Anyone gut renovated a house or bought one that needed work

amother

Wed, Dec 19 2012, 11:02 am

We are thinking of buying a house that needs a lot of work and we are also considering gut renovating it.
I am just trying to figure out how worth it, it would be.

How much does it cost to gut renovate a house (2,000 square feet)?

Did you do major work on your house before you moved in, what did you do and how much did it cost you?

greenfire

Wed, Dec 19 2012, 11:07 am

prices vary around the globe ... and they also increase

the reason gutting a house can be worth it ... you can update the electric, and such ... you can re-arrange rooms to your convenience ...

if money is an issue ... you should just try to fix things up one room at a time instead of gutting the entire house

Liba

Wed, Dec 19 2012, 11:07 am

Those figures are going to very so incredibly that they aren't worth much IMO. It totally depends on what type of work needs to be done, what kind of materials you are going to use, where you live and what you are starting out with.

Another thing to keep in mind, besides the expense, is your neighbors and their parking ability. Please make sure you aren't inconveniencing them for months or years before you even get to know them. Starting off on the right foot with neighbors makes all of the difference.

mummyto2

Wed, Dec 19 2012, 11:07 am

I gut renovated a home of that size....very pleased with the results...but budget at least twice what your contractor tells you that you will need. there are all sorts of hidden costs that pop up. in my renovation, we realized the electrical system was shot and needed a completle overhaul. there are always surprises you need to be financially ready for.

Blueberry Muffin

Wed, Dec 19 2012, 11:19 am

mummyto2 wrote:

im sort of in the same boat - looking to buy and renovate some areas.... so frustrating to get a price quaote and then get those surprises that were not within the budget....

Dolly Welsh

Wed, Dec 19 2012, 11:46 am

There is renovation and renovation. There structurally needed renovation, and there is upgrading because kitchen and baths work, but they look icky and are old fashioned. That can be done without, or put off.

An engineering report will tell all.

You would think about the site. It ought to be well drained.

You probably need a new roof, electrical panel, heating.

There may also be plumbing needed - find out of there are two metals touching that should not touch, because they corrode each other.

Next, new windows and siding, because those things keeps you warm.

If your DH has basic carpentry skills, that saves a lot of money. You would want a licensed professional to do the electrical and plumbing, however.

Think safety, especially about all the various steps and stairs. Put non- slip treads, and make sure they are sound and have a solid handrail.

Ask an electrician to opine about the likelihood of any old lighting fixtures shorting out or making a problem, and about the outlets' capacities. So ask for a survey even if you do not get new electrical for a while. You may have to be careful not to overload the outlets. Have him look at the circuit breakers and fuses so you are protected.

Have smoke / CO2 alerts on all floors and all over. Have emergency nightlights.

You might look at any mice or insect presence, especially carpenter ants. A pro can help.

A large tree near the house should bring the price down. If you want, have a tree expert look at them all. A tree that is in poor health and needs to be taken down next year is a big expense. That doesn't show to the untrained eye.

amother

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 6:02 pm

We did a major extension work before we moved into the current house. The house was marketed cheaper than other properties on the same street because it was small, old and whoever buys it needed to renovate, not just bathroom and kitchen but structurally. In the end it took us like 6 months to gut the exterior walls, redo wiring, but I'm really happy with the outcome especially the kitchen because I could design from scratch.

Because the work is extensive, we had to rent a house nearby so you should include that into overall cost. You'll also find little things that seem insigifinicant cost a LOT! Like decorative tiles or doorknobs or faucet fixture. We were told to add 1/3 more to the original budget, were lucky builders finished their work just before our rental agreement expired. You need to include costs of renovation in mortgage calculation, some mortgage can be grossed up to cover renovation, but most don't so you end up paying out of your own savings.

Most importantly you'll need good builder (IMO architects are waste of money unless you're rich and very much into design and that kind of stuff) who knows what's permitted legally. We had to modify the original floorplan because of the local regulations (like angles, window position to your neighbors, even things we didn't think about like shared water pipe location).

Rubber Ducky

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 6:17 pm

I design and redesign living spaces for parnassah -- I am a space planner but NOT an architect. The major advantages of renovating a fixer rather than buying a home in good condition are:
1) You can save money, and
2) You can more easily alter the floor plan to one that works for you and your family than if you buy a home in better shape.

Do get a thorough inspection so there will be fewer surprises. Some structural problems can be so severe as to make a house a tear-down rather than a fixer.

greenfire

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 6:23 pm

Dolly Welsh wrote:

If your DH has basic carpentry skills, that saves a lot of money. You would want a licensed professional to do the electrical and plumbing, however.

just like a person - even a woman gasp - can have carpentry skills ... they can also have the ability to work with electric and/or plumbing ... handywork is handywork if you are handy at that sort of work regardless of what it might be Banging head

MaBelleVie

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 8:43 pm

We did a lot of work in our home when we moved in- plumbing, electrical, floors, kitchen, bathrooms. We painted but didn't take down any walls. My dh served as the contractor, so that was nice in terms of saving money. He also did a bit of the work himself. Get several quotes to be sure what you're really getting into. And then assume you will be spending even more.

canadamom

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 8:52 pm

we gutted and redid a house that size (a little bigger) our contractor agreement said $100,000, but we put in closer to $150,000 (this included a custom kitchen)
with gutting a house you need to be prepared for questions like this:
how many electrical outlets do you want?
where do you want the spot lights?
do you want moldings, if yes on ceiling and floor or just one?
do you want gold, chrome or silver knobs?
what kind of doors do you want, with a big box on top, just one box, two boxes etc.....
thats without all the flooring, all the bathrooms, every faucet, bathtub, toilet....
there were so many small decisions, which I was not prepared for.

whereas if you buy a ready home, you don't even think of these things!!!

amother

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 10:20 pm

amother wrote:

My husband is an engineer and a very good builder. We used an architect and an energy consultant and a kitchen designer. It is very short sighted not to use a trained architect. Most builders have no training except for experience.

amother

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 11:03 pm

amother wrote:

What is an energy consultant??
Did you know what you want amd the architect just fine-tuned it or did he plan the whole house for you?

amother

Thu, Dec 20 2012, 11:21 pm

amother wrote:

What is an energy consultant??
Did you know what you want amd the architect just fine-tuned it or did he plan the whole house for you?

An energy consultant helps plan the energy use of the home. For instance he will check whether the foam installation is proper. He plans the most efficient ways to use energy. His costs are paid for by reduced fuel costs very quickly.

My husband has a great eye. They jointly plan the house together. My husband as a builder will often have an architect revise his plans. The architect has skills and knowledge that my husband doesn't have. It is a team effort. My husband as an engineer looks at jobs and figures out the most cost effective building materials.

I decide the features. There were two threads awhile back. One was about my dream house and the other was my dream kitchen. I incorporated ideas.

I have lived thorough many of these gut jobs.

A big advantage of a renovation is that you can take advantage of the less restrictive zoning. Right now we don't have to comply with setbacks because the house predates the legislation. We are getting a much larger house by renovating.