Artex Ceilings / Textured Wallpaper

lovemurphy

Hi all.

I have just bought my first BTL property. My plan is to refurbish it, let it out, and then refinance it after 6 months and hopefully pull all my money back out. Am a newbie to this so sorry if I come across a little nieve!

Builders went in yesterday. The entire house has artex ceilings. I much prefer the look of plain plastered cielings and think it would best match the modern look I'm going for. However, builder has advised this would be very costly and he doesn't want me to spend too much that I don't make much profit. It's not in the nicest area in the world and tenants in the area don't really expect a super high standard. What are your thoughts on this? I am completely new to it all and don't exactly know how much stuff would cost and how much value it would add to the house (if any?).


The living room/diner is also covered in a gross textured wallpaper. He has said that we can remove it but this may damage the walls and that there is black mortar present. Again, I'm not really too happy leaving it as it wouldn't match the rest of the house. But is something like this likely to cost a fortune?

Sorry if this post seems a little dumb just looking to see what others would do

AdrianC

lovemurphy wrote: »

I have just bought my first BTL property. My plan is to refurbish it, let it out, and then refinance it after 6 months and hopefully pull all my money back out. Am a newbie to this so sorry if I come across a little nieve!

<raises eyebrows> A little...?

Come on, let's see the basic numbers...

Builders went in yesterday. The entire house has artex ceilings. I much prefer the look of plain plastered cielings and think it would best match the modern look I'm going for. However, builder has advised this would be very costly and he doesn't want me to spend too much that I don't make much profit.

Quick skim over then paint won't be ridiculously expensive. But it won't be free... Day or two of a plasterer's time.

It's not in the nicest area in the world and tenants in the area don't really expect a super high standard. What are your thoughts on this? I am completely new to it all and don't exactly know how much stuff would cost and how much value it would add to the house (if any?).

Shouldn't you have been doing these sums before deciding to start your property business...?

The living room/diner is also covered in a gross textured wallpaper. He has said that we can remove it but this may damage the walls

Yup. You can easily steam off wallpaper - but you have no idea what's behind it.



How bad is this paper? Will a coat of neutral paint tone the offensiveness right down?



Worst case? That plasterer's going to be a busy guy, doing the walls at the same time as the ceilings...

and that there is black mortar present.

Black mould? Previous occupant's lifestyle, or something more pernicious?

Again, I'm not really too happy leaving it as it wouldn't match the rest of the house.

What's your intention here?

"Hello!" photoshoot, or basic lowish-end let to functional human beings?

But is something like this likely to cost a fortune?

Define "fortune".


What's your budget, what contingency do you have? What day rate are you paying him?

Cakeguts

What on earth possessed you to buy a rental as first one in not the nicest area in the world? Did you buy it because it was cheap?



Nothing you spend in it will add value to it if it is not in a nice area. Location is what adds value. There will be a top rental price for a property in that area. What is it? Where a property is sets the rental value not what you spend on doing it up.



There will also be a top selling price. How much did you pay? Don't spend any more money on it than making sure that the kitchen and bathroom are clean and in good condition and then put down new carpets and paint the whole house so that it is clean. Check that the gas is safe and the electrics and make sure you have smoke alarms. Check that the windows are not rotten or needing new glass in the double glazing. You need an EPC of at least an E before you can legally let it so if it has single glazing you might need to fit double.



Do not spend a lot of money on the interior giving it a "look" it isn't in the sort of area where properties need this.

lovemurphy

Hi Adrian. Thanks for your reply.

I bought it for £62500. Comparables in same street selling for around 90-100k. Another 3 bed a couple doors up was on the market for 109k lately.

I had planned to spend around 15k. Builder quoted me 13k but this didn’t include plastering. It’s having new kitchen, new bathroom, redecoration. Garden needs a big tidy up.

The wallpaper is really gross. It’s a white already but has kind of a paisley floral pattern on it that is textured. I don’t think simply painting over it is the answer.

He definitely said black mortar. Something to do with old plaster? I’m not entirely sure.

My aim is to add value to the house but not go overboard with the finish as tenants in the area don’t need a super high standard.

AdrianC

lovemurphy wrote: »

I bought it for £62500. Comparables in same street selling for around 90-100k. Another 3 bed a couple doors up was on the market for 109k lately.

But is anybody buying them for that?

The wallpaper is really gross. It’s a white already but has kind of a paisley floral pattern on it that is textured. I don’t think simply painting over it is the answer.

Out with the steamer, then, and take a decision based on what you find.

Even non-textured lining paper and a coat of paint may be adequate.

DREKLY

Is it half term already ?? .......

lovemurphy

Wow really kind thanks Drekly

markin

It will help when its time to sell.

Cakeguts

lovemurphy wrote: »

Hi Adrian. Thanks for your reply.

I bought it for £62500. Comparables in same street selling for around 90-100k. Another 3 bed a couple doors up was on the market for 109k lately.

I had planned to spend around 15k. Builder quoted me 13k but this didn’t include plastering. It’s having new kitchen, new bathroom, redecoration. Garden needs a big tidy up.

The wallpaper is really gross. It’s a white already but has kind of a paisley floral pattern on it that is textured. I don’t think simply painting over it is the answer.

He definitely said black mortar. Something to do with old plaster? I’m not entirely sure.

My aim is to add value to the house but not go overboard with the finish as tenants in the area don’t need a super high standard.

Is it an ex council house on a council estate or very close to a council estate? Or is it a run down 3 bed terrace with no offstreet parking?



Don't go on list prices for houses for sale look at actual sold prices. If this house had anything going for it a builder would have bought it.



Don't spend a lot of money on the wallpaper. Do it yourself. A 3 bed costing £62,500 really is not in a very good area. Expect to have to put in a new kitchen between tenancies it sounds as if you are going to get the kind of tenant who won't care too much about the house. Expect damage it is risk that all landlords take but the cheaper the property and the less desirable the area then the higher the risk.



You really should have done some research on letting before you bought this house.



You will be lucky if you only spend 13k. There will be things that you don't see until you take the wallpaper off or until you take the kitchen out. Have you budgeted for a complete rewire of the house? You cannot let a property with very old electrics and dodgy wiring. Does it have central heating? How old is the boiler? You have to get a certificate to say the boiler is safe so that probably needs replacing as well? If it doesn't have central heating are you going to have it put in? Electric heating is not popular with tenants because it is expensive to run and this house is only going to be rented by people on low incomes.



There is no point in trying to give it a "look" you aren't going to get young professionals as tenants.



You can do the garden.



Just remember when you come to sell it you can't sell a 2nd hand kitchen and bathroom at new prices. So if a tenant has used them you won't get back the money you spend on them as new so all of your 13k will not be added to the value of the house. You might get half of that back.

OldMusicGuy

Lot of good advice here. Regarding the artex and wallpaper, I would suggest you paint over them with a neutral, very matt paint. Be prepared to do several coats on the wallpaper. You need to minimise the visual impact of the artex, and using a matt paint will do this.

csgohan4

You don't have to steam wallpaper, you can just use a sponge and bucket with warm water to soak it and then scrap it/ tear it off, usually is plaster underneath.


If some of the plaster comes off you can use Polyfilla and then new lick of paint will do


Takes me a whole day to do a room in general with 2 coats of paint, longer if it's a large room. You can imagine why it's so expensive as they need to do the whole house.