Please help me make this purchase work

[Howtomakethishappen]

Could anyone recommend Instagram sites / websites that will help me update a potential purchase at a reasonable cost.

My budget is limited because I am retired on a low Income. I have Neptune tastes without an ability to afford anything they offer.

If I am going to buy the house I want I will need to throw everything I have at the purchase price, but even if I get it I will have to replace the Kitchen, Bathroom, knock two rooms into one and replace the boiler / tanks.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Are you willing to post a link? There’s a lot of people on here who know their stuff

@Lastqueenofscotland2 I can’t at the moment.

It is at best and final stage with masses of competition. Would hate to upset the vendor by linking her property on MN.

I am really looking for Kitchen / Bathroom ideas that I can copy.

perhaps look for 2nd hand bath stuff & kitchens on ebay

I’d suggest you throw everything at the purchase price but reconcile yourself with the fact that you’ll have to do the work gradually. Having been in a similar position my advice would be:

• if it works and you don’t actually hate it, leave it alone;


• try to live with what you can for a bit before you change it;


• focus on the basics, like roof, windows, electrics and plumbing/ heating;


• but do allow yourself a bit of “tarting up” (painting/ new vinyl on floor etc) in the areas you use most, even if you think you’ll need to change it eventually.

Frenchic paint is amazing for a reasonably cheap short-ish term revamp of kitchens, and if the kitchen is good quality it’s actually a better idea than replacing with something of inferior quality but which looks better. That said if you really do need to replace quite a few places will do interest free credit for a year- for example Wickes. Also join local buying and selling groups and look on eBay- you can get seconds etc for a really good price. But basically focus on getting the place and then do the work over time- if you love the house it will be worth it.

There was an article on one of the sunshine papers about this.

Secondhand kitchens was the thing I remember! I'll see if I can find it !

Hi

you're retired & on a low income.

we're going in (are in) a recession. Tread carefully putting 'everything in' to this house right now as prices may come down & you don't want to have significantly over paid.

Is this house somewhere you would want/be able to live for the rest of your life? If it's not, definitely don't do it.

then you have to sort NEED from WANT. & prioritise. (I did my bathroom first because it was horrible & although it was 'useable' in that it had a functioning toilet & running water, it didn't have a decent shower OR daylight. So I prioritised a new bathroom & a skylight. I LOVE it & it's been done several years now. The kitchen is still waiting! Though that's been delayed, this time, by covid, previously surgery etc etc. i wish I'd been able to do it earlier as it's going to cost a LOT more now (installation, appliances, tiles etc. the basic units from DIY kitchens I don't think is much more)

knocking the rooms together might not be expensive (if not load baring) but could be if it needs steels etc. if it's something terribly important to you, you should have found out before best & final.

there was a thread here recently about bathroom prices. Obviously labour costs vary enormously depending if you have family/friends who can help you install it or if you need to pay someone to do it & where you live.

but the bathroom suite itself depends on shopping around & how fussy you are. I knew exactly what I wanted & spent ages looking to get the pieces individually but others are happy to buy a second hand suite for £500.( less if you can find one about to be skipped) or around £700 for a new one (in a dated style).

my kitchen cabinets are going to come from DIY kitchens. The actual company not the bit of B&Q). I have researched a LOT & have found them to be, by far, the best quality for money.

ikea are good & I do like some of theirs, but unless you have family/friend that's skilled & patient to do it fir you, it'll cost you a LOT more for a tradesperson you fit it (no recess at the back of the cupboards so they need to have bits cut out for pipes etc.

Dont forget to check for access to bus routes/shops/Drs etc (even if you currently drive).

house buying in Retirement, especially alone & when you don't have bundles of money can be very emotionally difficult as it's all about winding down your life, not planning for the exciting things, like having a family or using it as a pad while you travel.

I'm in the process & it's really taking a toll on me. Before the CoL & talk of recession etc. Before an accident I had last year, I was looking at different properties, (the Accident really showed me what was important to have near me, bus link to hospital for rehab as I couldn't drive, Drs in walking distance, shops, chemist near by etc etc). I love my place now, previously I was looking for more garden & more living space, but now I'm looking for other things. more suitable for retirement.

sorry lots of waffle, but I hope it helps you in some small way.

best of luck.

