30k to do up 1970s house.

[NolansEpicDressSense]

Is this realistic?

It's a five bedroom house and so far we think it needs rewiring, replastering, two bathrooms, new skirting boards and possibly doors, new windows and exterior doors and carpets and decorating throughout. The kitchen can wait as its reasonably recent (7 years old).

I'd like to think we can do everything within the first year using our pot of savings, but I have never done this before, we renovated this house over five years and I have no idea what it cost in total because we did it in bits.

Does it sound doable on this budget?

Sorry, but unless you are doing most of the work yourself that's not realistic. Its hard to say how much it will be as it depends on your spec but for a large house I would double that as a minimum. A huge portion of your budget will go just on the windows...

South east.

I'll decorate ie paint myself but that's about it.

It would be doable if you were doing the work yourself and you could get the materials trade, but doubt you will manage that budget unless of course you are happy to cut corners or not want it to such a high standard.

Why do you need to do all of it in the first year? Does everything really have to be done straightaway?

New windows will cost you around 10k-15 I reckon ( more if you are replacing period ones sympathetically) rewiring - depends on what needs to be done. Maybe 3k? Plastering - depends how many rooms. Round here ( London) I reckon you'd pay about £200 per day for a builder/plasterer.
Bathrooms - depends on what you have done - you can get perfectly adequate bath/loo/sink for about £500 if you look hard enough, but do you need tiling as well? Shower? Probably cost you about 1k + each to get it fitted. Carpets - depends on quality. Cost me over 1k just to do stairs and ( tiny) hall and landing. Paid about £300 for purchase and fitting of not very high spec carpet for 1 large bedroom.
Really it's an impossible question as it depends on the quality you are after, and whether you can do any of the work yourself. Do you have a builder you can ask for a rough estimate? ( You may have to pay for this). Your surveyor might be able to give you an idea as far as the structural stuff is concerned.

Would budget £4k for rewiring, probably the same for plastering, exterior doors £1k each, bathrooms £6k each (you could make savings depending on fittings, but you could easily spend a lot more too!), so that is over half your budget before windows and carpets.

Not sure about windows and as others have said carpets are pricey.

We budgeted £40k for our renovation and it will be £60k at least by the time it finally is finished enough for now (down to doing more work than originally planned as well as unforeseen surprises).

Thanks.

It doesn't have to be done straight away, but that's my ideal plan. I'm just trying to get a feel for what's realistic. None of its urgent, as far as we know at this stage; just dated and not to our fast (dark grey bathroom suite for eg, and fake beams in some rooms...).

It'll be fun though.

Nolan, we have a 1960 house and have just done much of the things you describe. In the SE also and tradesman are getting very difficult to get hold of. This is what things cost:

DG Windows for house in Aluminium frames in grey, including 4.5m sliding doors in sitting room (3 panels all sliding if that makes sense)
PLUS
2 x composite doors
TOTAL: £10K from local company

New bathroom including re-skimming ceiling, and new Acqualisa digital power shower with remote pump in loft = £7K all inc

Re-wiring = allow £4.5K for the sparky PLUS the cost of all the new light switches, plug socket covers, light fittings and extra bits (like putting in better outside lights for example)

Plastering = haven't done it yet as need a break.

Bear in mind if your house needs all the work you list, the heating system or the radiators might need attention too. We changed all the horrible thin undersized rads for lovely big double panel double convector ones (about £1K) and the difference in warmth in the house was amazing - from frosty to toasty with same boiler.

Good luck!

Thank you! That's really useful.

Would recommend that you look at 'house-wide' changes first, e.g. changes to the central heating system/pipes and rewiring and do all of that in one go (ideally with the house empty). Things like room by room decoration, bathrooms etc can be done one at a time.

I could but I do this for a living I could probably do the kitchen too but you need to know where to source things and have an idea how to manage it to stretch the budget. I think its tight otherwise

Nolan! I think we are basically undertaking the same project!

Our windows budget is going to come somewhere between 10-15k (12 windows)
2 new bathrooms although one is a small ensuite being installed in a room that isn't originally a bathroom. So new plumbing etc.
plastering almost through-out
Kitchen is the same, we can live with it for now whilst other stuff is being done.
Rewiring
New carpets/flooring through out.
We also have roof repairs to be done.

We've budgeted about 50k but the rewiring, bathroom fitting and decorating can be done our selfs.

I'm taking RCheshires approach, doing the house wide things like the roof and windows first then taking it room by room as we prioritise.
I'd love for it to be finished in a year but I doubt we'll manage everything!

Yay! For big exciting projects!

Noddyholder, please share a couple secrets! :-D

if you are incredibly vigilant - and research research research - and don't change your mind halfway through ! you could maybe achieve this ! set out your goals - write lists - haggle for the best prices and don't be afraid to ask for discounts !!
prioritise you list to jobs by those that have a knock on effect to others, rather than simple desirability !

have fun !!! :-)