Rennovating a 40 year old house - Where to start.
By
on
November 29th, 2009
I just bought a 40 year old house in melbourne. I am looking to modernize it as best as i can. The house itself is approximatley 12 Square meters or so.
Here is a list of a few things i am looking to get done:
Render the front of the house
Repaint the rooftiles
Repaint the interior
Install built in cuboards for the 3 bedrooms
Replace doors and windows
Remodel the kitchen
Remodel the bathroom
Remodel the laundry
Remove existing tiles/Replace with new ones
Install Carpets over the wood floor
OK. now where the hard part is.
WHERE DO I START.
At the moment it feels like there is a mountain’s worth of work and i feel like i dont know what come first. Any ideas as to what i should get done first. Please make a little priority list for me labelled 1-10 as to what i should do first.
Rick says:
It depends on what your objective is. Do you want to live in the house indefinitely or is this a short term purchase/flip. Regardless I’d recommend starting with assessing the foundation and working your way up, just as if you were building a house.
1. Foundation assessment/repair
2. Structural assessment/repair
3. Infrastructure a/r; check plumbing, drainage, electrical, HVAC, roofing, etc.
Once those three major areas are sound, then you can turn your attention/$$$ to upgrades and options.
4. Paint is cheap and gives a lot of bang for the buck.
5. Kitchen and bath remodeling can be expensive and blow your budget easily so be careful.
6. Cosmetic upgrades are good too; Drapery, lighting, fixtures, etc.
7. For big projects, I recommend concentrating on one room of the house and seeing it through before beginning another room. Accomplishment and completion come along far easier.
Good luck on your project(s).
November 29th, 2009 at 3:16 am