There are sites that give you rough estimates for standard jobs. I generally use this one
householdquotes.co.uk/home-improvements-price-guide/
To get a rough idea.
But these are only averages for bog standard jobs; you have to allow for contingencies, such as unforseen problems cropping up when you strip the area to do the work. I tend to spec very high, and I employ the best people I can find and they will always be expensive, so I expect jobs to cost me half as much again at least. An extreme example- I'm in a cheap area of the UK, and currently my quote for a board out and (fairly complex) replaster of a large room, including a new pantry, is more than double what that site suggests for the most expensive part of the UK, even though it doesn't include the battening, which we have done ourselves. This is a lot due to us choosing to use insulated boards on the outside walls, which cost over 4.5x as much as standard ones, and using a top notch plasterer. So you have to consider whether the job you want done is 'average'- if not, you need to up the estimates realistically.
They don't seem to do estimates for bathrooms, for some reason. I'd like to get some estimates for that myself because ours in our doer-upper is '1970s Horrible' in style.

Thank you @JugglingJanuary

There is a lot of food for thought there. And it is strangely comforting to know that I am not alone with these challenges.

i have had my offer accepted and now have to really think through what I have to do and how to reduce the costs on each and every aspect of this project.

The bones of the house are sound, it is the internal layout that needs attention However, I hope this will be my last home so I have time to get it right.

Thats really interesting input @Heronwatcher, also food for thought. Thank you

I think bathrooms are where I will have the biggest issues @BlueMongoose . Have tried in vain over the years to get fitters to quote and from talking to friends the quotes often bear no resemblance to the actual cost.

i have a good sparky as long as I will wait for him and a builder who is very good on roofs, stonework etc, but plumbers 😱😱😱

I would be really interested in that @RiverSkater , if you come across it. Thank you

@Howtomakethishappen

very exciting you've had your offer accepted!! 🥂🍾

you're definitely not alone x

In part I agree with @Heronwatcher (as I said in my post, prioritise etc) but I think once you've retired you need to look at things a bit differently, (unless you have a lot of income coming in from investments etc). Doing things now or gradually doesn't really make any difference because your out of money is fixed and it's often more economical to get more done at once & the price of materials is rising. It's different when you're younger and work & have money coming in & the potential to earn more.

I hope you're excited, you should be!!😊

Throw everything at the purchase.

Only do essentials immediately, everything else can wait (for years, if need be).

If you haven't already, get yourself a well stocked tool kit and drill, and make friends with YouTube, so you learn how to do lots of easy DIY jobs yourself.

When I bought my house I got my bathroom suite and tiles from B&Q and hired a plumber to fit. Like for like replacement in terms of positioning of everything except shower over bath added. Cost £1100 all in. I was going to replace the kitchen units but they were actually very good quality so I kept them and replaced tiles, flooring, worktops and sink and removed the wood panelling from the roof, overboarded the ceiling and plastered, total cost £500 and it looked like a totally different house. Doors in the house were awful mahogany look stripey things, I just painted them white. Work with what you have where you can.

@Starseeking

But when you're retired, what are you waiting for?, unless you win the lottery or have money coming in from investments, you've got what you've got! You're not getting a pay rise or waiting until you're not paying for childcare etc. all you're doing is living in a place that needs doing, watching your money devalue as prices rise.

Exdisplay kitchens and bathrooms from showrooms can be found on eBay

@Itreallyistimetogo
Might depend where you live I guess. Wouldn't get even a like for like bathroom fitting for £1100 here, let alone the suite as well!!

Yep and from other websites.

but when you're living alone & a bit older, dismantling them, collecting them & disposing of the additional bits & pieces, is difficult & expensive (hiring vehicles & labour). I know it doesn't seem like a big deal & up to late 40's & before my accident last year, I would have been up for it, even on my own. You don't realise how 10-20 years can make such a big difference! But sadly it does. Plus things, like knees, can 'go' fairly quickly!!