replace soffits and facias with upvc or paint them again?

JohnSwift10

What would you do?

My house is 30 years old semi with wooden soffits and facias which are looking a bit weather beaten but otherwise seem ok.

I got a quote to replace them, four sides of the roof plus a garage, £8,000. EEK!
That was a local contractor. 

I phoned up someone else and at a rough cost given they have done work nearby, £8,500.

Four years ago a neighbour got his done for £5,000 but his roof isn't stepped like mine so he only needed 3 sides done.

My window cleaner said he would paint them for £500 and it would probably outlast me, I'm 75 years old, cheeky !!!!!!.

So what would you do?

Replace for £8,000 or paint for £500 and leave that problem, if there is a problem, to my son and daughter when they inherit the house which they say they are going to sell and divvy the money between them?

grumbler

Semi with four sides?

Shop around. Your 'local contractor' seems to be a rip-off merchant.

225mm plastic fascia board is about £10/m delivered.

400mm soffit board is about the same price.

I don't see how the job can cost even close to £7K even if scaffolding is needed.

ATM I am replacing 4.5m of fascia (no soffit) on one side of my house (not a bungalow). On my own - one man with a ladder. It will take me more than one day only because I ordered wrong width board and had to reorder it.

plumb1_2

As long as any loose paint is scraped off, sand down the timber, apply undercoat and 2 coats of gloss, should last you out 😂😂😂

Section62

JohnSwift10 said:

What would you do?

Unless I was desperate.... I'd wait 12 months or more to see if the crazy building mania passes and the industry returns to more normal levels of activity (and prices).

One thought - are you sure the soffits are wood? Not asbestos?  Removal of asbestos could account for a high quote - if that was what the contractor was pricing on the basis of.  Or maybe 'danger money' if they were planning on overfixing.

Slinky

We had a quote of £8.5K for our 4 bed detached with semi garage and single storey extension. Also gutters and downpipes on one side of the house and on the back of the garage and extension. Fascias on the front will be grey, rest in white.

This was from a company who did our windows and were significantly cheaper than the other window quotes we had.

JohnSwift10

Semi with four sides?

I don't see how the job can cost even close to £7K even if scaffolding is needed.

yes and a garage as well.

I'd love to live where you live where getting something done is as cheap as you think it is.

JohnSwift10

Section62 said:

One thought - are you sure the soffits are wood? Not asbestos?  

yes, they are wood

Grenage

I'd keep the wood unless it was rotten.  I did so five years ago when we moved in here.

For £500 I'd not be expecting the best job.

travis-powers

Grenage said:

I'd keep the wood unless it was rotten.  I did so five years ago when we moved in here.

For £500 I'd not be expecting the best job.

I agree if it isn’t broke don’t fix it!
maybe spend a bit more and get a proper painter in.

Farside71

It looks like a paint job would be fine.  But as above I'd get a decent painter in.   Preparation is the most important part, especially outdoors.

NSG666

Last year I replaced the fascia boards on my garage as they looked a bit rotten. I was doing the roof anyway and I bought the fascia online and did them myself so it only cost me c£250 in materials. Our house was built in the late 60's and we've lived in it for the past 24 years so I believe the fascias were the originals - when I removed them I found they were in far better condition than I'd originally thought and on that basis, unless you know for certain they are thoroughly rotten, I'd just have them painted (but probably not by my window cleaner).