Whoever has too much money and is stupid buys an old house and renovates it

Which price component has increased? The land prices or the worn-out living space?

What you pay is what you get.

And who evaluates whether a price is exaggerated? Based on which parameters?

If the thread were a stream, the text would have jumped too short and stood up to the knees in water.

I don't agree with that.

A new building can be planned and thus calculated better than a conversion. But depending on the case, either a conversion or a new building can be more economical. It always depends!

Even if the renovation ends up being a bit cheaper, the house is still old. It's like with a 20-year-old car getting a new engine, transmission, and everything else new. The car still remains old... That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to build new. It means you have to look at what's important to you. Renovating an old building is not for people who want everything done by companies. An old building is for people who like to do a lot (not everything) themselves. And also for people who want to live in a certain place at any cost. Because new buildings often are only possible in certain locations...

An old house must be in a good location and cheap. If both apply, you can afford the hassle of renovating something like that. Old shacks are not for families, not for perfectionists, and not for people who have enough money to build new in the same or another place.

..ask me that again in 2 years. We are currently renovating a (inherited) house from the 1960s and are optimistic. However, the planning phase has already shown that one has to be willing to make compromises in order to (hopefully) stay cheaper than a new build.

The problem I see with us: many people like to compare a standard developer new build with a renovation of an old building by architects. And the comparison is flawed.. In the end, the architect still tries to sneak architecture in..

Old houses are not for families

What nonsense!!

In 2015 I bought a two-family house built in ’64. With a huge plot of 1600 sqm.
Nothing had been renovated in that place yet.
I then renovated the first apartment in 9 months and after a total of 1 year both apartments and the entire house completely.
Examples of what was done:
- complete electrical system
- walls removed, new ones built
- complete heating system
- insulated radiator niches, installed new radiators
- water and sewage completely new
- partially replastered
- new floors everywhere
- interior and exterior repainted
- balcony renovated
- all windows and doors new
etc.
Most of it was done by myself with the help of family and friends.
I am an environmental and process engineering engineer; I have no formal training in craftsmanship, but I have always done a lot of handiwork.

Yes, it was a stressful year. But, believe it or not, I realized all this for just over €70,000. So really for a bargain. The house has been inhabited since around mid-2016 by two families of four each. Once us and once the family of my wife’s uncle. The four children are between 8 months and 9 years old. They grow up together, have a huge garden with a vegetable patch, chickens, lots of toys, trampoline, swing, sandbox, large children's treehouse (to be built this summer), etc.

The location is great! In the middle of a town with 12,000 inhabitants, all shops, all doctors and schools are within walking distance. The train station and kindergarten are a 6-minute walk away.

I think it hardly gets any better.

And yes, the house is not new with super climate control and KNX or other modern stuff. But it was affordable, the renovation was fun, I know it inside and out. If there’s anything to renovate again, I can do most of it myself and we feel comfortable here.

Just because most people are too fancy for an old building or don’t feel like doing handiwork themselves or think everything must be perfect, you don’t have to demonize an old building outright.

It always depends on the respective situation.
Down with blinkers!

Cheers
Specki

What nonsense!!

I bought a two-family house built in '64 in 2015. With a huge plot of 1600 sqm.
Nothing had been renovated on that part at all.
Then, within 9 months, I finished the first apartment and after a total of 1 year, both apartments and the entire house were completely renovated.
Done were e.g.:
- complete electrical system
- walls removed, new ones put in
- complete heating system
- insulated radiator niches, installed new radiators
- water and sewage completely new
- partially replastered
- new floors everywhere
- painted inside and outside
- balcony renovated
- all windows and doors new
etc.
Most of it was done by myself with help from family and friends.
I am an environmental and process engineering engineer, I have no formal craft training, but I have always done a lot of handiwork.

Yes, it was a stressful year. But, believe it or not, I realized all of this for a little over €70,000. So really for a bargain. The house has been inhabited since around mid-2016 by two families of four each. Once us and once the family of my wife’s uncle. The four children are between 8 months and 9 years old. They grow up together, have a huge garden with a vegetable patch, chickens, many toys, trampoline, swing, sandbox, large kids’ playhouse on stilts (to be built this summer) etc.

The location is great! Right in a town with 12,000 inhabitants, all shops, all doctors and schools are within walking distance. The train station and kindergarten are 6 minutes on foot.

I think it hardly gets better.

And yes, the house is not new with super air conditioning and KNX or other modern stuff. But it was affordable, the renovation was fun, I know it inside and out. If there is something to renovate again, I can do most of it myself and we feel comfortable here.

Just because most people consider old buildings beneath them or have no desire to do the work themselves or think everything has to be perfect, you don’t have to demonize old buildings in general.

It always depends on the individual situation.
Down with blinkers!

Regards
Specki

Respect! You grow with the tasks! Even I, a couch potato, learned a ton with that garden.

Yes, you can get craftsmen for every little thing. But you don’t have to! Then it’s just 1 cm crooked.

That’s life, do it yourself