Estimation of renovation needs Year of construction 1970

Hello,

We are still at the very beginning of our house search in the Rhine-Main area (around Frankfurt) and after a first new-build offer, which was taken off the market immediately, we have now found a first theoretically suitable used house (semi-detached house). We have not yet visited, but based on the listing and inquiries with the realtor, we have the following initial information:

[*]200m² living space and 150m² usable space (actually too big, but if the price is right, it shouldn't hurt)
[*]Year built 1970
[*]Solid construction
[*]Heated with night storage heaters
[*]According to the energy certificate class C (is that even possible with the heating system mentioned above? I thought those were very expensive...)
[*]Bathrooms and windows were renewed in 1998/2003
[*]The roof is insulated (however exactly...)

We therefore see renovation needs at least in the following areas:

[*]Heating: Either, if practicable as a retrofit, to heat pump and underfloor heating, or if available in the street, to gas heating with radiators
(unfortunately, parts of the basement and attic are each declared as living space along with the ground floor and 1st floor, so the heating conversion would probably have to extend to all 350m²)
[*]Electrical and LAN (possibly there is already 1 (!) LAN socket on the first floor; here the information from the realtor and the listing unfortunately differ somewhat; but if all this and the rest are in the original 1970 condition, a lot definitely needs to be done)
[*]Possibly facade insulation, if it is suitable for a KfW standard and/or pays off due to heating costs, although class C in the energy certificate does not sound so bad...
[*]Should water pipes also slowly be renewed after 50 years?

Can you tell us approximately what the renovation steps mentioned above might cost (also per square meter or similar)? Do you see other measures that are probably necessary / or do you consider the above already unnecessary?

If the house is still available after Easter and we can visit it (possibly in a second step also with an expert), what should we absolutely pay attention to (besides the usual personal preferences regarding layout/size/number of rooms) or what should we ask about?

So far, I would think of:
Self:

[*]Number of sockets/fuses etc.
[*]Soundproofing (inside the house and to the other half)
[*]Possibly separability of living and usable space

Expert:

[*]Possibility of retrofitting underfloor heating
[*]Mold/moisture damage
[*]Built-in hazardous substances (asbestos/wood preservatives etc. are said to be a critical issue for this year of construction)

Do you have any other sensitive topics in mind that one should pay attention to?

Best regards
Laura

Can you tell us roughly how much the above-mentioned renovation steps might cost (also per square meter or similar)?

Unfortunately not. Maybe can tell you something?!
I only know that since the end of the year, buyers are obliged to carry out certain renovations. This can be found online under the Building Energy Act. I would estimate 500-1000€/sqm living space.

what should we ask about?

So far I can think of:
Self:

[*]Number of sockets/fuses etc.
[*]Soundproofing (within the house and to the other half)
[*]possibly separability of living and utility space

For me, those are things I wouldn’t ask about but you have to convince yourself of them.
Basically ask about what you cannot see yourself. -> Water damage, mold, asbestos, woodworm, formaldehyde etc. But don’t expect to get honest answers at first if the owner talks down his house. Also, an agent only knows what he is told by the owner. I would also have such things included later in the purchase contract.
You can inquire when this and that was renovated/replaced; I would have that documented with invoices. Also the bathrooms. Also in the first conversation. There has to be time to then filter out. Self-renovated bathrooms: you have to know if you trust them. Crooked tiles or other patchwork work could indicate how it looks underneath.
Soundproofing: noise is subjective, and no owner will say the neighbors are loud. You have to convince yourself of that. You shouldn’t expect that an owner knows what kind of stone was used. Here in the construction forum almost anyone can tell you, but for a building year of 1970 you don’t have to (anymore).
What do you mean by separating living/utility space? If it is already mentioned as such, then in my opinion a legal separation exists.

Built-in contaminants (asbestos/wood preservatives etc. are apparently a critical issue with this year of construction)

That’s right.

