Tips for a single-family house built in 1976

Renovated a very similar old house. I would recommend the following measures:

- Completely new electrical system ~approx. 10k
Practically IMPOSSIBLE in an inhabited house, so not now.

- Completely new water supply and sewage, costs then depend on the bathroom. Bathroom ranges from 5k to 20k, plus the costs for the rough installation.
Practically IMPOSSIBLE in an inhabited house, so not now.

- Leave the heating as is for now, nothing breaks in the pipes, that is stagnant water.

- Insulating the sloping ceilings is nonsense. You have an insulated top floor ceiling and a cold roof, that stays as it is. That would be, besides replacing an old oil boiler (which does not apply to you), the only mandatory measure due to ownership change. You really don’t need an energy consultant for that.

- Blow-in insulation is, if there is a cavity, of course a quick and cheap solution. But I would put that last due to budget constraints. You can do that anytime when you have the money.

- Leave the windows in for now too, window replacement is not a big deal and can be done well in an inhabited house.

- Leave the basement ceiling for now. If it is really very cold from below and you don’t need the height underneath, insulate from below, it’s not rocket science.

- You have completely left out the surfaces. Walls definitely need to be redone after electrical and sanitary work, floors and ceilings depend. Financially, though, that’s certainly a sizable chunk, I would plan at least 15k there.

Regarding energy savings: Except for insulating the top floor ceiling and replacing an old oil burner, HARDLY any energy-saving renovation measure pays off in the foreseeable future. Insulation is done where it’s cold; you have to really like the airtight energy saving ordinance plastic boxes with forced ventilation first.

That is not true in such a generalization. If it is 1.5 stories, then you also have sloping roofs on the upper floor. If these are not insulated, a large amount of energy is lost. And it is inexpensive to do it yourself. Basement ceilings can also mean up to 10% energy loss. An investment of 1500€ here pays off quickly. Blow-in insulation is also really cheap in relation and amortizes quickly. But your statements regarding invasiveness are correct so far. However, the goal is to have peace of mind for ten years with minimal reserves. That simply doesn’t work in this interplay, or you have a place in 10 years (possibly at the end of the fixed interest period) that might be worth less than today. I say: save in the right place and bring in your own work. Then you can also make old houses nice and valuable and maintain them. But a house just costs money. And not little. And that has to be put in (with money or work), otherwise you just live the place down.

On energy saving: Apart from insulating the top floor ceiling and replacing an old oil burner, hardly any energy-saving renovation measure pays off in the foreseeable future. Insulation is done where it is cold; those airtight energy saving regulation plastic boxes with forced ventilation are something you have to like first.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

That is not true in general terms. If it is one and a half stories, then you also have sloping roofs in the upper floor. If these are not insulated, a large amount of energy is lost. And doing it yourself is cheap.

In the one-and-a-half-story house, the collar beam level metaphorically takes the place of the top floor ceiling, and up to there, of course, the slope must also be insulated. I still remember DIY well; pushing the yellow mats between the rafters was almost as popular at the end of the seventies as the aerobic wave a few years later ;-)

In general, it can be said about a house from the 70s that _living spaces_, even if they are under the roof, are insulated. Back then... back then wasn't that long ago [emoji2]

If the sloped ceilings are declared as the top floor ceiling, the rest is completely correct. Insulating a cold roof is nonsense. Even if they are insulated in existing buildings, it is often insufficient and not airtight. Airtightness is essential for insulation. It has absolutely nothing to do with a plastic box. That is pub talk.

I looked up cavity insulation on Google. It seems to be in the range of €5000. It will pay off very quickly. Just like the top floor ceiling.

Yes, do-it-yourself work... Many jobs are tricky, but it saves a lot!

Oh, I see: back then = 40 years ago. There was already some progress, I would say. And energy also became significantly more expensive.