Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Tell me about your money pit.....

25 replies

fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 18:26

I remember seeing a similar thread when we were purchasing said money pit and really enjoyed hearing other people’s experiences about completely renovating a property.
Ours is a Victorian smallholding and we bought it from the descendants of the people who built it in the 1860s. It was love at first sight but we knew it would be hard work. Judging by the (scary) surveys it’s probably never seen a professional builder in its lifetime and was neglected for decades.
We’ve put on a new roof, guttering, rewired, replumbed and put in new windows. I’ve learned pointing, rendering and plastering! DP and I are doing this alone and on a shoestring so we are upcycling where possible. What people throw out is absurd!!!
But.....there’s always something going wrong!! We are 18 months into the project and it shows no signs of slowing down. Tell me about your money pit and let me know I’m not completely crazy for doing this!!!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
WBWIFE · 14/04/2019 19:00

Oooo have you an Instagram home account for it?

AwkwardPaws27 · 14/04/2019 19:01

Ours didn't even look like a money pit. Very good photos from the estate agent! Unfortunately we fell in love with it, before realising that the roof, boiler, windows, kitchen, bathroom.... etc needed replacing.

We had the roof replaced straight away, insulated the loft and evicted the pigeons from the roof space. They shit on our car daily as revenge.

The boiler was hoped to last a year or two but packed up in January last year, 6 months after moving in. A variety of fixes were attempted, but it had to be replaced.

We discovered another 15 foot of garden behind the brambles, including a shed with a tree growing through it and a resident family of foxes who are resistant to moving!

Next job is the windows, after which we probably need to borrow more on the mortgage for the bathroom and kitchen. The kitchen isn't horrendous but the floor is crumbling away under the vinyl sheet flooring, and everything had to come out in order to level it. The current fitted kitchen is tired and poor quality, and the laminate worktop is damaged, so it's not really worthwhile putting it back in.

There is a chimney breast removed on the ground floor but not the first floor, which may or may not be properly supported. There's no signs of movement but I should probably get it shored up properly.

We've only fully decorated one room - the master bedroom. When I say decorated, wallpaper was stripped, cast iron fireplace stripped of 20 layers of bright pink paint(!), we replaced the wiring, chased in the light switches, added more sockets, moved the ceiling light (there were two, and they were very wonky), the coving turned out to be polystyrene and the picture rail was glued on so both were replaced, new plaster ceiling rose (well, two new ceiling roses, we cracked the first one), shitloads of filler on walls and ceiling, stripped the skirting and doorframe, replaced the door, lined the walls and painted, and laid new flooring. I envy people who can redecorate by just cracking open a tin of paint Grin

Basically, everything has taken longer and cost more than expected, but I love our house.

fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 19:14

WBWIFE we have loads of photos of every stage but no Instagram. I’d not thought of that!
Awkward our unwanted tenants were jackdaws in the chimney. We put chimney pit covers on, they retaliated by chucking twigs down the chimney. Oh and the rats nest in the roof space (shudder)!!!

OP posts:
fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 19:15

Pot not pit......

OP posts:
WBWIFE · 14/04/2019 19:20

I definitely recommend a home insta account. Many many people with money pit stories there, I love it!!

Mines @bristolbungalow our next project soon will be on there

fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 19:41

Have had a little peek what a beautiful house. Bet you’re excited to get stuck in!!!! Smile

OP posts:
WBWIFE · 14/04/2019 20:26

Very excited, hoping to exchange this week and move next week!

Maybe shell become a money pit but I love her. Yes the bungalow is a she Grin

RangerLady · 14/04/2019 20:48

Ooh lovely. Me too. 18th c cottage though an old house expert gas told us our 6ft wide inglenook is 16th c.

