Considering buying a bungalow renovation

Locornwall

My partner and I are considering selling our nice new new build house and buying a bungalow, which needs renovation work doing. This will include reroofing, complete redesign of the interior walls, new electrics, gas, extension at the back and extending the loft conversion. I have never done this type of thing before and m therefore a little apprehensive. Can you give me any advice where I should start? The house was at the auction several times, however was withdrawn always prior to bidding. It was then shown as sold, however the estate agent said an old couple wanted to buy it, then realised a lot of work was needed. I also spoke to the auction house prior to this, who said there was possible subsidence problems. Since then a surveyor has done a survey and said that there does not appear to be a subsidence problem.

Any thoughts would be greatful

Doozergirl

If you haven't done this before and it hasn't sold several times then it was probably overpriced. You also want proof that there isn't a subsidence problem - you need to satisfy yourselves of that rather than take someone's word.

Whatever you think the renovation work costs, double it.

That's a pretty big job for a first one. How do you want to manage it? Doing the work yourselves, employing separate trades or using a project manager and their people?

Get a full survey and use that as your list of work that needs doing. It will pay for itself.

babyblade41

That is one hell of a renovation project for a first one .. as above, you need to sort out the project manager who will be onsite

Costings and then some..Will you be living in it whilst doing the work? as this will be very hard, having stand pipes in the kitchen etc

Buying in the next month or two then works will be in full swing during the colder months, not great when there is no heating and or hot water

It sounds like a job for an experienced builder with a good supply of cash who will either flip or use themselves once completed

Locornwall

I plan on living elsewhere for most of the work.

I’m doing it as the price is much lower than what is was a year ago.

How can I definitely prove there is no subsidence problem? The legal documents show a survey was done and this showed no subsidence problem. Do you recommend I get my own full survey done? I plan on asking a local builder for guidance. I’m determined to do a project like this, as I want the house designed according to my design.

davidmcn

Locornwall wrote: »

The legal documents show a survey was done and this showed no subsidence problem. Do you recommend I get my own full survey done?

You can't rely on somebody else's survey (unless you get the surveyor to readdress it to you) - so yes, either that or get your own.

Davesnave

Locornwall wrote: »

I plan on living elsewhere for most of the work..... I’m determined to do a project like this, as I want the house designed according to my design.

Living elsewhere is sensible. We did what you're planning, and we lived in it too, but we're neither sensible or employed, so no other commitments and the lunacy was often entertaining. Had we been on a 9 to 5, or if the weather had been exceptionally bad, it would have been a nightmare.

Designing with broad brush strokes is one thing, but once you drill down to the detail, it can become very time-consuming. If you want to be precious over every material and fitting, costs can spiral and you may find the the choices and compromises difficult to handle as a newbie. We're in the middle of a small bathroom fit-out right now, and so far we've had 7 or 8 suppliers and four trades involved. Although we've plenty of experience now, I think it'll go over budget. That's OK on one room, but repeat on all of them and it's a problem. Whatever you think you're going to spend, add 20% for unknowns and another 10% for changes to plan.(Of course, you may also do as we did and take 10% off by changing the plan to something cheaper too, if necessary.)

Anyway, as a start I'd rough out what you want to do and get a structural engineer to look at it with that in mind. Don't pick ours, because he was useless.....recommended by our equally useless architect. The biggest problem of all is finding professionals who understand what you want, and with whom you can work comfortably.

babyblade41

Davesnave wrote: »

Living elsewhere is sensible. We did what you're planning, and we lived in it too, but we're neither sensible or employed, so no other commitments and the lunacy was often entertaining. Had we been on a 9 to 5, or if the weather had been exceptionally bad, it would have been a nightmare.

Designing with broad brush strokes is one thing, but once you drill down to the detail, it can become very time-consuming. If you want to be precious over every material and fitting, costs can spiral and you may find the the choices and compromises difficult to handle as a newbie. We're in the middle of a small bathroom fit-out right now, and so far we've had 7 or 8 suppliers and four trades involved. Although we've plenty of experience now, I think it'll go over budget. That's OK on one room, but repeat on all of them and it's a problem. Whatever you think you're going to spend, add 20% for unknowns and another 10% for changes to plan.(Of course, you may also do as we did and take 10% off by changing the plan to something cheaper too, if necessary.)

Anyway, as a start I'd rough out what you want to do and get a structural engineer to look at it with that in mind. Don't pick ours, because he was useless.....recommended by our equally useless architect. The biggest problem of all is finding professionals who understand what you want, and with whom you can work comfortably.

Whole heartedly agree with this.. I have done quite a few in my time and everyone is different... I
We are doing one at the minute and the first hurdle was an architect ...what is wrong with some of them and why can't they do as I ask them to ????

I'm certainly compromising big time on this latest one as well... as each layer peels off and now with no ceilings (unplanned) the goalposts change.

My one bit of advice is lay off fancy gadgetry , get the best of your budget not the cheapest out of your budget .

I'd also (purely my own opinion) desist in spending thousands on opening up everything into open plan... it might be on trend at the min, but that is all it is .

Try and work with what you have and make the best use of it

We could spend thousands on opening up the ground floor and never redeem the costs if we sell on , so 2 smallish reception rooms with chimneys and just opening them up gives the rooms more of a spacious feeling without the need for knocking down walls


Make use of features and contemporary can mix well with traditional

It is a big undertaking for a first one but if that's what you want to do fine, but be prepared to stick to a realistic budget and you may not get what you originally want to do it without it being built with 50.00 notes aplenty

Bossypants

If you do decide to do this thing, don't deceive yourself as to how much it's going to cost. For what you describe, you're looking at £100k+, which you need to have liquid and ready to pay your tradespeople regularly throughout the process. Don't put yourself in the situation where you've taken the whole back of the house off to extend, then find you can't afford to put it back on again and end up having to put it back up for sale at a huge loss and personal disappointment.

Also, don't underestimate how much difference bigger doors and windows can make. I was dead set on moving the walls in my bungalow to make a bigger entrance hall, but once we opened up the lounge doors from ordinary single to French doors, the whole aspect changed and the hall now looks the perfect size just as it is.

Locornwall

Can you break down the £100k. Seems a little high.

Bossypants

You need to go round with some experts, but during my smaller renovation, I was spending an average of £5000/week on labour, basic materials and skips. That's just the basic building work, it doesn't include plumbing (£6000), electrics (£4000), windows, flooring or scaffolding. I was doing minimal structural alterations, just enlarging some windows and doors, but even though the guys were on site every day, it still took 5 weeks to complete, not including kitchen and bathroom.

Whatever you are calculating cost-wise and however long you think it'll take, double it.

Locornwall

Where did you find your architect?