Wait and do one big renovation, or do small ones ASAP?

6 years ago

Hi all,

This is my first post on Houzz after discovering it! I'm shortly moving to Manchester and will be buying my Aunt's 1930's semi-detached house. It's a really great opportunity and I'm really excited for it.

The house itself is in a bit of a sorry state and I'm longing to renew it and get it to match my needs. As there is so much t do, I wondered if any of you had any advice as to if it's best to get as much as possible done in one renovation or to do it up bit by bit.

I have a long list of things I want to change and I've been looking for an understanding on what the best order of doing them is. For example, does one do the floor or the kitchen first?

A list of some of the things I would like to do:

-Refloor with engineered wood/lino/Karndean

-Knock down a wall and make it more open plan

-Have the ability to shut off the kitchen with a pocket door if possible or have it be L shaped

-Build in a utility room

-Open up the back with bifold doors and raise the decking upstairs

-There's a conservatory there, but I'd like to extend that out or even make an extension someday

-Rip up the kitchen an start again

Does anyone have a rule f thumb as to what needs to be done first? For instance if we are going to change the positioning of the kitchen, it seems like a no-no to have the flooring in first. But then wouldn't the kitchen need to actually sit on the flooring???

Kind regards,

An obvious newbie

Featured Answer

karenagnewgriffith2013

6 years ago

I am in a similar position. Bought very old property which last saw love in 80s. Have lived in it 4 years and just removed carpets, added shutters thrown a bit of paint around to cope with worst problems whilst planning. Builders arrive Monday for phase 1 of 4. My plan is extend first and move bathrooms and toilets and drains. Phase 2 likely 2019, is move stairs and sort fireplaces. Phase 3, 2021, repurpose rooms, move sockets, lighting, check all wiring sound. Final phase is decorate. Oh for that lottery win. But plan and keep planning.

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Comments (6)

tamp75
6 years ago
Do the messy work first - knock down the wall & build in your utility. Trying to do that after new flooring / kitchen is pointless - so much dust! You'll find people disagree about whether a new kitchen should sit on new flooring or have flooring fitted up to it but either way it makes sense to do both of those jobs at the same time.
A S
6 years ago
Hi,

I would get all the constructional work such as extension/ knocking down walls/ etc out the way first and then move onto the interior; this can be done as and when budget allows or at once. Definitely the messy things such as plastering should be done before flooring is laid to avoid damage. I prefer the floor to be laid before the kitchen. This gives you flexibility in the future should you decide to change your kitchen layout and keep the existing floor.
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Hi Lola, thanks for adding this comment. I'm highly inclined to agree with you but the thing that's annoying me is that right side wall with the clock on it. That's a solid brick wall. I love the idea of having that new fake wall built with sunk in niches/compartments on the left, top, bottom and TV in the middle. But the right side is going to look strange as there no symmetry with the left side AND I can't cut into the right side brick wall ....or....can I? I want the whole wall to be flush with niches but want that symmetry with top, bottom , right and left. Any ideas how I can achieve that? As I think out loud, I could ignore niches on the left as I can't do anything on the right and simply put niches on over and below the TV. This way you have symmetry on all 4 sides. So in summary: Above TV sunk in niched compartments Below TV sunk in niched compartments Left side of TV blank OR pictures hung on them? Right side of TV blank OR pictures hung on them? TV sunk in the middle. I'm not sure I like the blanked sides or hung pictures. With pictures you would have items protuding on the right/left sides whereas all other sides including the TV will be sunk in. Confusing on the eye? Any other ideas on how I might be able to combat this?
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kikiamack
6 years ago
I think that even if you can't afford to do one big renovation at once, you should use a "whole house" approach when you plan what you want to do, to ensure that you get the house you want eventually. I would use a professional to make sure you get the most out of the space you have and then a builder should be able to tell you what order the work should be done in.
Emmanuelle
6 years ago
This is a common dilemma! Each time we moved, we only redecorated the minimum rooms before moving in: bedrooms, sitting room, kids playroom. However, it is so painful to live in a house with builders in for 4 months (or even longer!) while a kitchen extension is being done! Each time I regretted not to have the messy jobs done before moving in! Unfortunately, it's always due to funds! Also, it's always better to live in , and think how you could use the space instead of rushing into it!
PRO
Grove Design London
6 years ago
Hi Sonia

This sounds like a very exciting project! When renovating, deciding whether to do it all in one go rather than phasing it it almost always driven by budget.

With older houses there's usually surprises along the way so be prepared for that. Before you start on the cosmetic changes you should make sure all the bones of the property (electrics, damp proof, heating, plumbing, etc) are in good order as having to rectify this later is more costly if you have to re-do all the cosmetic work. After that I would look at any structural changes you want to make and factor in the time it takes for any planning requirements. After this you can start to focus on flooring, kitchens, decor etc.

The best advice I can give you is not to underestimate the amount of planning involved. The more you do upfront before starting any work the smoother the process will be. Renovating is great fun and very rewarding at the end of the journey but it can also be stressful, overwhelming and consumes an enormous amount of your time and energy! It's also very dirty - there's no way around this!

Make sure you have the right professionals in place to support you and your project.

Good luck!

Wait and do one big renovation, or do small ones ASAP?

karenagnewgriffith2013

Comments (6)

tamp75

A S

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Emmanuelle

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