staircase from the bedroom)
- new meter box including 2 RCDs and circuit breakers for each room
- slots and drillings for the electrical boxes are almost all done
- bathroom planning finished and ordered
These are the things that are already definite and I would call “new.”
In addition, I have carried out all the manual labor tasks.
- removed all wallpaper
- removed wood fiberboards (Heraklith) on the sloped ceilings for insulation purposes
- removed paneling and wall tiles in the basement
- got rid of everything old (doors, frames, sockets, switches, wiring)
- removed tiles in the bathrooms and kitchen
- removed old bathtubs (they were built-in -> wall demolished)
- removed floor tiles in the hallway and kitchen
- exposed bathrooms down to the pipes
Next steps:
- waiting for the plumber’s quote -> new pipes from the meter to the guest bathroom, bathroom, and kitchen; possibly underfloor heating in the bathrooms
- plan the kitchen (our cabinetmaker has offered us a solid wood kitchen, we are considering it)
- plan flooring (sanding floorboards, vinyl, laminate, tiles)
What also encourages us are the neighbors, who have welcomed us kindly and overlook all the noise.
Since it is a development house and all the houses on the street were built around the same time, you can clearly see the changes and what is possible.
The immediate neighbors, who were also present during construction, give us confidence and confirm that it is a solid house that has never had problems with moisture or similar issues.
It is also noteworthy that all the houses on that street still have the same roof type: clay tiles.
Since it is a development house and all the houses on the street were built around the same time, you can clearly see the changes and what is possible.
The immediate neighbors, who were also present during construction, give us confidence and confirm that it is a solid house that has never had problems with moisture or similar issues.
It is also noteworthy that all the houses on that street still have the same roof type: clay tiles.
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