Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Jul 31, 2012 2:50 pm Hi, We bought the above house which definitely needs assistance. It is a post war and must have been a handyman's job. Everything about it is sus. We have limited funds (which is how we came to buy it) and need to fix it up. Since moving here, it has been one thing after another that required compliance. This is the house. The house is cut into the block 608m2 Front is one storey. 2 at rear. Sloping driveway with street level front yard and retaining wall holding the front yard in place from the driveway. It is 2.5 bedrooms upstairs - two with old builtin wardrobes. 1 room a good size. 2nd ok and third barely fits a double bed and chest of drawers. 1 bathroom which squeezes in a small shower over bathtub and tiny hand basin - toilet cubicle off that area. Lounge / dining combined with tiny kitchen off the dining room. Back door in kitchen leading to backyard stairs Narrow hallway from dining through to bedrooms which are at rear of house. Heaps of terrible aluminium windows. Wooden floorboards which are abit of a mess and bedrooms/living areas cheaply carpeted. Max of 1 double power point in each room - none in bathroom area Old inground liner pool in rear yard. Some palm stumps still in difficult to access areas after having over 30 well advanced (Some 2 storeys high) palm trees chopped down and grinded. Downstairs. Illegal height but liveable. Concrete slab, external bricked in walls. 2 external doors. Rotted shower base and walls in that area Rotted toilet cubicle with old working toilet. 1 brick walls enclosed room. Exposed brick walls throughout Exposed upper level floorboards throughout most of the area. Issues have been Old termite damage to hardwood floorboards Flooding and drainage problems throughout the downstairs area Old water pipes Insufficient power access Gas hot water - cold to kitchen Bathroom in desperate need of renovation - floorboards rotting Kitchen - very, very daggy and unable to have electricity to oven No laundry downstairs shower and toilet unusable Trying to work out where to start is a little overwhelming. We have about $90,000 available funds. Because of all of the issues with the house, we have considered demolishing this and installing a used house. But to do that, I figure we'll need at least another $50,000. Alternatively to raise the house to legal height, which will also give it a nice unobstructed view of distant water and city lights. We originally purchased this with the intent of creating a fully contained flat downstairs and sep. living upstairs with a deck. Would anyone with experience in renovating have thoughts on what direction would give best value for dollar please? I used to be indecisive, now I just don't know........ What you are looking at is fibrous plaster, true gypsum, it is cast on horizontal beds with fibers included to give strength. I has no Asbestos in it. Houses before 1985… 2 4268 4 1463 i wouldn't be worried, you'll definitely miss something, no matter how many times you review. we've spent close to 5 months ensuring everything got reflected in the… 5 9457 |