A renovating job may be both difficult and rewarding. We have compiled our best suggestions for ensuring the success of your project, Saya ATRenovations.
Renovation projects are both tough and enjoyable to do. In contrast to the construction of a new home, a renovation never begins from scratch.
As a result, remodelling a property may be challenging and fraught with unanticipated complications and costs; thus, preparation is essential for a good outcome. We have included some of our best ideas for ensuring the success of your project and for purchasing the ideal house to restore.
Table of Contents
Before purchasing a home for renovation, you should always hire a licenced building surveyor to conduct a building survey. Depending on the size, location, and age of the home, these costs normally vary between €400 and €1,100.
A building survey will reveal any significant difficulties, such as the need for a new roof, or problems like moisture or structural movement. The survey will also indicate if you require further surveys, such as an asbestos report.
However, keep in mind that a surveyor will not be able to detect concealed issues and will not often provide a cost estimate.
When there is significant interest in a property, secret bids are frequently used. The real estate agent will inform you of the day and time by which all bids must be submitted. When making your bid, you must include a letter outlining your final offer, your solicitor’s contact information, and ideally a mortgage commitment letter from your lender.
Oftentimes, it is beneficial to send a letter to the homeowner explaining why you are a good fit (no chain, substantial deposit, etc.).
Include a few details about yourself, such as why you want to purchase the home and whether you are a dependable candidate.
If you need a mortgage for renovations, your lender will demand an appraisal. Ask your lender whether your preferred surveyor is on their panel for valuation reports, and if not, if they may recommend a local surveyor who is – this can save you hundreds of euros by eliminating the need for two separate surveys.
Especially if you want to reside in the property during the restoration, it might be tempting to begin work immediately. No one wants to live on a construction site for longer than necessary.
However, it might be advantageous to wait before beginning work. This will not only give you plenty time to prepare, but also allow you to become acquainted with the home. For instance, you may examine which rooms receive natural light throughout the day and which places you naturally draw towards, as well as those that you don’t pull towards and, thus, require remodelling or improvement.
In addition, unless you’ve lined up a contractor or tradesperson throughout the purchase process, it’s doubtful that they will be able to begin work for many months.
Be on the lookout for out-of-date fuse boxes, light switches, round-pin plugs, and fabric-coated flex while replacing the electrical systems in older structures.
The price range for rewiring a standard three-bedroom terrace is between €3,100 and €4,200. This should consist of removing the old wiring, installing a new consumer unit, and elevating and replacing the flooring, but not replastering the walls.
If you opt to install extra light fixtures and outlets, the price may rise.
The absence of radiators should alert you to the absence of a central heating system. Alternatively, there may be ancient storage heaters.
Adding a new heating system (boiler and radiators) to a normal home will cost between €3,400 and €5,100 or more; don’t forget to budget for this. If you need to connect the property to mains gas, or if you need to build an off-mains option such as an LPG or oil tank, or a heat pump, this cost might increase.
Old radiators and boilers may also be a clue that the current heating system needs to be updated with new, more energy-efficient radiators and/or a new boiler.
Cracks are not usually a sign of impending doom; they are often the consequence of thermal movement and slight historical settlement.
Consequently, it is essential to consult a building surveyor prior to making a purchase. In their report, they will often utilise the BRE Digest 250 Assessment of damage in low-rise structures (opens in a new tab) to identify fractures and locations that may require further study (by a structural engineer, for example).
At the most severe end of the spectrum, fissures may indicate sinking.
The primary issue with subsidence is that it will be difficult to obtain building insurance — you will be forced to either pay for any relevant treatment yourself, then obtain insurance at a premium that is likely to be high, or convince the seller to file a claim against their insurers, thereby allowing work to be performed under their policy.
It may just be necessary to clear trees or repair drains. However, if the structure has already begun to deteriorate, it may be necessary to install underpinning, which might cost up to €10,000.
There are several sources of moisture, some of which are more expensive to remedy than others. Water stains on floors and walls are frequently telltale evidence of dampness, although this is not always the case.
Inappropriate contemporary treatments, such as cement renders, concrete floors, and injected damp-proof courses, which impede a historic building’s ability to “breathe,” can also contribute to the problem. These are somewhat more expensive to repair.
Be on the alert for rot, which is a fungus that may harm wood. In poorly ventilated areas, such as the attic or under the floorboards of older homes, rot develops. Keep an eye out for cotton-like lumps and a strong musty odour when lifting the carpet.
It will cost roughly €1,000 to remove. Wet rot is not a significant issue. It occurs when wood is exposed to large quantities of water.
Before beginning any work on your remodelling, create a work schedule. Without a timetable, the entire process can become disorganised, with tradesmen overlapping and numerous projects that should have been completed concurrently to save money being completed individually.
A schedule specifies the work that must be performed on the residence and in what sequence. In addition to establishing a timeline for the overall project, it is frequently good to divide it into parts, such as “kitchen expansion,” “moving bathroom upstairs,” “loft conversion,” etc., and have a calendar for each step.
