So much work, where to start

[LittleMilla]

We've had an offer accepted on a 3 bed Victorian semi - everything seems to be plodding along well. Thankfully.

This is our first house and having first been excited about the idea of tarting it all up, having had the survey done I am now seeing £££ where I wasn't expecting it. Surveyor hasn't found anything that will stop us buying the house and I know that's why you have a survey. But still.

One big thing that's troubling me is that the GCH looks like it was fitted by our 1 year old DS. Pipes sticking out all over the shop and I am worried. It obviously needs sorting - but is this the sort of thing we ask the owner to sort out? She prob doesn't realise that Woody from Toy Story did the job badly.

Next big thing troubling me is that we want to knock through kitchen & diner and stick an extension on the back. How long do these things take? I'm impatient, but we are looking at completing by mid-June. Factoring planning etc, will it be wise to get this done this year. Or should we wait until next spring? How big a job is it? I am hoping to start TTC for DC #2 soon, so really don't want to have that going on if pg.

Sorry for slight ramble, but the initial euphoria has faded. We went there today and I actually felt a bit overwhelmed. I still love the house, but just don't know where to begin. Every room (except bathroom, one bedroom & ensuite) need full redecoration.

Not sure of protocol on posting links and looking like a nobber by showing how much you're paying. Happy to post if it helps though!

First things first we all love a good link, not bad protocol at all .

Right, you have had the offer accepted and a survey - yes?

The offer you made will be 'subject to survey', so now you have had the survey if it has shown up something that was unexpected and not accounted for in your offer, you can go back to the vendor with a revised offer.

Is the plumbing faulty? Or is it that the pipes are surace mounted but fully safe and servicable? This is important. If they are just surface mounted then you can box them in, or have them chased into the walls - a small decorative job or a big expensive job. Provided they are safe and just surface mounted you probaby just have to accept that - they were that way when you made the offer.

The unexpected costs that the survey has exposed - you are entirely within your rights to go back to the vendor and say "because of the findings of the survey we are going to have to revise our offer to X to take into account XYZ that needs to be done".

They may or may not say yes. It is then up to you to decide if you want to pull out or go ahead anyway.

Is the mortgage company happy with the valuations?

Finally the extension - Its a bit of a piece of string job I'm affraid. Planning permission can take forever, or not. That will be what takes the longest and there really is not way to predict that. The actuall building work won't take very long once you have the PP and a good builder. While you are waiting for PP look into builders, see their work and speak to other real customers. Negotiate a rate etc and check his insurance. Then make a provisional booking.

PP lasts for a few years so if it does drag on you could get the PP then just sit on it for a year or so while you are pg/have a small child.

And with the british weather of late I can't see it mattering if its spring or the depths of winter, we probably won't be able to tell anyway!!!

Milla, do post a link

Congratulations on your new home! When we bought our first house, the biggest learning was that the money outflow is constant, the purchase cost is just the start

Figure out what is redecoration (relatively cheap) and what are essential renovations (often more expensive than one budgets for). Then, if you have money left over in the pot, dream and plan about all the lovely nice-to-have things you could do.

In our case, everything took much longer than expected, which was a blessing in disguise because we figured out after living for a year or two what would really work, and radically altered our initial ideas.

We bought a fixer upper too. Completed in January, got almost straight on to getting drawings and building engineer calculations for a 'permitted development' single storey rear extension (kitchen knocked through, as you say). The builder started in August and completed in October. Because we were a bit crap, we didn't get the flooring done until February and the painting till the next October, but that's just decorative. Just over a year after buying, started the bathroom do-over. We got the important things in quickly (bath, loo, tiles, sink), but (a year later) still need the side of the bath put on, the extractor, proper light fitting and painting.

In order of what to do I would say the major (and expensive) things first, so that whatever happens you get the most use and enjoyment out of them before you choose to move or (and you kind of have to have a 'worst-case' plan however flush you are!) if you had to sell up you want the 'difficult' things done already so you'd expand your market of buyers to those who don't want a fixer-upper. Plus, doing nice easy decoration in the living room then finding as you get used to the house (like flatbread says) that you actually want to use the rooms a different way round, would be a waste.

Here is the house.

Mortgage company going in next week (hopefully) for valuations. Just seen a few come on locally with kitchens done, not in the same way we want to (we're going wide vs. long/galley type ones - using the outbuilding) and they're at least £50k more. Making me feel happy that we haven't overpaid given the quote of c.£30k to do the extension etc. Leaving about £10k to do decorating - going to need to replaster most ceilings, repaint/wallpaper walls and rip up carpets. Should be able to have floorboards sanded downstairs, but will need new carpets upstairs. Bathrooms are great (thank f*ck!!).

