What costs will we face - Single-family house built in 1960 - What renovations?

Above all, you must not base your calculations on his prices now. What is stated above is definitely comparable to prices for a new installation. Actually, renovations are even more expensive than those listed due to the preliminary work.

What did you calculate with? After all, you have almost listed everything that can be renovated.

Do you mean the preliminary work by the demolition? There is potential for savings through personal effort. Those who cannot or do not want to do this simply pay for the craftsmen’s hours. And if you’re not careful, these are not included in the quotes. In hindsight, of course, the craftsman is to blame if it has become significantly more expensive.

Do you mean the preliminary work by the demolition? There is potential to save money through personal effort.

Those who cannot or do not want to do this simply pay for craftsmen hours. And if you’re not careful, these are not included in the quotes. Afterwards, of course, the craftsman is to blame if it becomes significantly more expensive

Well, the electrical installation doesn’t just jump out of the wall into your arms. The same applies to the piping. It gets extreme when removing tiles and chiseling out screed. Pulling out windows is quick, but that can’t be done uncoordinatedly either. The roof is still the smallest problem. You just have to like and be able to do that kind of thing.

Those are really steep prices. May I ask how many square meters you have?

There are about 160m² on the ground floor + upper floor (plus a developable attic, which is currently put on hold for cost reasons..).

What is written above is quite comparable to prices for a new installation. Actually, renovations are even more expensive than the listed ones because of the preliminary work.

Yes, that's true - demolition work was extra and was carried out by us as much as possible in-house. You can really "make a big difference" in the truest sense of the word.

What we plan:
Electrical:
We definitely want to replace all electrical wiring. We don’t yet know if we need to access the main electrical distribution.

Old wiring can remain in the wall if the distribution is rebuilt anyway, as it will then be de-energized and won’t cause further issues. Chiseling slots, drilling holes, installing boxes, pulling cables and plastering are done DIY. Depending on the complexity of the planned lighting and networking, outlets and light switches can also be wired. The electrician connects everything to the fuse box and creates a test protocol.
For us 4,000€ including fuse box 1,000€ material (BuschJäger SI, 90 boxes, 30 switches, 1000m cable, 140m² living space)
In the end, the electrical work was one of the most rewarding jobs in the house and was really fun.

Alternatively: have everything done for 10-15k+.

Heating:
Do we need to work on the heating? If yes, what do we have to do?
Can we possibly use the existing pipes to convert from the radiator to underfloor heating? Underfloor heating is great, but only if it’s worth it, since it’s quite expensive. And does the boiler have to be removed?

Yes, a 25-year-old boiler should be removed, especially if you want underfloor heating.
The old pipes won’t fit the new heating circuits anyway and after 60 years they should be removed as well. Also with new radiators, if you are plastering anyway, renew all pipes.
Underfloor heating is not more expensive if you’re renewing the screed anyway, otherwise it is. 8k for heating, radiators / underfloor heating 60–100€/m²

With more than 2 people, ABSOLUTELY hot water via central heating and not instantaneous water heaters. Talk to the plumber about how to achieve low losses in the bathrooms.

Windows:
We want to replace the single-glazed windows. In addition, we probably also need to replace the roller shutters.

Remove everything and replace what was installed before 1994. At least double-glazed with warm edge spacer. 300–600€/m² for plastic.
Also replace all internal roller shutter boxes or at least insulate them.

Roof and Insulation:
We don’t yet know if the roof is insulated. Nor whether the walls are insulated in any way. Do we need to work on that? Roof insulation probably makes sense, as does insulating the basement ceiling.

Definitely insulate the roof, either the slopes with 20cm+ or, if there is an attic, the top floor ceiling with 30cm insulation. Costs vary greatly depending on material. Walls can also be insulated from outside, but you should first determine the U-value. If it is below 1, I would leave it alone.

Bathrooms:
We don’t want to work on the bathrooms, they were just done recently. Do I understand correctly that only an instantaneous water heater is installed for the shower/bathtub? Because only one line comes to the kitchen, I have the feeling that hot water is generated at the point of use. Does it make sense to keep it that way?
The basement, where the heating is located, is also not insulated.

As stated, instantaneous heaters absolutely need to go, with more than 2 people or if you want a bathroom. Ke

Hello everyone and many thanks for your answers.
So we are done with the expert. It was really fun and he seemed to know his stuff well. Sorry for the long text.

In the brackets, I am writing the estimated prices from the expert including labor costs, so complete prices.

Let's start at the top:
So the roof is insulated between the rafters with mineral wool or something like that. But this makes no sense at all because there are holes on both sides of the gable for ventilation.
(a1) So the top floor ceiling must be insulated from the attic. Additionally, the ladder/stairs to the attic must be renewed (with insulation) (7k€)

(a2) Furthermore, a vapor barrier must be installed from the inside on the ceiling of the rooms. Subsequently, the ceiling has to be suspended with drywall and lighting installed if necessary. (?)