Be aware that certain mortgage lenders may refuse to lend on uninhabitable properties, while others may lend based on the property’s present valuation but will not give any further funds until the project is done. This is known as attaching a “retention” to the borrowing.
In older homes, downstairs baths are fairly frequent. Creating a new bathroom on the first floor to replace an existing bedroom may cost more than €2,000, but you will lose a bedroom in the process.
If you are repairing or installing a bathroom upstairs, a downstairs bathroom allows you to continue using the facilities while the new one is installed. Additionally, plumbing and waste will already be in place if you choose a downstairs shower room or anything similar.
On the roof, broken or missing roof tiles, flashings, underfelt, and worn pointing must be noticed. If only a few tiles need to be replaced, it will only cost a few hundred pounds, but if the damage is substantial, a new roof may be necessary — a work that would cost between €5,100 and €11,000 for an average three-bedroom home.
If you want to perform considerable design work on the new site, you should obtain a measured survey (i.e., laser measurements and scans of the property). It assures the accuracy of the design and eliminates any element of guessing.
Purchasing at an auction might be intimidating. It involves prompt decision-making and the understanding that if you are the successful bidder and the hammer falls, there is no turning back. It is beneficial to see a few auctions beforehand to acquire a feel for the process, and to properly investigate the property before to the auction by conducting all the necessary property and land searches to prevent unpleasant surprises.
In addition, you will have four to six weeks between the auction’s announcement and bidding day to conduct a survey. Therefore, you must be willing and able to invest a substantial amount of money without being certain that the property is yours, along with a 10% deposit on the day contracts are signed and the remainder 90% within 28 days. You must pay for the standard conveyancing services to examine the property’s borders and titles and to interrogate the seller’s attorney.
If the home you purchase is uninhabitable, you will need a place to stay while you renovate it. If you choose to remain in your old house while renovations are performed, some mortgage providers provide an alternative where you may have your home appraised in advance and then use the sales price to determine your borrowing needs.
Upon completion of your renovations, or frequently soon before, you will list your previous home for sale. Once it has been sold, the final statistics are calculated.
Depending on the scope of your task, you might anticipate encountering a few practical obstacles along the road. Specifically, the unavoidable period during which you will be without basic services due to the relocation of boilers, electricity metres, consumer units, etc (also, a common cause for delay at the start is dealing with utility companies, so plan ahead).
Dust is an additional annoyance for many individuals. Minimize it by isolating work zones in phases and delaying the big break-through as long as feasible (i.e. keeping the work outside as much as you can).
The majority of suppliers will be required to add 20% VAT to all quotations for work on an existing house. However, if the property has been vacant for more than two years, you should be charged 5%. Consult HMRC VAT Notice 708 for specifics.
Once contracts are exchanged, you become liable for the site and must obtain proper insurance. If you are taking out a mortgage to pay the project, your lender will not release the funds unless you have insurance in place to cover disasters such as theft, floods, and fire. The renovation insurance policy should cover public and employer responsibility, construction supplies and labour, the existing structure, accidents and legal fees.
Obtain a quotation immediately to safeguard your remodelling (opens in a new tab)
If your restoration project still retains the original windows, which are likely made of wood or metal, you should do everything possible to save them before you replace them. Even if substantial damage has occurred, they may always be fixed. According to conservationists, if at least half of the original window remains, it should be repaired rather than replaced.
If your project involves removing load-bearing walls, modifying roof timbers, enlarging window and door openings, or removing a chimney breast, you should consult with a structural engineer. In many instances, this is required. They will be able to advise you on the location, size, and kind of steel beams necessary for removing walls, etc. A straightforward job should cost between €500 and €1,000.
Warranties are not required but are recommended. They will protect your home against design, material, and construction defects, as well as any resulting difficulties. Typically, warranties are valid for ten years, and if you intend to get one, you should do it early on because the premiums increase as the project progresses.
You may incur costs to restore the home’s functionality, such as reconnecting the water supply and cleaning the septic tank.
Other expenses that may come as a surprise include appraisal fees (often dependent on the value of the completed home) and, with some renovation mortgages, a charge that must be paid prior to the release of each stage payment.
Simply simply, acquiring an antique home involves facing the unknown. which implies unpredictable expenditures as well.
You do not always need planning approval.
Numerous remodelling and extension projects do not need planning approval. These include internal renovations that do not change the building’s outside appearance and tiny additions. These will be classified as PD rights, or authorised development rights.
For tiny additions that do fit under PD rights, it is worthwhile to file for a Certificate of Lawful Development. This is documentation that your construction was permitted and did not need a planning permit, which might be valuable when selling your home.
Significant alterations, such as adding a big expansion to an existing structure, will generally necessitate the submission of a planning application.
When purchasing a remodelled home, drainage problems are frequently not immediately apparent. As a result, a CCTV examination of the drainage system will reveal any issues with the below-ground drainage. A reasonable survey may cost around €100.
It will also advise you of any public sewers that might be affected by a proposed extension. If your drains service solely your home, you can modify them as necessary. However, if these drains also go to a neighbor’s property, you will require authorization from the local water authority board and a Build Over Agreement before beginning construction.
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