Please, need some advice on what essential refurbishments to prioritize on the house

[QuintessentialyHollow]

Our house is a 1940s end of terrace in a conservation area. From the outside it is the ugliest house in the terrace, though not the most badly maintained, just plain, and with a horrible front garden lacking in kerb appeal.

We share a path with a woman who is very untidy and who fill her side of the path with broken furniture, rubbish, etc. The rubbis frequently spills to our side of the path.

Our house has been tenanted for the last 4 1/2 years, and it shows. The first tenant trashed the place, and we did major renovations work, mostly cosmetic after she left. There is a new beautiful tile floor in the kitchen, all the walls were painted and repaired two years ago.

The house has again been tenanted for 2 years, 4 student sharers.

This is the work that should be done:

1. New Carpets upstairs and down the staircase (In the budget, will happen September 2012 just before we return to the house)

1. Fresh lick of paint. (Will also happen before we move in)

But here are the killers:

3. Bathroom: New units for the bathroom, new flooring. Total cost 5k.

4. New Windows: The current windows are old, they are not according to the guidelines of the conservation area, they are really ugly and let the house down. They are ONE big pane on the bottom, and two small 30 cm windows that can be open on top. We need wood sash windows, with three partitions and Edwardian bars. Quotes range between 8 and 11.3 k.

5. Front garden separated out from Next door and landscaped. It is impossible to keep our area looking nice when we are sharing a path and gate with next door. It is necessary for both our sanity and the kerb appeal that the front looks nice. Quote: 8k this includes railway sleepers, sandstone path, quite a lot of digging up old crazy paving, fresh soil, weedsupressing membrane, and pebbles on top, including a 30 m2 deck outside the front door (to cover old patio on different levels) and steps down from one level in front of the house to the other. It is complicated. We can leave the deck out and it will be cheaper, but it looks terrible.

We will live there a year, and then put the house on the market.

Not sure what to prioritize as we cannot afford all of the above.

My husband says the bathroom is least important, and windows most important.

What do you think?

An entire bathroom inc fitting and tiling should be 3-4k if you're not being too flash with the fittings.

Have you had someone around to assess repair as an option for the window frames? You might be very surprised by the rotting, flaking frames that can be fixed more cheaply than replacing.

I would do the windows. (though, it seems odd that you need Edwardian style for a 1940s house??)

As a buyer, crap windows would have put me off a house much more than a tired bathroom (as long as it's liveable with, which yours is) or an unattractive front garden.

Re the bathroom, I'd leave it save for any quick fixes - patch up the flaking if you can, use a grout pen, etc. Your style of new bathroom may not be a buyer's taste anyway.

Re the garden, I'd put up a fence to shield from the neighbour's mess, and put some nice pots out which you can take with when you move to make it look loved. I definitely wouldn't do the full on landscaping. Again, the buyer may not share your taste.

It is by no means an upmarket house! Not with a bathroom the size of a thimble, for sure!

I have looked at the quotes and the fittings again, and it seems I am down to 4289 including vat for units and labour on the bathroom.

Gardening quote without the decking £4470 including vat.

That leaves 7 k for windows.

Somethings gotta give. It is not going to be enough. Unless the council pays the grant.

South West London aint cheap, even if you have a modest (ex council) home to upgrade.

We have saved rental income for renovations work so are bound by a set amount.

You could probably get your front windows in timber and your back ones in nearly-matching upvc for that. We had the same in our previous house in SE London. London is full of houses that are smarter at the front than the back . Your overriding question is, what will add value for selling, have you spoken to any estate agents?

Also you have to think what is normal for the road, and if it's a desirable road people might be keen to get a house slightly cheaper that hasn't been restored to such a gold standard as the others.

(If you have mould problems do check your ventilation is OK, and your new windows have trickle vents.)

I'd do the windows but shoip around for prices and dont be afraid to negotiate, hard.
Bot sure re the bathroom but think I woudl do it but try and pay less, cheaper fittings etc, am sure you can get the fittings for less than 2K if you shop around.

For the front gardem why not post a pic and we can give you our thoughts? Am sure you could improve the kerb appeal without doing all the costly hard landscaping. Some strategic planting may help...

I will try find picture from the front....

if you're looking for savings, you might consider repairing and renovating your existing bathroom suite. I could repair any number of loose cistern handles for £5,000, and a new shower tray or enclosure need not mean a new mixer.

have you got an old vanitory unit that is swelling up from damp, or has the doors hanging off? A new pedestal or wall-hung basin can be very inexpensive, and being simple, will not often go wrong.

Nice taps can be very expensive, but if they are chrome, existing ones are easy to polish up and rewasher and should last as long as you do.

Good idea to repair the bathroom fittings where possible PigletJ.

WHat is the problem with the shower cubicle and vanity? Can they be repaired?

I dont know if they can be repaired. I dont have the skills to say!

There are a number of photos from outside now. I managed to find some.

Regards the bathroom. I dont actually need a new mixer, luckily. I need a new tray. It is an 800 x 800 quadrant, with sliding doors, they are hanging lose. Bad patent. I am wondering if I might be better off with an 800x800 square. More roomy than a quadrant.

I am listening to all of you. I am leaning towards strict cuts. I am just really torn.

My dh now says he thinks we should wait with any improvements until the tenants have moved, and we are back in the property ourselves again.

The cost of reducing rent for duration of work, and compensate them for their inconvenience must be weighed up against the financial cost to us of possibly not being able to offset refurbishment against income on property. It is a headache.

I've looked at the pics. I still say, do the windows - plead with the council for a grant if you can - and leave the rest (bar some very minor tarting up).

As regards whether to do it now or once moved back in - I guess it depends on how much of a rent reduction you'd have to give the tenants for window replacement "inconvenience". I imagine the actual replacement job can be done in a day or two so v little inconvenience really.

£7k might be enough to do the windows. You don't have to do all of them - just the front, and leave potential buyers with a quote to finish off the back ones.

changing the windows will be very intrusive for anyone living there. It is likely to be dirty, dusty work; cold; and there will be a smell from the sealants, not to mention dusty workmen clumping through all the rooms.

If I was a tenant I would not want my life disrupted like that.

Seeing as you're essentially doing all this to sell the house, have you had an estate agent round to advise you? Would hate for you to spend all that money if it's not going to add anything...

It is two fold though, we plan to live there at least a year.

Just seems a lot to spend for a year, especially if you're going to be doing work for part of that year.

I know pootles, that is why I am looking for options and ideas.

I can slim down the bathroom renovations.

Pigletjohn, the current quadrant is standing on a purpose built "platform" surrounded by white mosaic. This was built by a previous builder to get a better fall for the water, as it was slow running out of the tray.

The new builder/plumber wants to remove this to see what is going on underneath, and build access for the future. Does this sound sensible?

Should I maybe opt for Ikea stuff?