Thinking of buying this whopper - how much to do up?

[Boobz]

Edwardian renovation project

I know it's like, how long is a piece of string, but if we wanted to modernise throughout (new kitchen, bathrooms etc), make the lower ground floor a proper livable granny annex type thing, and eventually do a loft conversion, how long/how much are we looking at?

Has anyone done similar? Any good websites I should be looking at for before/after inspiration?

Would you live in whilst the work was being done (3 kids under 8) or no way jose?

That is gorgeous and definitely looks more than liveable in. Have you viewed? Do you know any friendly builders architects or surveyors?

No advice, but WOW! What a stunning house. Definitely worth buying, even if you do it up a bit at a time.

Beautiful house. The kitchen could be absolutely stunning

What do I think? I think we might buy it and move back to London! Xx

Ffs. My iPhone has just put bastard kisses on the end of a post. Clearly I need to go and punch a few cakes or something to get my MN stripes back!

There's got to be something wrong with it at that price. That is not a standard do-er-upper. Looks fab though....

Repeat, why is it that lovely big size, in that area, and yet (for that part of London) not crazy crazy money.... (Ps I have no idea if it is in fact the going rate in that area...)

I love that house - beautiful features and lovely garden. We're renovating ours and will be spending approx £125 per square ft to renovate, which I think is a reasonable budget. We are doing a fairly high end refurb, but outside of London (not far though) so pieces for builders will be cheaper.

Definitely get a full structural survey (don't use the mortgage company's surveyors, it's much cheaper to get your own).

We are living in the place and have a baby. Admittedly is big enough to be able to do the house in 2 stages so it's made it easier, but the dust is everywhere!! ALL THE TIME

It's a huge commitment, stressful, there are more decisions than you can possibly imagine, but I think it's going to be worth it in the end to have our dream house.

Set up a Pinterest account and get searching for ideas. I'd go for it, but be aware that it will take time - architects drawings, planning and actually finding a good builder (they tend to be booked months in advance).

Oh and my final tip - if you are going to refurb the whole thing (I'm guessing form the pics you'd need to do plumbing and electricity too) then think outside the box. Is the kitchen in the best room - could it be better somewhere else. Does that wall need to be there or could you knock through etc. A good architect should help with that.

Going to see it next Weds (currently live in Rome so need to combine with a work trip back to London)...

It's the wrong area. But then that's always the case, right? If it's the right area it would be about 400k more (we want to live in Brixton, ideally). I am torn between buying a much smaller property (done up or not) in Brixton vs this beast in Streatham (which is where our current property is).

After stamp duty etc, we'd have about £250k to do up. Not enough? Not enough to do loft extension as well, but enough to do the current 3 floors do you think and then do loft extension down the road?

I am worried I will see it and fall in love but then live in Streatham and regret not living in Brixton (we need to get kids to South Ken for their school so it's already going to be a schlep of a commute every day and this isn't really near a station so a bit of a nightmare).

Someone tell me a done-up 1500 sq footer in Brixton is a better idea!

Not sure if it's super cheap or not - like I said it's Streatham which is not super desirable, and it not close to a station so the commute is not going to be fun.

Thanks for the tips Mini. Writing it all down.

I think it's definitely doable if there's nothing structural wrong with it. Even if there is, get a builder's opinion - structural scares people but doesn't necessarily cost huge amounts. Likewise no heating, rewiring, etc.

£250k might be enough, it'll depend on what needs doing inside and how much you play about with the layout. Plus it'll very much depend on finding a good builder - we had five quotes with more than £150k difference between the prices! Timing wise I'd think you would be looking at about 6 months of work to complete the house.

I'd definitely spend some time in the area though, and I do think location is key. I'd probably opt for the smaller better located house every time.

We have just moved into our Edwardian money pit idyll. Repair work to the windows might be needed and is expensive. I wish we had your budget!

Ah yes! Windows. Look very carefully- we spent £40,000 on 5 windows and a front door 5 years ago. It's transformed the house but similar ones in yours with be 100k

We have just started something similar. We a few miles south of this one. Similar size and age though. We need to do everything - rewire, replumb, replastering, redo loft conversion, move stairs across the house. Single story extension and three story at back . We were targeting 250k but have decided to up the budget to get perfect stairs/loft. It is a bit how long is a piece of string but you should be able to get a decent amount done for that budget. You might just have to hold off on bits. We will be moving out for the build and don't underestimate how long it takes to do. If we have managed it within two years of purchase we will be happy.

