The money pit...

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pplpilot

Guru
Location
Knowle
So we have finally got the keys to the new house. Now the fun begins.

Needs new windows, needs a re-wire, needs a heating system, needs every room re-plastered, needs a new kitchen, needs 2 new bathrooms, a new sink and toilet downstairs, drive needs paving/tarmac, garden needs some turf and a de clutter, garage needs demolishing and re-building, most the floorboards could do with some attention, the roof needs some tlc. To say it's a bit of a project is an understatement. I have done sone modernising on my other places but nothing to this extent. :hyper:

Where does one start?
 

asterix

Comrade Member
Location
Limoges or York
D5-surveyingwreckage_zps2cbba50e.jpg
The roof?
 
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User6179

Guest
So we have finally got the keys to the new house. Now the fun begins.

Needs new windows, needs a re-wire, needs a heating system, needs every room re-plastered, needs a new kitchen, needs 2 new bathrooms, a new sink and toilet downstairs, drive needs paving/tarmac, garden needs some turf and a de clutter, garage needs demolishing and re-building, most the floorboards could do with some attention, the roof needs some tlc. To say it's a bit of a project is an understatement. I have done sone modernising on my other places but nothing to this extent. :hyper:

Where does one start?

You start with the roof ,then first fix rewire , plumbing , windows then plastering then kitchen and second fix rewire .

Hope you do not need to move in till it is finished or it will be a nightmare .

I did all of the above plus a reroof, building rendered and a garage from scratch for under 20k but I did most of the donkey work myself.:training:

Good luck:smile:
 
OP
OP
pplpilot

pplpilot

Guru
Location
Knowle
You start with the roof ,then first fix rewire , plumbing , windows then plastering then kitchen and second fix rewire .

Hope you do not need to move in till it is finished or it will be a nightmare .

I did all of the above plus a reroof, building rendered and a garage from scratch for under 20k but I did most of the donkey work myself.:training:

Good luck:smile:

Pretty much what i thought....

One of my tenants moved out last month so we can live there while the money pit sucks up all our cash, we have 40k give or take to get it done, theres no rush, don't mind getting my hands dirty but the majority will have to be done professionally of course, always said i was going to do a big project at some point before I hit 45...
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
While you're doing all that work, why not dry-line all the exterior walls for insulation?
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
D5-surveyingwreckage_zps2cbba50e.jpg
The roof?

Is that your place?

I tremendous when I tiled our new shower, and was feeling really good about the achievement, that evening we watched Grand Designs and it was a couple rebuilding a ruined French house, nothing left but 3 storey high walls. And they did it virtually single handed, learning the trades as they went. She tiled three bathrooms. I felt inadequate.

Good luck pplpilot. It'll be great when it's done!

Right, better get on. Got a bathroom to paint.
 

asterix

Comrade Member
Location
Limoges or York
Is that your place?

I tremendous when I tiled our new shower, and was feeling really good about the achievement, that evening we watched Grand Designs and it was a couple rebuilding a ruined French house, nothing left but 3 storey high walls. And they did it virtually single handed, learning the trades as they went. She tiled three bathrooms. I felt inadequate.

Good luck pplpilot. It'll be great when it's done!

Right, better get on. Got a bathroom to paint.

Yes, that was it. Nearly done now but it has taken a while esp. compared to my nephew & niece who in the same time have done a barn, an attached house and a detached cottage whilst he was starting a new career as a French chippy, learning the language and bringing up 6 children. The amazing thing was the speed with which the younger children adapted, learning to speak French in no time whereas the eleven year old struggled by comparison. The difference just a couple of years makes at that age, I guess.

Even so, I still don't understand how these people on TV can take a ruin and 3 months later, all on their own, it's been practically rebuilt with a spanking, brand new interior; they must be superheroes in disguise or maybe they don't go out cycling?
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
If you've got the time and the finances set aside then it can be enjoyable turning a wreck into a lovely home.

The first few weeks are always tough because you can get overwhelmed by the size of the task but once you get the first couple of jobs done it starts to give you that added motivation.
 

screenman

Squire
Took us 20 weeks from starting groundwork to moving in fully decorated etc. Many say we done it quick, where as I can see where we could have saved time.
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Took us 20 weeks from starting groundwork to moving in fully decorated etc. Many say we done it quick, where as I can see where we could have saved time.

Without wishing to denigrate your effort, I imagine it's easier in some ways to build and finish a house from scratch, than to renovate something that already has a will of its own... Because they do, old houses, they fight back! Nothing is level, or square, one little job suddenly leads to 5 huge ones....

I'm really enjoying the achievement of helping NT on his house, towards the day it becomes our house - not in a financial or possessive sense, just in the sense of being our home together. Fortunately our skills dovetail nicely, so while he does some joinery, I'm happy painting or whatever.

Talking of which, tea break nearly over...
 
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