house gut & renovation:where do i start.Who for layout a

[penfold74]

Hi
I have bought a detached remote wreck (not touched since 1960's and a hermit lived there), so everything _(drains, ceilings, whole house replaster, bathroom, kitchen rewire/plumb) needs doing BUT on a budget. I have no vision and think the layout could be better. Do i get in an architect to see what I obviously cant or will this be a waste. I only have 40K and will have to learn and do the dirty/unskilled stuff myself I appreciate. If not an architect who else maybe worth consulting?
Cheers

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

A good builder might be able to help you with design, you may get some tips on here, if you can show the existing plan and supportive walls.
40k for full renovation might be a bit tight though.
A lot of the work will require you to comply to building regulation, some of that may require notification also there could be planning fees.
So do your homework on what you can legally do and chose your tradesmen carefully and if you are considering taking on any of the tasks yourself be prepared to find out what needs to be done to comply to the requirements/regulations concerning building, water, gas, electrics etc...

 

[highleigh]

Good luck,

We did similar with a house that had very little done since 1970. Ours is a 3 bed detached. 40K will be tight but not impossible if you do a lot yourself and don't have expensive taste.

We didn't get an architect but did get a structural engineer to confirm a few things. We download some free software (sweethome 3d) to try out design ideas for moving walls about etc and deciding where to put things which was very useful. This site is so useful for asking questions but still our biggest problem was not being experienced for some jobs (drains) we just didn't know where to start.

Do ensure you know what the regulations are. They give you sleepless nights but are not as difficult to get through as they seem at first.

We are getting towards the end of our project now and are very pleased with what we have done but it has not been easy.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Good luck with your project- I'm part way through a similar episode (old couple lived in the place from about 1940 til she died 10 years ago, not a lot done to the place and what was done in the last 20 years done shockingly badly- see comedy concrete floor poured over joists and floorboards)?

One big nasty surprise I had was walls and building regs. If you hack off more than 50% of the plaster/render on the inside of an external wall (which I'm guessing you're planning to do a lot of) then Part L says (to my reading) you have to insulate the wall to achieve modern levels of thermal efficiency. Which is an expensive game with solid walls. There is a getout clause if the room is very small (like my kitchen and bathroom)- it is deemed unreasonable to reduce room area by more than 5%- but apart from that you're into drylining and stupid thicknesses of insulation. And I dislike the hollow sound of drylined walls almost as much as I dislike not being able to fix anything to them!