What ballpark budget for our renovation? Please help!

8 years ago

Hi all, already downgraded an extension to a renovation due to budget. Now a tradesman has said he still thinks our budget too tight. Can anyone in the know give me a ballpark for the work here (ignoring the window seat window on the proposed as we will be recycling some french doors in that area and also ignoring all the kitchen appliances). If it's too much we may need to make a U turn. We are in Wales. Thanks

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Comments (10)

Jonathan
8 years ago
£16k builder, £6k plumber, £2k electrician, £4k central heating boiler replacement, £20k kitchen, £4k worktops, £6k appliances, £4k shower room tiles and sanitary ware, £6k flooring, £1.5k lighting, £4k window treatments, £4k decorator, £4k furniture removal and storage, £1k fees

In my opinion.

PS- much improved layout- really like it
charlie_bill
Original Author
8 years ago
wow - thanks jonathan. Yep - over budget! Ok any suggestions on how to bring down to around 40k? Cheaper kitchen, cheaper sanitaryware, £4 by moving furniture into front room and storing there? Or should we re-think the plans completely by keeping the kitchen on the right hand side of the house or keeping the bathroom and utility where it is?
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Let me stop you there. We are not allowed to build a shed by the fence. Apparently, there is a rule that a certain percentage of your lot needs to be open (= garden or unused). We exceed that percentage anyhow, but fortunately we're not obliged to tear something down :-). I should tell you the background story of the house. It was originally planned as a wool warehouse. The huge storage area at the rear was intended for trucks. Our garden was the driveway. The wool store went bankrupt even before the building was finished (1966). In 1967 the local tax collector had it's office here, because the building of their new offices (across the street) was delayed. That explains the strange internal division within the house. After the tax man left, it was converted into a house (I think around 1970). It has been renovated at least twice, but never structurally. Last reno was done in 2009, by an elderly couple with a 100% different taste than ours. We bought it in 2010. It was at a bargain price for this location, certainly for such a big property. Nobody really knew what to do with it, I guess. But we saw potential. We tore up the driveway and made a garden there. But Jonathan's idea about softening the boundaries is brilliant. We really need to do that, probably after the renovation of the house. One thing I haven't mentioned and it's not really clear in the plan: in our pantry there is a stairway to the cellar. This somewhat limits what can be done there.
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Good news that a builder is coming over. I suspect all the green walls I have drawn are originals and can’t be changed without permission- you can probably tell by their thickness relative to thinner partition walls but it would be good to check. As Bobby said you need to know where the buildings soil pipes are because this will dictate where you can put a wc. There may however be more than one- I suspect your wc pipes go under the kitchen and exit near the kitchen window. 1- get the builder to tell you if there is any extra bit to the left of your kitchen window that has been hidden behind boxing- extra square footage is nearly always useful. Are there original doorways (2 & 3) that could be reinstated- look for telltale signs in the skirting board, flooring, hollow walls where an opening has just been boarded over, door shaped cracks in the decorating etc.
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What sort of look are you going for? If it were my kitchen I would repaint in a neutral throughout, cornforth white or similar. If the existing cupboard doors are white I would leave them (can't tell if white or cream in the photo) If they are cream I'd consider painting them either neutral or possibly a deep blue. Replace the handles with a cup style or a D pull in a metal to complement whichever metal accent you decide to have on the lighting. I'd replace the worktops with a high quality slim laminate, I have duropal calacatta and it often gets mistaken for real marble. I'd be tempted to have an upstand instead of tiles but possibly an antique mirror behind the range. If changing the worktop I'd get rid of the curved open shelves on the base run as I think this dates the kitchen. I'd keep the 12-pane door but paint it black and replace the handle with a black one to mimic a crittall door. I'd reduce the number of open shelves to one each side but take the one on the door wall full width to reach the adjoining wall. Replace the lighting - have a look at Matalan. They often have similar styles to Jim Lawrence. Have a look at DeVol kitchens for inspiration if you like that style.
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Jonathan
8 years ago
If it were me I would try to have the best layout.

Don't take the french doors out of the dining room, plan the kitchen with fewer units or a cheaper door- perhaps don't have an Island initially, choose laminate worktops, only replace the boiler when it fails, don't fit the utility room at this time, fit the same floor throughout so there is minimal waste and you can negotiate more discount, decorate yourself.....there is lots you can do to reduce the bill but it is likely that your £40k is still tight
titiankim
8 years ago
We used our old appliances and bought a second hand range cooker and hood off ebay. Our shower room fittings all came from eBay and Gumtree, as did our pendant light. Tiles were in 75% off sale. Our bespoke painted wooden kitchen cost less than an MDF one we were quoted for, despite oak work surfaces. Your kitchen looks like a fairly simple layout so you may be able to get ex display or second hand. We decorated and treated the floor ourselves and stirred everything in the front room
titiankim
8 years ago
We also reused our old kitchen units and tap in the utility and bought a worktop and sink off eBay/Gumtree - both still in their boxes at a fraction of retail price
charlie_bill
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks both.

central heating doesn't work properly so has to be replaced, the boiler would probably keep going but the system simply isnt heating the house and there is nothing but a gas fire for the existing dining and kitchen with no heat whatsoever in the utility and loo, bbrrrrrr!

not sure i can compromise on the patio doors - will have to think on that. We could save by re-using some of our existing kitchen units and getting them re-sprayed.

Also would having coated black steels be cheaper than boarding/plastering over them, I'm liking the whole industrial look at the moment?

I've scribbled a couple of other ideas, would either be any cheaper?
tamp75
8 years ago
Can't give overall figure as depends on ideas you have / finish you'd like but could do it within your budget. Kitchen doesn't have to be £20k +. Depends how much you want to compromise. Keeping plumbing same would be cheaper. To give you an idea, our full replumbing inc new pipe work throughout, work for 3 new bathroom locations, new kitchen location, 11 new radiators, boiler & hot water tank cost £9k.
tamp75
8 years ago
Also depends on if you can do any work yourself? Doesn't look like major structural changes are needed although you've mentioned steels. Even if you can only do the prep work yourself, you can save a lot. Good luck with it.
Jonathan
8 years ago
Structural changes are the reason for the steels. If you leave the kitchen where it is you make a modest saving because of not relocating the water and drains (your second alternate has an extra steel so unlikely to make any saving)

But I say focus on what you want. £2,000 extra on a 20 year mortgage is only about a tenner a month and whilst that may be difficult to get today (assuming you have mortgaged to your max) that is unlikely to always be the case.
tamp75
8 years ago
Only had a quick look on my phone before but can now see where those steels need to go. Still, don't think they'd set your budget back too much. Think it's best to spend your money on the major structural work to get it the way you want it to be the as you can always add to / upgrade cosmetic stuff later on.

What ballpark budget for our renovation? Please help!

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What ballpark budget for our renovation? Please help!

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