Modernizing old buildings - planning, project design, construction supervision

Hello, dear forum members!

My wife and I are about to buy a house from the 1950s and extensively renovate/modernize it. We are considering the following measures:

- Insulate the roof,
- Insulate the exterior walls,
- Convert the attic,
- Reorganize the rooms on the upper floor (bedroom, children's room, and large bathroom),
- Reorganize the basement (large living, dining, kitchen area and guest WC),
- New windows all around,
- New heating system,
- Underfloor heating on the ground floor,
- New electrical system,
- New water pipes,
- Dry out the basement (walls are a bit damp)

The question is, how do we approach this project? Who do we entrust with the planning, project design, construction supervision? Who contacts the respective tradespeople? Who calculates the costs for the modernization? Who performs construction supervision and quality control? Also with regard to subsidized measures? Should one hire an architect for something like this or a construction company? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both alternatives?

Although I am a trained automotive mechanic and would consider myself reasonably skilled with my hands, I have no experience in construction. Since money is an issue, of course I would also like to contribute with my own labor, such as demolition work. How would this be included in the planning?

In the past few weeks, we have already attended some building fairs and spoken with builders' associations, energy consultants, and the building owners' protection association. Nevertheless, we are not yet sure which approach would be best for our project. We would be happy to receive some advice here.

Thank you very much in advance.
Oli S.

Hello,

...My wife and I are about to buy a house from the 50s and carry out quite extensive renovations/modernizations.

Asking beforehand is already a good approach!

..
The question is, how do we approach this project?

Here, for example, a construction engineer, energy consultant, and MEP planner combined on site would likely be the right contact person.
The starting point of any renovation/modernization is the exact and detailed analysis of the current condition!

Best regards

So, except for the load-bearing walls, you basically want to tear everything out and redo it?

I can't really see the need for a structural engineer here, since no static calculations are required and the structural integrity is not being changed.

An architect should definitely be able to create all necessary plans and perform the U-value calculation regarding the desired energy consumption.

A building physics office (or a general energy consultant) should also be sufficient for calculating the heating energy demand and so on.

Only the basement waterproofing (sealing and drying out) could be somewhat more complex depending on the cause.

Regarding the self-performed work: you will certainly have to allow more time between the individual tasks. Otherwise, I don't see any major problems.

What you could also do: routing the electrical cables into the new (and old?) walls by chasing (with a wall groove cutter), laying empty conduits, threading the electrical cables, and filling the walls — I would trust you to do that with a bit of skill.

However, connecting the cables should be left to a professional company (electrician) because it involves some dangers if you are not experienced.

What other work you can handle otherwise depends on your skill. Heating pipes and sanitary installations are rather critical since with inaccessible areas you rely on clean work; otherwise, during tightness tests you will spend a long time searching for leaks, and you need the proper tools for this.

Best regards, Thomas

Hello Oli S.,

did you buy the house and renovate it as you described? We also have a house like that and unfortunately couldn't reach an agreement with the last architect. How did you decide, did you have everything planned by an architect or a renovation company, or did you take everything into your own hands? And if you are already finished, did everything go to your satisfaction?

Best regards

Hello,

The 50s bring quite a few surprises! Construction boom, the lack of cement, etc. When the location is so nice, one should consider demolition and maybe rebuilding. Just do the math, the difference in effort is not that big. For example: demolition plus building the shell, versus gutting plus planning restrictions and surprises! The result is new, and the resale value is much higher! Or look for a comparable location and simply build new.

Best regards, Waldemar

Hello,

...Example: Demolition plus shell construction, compared to gutting plus planning restrictions, and surprises! That's why it's new, and the resale value is much higher! Or look for a comparable location and simply build new.

The post is not completely unrealistic. In addition, "unrecognized" potential risks are rarely apparent to laypeople. This applies to the building structure as well as, for example, an inefficient existing heating system, which usually leads to significantly excessive consumption costs. The initial "bargain" quickly becomes a money pit. Existing properties are often over- or underpriced in sales.
On the other hand, existing buildings often offer valuable, heavy building substance that ideally creates a favorable indoor climate and provides a solid foundation. New constructions are mostly designed one-sidedly for the winter load case; summer thermal protection plays a rather secondary role, especially with monolithic AW construction.
Distinguishing the pros and cons is technically quite demanding, especially since not only the building but also the heating system must be considered.
Therefore, there is no generalizable advice; the object-specific initial conditions are always decisive.

Best regards