Buying a house that is a MAJOR renovation project - Advice please! Post Reply

[AMumAtSW12]

For our current house we did have to gut everything, took away all of the chimney breasts, steel beams, new side return, lower the ceiling, create a new loft room etc. No basement though.

We use an architect who is also a project manager (our house was our 3rd project with her). We did go out for tender but in the end we went to the team that our architect recommended at the start. They were a team of Polish builders who are competitive, straight-forward and will come back to help afterwards (as opposed to not).

There will be other contractors you need too but more often than not our architect did most of the leg work and was on site a lot (we were living in East London for most of the build) and we just have to make decisions and pay them. Happy to refer you to our architect and builders if you wish to get another contacts.

[actuallyadad]

So..I should add that we ended up with this great house...but none of our friends want to come over and see it...because they dumped us after all we could talk about for a year was kitchen tiles...

and whilst I'm talking tiles, who knew you can spend 10 grand on tiles?! Yes. You can. Quite easily. And taps. They costs thousands. And doors. Amazing how many doors and taps a house has...

Arrgghhh I am having palpitations thinking about it.....!!!

[actuallyadad]

OK...phew...am back...still alive...

I guess I'm just saying sometimes if I wonder if for the same money we should have got an ikea kitchen and painted the place white, and spend the rest of the money instead on buying a little weekend cottage by the sea. We would have saved the blood, sweat, tears, dust, paint samples, lost weekends - "oh yes dear let's spend the weekend looking at baths with the kids", shouting at contractors and perpetual scowling at the SW11 neighbours.

Well now I'll never know...

[NYE31]

I am with actuallyadad, don't even entertain the idea if you have small children or babies or both or are thinking of having them anytime soon.

Having watched "Escape to the Chateau" last night, I had palpitations just thinking about the work that we have done & it was nothing like on that scale.

And yes your conversations do become about tiles, door knobs, shades of F & B paint, tears over the wrong screws being used in Jim Thompson light fittings, etc etc.

Or you can really put your foot in it like I did by saying that I really didn't like the kitchen that the previous owners had put in our house & it was so dated etc & that I was desperate to rip it out but it was only a few years old to one of my oldest friend & our DD's God Father, only for him to reply that they had just put the exact same kitchen in their new extension & loved it

[dudette]

It's a bit like childbirth - some people have a great experience and some have a terrible one and some are somewhere in between. Just because you didn't enjoy it doesn't mean that someone else won't either. And vice versa. It all depends on what sort of a person you are and how much cash you've got to spend. Like a lot of things in life.

[IndyB]

Such interesting replies! Actuallyadad, your posts really made me laugh. I think your neighbours are missing out - you sound like a lot of fun to me!

Well, we are taking the plunge - realising this will be challenging, but going in hopeful! Suspect dudette is right and this project could be like childbirth - let's just hope it doesn't take 9 months (or longer!) to complete!

Really appreciate the tips and advice - please keep them coming!

[LandmarkGroup]

Hello IndyB,

Congratulations! This is going to be a very rewarding project to take on.

Apart from all of the great advice you have already received, please don't hesitate to give us a call when you are ready for your loft extension. We would be happy to give you some advice on how to proceed.

We are a loft conversion company that essentially takes care of the entire project. We take on everything from planning permissions, to the design and construction of your loft conversion. With that being said, we do have a lot of knowledge in what the entire process will look like for you.

Until then, enjoy! We hope everything goes well.

Best regards,

Landmark Lofts
Phone: 020 3150 0505

[Mum_in_London]

Hi All,

Some great advice already so I;m following this post as we are in the same position as IndyB.

K

[Charlotte @ Draw]

Hi IndyB,

Ive come across your post regarding your renovation project. We are an architecture practice based in Wandsworth and this is something we could definitely help you with. If you are interested please don't hesitate to call us to discuss any questions and we can gain a better understanding of what it is you are looking to do.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,
Charlotte Fraser
Assistant
M: 07913 474 458
DD: 020 8874 6749

dRAW Architecture
340 Old York Road, Wandsworth, SW18 1SS
www.draw-architecture.co.uk

[delsh]

We did a major renovation with side return extension, total re-jig of upstairs and downstairs layouts etc.

A few bits of advice:

1. We also wanted to do the loft but ditched it due to budget. But, while the house was a mess anyway our builders recommended spending a bit of money on putting the steels in place and the electrics/plumbing in so that when we do eventually save up enough money to do the loft in the future, it will be a lot easier and less disruptive.

2. We employed an architect and wished we hadn't - we could have put the money towards the loft! A good building contractor will retain the services of an architect and can draw up the plans for you if you know what you want, and they will put a project manager in place to manage the build from start to finish. Unless you are after a "Grand Designs" type building, it's really not worth paying an architect.

3. We used PVA Development for our build as they came highly recommended by two friends. They were brilliant and we have since recommended them to several friends and friends of friends who have been equally pleased. If you want to pop round and see ours as an example of their work do PM me.

4. As a few others have said - make as many decisions before the builders start as possible. Make sure you know exactly what light switches, sockets, paints, sanitary goods etc. you want and whether you want door knobs or door levers - all those tiny decisions - in advance and you'll save a lot of stress later and a lot of phone calls every day from the builder asking you to make the decisions quickly as you are holding up the build!

Hope that helps - good luck and enjoy it! The upside of the stress and the cost of a big project is that you'll get a home that is exactly as you want it

[metoo]

In one respect 'actuallyadad' is right - some of the things you agonise over or spend £1000's on aren't necessarily worth it..
- You wouldn't believe the conversation I had with a friend about all the different nuances of white!
- A kitchen from IKEA with snazzy worktops might be the right thing
- Did we really deliberate, umm and ahh for weeks about bathroom tiles?

If you allow it, it can go on and on ad infinitum. If you see something you like tear the page out, keep it and don't look any further!

[BrianP]

Project management teams are fine for professional developers whose main concern is cost control. Real people, on the other hand, tend to change their minds as things start to take shape. The last thing a builder wants to hear is the client saying 'oh, you decide', only for them to announce later that they thought that taking the wall down was a really bad idea. Don't be afraid to stay on hand and keep talking, learn about the sort of problems that will crop up and the opportunities to save money. Contracts and penalty clauses are good. Finding someone you trust is better. Best of luck.

[jporjes]

Hi
I am almost finishing renovating a house in Putney. My builders have been great but sadly they are booked up for the rest of the year.
One thing to say is that I needed new windows and am really glad I did not let my builder build them. I ended up using 'Ayrton Windows' based in Wansworth and have been blown away by the customer care and stunning new windows that are exactly replicated and have totally cut the noise and drafts we experienced before.
good luck!

[bespokekitchens]

Hi,
We are Ben Argent Design - bespoke designers and manufacturers of beautiful contemporary kitchens. We're based in Bath but also work on an increasing number of London installation and are very competitively priced. Our kitchens are designed and fitted with the highest attention to detail and our expertise in project management and client liaison is outstanding. We often work in conjunction with architects too so that the kitchen becomes a considered and integrated part of the house, rather than an afterthought.

If you feel this would be of interest then please have a look at our website below and do not hesitate to get in touch. Thank you:

www.benargentdesign.com
info@benargentdesign.com
T:01225 448 330
M:07825 660 487