Moved in Jan. Roof currently being stripped and retiled. Many sparrows angrily evicted so far. Much internal plaster has fallen down with the banging. Re plumb to get rid of microbore pipes which are.not working properly starts next week. Have been exposing some of the concrete (yes hideously bad for timber framed house I know) today and some looks a.little damp.... eeek

Then many windows need repair or replace. Lots of internal plastering to do, some in.lime. all new carpets needed. Shower room to 're do
We have 55k. I'm sure I'll be horrified how quickly it goes.

@thecottagewithablue_door
L

RangerLady · 14/04/2019 20:49

Oh I forgot the flue needs replacing too Grin

boredboredboredboredbored · 14/04/2019 21:07

Here's mine from 18 months ago. Complete reno top to bottom. My first house post divorce so renovated without any partner. Moved in after 3 months but there's always something to do. I love it though and it's been so worth the slog!

Tell me about your money pit.....
Tell me about your money pit.....
Tell me about your money pit.....
fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 21:09

ranger it’s scary when you uncover stuff isn’t it? Some is good...like when we pulled off a hideous fake fire and layers of blown plaster to reveal a beautiful Victorian red brick hearth. Not so good were the rotting floorboards which are now being replaced as we speak....

Tell me about your money pit.....
OP posts:
fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 21:10

bored that looks like a fab project......good luck

OP posts:
MyKingdomForBrie · 14/04/2019 21:14

I have cracks, big cracks. Had a structural survey, he found nothing, no movement. I'm telling myself it's just that the sellers did a quick skim over the 100 year old plaster but.. I can't shake a bad feeling Sad

it would be a money pit if we had a penny to spare, needs rewire re plaster re plumb..

fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 21:15

I need a house Instagram account!!! More photos.....

Tell me about your money pit.....
Tell me about your money pit.....
Tell me about your money pit.....
OP posts:
fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 21:19

my kingdom i think it’s possible it’s just the plaster cracking especially if they used modern gypsum plaster over lime.....serious movement would def show up on the survey.

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 14/04/2019 21:49

Come join us on Instagram - there's loads of money pit slaves owners.
I'm @edwardian_home1907

fedupslummymummy · 14/04/2019 22:03

Fabulous photos Awkward

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 14/04/2019 22:07

Thanks Smile I've found a really nice community of renovators on there - and it's nice to be able to keep a record of progress!

imabusybee · 14/04/2019 22:11

Grin my people. We moved into our 5 bed end of terrace 3 months ago and have made a lot of progress already but SO MUCH still to do! Plastering is something I've always outsourced but if it's worth learning and I could do a decent job I might give it a go... how hard is it to learn ?

We're @houseofhudsons on Instagram

MyKingdomForBrie · 15/04/2019 11:02

They definitely did do that. I felt sure after the survey that it was just that but a plasterer came to look and said he was certain there was movement so now I don't know again! The ceilings are so high too it's really expensive even to just have a ceiling boarded over and plastered (two collapses so far..!)

I'm so impressed with all you self builders! I wouldn't have a clue where to start.

Renovirgin2018 · 15/04/2019 11:54

We have recently bought a 1930s semi. We knew it needed work but have been blown away by the cost of tradesmen! Also with each one telling us something different so we have no clue who is telling the truth.

We are starting with the central heating system on May 1st and are lining up the other trades for after that. Hopefully there will be plenty of progress from then on.

You can follow our journey on insta @one.over.three

IMissGin · 15/04/2019 11:59

Us! I fell in love from the outside then realised we needed boiler, electrica, windows, bathroom, kitchen, guttering... everything was a botched diy job and the previous owners cut every corner possible. @manse_makeover on insta

userxx · 15/04/2019 12:48

Wow, I'd love to have the confidence to take something on that needed loads of work. You can really make it your own.

fedupslummymummy · 15/04/2019 19:18

Have loved looking at all your beautiful pics on Instagram.
Have now set up an account: no54bythe_severn

OP posts:
fedupslummymummy · 15/04/2019 19:19

I’ve followed you all as well Grin

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page