Buying a house is a science of its own. From experience, you have to be able to scan everything during the first viewing, assess for yourself whether this and that is possible and how much money still has to be invested. The financing should theoretically already be in place; a written statement from the bank is often helpful.
If the house has been on the market for a long time, then it is either way too expensive or has a catch.
As a beginner, you tend to get lost in this market. But: once is always the first time. Regularly look at houses, even those that don’t interest you. Learn and become a voyeur. Over time, you can recognize when something is just a facade and when behind shabby floors and drafty windows a gem can be found.
There are numerous lists on the web on how to assess a house.
350sqm, near Frankfurt and “if the price is right” conflicts for me. Basically, you can say that in popular areas (big city outskirts) you can no longer buy more sqm than you need because everything is overpriced anyway.

Personally, I would pay attention to the atmosphere of the house. It can be as worn out and old-fashioned as you like: the sense of space has to be felt in your gut. It’s like love. Others deal with it more rationally.
Orientation of the house, existing rooms: is my intended room layout feasible -> number of children’s rooms, possibly wall breakthroughs (load-bearing walls?), infrastructure, neighborhood, highway or railway nearby (noise, transport connections)
Good luck in the land of those willing to build and buy!

It can be found on the internet under the Building Energy Act. I would estimate 500-1000€/sqm living area.

That actually gets you quite far. But if there are night storage heaters, a new heating system as underfloor heating is actually recommended. Everything has to be opened anyway – whether walls or floors.
I would take the heated area – if sensibly feasible – from the heated envelope (it's a big house anyway).

Should water pipes also slowly be renewed after 50 years?

In the course of my renovation, I have already opened and/or drilled into enough water pipes. They are a few years older and look like new from the inside (copper pipes). But this is not generally transferable.

Definitely sensible is the electrical system (a lot will be opened anyway) and insulation of the roof/upper floor ceiling or cellar ceiling. You have to look at the windows. Bathrooms are a matter of taste.
I would always try to achieve an efficiency house, since then, for example, disposal, screed, floors (with underfloor heating) and much more are also subsidized.

Take a good look at the house first.

For me, those are things I wouldn’t ask about, but rather ones you have to convince yourself of. Basically ask about what you can’t see yourself. -> Water damage, mold, asbestos, woodworm, formaldehyde, etc. But I don’t think you get honest answers at first if the owner speaks badly about their house. And a real estate agent only knows what they hear from the owner. I would also have such things included later in the purchase contract.

Exactly, the list was for personal inspection. And when in doubt, ask the expert rather than the selling agent. The agent probably doesn’t even want to know certain things:confused:

What do you mean by separation of living/use area? If it is already named like that, then in my opinion a legal separation exists.

I would - if reasonably feasible - take usable area out of the heated shell (it’s a big house anyway).

I hoped maybe I wouldn’t have to install underfloor heating on all 350m² etc. (that also costs...). But it seems difficult if half the basement and a third of the roof floor are used as living space.

350 sqm, near Frankfurt and “if the price is right” conflicts for me. Basically, one can say that in popular areas (suburbs of big cities) you can’t buy more sqm than you need because everything is overpriced anyway.

That’s exactly what unsettles me quite a bit about this house. It really can’t be that you suddenly can afford almost double the space than usual...

Buying a house is a science in itself. Based on experience, you have to be able to scan everything during the first viewing, assess for yourself whether this and that is possible, and how much money still needs to be invested. The financing should theoretically already be arranged; a written document from the bank is often helpful.
If the house has been on the portal for a long time, then it is either way too expensive or has a catch.

We have the Wisch from Interhyp. But exactly this scanning, whether the purchase price is still right after deducting the renovation budget, still overwhelms us a bit.
After all, you don’t want to pay an expert ten times if you could have easily recognized the mistake yourself.

As a beginner, you tend to get lost in this market. But: once is always the first time. Look at houses regularly, even those that are uninteresting for you. Learn and become a voyeur. Over time, you can recognize when something is just a facade and when you can find a gem under grimy floors and behind drafty windows.

The former is also my impression.
When looking at "uninteresting" houses, I still have some reservations due to Corona; after all, I’m "unjustifiably" giving someone my contact information there. But maybe you have to shed those...

I have meanwhile opened and/or drilled enough water pipes during my renovation. They are a few years older and look like new on the inside (copper pipes). But that is not generally transferable.

That’s already good to hear that not everything has to be disposed of even in that age group :).

Good luck in the land of those willing to build and buy!

Thank you!

Yes, Corona is not very helpful in this regard - I forgot ;) ... I myself have bought and sold once, long before this time. And I was reminded of this while writing.