Surveyor is a friend of ours and says pp should (hopefully) take about 12 weeks. He has a building mngt company so will be project managing the whole thing for us - feel happy that he'll do a decent job at a decent price. Just need to pull in an architect as we've got multiple options on how to open up the back.

Oh, and the garden needs sorting. Any idea how much that might cost!?!?!

Wow. Fantastic. V jealous.

Also V. Jealous but can totaly see how you can improve this and bring it to life. It will clearly make a beautiful home. Nothing great to add, just wanted to say, not to lose the faith and I would knock down my grandmother to have such a place to do up. Then again, as she would be the one helping with the 'do-up' that might not be such a good idea!

Beautiful house Do you really need to do the extension right away? if the kitchen is usable, why not live for a while and then decide...

Wow that will be stunning when you are finished. I too would knock down craigs grandmother to get my hands on it .

You know, I think you could take this house very slowly, if you feel over whelmed. Its dated and needs the beautiful features to be restored to shine properly, but you can live in it.

Are you doing the work you can or will you be having decorators etc in?

If it were me I would either get straight on with the extension/kitchen and get it out of the way and then slowly go through the rest of the house, propbably after DC2.

Or Leave the extension untill after DC2 and get on with working my way through the house. Easier if you are getting people in rather than doing the work yourself.

In both scenarios I would get the gas and electrics up to date first if that is needed.

The garden..doesn't look too bad from what I can see. I suppose it depends on what you want to do with it. If you are just wanting to tidy it up for now then you will need to cut the trees and hedges back, it looks like the lawn has been covered? Either lay turf or decking and then either leave the lovely paving, or hire a skip and a strong man with a sledge hammer.

If you can rope in some friends then most of it is just labour, and the cost of turf or decking if you need it. No idea what turf costs though.

I feel very lucky. We have waited a long time to have our first 'home' having rented forever and seen millions of houses since moving here. DS was one yesterday and I am simply excited about having a house rather than a flat! Oh, and a garden.

FIL is potentially going to lend us the money to do the kitchen etc. Reason for extension is that DH and I have always dreamed of a lovely big open plan kitchen/diner/family space. And having looked at so many houses (even ones that have been done) they are so few wide open plan places in Bristol. So I really feel that once we have it, it'll be something special in this area. We've moved from London where it's done much more, but because of how most Victorian houses are built down here, it's generally harder to do. Sorry, boring diatribe.

My ideal would be to get kitchen etc done straight away, and then crack on with sitting room too. Upstairs is fine TBH, and living spaces are way more important IMO.

Oh, and a real one for the future will be to convert the loft. The house backs on to a county cricket club and a few houses on the road have big balconies so they can watch the games! Strangely, DH is quite keen to crack on with this sooner . Kitchen first me thinks!!

Thanks for pearls of wisdom! Feeling happier already. x

I think you just have to break it down into chunks. Its a beautiful house and you have so much scope, I would take my time and try and enjoy it.

It is a huge job if you think of it as one job, but lots of little jobs are fine, and when each is done you will be that one step closer and have a feeling that you have achieved - which is what gets lost IME when you do a massive renovation in one go.

It really is lovely, so hold on to that in your dark moments

Lovely house! For anything that came up in the report, I would ask for a reduction on the price or for it to be fixed before you complete.

For the rooms you are only looking to redecorate, I would suggest you get them painted and the flooring done before you move in. I regret not doing that with our last home. The painting took twice as long when having to move furniture around etc.

With regard to the extension, I think you know what you want/need. For any job involving builders I add 50% to the quote and double the time they say it takes to do it. That is your worst case scenario.

Thanks all. Think I you lot have helped to convince DH that we will try and get sitting room sorted before we move in. We've been looking at the one and only house locally that we liked the look of (but sold before we could get in there!) and they haven't extended. So we're going to talk to our builder friend about costs of just doing http://www.kendallharper.com/property-details/avon/bristol/elton-road-1. House is about a foot wider than ours, but we could have something similar.

Got my eye on a kitchen like http://www.englishrevival.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&Itemid=9 but in cream or even pale blue.

Must. Not. Get. Ahead. Of. Myself.

Your link didn't work, have another bash and we can all get ahead of ourselves

Working?

what i'd like space-wise

kitchen

Wow, and Wow .

That is stunning. So are you talking about having a smaller extension? Or would you be able to create that by knocking through what is already there? If its a smaller extension get a price for both the smaller and larger as I doubt there will be much difference.

