Picking the brain of doozer and the other project experts....

sarah_elton

Just a quick update and belated thanks for the last posts.

I realised that the easiest thing to do with the roof is what several other houses in the village have done - front to back pitch on what is currently flat that joins in to the side of the existing roof.

I.e. change from this (house we are looking at):
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23399329.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27230&insId=2&pageNumber=2&premiumA=true&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27230%26insId%3D2%26index%3D10

To this:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22851553.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27230&insId=2&pageNumber=2&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27230%26insId%3D2%26index%3D10
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22727458.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27230&insId=2&pageNumber=4&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27230%26insId%3D2%26index%3D30

Still dithering over whether to offer. Partly the finances, and partly the fact we're organising our wedding which is in June, and if we take on a project house we'd be much better completing on it after the wedding than in the spring. Even with a hired project manager (would definitely do that now after talking to you guys!), not sure I can cope on top of the wedding planning to come after Xmas and work.

Thanks again for all the help - learnt an awful lot in the space of a fairly brief thread that will be invaluable as a starting point for considering any house like this. :beer:

downshifted

marcg wrote: »

Architect's opinion:

I would guess at £40k.

Roof at around £15k - put a front-to-back pitched roof running into the existing gable. Or you put a new sarnafil single-ply-membrane roof with a 25yr guarantee for about £7k.

New central heating £4k

New electrics £3k (so far £22k)

Garage - new screed over existing £1.5k

Floor - carpenter replaced odd floor joists here and there £1.5k (£25k)

New window and back door £1.5k

New carpets £5k

New doors £1.5k (£33k)

General redecoration and skimming £6k (£39k)

If you have to put a new roof on you'll also need planning (£200) and building regs (£500) and an engineer (£500)

---

What a great thread. I have been costing up a similar project and would be very grateful for any comments.

This one is a 1920s/30s 3 bed detached property - the roof only needs one chimney repairing or removing, but there is also evidence of movement (significant cracks, not hairline) around the bay window and a new drive is required (at the moment you have to drive over a grass verge to get onto the property).

I'm pleasantly surprised at the figures given for central heating - £4k - does that include boiler and radiators? (there are only 3 in the entire house!) and £3k for rewiring. I thought both would cost about 50% more than this.

This house definitely does need an entire new kitchen (the current one is similar to one I was pleased to install in our first house in 1978!) and a new bathroom, also new flooring and total redecoration, no doubt including some skimming when we remove all the blown vinyl. Also perhaps 2 fireplaces (unless we make a feature of the original but fairly boring 1930's ones) and definitely 2 gas fires.

We have renovated a little terrace from scratch in the past 3 years. We can do the decorating and tiling ourselves, but are not tradesmen and this would be a long term retirement home - on the other hand we don't want to pay too much in a falling market so are looking to price it right.

I was budgeting £30k for everything including materials - £10k was for the kitchen, which is 14 feet square. I planned middle of the range units and all appliances, nothing fancy.

So I'm now thinking this may be an over estimate?

All advice gratefully taken on board.

tomstickland

sarah_elton wrote: »

Just a quick update and belated thanks for the last posts.

I realised that the easiest thing to do with the roof is what several other houses in the village have done - front to back pitch on what is currently flat that joins in to the side of the existing roof.

I.e. change from this (house we are looking at):
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23399329.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27230&insId=2&pageNumber=2&premiumA=true&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27230%26insId%3D2%26index%3D10

To this:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22851553.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27230&insId=2&pageNumber=2&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27230%26insId%3D2%26index%3D10
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22727458.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27230&insId=2&pageNumber=4&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27230%26insId%3D2%26index%3D30

Still dithering over whether to offer. Partly the finances, and partly the fact we're organising our wedding which is in June, and if we take on a project house we'd be much better completing on it after the wedding than in the spring. Even with a hired project manager (would definitely do that now after talking to you guys!), not sure I can cope on top of the wedding planning to come after Xmas and work.

Thanks again for all the help - learnt an awful lot in the space of a fairly brief thread that will be invaluable as a starting point for considering any house like this. :beer:

My opinion is that you should leave it.