Old house built in 1910 Renovate / Remodel or build completely new?

Hello dear house-building forum friends

I am Steven from Berlin and I have the following concern.

My girlfriend and I have "inherited" a plot of land with a house. The house is about 65 sqm and was built around 1910. For a few years now, we have been living there in the summer.

The house was partially renovated about 20 years ago. (Plastered from the outside, one room’s floor renewed and plastic windows installed.) It has 3 rooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining nook, and a small cellar.

Now to the renovations that I know so far would need to be done:

- The bathroom, the kitchen and one room are extensions that would have to be torn down and rebuilt because of "Sauerkohl" + wood.
- Roof must be completely redone
- Electrical system new
- Floors new
- Windows and doors new
- Water pipes new
- Heating installation (gas connection available + sewage)
- Insulation
- Painting work

Additionally, the house is supposed to be enlarged by about 20 sqm through the renovation of the extensions.

Would this be feasible with about €70,000 if almost everything is done by ourselves? (Friends, family, acquaintances), or would a demolition + new build be cheaper?

If further details are missing, I am happy to provide them.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards!

Good morning,

does no one have any opinion on this?

Thank you.

Hello Steven,

Would it be feasible with about €70,000 if you did almost everything yourself? (Friends, family, acquaintances),
or would a demolition + new construction be cheaper?

At first glance, it all seems doable if... yes, if your assumptions are correct, if friends and acquaintances also pitch in, and if you have a "source" where you can buy the necessary materials more cheaply.

What bothers me about the project – besides the many "ifs" – is simply the fact that the "probable" renovations are based purely on your assumptions; not a good basis – therefore it is not really serious to answer here!

Find an expert in your area through the usual portals and walk through the house with them and commission an appraisal. These experts are all specialized in one field or another of house building/renovation. Only when you have reliable figures can you make a decision for renovation or demolition and new construction.

One thing should be clear to you now – even if the little gingerbread house is renovated, the substance remains old!

Kind regards

Hello construction expert,

first of all, thank you very much for your answer.
My father himself renovated a very old small house over the years and therefore, I think he has a lot of experience.
He took a little look at the little house and in his rough estimate for a renovation, he didn't even come close to 70,000.
But he also knows that when you get started, there are always new surprises that you haven't planned for.

Friends and acquaintances would help out.
We have someone for the electrical work.
Also for general construction work.
What would be extra are the heating issue and possibly the roof.

We also think we can get some materials cheaper through acquaintances.

And! We also have an architect in the family.

What is basically the main concern is that we are not high earners and cannot afford 200,000 euros.

Therefore, an advantage is that the water supply and drainage as well as gas connection are available.
Furthermore, I don’t know what the demolition would cost?!

Kind regards

Steven

Hello Steven,

Now he also knows that when you tackle it, new surprises keep coming up that you haven't planned for.

THAT is always the problem with existing properties; wise man, your father, and the reason why I strongly advise you to spend a good 1,000 euros on external expert advice.

Furthermore, I don't know what the demolition would cost?!

I don't know that either because I don't know which materials were used at the time. If asbestos is part of the inventory, the demolition will be more expensive due to the obligation to separate the materials than without harmful building materials. The demolition costs can therefore range between 30,000 and 50,000 euros.

If the choice falls on demolition and subsequent new construction, you should certainly expect 100,000-110,000 euros for the new building, plus additional construction costs of 25,000-30,000 euros, plus the cost of demolition.

Kind regards