(b) The roof itself is tight but covered with moss. That means a roofer has to go up and clean everything with a pressure washer. Also, a few ridge tiles are loose and some tiles must be fixed. (2k€)

(c) Alternative: completely redo the above-roof insulation including a new roof. (40k€)

(d) The lower balcony is leaking, meaning water is coming into the cellar at the joint of the balcony and the house. You can also see on the exterior wall where mortar is flaking off that moisture is getting in. Measures: remove tiles, remove railing, install/apply drainage, put tiles back on. Reattach railing from the outside (not from above). Also, insulate from below because the balcony works as a thermal bridge. (10k€)

(e) The upper balcony can also be newly sealed. Here, the railing would also be removed from the outside and insulated from below. (7k€)

(f) Front door and surrounding windows are single-glazed. The hallway will always be cold. Replace everything (15k€)

(g) Completely insulate the facade (without windows). 8-10 cm thick. (25k€)

(h) Some windows are single-glazed. The single-glazed windows can be removed. However, the expert said he would leave the windows as they are and do the facade first. But I think we will replace the windows now anyway. (He could not give a price but said plastic windows cost approx. 550€/sqm including installation).

(i) Electrical: The expert said completely renew the electrical installation, including the switchboard, switches, all material and labor. (15-20k€)

(j) Cellar ceiling insulation: Currently nothing is present. Must be installed. (8k€)

(k) Cellar walls are damp. The expert said we should take a moisture profile from the wall. If the moisture comes from below or outside, then the wall can be sealed on the inside with a slurry with negative waterproofing. This works because there is a horizontal barrier in the wall. (3k€ in DIY)

(l) Heating: This will be tricky. You can install a new heating system and strip everything out, but the expert does not consider this necessary. He suggests the following: Keep the boiler from 1995. It can still be converted later to a low-temperature boiler. For actual heating, install a fireplace with a water tank in the living room and a buffer tank in the old oil tank room. Cost for both including installation (8k€). Additionally: remove the radiators, install baseboard heaters in the warm water supply to the radiators and install new low-temperature radiators. Then also insulate the niche where the radiator is located. (15k€) The reason for low-temperature radiators is that they also work well with higher temperatures and can be used in the future when we insulate the facade and install low-temperature heating.

(m) Move the wall in the kitchen and install a beam. (4k€)

He measured the walls in the bathroom etc. They are okay regarding moisture.
The roof is tight.
There are no construction defects.
The cellar is not heated and not insulated. We have to think about what we want to make warm and what not for this area.
We are not supposed to install hot water pipes but continue to use instantaneous water heaters. Retrofitting pipes into the bathrooms does not make sense. And building a hot water network just for the kitchen alone makes no sense.

So far so good.
These are the expert's estimated costs. As mentioned, including installer labor.

We now plan the following:
(a1) Insulate the roof -> We will do the insulation ourselves. A specialist company must install the stairs.

(a2) Install the vapor barrier and suspend the ceiling -> We will do this ourselves

(b) Clean the roof and replace tiles -> We will do the cleaning ourselves; a professional will replace the tiles.

(c) Above-roof insulation: We will not do this for now.

(d) Remove tiles on the lower balcony, seal, install drainage, tiles, and insulate from below -> We will do this ourselves but have a professional check it afterwards.

(e) Upper balcony: We will leave this for now.

(f) Front door: We will also leave this for now. However, we will ensure the doors to the living area are closed and reasonably insulated.

(g) Insulate facade: We will leave this for now but plan to catch up in a few years.

(h) Replace single-glazed windows: We are undecided here. The expert said that you can also leave the windows single-glazed. Otherwise, he sees the risk (if you do only windows but no facade insulation) that the thermal bridge from the windows to the wall transfers cold. That means if the windows remain as they are, you will have some condensation on the windows which can be wiped away. If the water condenses on the wall, you get mold. What do you think about this?

(i) Electrical: The switchboard was renewed a few years ago with the bathrooms. We would keep it and renew everything from the switchboard onwards (what do you think, good or bad idea? – See pictures). Everything else will be done as DIY work. In the end, a professional will connect it (like Till did). Should 6k€ be enough here, comparing to 'dertill' or do I have a thinking error?

(j) Cellar ceiling insulation: Do ourselves, costs approx. 2k€

(k) Damp cellar walls: Also do ourselves. Do we have to consider anything besides applying the slurry exactly as described in the instructions?

(l) Heating: We plan it like this: leave pipes in the walls. Retrofit buffer tank and fireplace with water tank and only use the boiler as support (for example when we are on vacation). Remove radiators ourselves, insulate niches ourselves, install baseboard heaters (can this be done ourselves or is it better not to do because of warranty?) and install low-temperature radiators.

(m) Move kitchen wall: Do as much as possible ourselves, but the beam will probably have to be installed by a professional.

Additionally, plastering work, painting/wallpapering, and laying floors. We will also do those ourselves.

I have a few questions for you:
- Do you think the estimated costs are roughly accurate?
- Have we forgotten anything fundamental or are we planning something totally wrong?
- Do you have a rough idea of how much DIY work (in man-days with 10 hours per person) will come up? (Insulate roof on the floor, install vapor barrier, suspend ceilings in all upper floor rooms, remove balcony tiles, seal, install drainage, tiles, install insulation, chase electrical chases, drill sockets, lay cables, connect, remove radiators, insulate radiator niches, knock out kitchen wall, plastering, painting and laying laminate)? I know, quite a lot, but I have no clue what to estimate.
- Then also the above questions in the text

Many thanks in advance and best regards
Matt