Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Sep 01, 2012 7:12 pm I currently own a 1950's weatherboard cottage with a 1980's flat roofed extension on the back making it 4 bedrooms, study, 2 bathrooms & open plan kitchen / family room on a 814sqm block. It needs the following work: 1) new roof on the cottage bit - has glazed tiles which are fretting badly and need replacing. Should I replace with new tiles or colourbond? 2) due to leaks from the roof, also need to replace the ceilings in 3 rooms. 3) walls in the cottage are the old fibrous plaster and also need replacing (they crackle if you lean on them) - 5 rooms & a hallway. 4) Asbestos sheeting on the outside is brittle and cracks if you lean on it - needs replacing. 5) new carpets in the bedrooms - made the mistake of polishing the pine floorboards when I bought it 10 yrs ago. Pine is not very sturdy and there is no insulation under them so the house is very cold & draughty. 6) new kitchen - 1980s laminex which is falling apart and has a poor layout. 7) whole house needs repainting inside and out. I had an architect look at it last year and he said not to bother with fixing it up as most of these old cottages in the area are being bulldozed and replaced. However, I can't afford to replace it and I need to live in it in the mean time with a view to selling it when the kids leave home in the next 5-8 yrs or so (hopefully!). Is it worth it? If it is, in what order should I do this and how do I minimise the costs? What have others spent on similar renos? Thanks for your advice! Re: Is it worth it to renovate or should I cut my losses & s 2Sep 01, 2012 8:40 pm Possm2 Our place is 1930's fibro and weatherboard with extra cladding on top and a later extension. Probably in a better condition than yours by the sound if it. However we get drafts, holes in the floor, doors and windows not closing properly etc. And too small for our 3 kids. Went to architect to renovate but too expensive so we are now down to a shortliat of builders to knock down and rebuild. Off to Kellyville again tomorrow. Given what you have said, the next buyer will probably knock it down and start again so will not pay for your renovations. Therefore suggest you do as little as possible. Or move to your next house or were you going to downsize so that would be too small? Re: Is it worth it to renovate or should I cut my losses & s 3Sep 03, 2012 3:16 pm Thanks Free Will - that's sort of what I thought but I was dithering! It seems a shame that someone will probably knock it down but it really does require too much work to bring it up to scratch again. I think I will just freshen it up with some paint and carpets to keep it going for the next few years until we are ready to move and see if I can get some second hand tiles to repair the damaged tiles on the roof. Re: Is it worth it to renovate or should I cut my losses & s 4Sep 11, 2012 7:58 am What area are you in? There are a lot of benefits in renovating vs moving or taking on a new build. No stamp duty cost and you could live in the house during the Reno so no need to uproot the family. If it is a major Reno, do urself a favour and get a professional renovation builder to come and have a look. They can give you a rough estimate of the cost. Then you are at least in a position to make an informed decision. Use a product like Equisol's Vitalise to clean the deck then coat with a penetrating timber oil. It will look 10 years younger and add value to your home. Visit for… 1 15784 the step up is 30mm and wanting it to be flat . how much does the concrete have to be lowered .we plan on removing bath and lenghten shower and adding seat. the old bath… 0 11835 if the original house is in good condition most of what you listed could be added in stages without the need for KDR and costs and disruption of having to live elsewhere… 1 13673 |