To think I can do all this for £10,000?

[Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady]

My house desperately needs a revamp, to the extent that it's causing my depression to rear it's ugly head just living in it.

(I realise I sound horrible and entitled...at least I have a house etc)

I was hoping to get additional borrowing on our mortgage and do a renovation for about £45,000 knocking through some walls etc but OH says we can't afford the payments.

So I've been looking at what the minimum we would need doing to make the house feel nice and this is my list.

Laminate floor in living room and kitchen/dining room

're paint downstairs

Get kitchen cupboards sprayed and over professionally cleaned

New sofas

Coffee table/tv stand

New interior doors

Carpet upstairs

Paint 3 bedrooms

New floor in bathroom

're tile ensuite
New floor ensuite (more like a cupboard, very tiny)

New bed x2

New garden fence on one side

I've spent the day on Pinterest and looking for ideas of costs and I reckon we could do it for £10,000 if we are careful.

Both of us are shit at DIY so would have to pay for everything except the painting which we can do ourselves.

Are we kidding ourselves that it can be done for 10 grand?

How long is a piece of string?
Your figures MAY work but can be totally off too, depends on quantum and quality.
So for example flooring, how many square meters you have? Fence, how long? Which material?
Doors, how many? Which type? Wood finish? Painted? A carpenter days work to fit the doors is anything between £180--£300... that's just labour!
Somebody said get quotes. I will start with that and do a reality check against your budget.
Tbbh op, 10k is quite a low budget for the amount you want to achieve so maybe set priorities.
I sympathise OP. We are going through very similar thing. In our case every move has to wait for something else to be done so it drags on and on and sometimes no budget for the "other works".. for example we are desperate for a new floor and installation under but need to do the plumbing and electrics before we can lay down the final floor as once down there is no going back without damage....

Labour costs is where you can save a huge amount of money. You say you’re terrible at DIY, but with practice you’ll get better. Plus it’s very satisfying. Start small to gain confidence and build upon it.

Sofas can be picked up second hand for huge savings and there are some great bargains if you’re patient.

I looked at respraying kitchen caninets and they still come out quite expensive. You could look at painting them yourselves. Labour intensive, but another money saver.

I did our whole downstairs in previous house (2-bed) in quick-step laminate for about £600 as I fitted it myself. I then did my DS’s bedroom for £250.

Please do not buy cheap carpets, online or in store. They wear terribly and there’s nothing worse than rough, cheap carpet

@Chewbecca

pumpkin - can I have your decorator’s number please?! That is insanely cheap!

I agree! My builder BIL uses a decorator who charges approx £1,000 a room for somewhere that's been "lived in", ie not new plaster, doors, skirtings etc. (He is excellent though, it looks like a new build by the time he's finished).

At the price OP's been quoted I'd bite his hand off.

New fence can vary massively according to what you want. Proper close boarded fence is eye-wateringly expensive to do, but if you were prepared to have chain link, metal posts and then grow climbers up for privacy, it would be a lot cheaper.

And get 2nd hand furniture. As well as all the usual online places, auctions are often a good bet. A friend picked up 2 fantastic Heals sofas for £600 from our local auction house, they look like they've never been sat on. When she looked up the list price, they were £3.5k EACH! She's jammy though, she bought an Ercol day bed for £250 from a card in a shop window, and they go for £2-£3k.