Anyone renovating a house at the moment?

SG27

We are first time house renovaters! Something I never thought I would do but just sort of happened!

We have had our new house 3 weeks, so far we have had quotes and booked in tradesman for rewire, replumb/boiler, all new windows doors, garage roof replacement. Still to go.. plastering then kitchen and bathroom quotes, then carpets/flooring.

The last 3 weekends I have removed carpets, entire kitchen one of two bathrooms. All doors, demolished a shed and removed tree from garage roof!

The electrician started yesterday and now the house looks a proper building site! Its good for things to actually be going back in instead of coming out though.

We made our first major mistake this week (first of many?) By having our skip delivered and placed on the drive directly over the access to the stopcock! There is one inside but its broken. So the electrician is under special orders to keep clear of any pipes!! Luckily the skip will be gone before the plumber starts!

Anyone get any experience of advice of things to be careful of like the above? Or anyone doing something similar at the moment and want to share how you are getting on?

dunroving

SG27 wrote: »

We are first time house renovaters! Something I never thought I would do but just sort of happened!

We have had our new house 3 weeks, so far we have had quotes and booked in tradesman for rewire, replumb/boiler, all new windows doors, garage roof replacement. Still to go.. plastering then kitchen and bathroom quotes, then carpets/flooring.

The last 3 weekends I have removed carpets, entire kitchen one of two bathrooms. All doors, demolished a shed and removed tree from garage roof!

The electrician started yesterday and now the house looks a proper building site! Its good for things to actually be going back in instead of coming out though.

We made our first major mistake this week (first of many?) By having our skip delivered and placed on the drive directly over the access to the stopcock! There is one inside but its broken. So the electrician is under special orders to keep clear of any pipes!! Luckily the skip will be gone before the plumber starts!

Anyone get any experience of advice of things to be careful of like the above? Or anyone doing something similar at the moment and want to share how you are getting on?

Keep the kettle filled and plentiful supplies of coffee and chocolate digestives. Treat the workmen and women right and they'll treat you right.

FreeBear

SG27 wrote: »

Or anyone doing something similar at the moment and want to share how you are getting on?

Three years in to a renovation/refurbishment/redecorating on a zero budget. Having to do virtually all the work myself, one room at a time. There has been one job so far that I was unwilling to do - Installing a flue liner for a multifuel stove. After doing the sums, it was as cheap to get a HETAS engineer in and it saved on dealing with building control.

Won't be doing the windows myself or messing with gas central heating - The latter, I'll do the plumbing & radiators, but not the gas.

onomatopoeia99

My entire house needs doing, even the surveyor said something like "arrived straight from 1973" in the survey :rotfl: and I'm doing it a room at a time and no more than one room a year, rather than blitz it with all the trades in a matter of weeks.

So far done main bedroom, hallway, kitchen and in the middle of second bedroom. These are all "gut, channel for new sockets. ethernet, satellite etc and totally redo from replastering, new flooring up" with me doing everything apart from plastering and notifiable electrics, so it takes a while on my own.

SG27

Doing one room at a time sounds like a great idea financially but practically while we have somewhere to stay elsewhere it makes sense to go down the blitz route. Although the budget is a bit tight! Also every window and door needs replacing fairly urgently. They are all old upvc or aluminium amd many dont shut at all. Plus while attempting to remove a piece of skirting board by the front door I leaved against the door frame with a screwdriver and popped the bottom half off the door frame out! Luckily windows booked for next week. So it makes sense to replace all the windows then replaster after.

We did plan on the leaving the kitchen a couple of years to help save up as its was only about 8 years old, but after getting the keys and looking closely it was actually quite dangerous. I assume the electrics where a DIY job as there badly wired plug sockets and isolator switches for appliances and a plug socket attach directly underneath a waste pipe join from the sink!

dunroving

SG27 wrote: »

Doing one room at a time sounds like a great idea financially but practically while we have somewhere to stay elsewhere it makes sense to go down the blitz route. Although the budget is a bit tight! Also every window and door needs replacing fairly urgently. They are all old upvc or aluminium amd many dont shut at all. Plus while attempting to remove a piece of skirting board by the front door I leaved against the door frame with a screwdriver and popped the bottom half off the door frame out! Luckily windows booked for next week. So it makes sense to replace all the windows then replaster after.

We did plan on the leaving the kitchen a couple of years to help save up as its was only about 8 years old, but after getting the keys and looking closely it was actually quite dangerous. I assume the electrics where a DIY job as there badly wired plug sockets and isolator switches for appliances and a plug socket attach directly underneath a waste pipe join from the sink!

My first renovation was a complete blitz but the house was empty until it got to the redecoration phase, at which time I camped in the attic room and hired two basic labourer relatives to also stay at the house (which was conveniently a short walk to the pub!) and help splash paint around.

