1891 - bit of a project

[Dalglish]

OK, let's see if anyone out there has answers to these little beauties:

Background:

I'm considering a house on the market at the moment that's in need of a bit of work. It's Victorian, a semi... has four bedrooms and a loft conversion fitted. It looks soundly built but needs a hell of a lot of work doing. In fact it almost needs gutting. What I really need is an idea of how much it is going to cost and therefore if I can afford to buy it (and fund the improvements from the remainder of the mortgage).

So, I think it it might need:

1. New central heating throughout
2. Rewiring throughout
3. A new kitchen
4. A new bathroom
5. Miniature en suite (5' x 5') replacing
6. Hardstanding for one car
7. Garage to be built (reclaimed brick, not a flat roof)
8. Possible extension for new bathroom (above existing kitchen, 7' x 7')
9. Victorian fireplace to be put in
10. "Through" lounge diner to separated (bricked up and door installed)
11. Victorian tiles to be laid in hallway
12. Wallto be constructed in garden (60' I think - reclaimed brick perhaps)

Obviously new carpets and decor, but that's later.

Anyone any clues on how much each item might cost?
Any further details I'll need to provide to get a quote off anyone?
Any clues as to where I can go (on the web probably) to get an idea of price and supplies? (garages, Victorian tiles, fireplaces etc)

And the big question - how much is that little lot going to cost?
Realistically?

Any help gratefully received...

cheers
D.

 

[Dalglish]

And I almost forgot...

It's got knackered sash windows. Is it possible to get hardwood replacement sash windows anywhere? And for a bonus point, is it possible to get double glazed hardwood sash windows?

If not, what's the best double glazed solution - in keeping with a Victorian house that is... ??

cheers

 

[AdamW]

If you read this there is an article about replacement windows.

In order to meet the new regs you have to get double glazed units (good thing) however these can't be used with the traditional thin-frame sash windows. You will have to get some big chunky sashes that will still look nice, but might not be the look you want, and might not go with the rest of the street.

The work you are suggesting will cost approximately 2.3 shedloads of money! Seriously, that sounds like a longterm project, unless you are a property developer with 100Ks to throw at it. Most people would generally have to work their way around it over a few years.

In terms of rough order of magnitude, I think that you are looking at a total spend of £30K-£40K, unless you go for superduper kitchens and bathrooms and not including the extension you mention.

 

[salem2000]

Traditional Sash windows (Timber) can be found

here

and they meet all current Building Regs.

 

[AdamW]

Ah, good thing. The fuss must have just been hysteria in restoration circles. Wonder what happens when the regulations get so tight that triple glazing is required?

Talking of which, how come Scandinavia is the only place I have ever seen triple glazing? Surely it would provide tangible benefits over here, after all people used to think one pane of glass was adequate. Might be cheaper than esoteric coatings on glass, and wouldn't give you the tint that many people find annoying.

 

[salem2000]

Hope it doesn't get that cold.

If it was cost effective people might consider it, mainly used for noise pollution over here. (or people with more money than they need)

 

[Dalglish]

Thanks Adam, thanks Salem.

£40k was about what I made it, although I'm a bit nervous about the central heating and sash window replacements. I think I'll need to get on the blower to see if anyone is prepared to give me a ball park figure.

I'm not a developer... if I get the place it'll be to live in it! Second viewing is Saturday after which I may have to make an offer before it gets snapped up.

I didn't realise there was so much on the web... I've been through encaustic tiles, timber sash windows (even Everest do them), Victorian fireplaces, kitchens and bathrooms.

Has anyone else done a project like this and stuck their photos etc. on the web? I'd love to hear that someone had done it all already...

 

[AdamW]

Did you get an offer accepted in the end? If so, keep us all posted on the progress with some pictures.

I have sometimes toyed with the idea of buying a victorian heap to do up but always come back to the money issue and the idea of 100+ year old party walls where you don't know if a chimney breast has "disappeared" on your neighbour's side. And the final issue: the 1960s-style "modernisation". Some friends of mine are battling with the last of these at the moment, when they moved in they found some questionnable wiring and years of misrepair (not disrepair, at least then you know what needs doing!)

