Refurbishment: where to start?

Snakey

I'm looking for some pointers to help me get going on this. I have a million things to do in my two-bed ex-council flat (dry-lining, plastering, painting, new doors, kitchen, bathroom, flooring), and I can't work out what order they would need to be done in.

My previous experience of such things is limited to having got the radiators and micro-bore pipes replaced shortly after I moved in - which went well enough, but that was only one standalone thing! And my own DIY skills stretch about as far as a bit of painting and putting WD40 on squeaky things.

I keep going in circles saying well I can't do Job B until Job A is done, but I need Job B to be in place before I can finish Job A...

Into all this, I have to incorporate some elements that I can't change and have no say over, in the form of "major works" to the block which involve new windows, front door, and ventilators through the walls in the kitchen and bathroom. At the moment there is no definite information about the final details (e.g. precisely where the vents will go) and no reliable information on timescales.

I also need to apply for planning permission and landlord's consent for some of what I want doing. Do I do that before I get people in to quote for work, or afterwards? No point getting permission only to find out that what I want is not feasible, nor in getting quotes and plans only to find I could never have expected to get permission...

I feel like I'm stupid for not being able to magically know what's feasible and what I'd get permission for.

Where do I even start? Assuming I'm going to need to get people in for every single part of it (plasterer, plumber, gas safe engineer, carpenter, tiler etc), who do I call first? Or is there a person who can project-manage the whole thing for me, including the planning applications - if so, how much would that add to the cost?

Should I leave it another year until the major works are done?

BayTrees

Have you tried writing your ideas down? Maybe try writing each piece of work you want done on a post it note, including anything that has to be done before or after eg painting - after plastering and window replacement. It's easy to juggle these around to help you get a sensible order - and sometimes it just helps to see things in front of you to move rather than going straight for the list. When you've decided what absolutely has to come first, you could get quotes for that and apply for permission/consent to see how easy it is or isn't to obtain. I'm sure there will be someone else with far more experience who'll be able to give more detailed advice, but I thought this might help you to begin.

cazzyd

The house I am buying is the same. But I agree...I've marked everything down on a piece of paper. from there I am going to decide which room is the priority and I am going to go from there...plus then look at costings. E.g. I want to replace all my interior doors..but that won't cost much and it's something we can do ourselves, so it will be one of the first jobs we do. Also literally have to strip and paint the walls in the bedroom, not a big or costly job either

But then have to move the boiler, have the electrics and gas checked and the consumer unit boxed off...so...that's more of a priority. My problem is getting in it to do it...I'm allowed in atm to clean (as it's been empty a while) but not much else...want more!

Hope you sort it...start with a list!

phil24_7

Get the fabric of the building sorted first (leaky roof, cracked/damaged external walls) the get any walls that need knocking down/moving sorted along with any major plumbing and electrical work. Then get to the prettying up stage like plastering and replacing internal woodwork (this can be done room-by-room or whole house, depending on your preference/needs) If you are replacing any kitchens or bathrooms these can be done at the same time or just before plastering etc.

Then you can do final painting and decorating.

davemorton

Snakey wrote: »

I also need to apply for planning permission and landlord's consent for some of what I want doing.

Do you own this house, or are you renting?

Hoploz

I think I would investigate further the works which aren't in your control, esp with these vents they want to put in to bathrooms and kitchens. Are they definitely putting these in all the flats, or only those still council-owned?

New windows and doors shouldn't be too disruptive and I would think you could do all your internal work regardless of these. There may be odd little bits to patch up afterwards but I would assume this would be done as part of the job by the window fitters.

But you do need to know whether they are planning the vents to go directly through your walls, if so where etc. as it might affect where you put your wall units or shower or tiling etc.

Snakey

Vents for everybody, although some leaseholders are outraged because they'd rather save that few hundred quid since it's only their tenants who have to live with black mould and condensation and not themselves. As a result of those complaints the plan still hasn't been finalised, which is a right pain for those of us who do live here and who want the works to hurry up and get done before we have to spend another winter with single-glazed metal-framed windows and no ventilation!

All of the advice here has really helped me. The things I'm struggling with most are the things that go between rooms, such as dry-lining and flooring/doors, because they stop me from breaking it down into chunks. I end up with these massive chains like "until I know where the bathroom vent will be I don't know whether I can move the bath/shower, which means I don't know whether I can knock the wall through into the toilet, which means I don't know whether I can block up the bathroom door, which means I can't do the dry-lining since this involves narrowing that door space significantly, which means I can't do the plastering or the flooring in the hallway or the second bedroom, which means I can't do the doors or the skirting..." and then I think surely that can't be right? How would anybody get anything done if it really worked like that? Oh well! Perhaps it's a sign to leave things be for a while.

Dave - I own a 95-year lease, which means that yes it's my flat but there is technically a "landlord" i.e. the council, who own the freehold and who also own all of the flats in the block that haven't been right-to-buyed. So I need their permission for some things.

davemorton

Snakey wrote: »

Dave - I own a 95-year lease, which means that yes it's my flat but there is technically a "landlord" i.e. the council, who own the freehold and who also own all of the flats in the block that haven't been right-to-buyed. So I need their permission for some things.

Thanks for answering, I was getting confused, and didnt want a 'tenant' wasting loads of money changing a house they only had a 2/3 year lease on. :beer:

piggeh

There will be stuff you are not aware of that will throw your plans out the window. I planned on doing the lounge first so that it would be the one room I could go into or have people round that was in the state I wanted. But I then moved in and found the shower didn't work and there had been a water leak which damaged the bathroom flooring, so although I started the lounge I now have to focus on the bathroom.

Secondly in doing the bathroom I need to store the various bits (basin, bath, flooring etc) somewhere, and the lounge has the most unused space, so now I can't touch a lot of the lounge until the bathroom is completed.

I would make a list, but maybe give it a week before you start anything unless it is definitely warranted. You may find other things that will change your priorities.

moneyistooshorttomention

I'd wait until the work on the block is finished personally - the last thing you want is to find you've got extra work/expense because they did things differently to how you thought they would. Very frustrating to have to wait rather than "crack on with it" but best to do so.

Once you can start - then my personal priority would be to make sure the place "works" first. That's what I did with my house I bought pretty recently. I made sure the central heating/electrics/telephone points worked first (Ie modern and functional - which is more than could be said for them to start with in either respect). Then I went room by room and gutted the place basically. So it went replaster/decorate/floor covering in room 1. Then onto room 2 and same again and so on. I ran out of money before I could do my new kitchen - so that's still on the list. The hallway got left till last - as it's basically only needed for getting from room A to room B.

that's the thing too - if you're not sure whether you have enough money to finish the place - then start with the most important room first. Think I did the bathroom first - so I was sure that got done before the money might run out and I had to wait for more.