House purchase / Equity / Construction financing

I am not starting a new topic... otherwise it will become too confusing for me.

So:

We visited a house today... the first time for us. We were a little excited.
It is in Weilerswist (not our desired location) but: 2 minutes on foot to the train station and almost a bus stop right at the door.

Size, location, proximity to the station... wow: I probably won’t get that somewhere else for the same price... so 259,000 euros for 140 living space and total plot: 582m2. Year of construction early 1920.

What has been renovated so far: new roof, including insulation 2017, new windows all over the house, double glazed 2017, all roller shutter boxes renewed (2017), new electrical wiring 2009, new water pipes 2009, renovation of bathrooms on the ground floor and 1st floor 2009, replacement of radiators and bricking up of recesses 2011-2013, drainage inside and outside of the extension 2009, sealing of the extension roof 2010, conversion of the attic 2011, garden redesign 2010.

Do we still need a building expert?? If yes, what should he (still) look for?

What I would still change: staircase from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor (too steep)... how much would it cost to have such a staircase made? Have the extension torn down because it doesn’t fit the entire house and convert it into a conservatory, where only 2 walls remain, and change the garden again and remove all the small stones. Basement and garage... no idea... both rooms were stuffed with millions of things. You can’t get an overview for something like that. In the kitchen the floor is equipped with old wooden flooring (wooden texture). I would sand everything smooth there. I think in the dining room and living room old wooden floors are underneath. Currently everything is covered with PVC flooring. Can you simply pull it up and then sand everywhere with a sanding machine?? On the 1st and 2nd floors everything has PVC flooring. I don’t know if there are old wooden floors underneath. Maybe we are lucky. I would have some rooms replastered on the walls and some rooms wallpapered.
How much would all this cost together approx.? Is 50,000 euros enough for everything?

Our friends think: we should look for other houses... we can do that. But will we ever get a better one than this?? Maybe that might be in other cities. For us the proximity to the station is very important to get to Cologne. My husband works in Pulheim and I in Zülpich. Our friends live in Cologne. Pulheim, Frechen, Hürth, Erftstadt, Brühl, Kierberg already searched... and for 140 sqm never... rather for 80 sqm or so.

Sounds not bad at first! Definitely take another look with someone who knows their stuff. I recommend a (publicly appointed and sworn) expert for real estate. Even they won't be able to detect everything. But they should be able to assess where the weak points are for this year of construction and whether the renovations were well executed. Does the layout suit you so far? I can't currently imagine making a staircase less steep, but I’m not familiar with that. The rest sounds more like cosmetic repairs, so not very expensive. Keep in mind that a new kitchen (if necessary) can also quickly cost five figures.

Sounds not bad at first! Definitely take another look with someone who knows their stuff. I recommend a (publicly appointed and sworn) real estate expert. They won’t be able to fix everything either. But they should be able to assess where the weak points are for this construction year and whether the renovations were done well.
Does the floor plan work for you so far? I can’t really imagine making a staircase less steep right now, but I’m not an expert. The rest sounds more like cosmetic repairs, so not too expensive. Keep in mind that a new kitchen (if needed) can quickly cost five figures.

Yes, the floor plan is good except for one room. That would be rebuilt later. I would want to tear it down except for 2 walls and then make a conservatory out of it.

NOT less steep, but just normal stairs. The realtor says that’s possible.

And one more thing: there are bricks. I would leave those two walls with bricks showing in the kitchen. I already mentioned old wooden floors; there are also some wooden beams there. Really great... I love old buildings. I would have a lot restored.

What needs major renovation is: the entire basement. Everything is ugly. And yes, the stairs and conservatory.

New kitchen: I think we won’t need that much. The bricks are already there (just remove the cladding), sand, lacquer, and oil the wooden floors. I would buy kitchen cabinets secondhand so everything matches visually.

NOT less, but completely normal stairs.

What do you mean? I understood it as if there is a staircase that is too steep for you, and you therefore want to install a new one? You have to see whether it fits with the floor plan. Structural integrity surely also plays a role if the ceiling opening has to be changed.

entire basement

That is presumably not living space, is it? Then I wouldn’t care how it looks. Is there already ceiling insulation in the basement?

Stairs from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor (too steep)

A less steep staircase means longer, i.e. the start shifts further forward or the exit further backward; it is easier at the start, since at the exit it also affects the ceiling (stairwell and transition at the exit); but in both cases it also corresponds with the headroom for the stairs below and above. Show some more detailed basics, but usually this would be a "major operation".