Old building renovation, house built in 1916, multi-family house converted to single-family home, experiences

Best to remove the roof, walls, then the basement is exposed, which can then be excavated without problems, then simply rebuild everything...

Seriously, it breaks my heart when I hear about a complete core renovation here. If I compare that to cars, someone wants to get a Mercedes gullwing, first sand off the original paint because of some bubbles here and there, remove the doors (they are outdated and impractical), put in some carbon accessory standard doors instead, an electric motor with 300 hp (for the environment), new suspension, LED lights, remove the old burl wood dashboard and replace it with something with navigation and a 15” display, don’t forget the Bose sound system, etc.

Such an old house has character and you don’t have it just for yourself, but eventually pass it on...

If new windows have been installed, there can’t be any renovation backlog, right?! An old parsonage is certainly not a demolition ruin unworthy of preservation... one should approach it carefully here (not immediately tear out the herringbone parquet to just slap some 2.5 m x 2.5 m hardware store tiles on underfloor heating, etc.), sure, for example, insulate the roof, update the heating if necessary, water pipes... but someone must have been living in it before, so how does the house become uninhabitable overnight, as if one wants to sink €300K into the renovation?

I would like to see pictures of the property...

Does an architect also act as the on-site contact person, or is another party needed?

That sounds like the intention (why?), not to remove an architect from the location of the property (?)

Yes, that's our plan. Everything out except for the bare wall and then we're off. I would like to install a photovoltaic system combined with a heat pump, but I've read that it’s not so easy in an old building. I basically expect costs of 250-300k€ for the renovation.

We are renovating and extending our old building from about 150 to 200 m2. In the process, the cold roof will be expanded and new windows and dormers will be added. The architect’s cost estimate is around 300k EUR including two full bathrooms, all floors, windows, piping, electrical work, facade, painting, and the complete demolition for all necessary things (wallpapers, demolition, changes to floor plans, etc.).

We are not insulating the facade and will not install underfloor heating either. However, the energy consultant and architect have not advised against a heat pump as heating. I am also uncertain about this.

We will take care of demolition, electrical work, tiling, sanitary installations, and piping ourselves or can rely on family. I will handle the wooden beam ceilings and floors myself. The remaining work will still amount to about 180k EUR.

If you have questions about individual trades, I am happy to answer in more detail via private message.

I would also be very interested in pictures here!

If I were you, I would first calmly think about what it should ultimately become. I also think: tearing out is quick, but you never get some things back in that quality and from that construction year. Floors, stucco, possibly wooden elements on the facade and things like that. Do you absolutely need vibration-free ceilings? Sometimes half-timbered or preservable wooden posts come to light, which can be beautifully showcased. Old floors as well. They are often completely ruined but incredibly beautiful after restoration (and incredibly expensive to buy new). For example, we left an attic staircase original, including the beautiful fittings. That was the only preserved door in the house. We left the timber frame structure open in the attic, which looks wonderful. Or maybe the house has clay plaster, which you can remove, re-slurry, and reapply. That also isn’t cheap to buy new and has very good properties. Last but not least, you can think about legendary sustainability here: Everything you don’t buy new but continue/reuse helps. Old materials and construction methods are wonderfully ecological and timeless. We were amazed at how beautiful our stairs were when we uncovered them.
Not least, you can often save a lot of money here if you plan and think it through properly.

One more tip about craftsmen: Ask the companies about other companies they work with often. If they know each other, collaboration often works better. Often, these are family members. For example, we have our chimney sweep through the plumbing company because he is his cousin.

So the architect estimated €1500/m2 if you were to have everything done on the 200m2, and now thanks to your own work you come down to €900/m2?

We have the timber frame exposed in the attic, which looks beautiful. [...] We were amazed at how beautiful our stairs are when we uncovered them.

(Where) can you see this in the house pictures thread?

One more tip regarding craftsmen: Ask the companies about other companies they often work with. If they know each other, collaboration often works better. It’s not uncommon for these to be family members. For example, we got our chimney sweep through the plumbing company because he is his cousin.

Exactly. And don’t be afraid that someone would recommend a comrade who is no good. If personal recommendations were costly, people wouldn’t even do it for their own cousin.

I have not posted any pictures of our house online so far. With a 100m2 semi-detached house, you don't make an impression among the luxury villas there in the thread either :eek: :D