Buy/Build/Renovate? Advice needed!

3 years ago

Hi everyone. Looking to become a homeowner & feel a little green, so would love some insight and advice on the above. The area that we are looking in has a very limited number of options currently on offer.

There is one house available that looks in need of complete renovation/modernisation (it has been on the market for a number of years, has not been lived in full time for over a decade & looking at pictures seems like it would need a completely new heating system - looks to be all storage heaters at the moment). However, there is a good amount of garden space with it, which is really appealing and it could have great potential - because it has been on the market for so long, maybe we could haggle with the price? Every time I watch a home renovation show, it seems that there are so many hidden costs and ends up costing over what was originally budgeted! Would love to hear from someone who has recently undertaken a similar project - it is a 2 storey and would possibly need a kitchen extension or some changes to the floor plan for a more open living space downstairs. What were the costs like? How long did the project take? Did you manage to stay within your budget?

Is it worth renovating over trying to do a self build? There are some sites for sale in the area too, but would be apprehensive about not being able to get planning permission on a site - would it be silly to purchase a site without planning? Having more control over the project/fewer surprise costs would be really appealing, but obviously don't want to be left with a site if we aren't granted planning. Those of you that have gone the self - build route, did you manage to stay on budget & how long was the process from start to finish?

Comment

Related Discussions
Please help. Need to buy
Q
Comments (4)
The back splash is certainly taste specific. If you are going to remodel in the spring, I certainly wouldn't spend a lot though. I have never done this myself, but I am pretty sure you can paint the tiles. That would be a huge improvement. Here is a blog that addresses that project. Hers looks great. http://www.11magnolialane.com/2013/03/12/painted-tile-backsplash-in-my-kitchen-a-year-later/
...See More
Need help with stone wall
Q
Comments (8)
Well we live in a flat on the 4th floor in Edinburgh city. So we loved the thought of being able to expose the original stone walls of the flat. You can see from the pictures that we had it done for the kitchen and lounge. Since everything of ours are modern, the stone wall really brings an edge to the design. And in the lounge, we painted it the Farrow & Ball Downpipe which we think really sets it off next to the stone. Especially with the mouldings on the window, the lounge has become quite a grand looking space even without any furnishings. And we didn't even get to varnish the walls as we liked the way it looked now. There doesn't seem to be any problems with the dust coming off the walls.
...See More
Hallway help needed
Q
Comments (1)
Pics of the hall below
...See More
Hallway help needed
Q
Comments (1)
RAL 7044 is a good chameleon colour that will pick up the grey/green tones in the tile. It is quite light and the colour changes with different lighting. Keep it simple and choose a natural coloured carpet for the stairs.
...See More

Buy/Build/Renovate? Advice needed!

Comment

Related Discussions

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US