We did up 190 sqm in Highbury including ripping everything out, side extension, loft conversion, wiring, plumbing, new timber sash windows throughout (only £18k not sure why pp was so much!), 3 bathrooms plus ground floor loo, steel structures in kitchen and loft, painted throughout, skips, surveys, party wall fees etc etc etc for around £350k. I think £250 is on the low side but possibly doable without extension or loft and forgoing furniture and blinds. We moved out for 6 months and our builders were super fast. Spent 3 months fiddling waiting for party wall agreements to be signed and steel to arrive. You need motivated builders though. I've attached a photo of the moment you realise you're at the mercy of the builders. Oh and insuring the unoccupied, uninhabitable property was a mission as well. Worth it though!

Do it, at the price! It's not that far from Brixton, you can the bus straight there.

The commute to South Ken from Streatham will be hideous and totally unfair on your kids! I think you'd be mad to take it on in that location ( I've lived to Tooting Bec all my life so know the area well)

Having just completed a renovation I would have a really close look at the roof, fireplaces, plaster and timbers all of which could be unexpected high costs. Our house needed the chimneys lining and significant adaptation to the fireplaces to make them safe.

There's a lot of wood panelling there, difficult to see what condition it's in but if you intend to keep it and restoration is required, joinery tends to be quite expensive.

Find out if it has ever been rewired. Modernising the electrics is a dirty dusty job that involves ripping up floorboards, ceilings and channelling into walls.

The plumbing may be antiquated and need new pipework, radiators, boiler etc.

We rented whilst the work was being done, we couldn't have lived in it, the dust and disruption was unbelievable.

It seems very expensive for a house that needs a lot doing to it in an area that is inconvenient for schools etc. If it was better located for you maybe go for it otherwise I would probably proceed with caution tbh.

why on earth would you live there but send your kids to school in South Ken?!! The house is lovely and a fabulous project but the kids will spend hours per day on the school commute - however they do it.

And unless you've had an offer accepted then you may find yourself too late by Wednesday or in a bidding war. Fixer uppers under a million in SW London are like hens teeth. With that square footage and garden size even more so.

Try doing the school commute (at the appropriate time) whilst you are over on the visit.

It's crazy to live there for schools in south Ken. If it's a private school thing, there are plenty of good ones much closer in Dulwich. Also suspicious about the price. Sure, it's not Brixton, but it's still a nice area and that's extremely cheap even given the work needed.

Great space for the money but I agree re getting to S Ken
I'd think £250k enough but you need a survey really and it all depends on finishes etc as to final cost. It'll be bought by a developer I bet.

It's absolutely lovely but I think location is more important.

Commute for school to Sth Ken from there?
Have you actually driven on those roads during rush hours?
IMHO that would be close to 1 hour in the morning on a good day.

For Streatham, the size, structure, amaze balls garden etc it seems cheap. (Ridiculous I know!). I say this only because Granny had a standard terrace house in Fulham (no garden as such, 3 bedrooms (2 double) upstairs kitchen, through lounge, that she and Gramps bought maybe 50 years before, Granny sold it completely unmodernised for a million quid (total madness) 6 years ago. Re the house you're interested in wonder how much in excess they are thinking of in terms of the price. See if you can get a builder and or architect to go and see it with you and give you a round about price. You could have an amazing refurbishment, especially with it having a 3 room cellarage!!! I'd also advise checking any type of new developments nearby including rail routes (could explain why so cheap). Good luck! It could be a dream house looking at the layout!! 👍

Windows – 100k!?
Jajajiffy – that is a scary photo – how did you find your builders?

Yes I know the commute would be a bit of a nightmare but I think it would be do-able in under and hour. I'd drop DH off with the kids at Streatham Common Station (or West Norwood, depending on where the least traffic was going into) and then it's about 17 mins into Victoria, and then another 15 mins or so to the school from there (via 2 stops on the tube - the school is the Lycee right next to the tube station). If we went from Brixton tube it would be quicker (and you'd get a seat with the kids as it's the end of the Vic line) and you'd already be on the underground so no getting stuck behind the closed gates at Victoria when it's over-crowded - but then I can't buy this house in Brixton!

So that's what DH and I have been discussing - the house we buy now will be the one which lasts us until the kids leave school - so we want it to be a big lovely place for them to grow up in (they are 7, 6 and 4) and this looks like it would be a fab place for them to kick about. But then I think they will probably love us more for living in Brixton when they are 16/17!

I know the area well as we already have a house in Streatham - which is why we wanted to move to Brixton! But it does look lovely.

I shall go and see it on Weds if it is still available. I am seeing 3 others in Brixton at the same time, but no where near as big as this. One is another do-er upper but is already at the top of our budget!