My last house I couldn't afford to blitz so I did sections at a time, and saved in between. It was done over three years. It was a pain because I felt like I was frequently living in a building site, and there was plaster dust everywhere (plus the dog was scared of the workmen, so I had to arrange for someone to take her in during the day).

My current house I was fortunate to have somewhere local to stay for the 6 weeks it took to do rewire, Ethernet installation, plastering and decorating was done (actually, I moved in when the redecorating was halfway through). I preferred this route, but it struck me that I was making a lot of decisions before I'd had a chance to live in the house. Having now been in for three months, there are several minor things I'd have changed or added, which are now difficult as the redecorating is finished. For example, placement of ceiling lights in the main bedroom, placement of Ethernet sockets, and would have had more phone outlets installed (I'm trying to avoid any wireless gadgets). On reflection, I think I'd have done a complete plaster job and then paint over (rather than partial plaster and lining paper then paint). It would have been difficult to do so much work in a "one-er" after moving in, but one alternative could have been to do one half of the house while living in the other half, and then switching around to do vice versa. But that would be a lot of furniture moving around and hassle.

Phase 2 of my house renovation will include a bathroom and kitchen refit (no major relocation of plumbing or fittings), reflooring of ground floor, and building of an attached utility building. I plan to do this in the spring and am minded to do the whole lot in one go as I'm not keen to be playing back and forth over several months. I have the option of somewhere local to stay if the house becomes inhabitable at any point so I am lucky.

Brummie85

We've got started this week. Not having a great time.

Tiles turned up wrong. No spacers and then was told the wrong ones to get. Then the adhesive was the quick set variety and was going off quicker then the tiler could apply. I spent yesterday chasing tile issues instead of getting ready for the rewire.

Ended up putting stuff in storage today for 8 weeks which will add £344 to the overall bill. But we don't have space to live and work round.

Sparky seems to have had a fit over the day delay. Told us he's now busy for the foreseeable future and has walked away. Now gotta get a replacement pronto as it's holding up the other works. I'll have to channel and drop in for the Bathroom myself tomorrow, because the tiler can't finish off and put the room back together until the 10mm for the shower is in and the drop for the extract fan and shaver point is run in from the light.

At least the new insulation for the loft went in better then planned. I was told I'd have to pay and it would cost around £250, but after I put it on the back burner they called me 2 weeks ago and told me I could have it funded by the Energy Supplier. A small win in a project that's proving difficult to get off the ground.

Day 2. Annoyed, frustrated and not able to have a shower. Grrrr

bertiewhite

If you're paying tradesmen to do the work, is it they who are renovating or you?

FreeBear

SG27 wrote: »

Doing one room at a time sounds like a great idea financially

If you have to call in a plasterer or electrician to do one room at a time, it works out a lot more expensive. The constant mess, especially when there are plaster & lath ceilings falling down can be a source of despair. It is also a little harder to negotiate a decent price when buying materials in smaller quantities..

On the bright side, it does provide time to plan each room in greater detail and make the effort to do it right first time.

PhilE

Check for lead paint and asbestos.

If you can choose a tradesmen who has been recommended by a trusted source, this is better. Avoid cowboys and !!!!!!, no matter how tempting.

You'll make mistakes and the project usually costs more than what you thought, don't beat yourself up about this if it happens. If necessary and possible, put something off for a year.

Don't rush, take things step by step and give yourself time to go back over a previous job. You don't want to have to cancel a date with a tradesman because of work that needs redone.

SG27

Brummie85 wrote: »

We've got started this week. Not having a great time.

Tiles turned up wrong. No spacers and then was told the wrong ones to get. Then the adhesive was the quick set variety and was going off quicker then the tiler could apply. I spent yesterday chasing tile issues instead of getting ready for the rewire.

Ended up putting stuff in storage today for 8 weeks which will add £344 to the overall bill. But we don't have space to live and work round.

Sparky seems to have had a fit over the day delay. Told us he's now busy for the foreseeable future and has walked away. Now gotta get a replacement pronto as it's holding up the other works. I'll have to channel and drop in for the Bathroom myself tomorrow, because the tiler can't finish off and put the room back together until the 10mm for the shower is in and the drop for the extract fan and shaver point is run in from the light.

At least the new insulation for the loft went in better then planned. I was told I'd have to pay and it would cost around £250, but after I put it on the back burner they called me 2 weeks ago and told me I could have it funded by the Energy Supplier. A small win in a project that's proving difficult to get off the ground.

Day 2. Annoyed, frustrated and not able to have a shower. Grrrr

Finding good reliable tradesman that aren't going to rip is by the hardest part!

We just found out our plumber, is booked in for a week after next has broken his leg! He has a team he works with so hopefully still get the job done.

Why are you tiling before the rewire?