How long to prefect your house after buying?

DLTAG89

Me and DH are first time buyers and have been looking at some houses over the past few weeks, but the ones we have viewed in our price range seem to need a lot of work doing to them.

We went viewing one tonight which was built in 1999 and it seems to need quite a lot of work doing on it as from the looks of things nothing has been done since it was built. Just by looking at it we could see it would need a new kitchen and bathroom, double glazing putting in (it had double glazing but with the old wooden frames) and we have said we would want to convert the garage and make that into a kitchen/diner as the current kitchen is quite small for the size of the house. Also the obvious new carpets and decorating

Are we being quite pessimistic in thinking this is quite a lot of work to be done or will we find this with most houses we look at as we do really like this house so dont want to risk loosing out on it while looking around for others.

How much work did you need to do to your house when you bought it and how long did it take you to getting it the way you want it?

Is it worth us spending more upfront and not having to do the house up or spending less on the house but then having to spend a lot doing it up?

mummyroysof3

Does it actually need or just you choosing to do those things. If you want something perfect then you will expect to pay much more. We are looking to move and would expect to do the whole hose in 5 years but would be more to personal taste rather than something that is trashed. If the kitchen is functional and the decor is not to your taste a seller wouldn't let you use that as an excuse for a lower offer IMO as it would be priced lower to allow for that anyway wouldn't it?

Contessa

It's only fourteen years old-practically new!

phoebe1989seb

We always set out to buy a *project* - purely because we prefer characterful, interesting houses and these tend to be the unmodernised ones, LOL!

Whilst our current house (purchased 2011) had a newly thatched roof and recently fitted oil heating system, it also had the following -

Bare stone internal walls to most of the 13 rooms as the old plaster had been removed

Bare concrete floors in majority of downstairs

Wiring not touched in the older part since 1960s

No electric lighting in half of downstairs

No kitchen

Basic 1960s bathroom upstairs, 1980s Avocado suite downstairs

Ancient stone extension close to collapse - but housing the new boiler!

Central heating pipes running around front of built-in cupboards

No ceilings in bedrooms

Dangerous staircase in need of rebuilding

We've been here two years and have re-wired, built a 20' x16' extension to extend kitchen, fitted the kitchen, laid 40 sq m limestone flooring, added an en-suite bathroom, decorated five rooms and are in the process of landscaping the terrace. We've also just demolished the internal walls in a ghastly 1980s annexe extension and plan to create a spacious sitting room.

This is the latest (and possibly the last) in a long line of projects. We do a lot of the work ourselves and expect this one to take a further two-three years. It's not for the faint-hearted, but I'm lucky as DH is very hands-on and we both have design backgrounds. Previously they've taken between three and six years. We don't do it with a view to making any money when we sell - we have, occasionally, but last time we *lost* loads

There are plus sides to all the hard work - we recently *swapped* 8 tonnes of old stone for a gorgeous and very unique kitchen table......

It can be great fun and I'd definitely recommend it

G_M

A property that looks perfect when you view will not when youmove in.

There will be marks on the walls where the pictures were. You'll realise the carpets are worn unevenly, and are a different colour where the furniture was.

The paintwork will suddenly not look so good, and maybe you'll start questioning the colours.

But as you've paid top dollar for an 'immaculate' place, you'll have no cash left, and also be de-motivated from doing anything, so you'll live with it. For years. Not quite liking it all, but hey! it's not so bad that it has to be done.....

Far better to buy a place you know needs re-painting and new carpets. You'll get it cheaper, you'll throw some ££ at it, and quickly end up with a spanking new decor in a colour scheme you chose yourself.

LondonDreamer

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

Does it actually need or just you choosing to do those things.

I have to agree with this. I can't see a house of that age actually "needing" that work done, unless it was done extremely cheaply in the first place and/or trashed by the current occupants.

Our last house (in a rental now) was of a similar age and while we would have liked to replace the kitchen it was purely because it wasn't to our taste, rather than it needing to be done. We decided to live with it though, and actually grew to like it by the time we sold. Bathrooms didn't need touching, they were still immaculate. Could have done with a fresh coat of paint in the main room, but we just hung our artwork over the scuffs on the wall. Job done. :money:

Other than moving the kitchen, the rest of your tasks are pretty minor when it comes to renovating. If you're organised and have the budget to cover it all at once, shouldn't take very long to do at all.

jeddentad

we bought and moved in to our first house last year.

It's a 1920's build and was in pretty good shape as the previous owners had remodeled. The house hadn't been in quite as good shape when they bought it.

This is our list of things that *need* doing:
new oven (it's getting hot in the wrong places, and the seal is drooping)
new boiler (it's 18 years old, and the pressure guage is gone)
replace back french doors (the doors are very badly fitted)
get an arborist in to cut back the twisted willow

Things we want to do:
replace all windows and doors in the house proper
tear down the conservatory and replace with an extension
pull up the concrete, pavers, and gravel that are layed out over the entire garden and replace with a patio, grass and a place to plant veg.
recarpet the house
replace the bathroom suite
replace the radiator in the main bedroom with an HE model.
install a radiator in the second bedroom.
remodel the chimney breast in the living room and replace the gas fireplace.

Things we've done in the last year:
painted most of the house
replaced the front windows and doors (the majority in the house)
replaced the oven (well, it comes on Monday)

Most important thing we've done in the past year is prioritise what we want to do and been realistic on the timescale and how we can budget for it.

Maybe in 8 years time we'll have it all done, if we're still in the house!

DLTAG89

No it doesnt really need doing but is really not to our taste. The only thing i would say needed doing are the windows as the arnt in a good condition but the house is liveable for the time being.

After buying the house (thats if we get about £5k off the asking price) we should have about 15k left to do whats needs to be done but we obv arnt really wanting to spend all of that on the house.

We dont mind decorating as we are really looking forward to picking our own colours and carpets. After being in rented houses for the past 6 years and never been allowed to decorate one of them we cannot wait.

Its very very different looking at a house to buy than a house to rent. Would it help if i put some pics up??

Thanks :beer:

Newly_retired

Am interested in this thread as we are currently considering how much we may need to do to sell our house. It has had new boiler, kitchen and bathroom but everywhere else needs seriously redecorating. At the moment we still have so much stuff that you can hardly see any walls!
These TV programmes give people silly expectations that all properties should be perfect.

notanewuser

Bought 2 year old house in 2005. Did nothing to it until 2009 when we fitted 2 new bathrooms and painted main bedroom. 2010 added an extension adding a gym, another bedroom and shower room and had garden re-landscaped. 2012 painted DD's bedroom.

Now working out what to do with kitchen/dining room/utility room, downstairs loo, hallway, stairs and landing, living room and 2 spare bedrooms!!!

DRP

almost 10 years later and it still isn't perfect... despite new kitchen, bathroom, new roof, new suspended floor, skimmed virtually all walls and ceilings, new carpets, innumerable paint jobs, new front door, new windows, new chimney...

Anyhow? who can actually afford 'perfect' ?