Winniefred
2021-04-26 17:47:28
- #1
We have the opportunity to buy a house.
Built in the 1920s. Renovations apparently haven’t been done in the last 10 years. Before that, regularly. The roof is from the 80s, made of clay tiles and insulated with glass wool. We would leave it as is for now.
The footprint of the house (outer walls) is about 8 m wide and 9 m deep. 2 full floors, one with a slight slope and dormers.
In the basement there is a gas boiler for heating, hot water is generated by a continuous flow heater.
The electrical system still looked adequate. There are occasional fuses and no RCD, but for the stove there are already 3 cores with "modern" fuses in each fuse box per floor. We would leave it like that for now, or should this be changed completely and brought up to the latest standard before moving in?
Here is what we plan:
-New gas boiler
-Hot water via the boiler (from the basement to the ground floor, 1st and 2nd floor). What does the running meter of copper cost including labor etc.?
-New windows about 1.20 or 1.40 meters wide. On the ground floor with security options like mushroom heads for example. Is it also advisable to use higher security standards for the glass?
In total 10 windows + 2 Velux. 3 of them on the ground floor.
We would probably go for double glazing, since the facade is not insulated. Is that enough? We’re afraid that triple glazing might cause moisture on the walls.
-Entrance door and terrace door
-New floors on all floors. Laminate or vinyl or something like that. The wooden floors must be evened out because they are very wavy.
-Possibly a new bathroom on the 1st floor. We don’t yet know the square meters for tiling. 1 toilet, 1 shower about 1x1 m, washbasin, towel radiator. Possibly relocating the bathroom to another room.
-Possibly insulating the facade. If it’s worthwhile. Do you have any info that could serve as a guide?
Even though the information we have so far is rather sparse and no exact statements can be made, we would still like to get a rough overview of the costs ahead of us. Also we are still unsure about the exact procedure and whether it already makes sense at this stage of the construction project to commission an architect for planning and supervision.
Maybe there are average costs one can roughly use for such things.
Should one commission a structural engineer for wooden floors from this construction year if moving a bathroom into another, originally simple living space?
We would roughly estimate costs of about €100,000 for the bank. Is that set too low?
I’m writing because we renovated a semi-detached house from 1921. First of all: I love our house!
Have a roofer assess the roof first. Electrical system, how old is it? If you’re going to tear up everything anyway because of the wiring and bathrooms, better do it all at once. For safety reasons and because you won’t want to do it later when living there. How old is the interior plaster? The outside is currently not insulated at all, or how should that be understood? Leveling wooden beam ceilings: yes, can be done. Costs a bit and is quite a lot of work, but pays off in terms of impact sound insulation and comfort. Depending on how many layers have been added over the 100 years and which system you choose for the new floor build-up, it can turn out well or be a complete failure (connections to stairs etc.). Without enormous effort, you won’t get it like a concrete ceiling. Floors are basically the same in such houses. What’s interesting is primarily where the beams run, how thick they are and the overall floor construction. Only then do you know what the statics allow in terms of larger tubs or similar. From my experience, I’d recommend checking “under the lady’s skirt” first anyway. Then you know where you stand.
Simply replacing the gas boiler? Why? How old is it? The boiler itself can be replaced later without much effort. How old is the exterior plaster? I would really go all in here: new insulation, new proper windows and doors. Yes, it costs a lot, but to take double glazing now and no insulation? Keep in mind, you currently only have gas (consumption/energy costs). But well, everyone has to decide for themselves, some save the money for insulation. Read up on what obligations might come with this. From your description, it should be about 120 m² or a bit more?
This is crystal-ball gazing. We don’t know what is really necessary, nor your expectations, and at the moment construction costs are exploding, including material costs. The €100,000 might easily be enough or far from it, it depends on too many factors. Especially items like roof, facade, etc. are all major expenses and you have to see what makes sense.