Either way that is a stunning kitchen and I don't blame you for getting ahead of yourself!

Aaah, my old stomping ground! That's a lovely house and actually seems a great price for around there - things are certainly cheaper than they were a few years ago.

I would certainly live with it for a little while before extending - it really helps to finalise decisions in your mind and maybe open your mind up to things you hadn't considered before.

Ref the survey etc - they always show things up and I'd be wary of asking for price reductions for everything. It's fair enough to knock money off for large jobs that you hadn't anticipated but if it's more run of the mill stuff the vendor will not be impressed if you try to cover everything with knocking more money off. Given what you say about houses with better kitchens being £50k more, it makes your house sound pretty good.

I think we can have something very similar without the extension - we're a foot narrower and ceiling isn't quite as high. As Kitsmummy says, we'll prob make a decision once we're in on whether or not to do extension. Money isn't as free-flowing as the recent rain, and with so much to sort, it might be wise not to do unnecessary work.

Seeing our bloke on Friday, so will be able to update on what he's suggesting.

Re: survey, I don't know what to do. It was on for a reasonable price because it needs work. But how to broach the fact that all of the pipework on radiators are exposed when they should be hidden - literally, pipes EVERYWHERE!? Sash windows are either screwed shut or have been massacared and will cost £200 each to re-work - think there ar 16 in total? About Damp across the whole of the back of the house, but if we're doing work then it'll be sorted then? Loft isn't insulated, but because we're likely to do a conversion in the next few years it'll do for now? I just don't know how much we push as much of it would've been 'visible' (if we knew what to look for) when we viewed and put in offer. Yes, we got it for a good price - four asking price offers on the table with ours. But I don't want to wave bu-bye to £5-10k+ as soon as we get there.

To be honest, the things you mention about the survey are probably already taken into account for the asking price. I would be wary about asking for a reduction if the house is that in demand. They may well say no to you and go to one of the others.

It s a tough one, and I would first of all wait untill the mortgage valuations have been done. They are being as strict as hell at the moment, down valuing all the time. That will give you a good idea about if you have paid its fair value.

The pipes and windows can wait, they are not doing any damage. You can put some loft insulation in yourself (give a shout out to pigletjohn on here - he will be able to point you in the right direction on all things house related). I would get the damp treated though. Don't leave it. Did the survey say what the cause of the damp is? It damp can be a big or small job so get that investigated and treated.

It all seems very off putting, but one job at a time and you will get there. I'm presuming this is a long term house so no rush to get it perfect. You have a great house with huge development scope, you have done well to get it and I think others would snap your hand off for it I would if I was down your way.

Lovely house! Can I put in another vote for living in it before you decide on what to do with it, if you can? Through force of circumstance (took 6 months of dithering and a further 6 months to get planning permission and find a builder) we lived in our house for a year before building work started, and as a result we'd worked out EXACTLY what we thought needed doing. We imagined the new spaces for months, every time we looked at the rubbishy old layout. Now the work is actually happening I'm 100% confident we are doing the right thing. If we'd gone in there from the off we'd have been more inclined just to go with whatever the architect suggested, and I'm not sure we'd have got the design as right for us as I think it now is.

Very sound advice, thanks both. x

Wow, that house is stunning. I would also echo comments about living in the house and getting a feel for it before doing lots of work. Things like getting ceilings reskimmed is a simple job that's not necessary to do straight away (by the way I hope your keeping the cornices they are beautiful! I've just spent a fortune putting ours back after previous owners removed them) in my opinion I'd sort out the windows, getting them opened up, repaired, painted and draft stripped, insulation in the loft and heating sorted out- stuff that should be done over the summer, ready for winter- will save a lot of pain in the colder months. Then look to the kitchen. Good luck!

Thanks Sausage, that makes absolute sense.

Oh yess-siree, definitely keeping and restoring all cornicing. There's a fair amount all over the house, but it's the typical case of umpteen layers of gloss paint that needs removing. I'm thinking of putting some back in but wasn't sure about cost - can you give me any rough costs?

We have had our specially made to match a remnant and paid about £400 inc fitting but it's for a big room! You can get them cheaper if not bespoke.

Have fun!

Right, I have got keys for the house this morning and so the real work now begins.

Got a plasterer starting on Thursday AM - repairing ceilings etc.

Main worry though is that now the bed is gone in DS's room I have noticed a 1 sqm damp patch (missed by surveyor, great). Can someone reassure me that this will be easy to sort...!!??!

TIA