It would be good to see if it can be done well and to a decent budget (not the £400K they seemed to throw at houses on that "million pound property experiment" with those scottish guys).

 

[Dalglish]

The offer was accepted this week!

Game on (as it were). We're in a chain, but then that will give us some time to cost out and plan what we need to do. It will also give us time to line up builders, kitchen fitters etc. as all the decent ones are booked out until summer. It will mean living with the in-laws (lovely people) while the bulk of the work is done. But then I guess that will save cash in the short term (Sky, rented TV, food, that sort of thing).

The budget spreadsheet is in it's infancy, but I think I'm now looking at £50k here. I'm borrowing this as additional mortgage cash and figure the value of the house will be about £75k greater when it's done. But that's not the point, it's being done to live in... not to sell on.

This weeks bonus... is that 90% of the doors are original and just need dipping to bring back the former glory. This weeks down side... jesus, original fireplaces cost over a grand! And this weeks possible extra downer? The floor boards in the front room might be on their last legs. There's a cellar below and I've no idea what the dampness is like. Actually, now you mention the missing chimney breast, I think there might be one at the back and a bit of a "missing lintle" story in the kitchen below it.

Next steps... the survey. Then if all is OK, I'll invest in the digital camera* and it's chocks away ginger. I'd get a TV crew in if I thought anyone would be interested. Trouble is, it's hardly "Relocation Relocation" - it's half a mile away so curvy Kirsty and quippy Phil won't be interested. It's hardly Grand Designs so Kevin can stay away... and it's not Property Ladder as we're staying so Sarah Beeny can do one too. Actually, that's a bit of a shame that last one.

Oh aye... this weeks quiz is: Place these bits of work in the order in which they should be done:

1. Building work - kitchen roof raising and change pitch
2. Building work - chimney breast support
3. Building work - fill lounge / dining room gap and add a door
4. Central heating - complete installation
5. Electrics - possible complete installation
6. TV / broadband / phone connections
7. Replace all windows
8. Install original fireplace(s)
9. Front room floor boards
10. Cellar - possible damp proofing etc.
11. Replacement kitchen
12. Replacement bathrooms

I figure it's in order - except the windows should go last?

cheers

* can't see how you post pictures on these boards... short of posting it somewhere else and linking it img stylee...??

 

[breezer]

* can't see how you post pictures on these boards... short of posting it somewhere else and linking it img stylee...??

depends where you look see this

 

[masona]

1. Building work - kitchen roof raising and change pitch
2. Building work - chimney breast support

You will need to see your local planning department as you will need building or planning permission.

I fugure it's in order - except the windows should go last?

Yes !

What area are you from?

 

[AdamW]

and it's not Property Ladder as we're staying so Sarah Beeny can do one too.

Your loss!

Glad to hear you are keeping the original doors, far too many people throw them away and replace them with cheap shoddy £20 jobs. OK, so I put cheap doors in my place but it was built in 1984 with nasty cardboard-filled doors and so they are an improvement!

Good to see you going with number 6 as well: could you combine this with number 10 and have a home cinema in your cellar?

Number 3 should be pretty easy. Provided they put in proper support when they took down the wall between your living room and dining room, when you fill this in again you don't need to build a structural wall. A stud wall would be adequate. Only quibble being some people have a real phobia of stud walls. I like them cos it doesn't hurt as much as a solid wall when you accidentally bang your head on one!

 

[Dalglish]

You will need to see your local planning department as you will need building or planning permission.

I think the bulk of this work will have to be done by a professional... weekends / time off won't be enough to get it done quickly enough. So... I had assumed any selected builder would be able to point me to the local planning dept. and be used to getting things approved?

Is that an assumption too far?

What area are you from?

"From" is a long story... but the house is in Cheshire.

 

[Dalglish]

Your loss!

I know!

Good to see you going with number 6 as well: could you combine this with number 10 and have a home cinema in your cellar?

Ssssshhhhh!

That's lined up to be a pool room / bar / snug! Only the Maude doesn't know it yet... it's the bonus really. We'd have bought it without the cellar being there... and we've no idea what state it's in or whether it's damp or not. It currently looks like a scene from Silence of the Lambs...