House renovation - Newbie Questions

ChilliBob

Hey guys,
My partner and I are considering buying a house which will need quite a bit of work to bring it up to scratch. We're both at quite opposite ends of the spectrum really with how long we think it will take and how much it would cost, complexities etc. Without revealing our guestimates first I wanted to throw it open to the people on here. 
Here's the prospective purchase:3 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Waldegrave Gardens, Upminster, Essex, RM14 (rightmove.co.uk)

Here's one in the same road, sold earlier this year. 4 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Waldegrave Gardens, Upminster, RM14 (rightmove.co.uk)
This is the sort of thing we'd do - obviously tastes are a little different but this kind of thing, so:
* New bathroom
* New kitchen (likely with a knock through to get open plan)
* Loft Conversion
* Redecoration throughout

Would be interested to get people's ideas of cost/timeline/comments from those who've been there and done it before etc. Assume that we have people doing everything and there's zero DIY. (That's a slight exaggeration but I'd prefer to go to that extreme than budget for us doing X amount of bits).

Many thanks guys!

caprikid1

I would be surprised if you could get from the first to the second for £100K without doing a lot of work yourself.

ChilliBob

Cool, cheers for the feedback  

Jeepers_Creepers

Gulp! One house is 3 bed and very dated (tho' a lovely house).

The other is 4-bed and has had extensive renovation carried out, including a knock-through extension with skylights, quality kitchen, paved driveway, top-notch bathrooms, and the rest? 

And it only cost £100k more?! 

Sorry - you missed out on the bargain between these two.

ChilliBob

Thanks for your views. Obviously prices have moved on a bit since March or so but yes, I share your view that this one at 800k is steep. (Or the other one was a bargain!) 

We'd probably be looking for a reduction on the asking, especially as we could probably be chain free on it

MFWannabe

I have no idea of costs or timelines but that second house is amazing 🥰

NameUnavailable

I like the dated house, it has more character. I'd maybe open up the lounge to the kitchen and have that as a kitchen/diner/family room and use the dining room as a more formal lounge.

Refit the bathroom and redecorate and you'd have a lovely house!

ChilliBob

That's pretty much what we had in mind.   just trying to see which of us is closer with timelines and costs. My partners 'just knock a wall down' type of person, that's easy. I'm more hmm, it might be depends on lots things and old house can = "thar be dragons" as soon as you try to do something.

Basically she's s the optimistic end of the spectrum "we'll just go up into the loft". I'm the more pessimistic "erm that's massive"  type person :0

SMcGill

I haven’t done a loft conversion but I’ve done the other things you mention on a similar floor plan. A few weeks work from the point of trades turning up on site and £45k assuming you’re not after parquet flooring and handmade kitchen. Loft conversions have more regulations I think? So possibly months.

FreeBear

ChilliBob said:  My partners 'just knock a wall down' type of person, that's easy. I'm more hmm, it might be depends on lots things and old house can = "thar be dragons" as soon as you try to do something.

The wall will probably be structural, so will need a structural engineer to specify steel supports, a decent builder to fit it, and then Building Control to sign off the work. Failure to do a "proper job" could make it difficult to sell the house, or at worst, see the whole thing collapse around your ears.

Nice high ceilings, comparatively large rooms (including bedroom #3) - Has lots of scope... Don't like the fireplace or the bland internal doors (they would just have to go)...

NatNat77

If our purchase ever goes through we'll practically be neighbours! That house has loads of potential but personally for the work it needs doing immediately I think it's overpriced, even for Upminster. Have you thought about this one? Detached, 4 bed e,n suite, not as much of a project and cheaper! 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/75433338#/

ETA it drives me mad when EA's don't have floorplans