How much would this flat cost to refurbish.

[onthefencesitter]

it has 3 bedrooms, 2 receptions. I am viewing it today. It is owned by an elderly couple who have moved to their new property so it is now empty. I know I need to get a surveyor to see for sure, but based on the experience of mumsnetters, how much would it take to make the property a decent liveable space (not high spec or like anything in interiors magazine).

Thanks.

more pics

How long is a piece of string?

I could live in that as it is, except for getting the carpet out of the bathroom and putting a cheap bit of Lino in. Get rid of living room lights. Kitchen looks fine. Maybe wait a few years to put a new one in. So, what can you live with and what can you not live with?

It depends where you are in the country and how much you are willing to do yourself.

Are you also factoring in furniture? There's a huge range there from Heals to eBay!

we are really not handy at all! We are in London. Our current property was 'spruced up' by the owner who was a BTL landlord and so we never did anything to it. For my first property, I never considered a doer upper as there were plenty of ok looking 2 bedroom flats but bigger flats are far more scarce and a lot of them are owned by old people (who have not done anything in ages).

We are bringing our current furniture?

For my current flat we spent £2k on furniture- muji, ikea, made, perhaps more as we didn't buy all in one go. we wouldn't need to fill out all the rooms as we are only two people; at the minimum we need a bedroom and a lounge but anything other than that, we can wait.

Hey OP.

It depends to what extent you're wanting to do.

You might need a re-wire, in which case you'd then need a plasterer. You might not need a rewire and be able to just cosmetically decorate.

Some people would probably spend tens of thousands doing it, others wouldn't spend much at all x

More important is to have the electrics checked and the boiler. Age and condition of boiler, replacement cost cutoff be £2000 plus. Rewiring could be a few £1000. There probably aren't enough sockets for example.

These two things should be done (if necessary) before cosmetic refurbishment is begun.

I think it's a lovely flat. If allowed I would knock the kitchen and living room together and have the dining room as a second lounge. It could be improved by a second bathroom or at least toilet. Possibly by taking a section off the bedroom next to the bathroom or making it into a utility room (washing and drying) with toilet/shower.

Yep, it might need a rewire. Do you know anything about the heating system? Some of the rooms might need re-plastering.

Also, is it leasehold or share of freehold? If the former, how many years are left on the lease and would you need to budget for an extension? Is there a sink fund for repairs to the block and are any anticipated, eg new roof or windows?

If everything is cosmetic and it needs decorating, a new kitchen, bathroom and flooring - well. Huge range of variables. I reckon a kitchen that size you could probably do for about £10k or even less if you used somewhere like DIY Kitchens. Bathrooms I don’t know about.

Decorating - the last bedroom we did ourselves, the materials cost around £200 for Dulux paint and sealant/filler, etc.

The last bedroom we carpeted cost under £400 including underlay and fitting. (Medium quality carpet)

We’re about to get LVT flooring and are expecting to pay about £70 per square metre including fitting.

Its share of freehold.

It appears to be completely liveable in and nothing obvious needs doing.
That means that anything you do and any financial choices you make are up to you.
This predisposes rewiring/ damp/ services/ boiler are in working order.
Painting and decorating does not require much skill and is cheap.
Second hand furniture is also easily acquired and very good value.
I would want to update the bathroom, paint and floors/ blinds but none of those would be urgent.

I'd get the bathroom done first. Tiles on floor and walls, larger shower. Probably £4k. I could live with kitchen for a while. New carpets in lounge and bedrooms £2.5k. I would do those things straight away then do out rest a bit at a time

Looks to be pretty spacious and has a good layout. If you want to replace the bathroom and kitchen at some point both rooms are fully tiled meaning it's likely some replastering will be needed. You'll probably want more sockets - one of the photos shows a cable of some sort on the floor under the radiator.

This. The kitchen’s fine and I’d be in no hurry to replace it. I’d want to do the bathroom more urgently but it’s still liveable. Nice flat.

It’s an expensive location. You want to do it properly, I would want 25-30k to get it up to a reasonable standard for the area

Well, the entire area is run by a trust and every property in it (flat or house) needs to get planning permission to change the exterior. this includes installing double glazing. apparently the double glazing that is allowed is more expensive...

I really liked the property when I viewed it. the photos don't do it justice and it honestly looks well looked after. the bathroom carpet definitely needs to go.

Mumsnet is obsessed with rewires. It’s highly unlikely to need one, check for:

Persistent burning smell. .
Scorched or discoloured sockets or switches. ...
Fuses blow repeatedly. ...
Flickering or dimming lights. ...
Electric shocks. ...
Hanging sockets. ...

none of that and it doesn’t need a rewire

I know the area. I think it’s a brilliant flat and a great price.

By my standards, it is perfectly liveable as is.

DH and I decided to take no loans, no mortgage extension for what we considered non-essential costs. Boiler, wiring, window repairs we'd deem essential. Decor is cosmetic, and whilst we've changed some carpets and painted some walls, we still have previous owners bathrooms and kitchen. I prefer financial security.

I definitely agree with a PP regarding knocking kitchen and reception 1 together and creating an ensuite somewhere. These are big costs that you save for and then do with plenty of time for planning.

Good luck OP. I hope the viewing went well. I think it's a great flat, perfectly liveable for now and, with time and money, could be really amazing. You can't buy space, views or easy parking afterwards so I'd prioritise things like that.

As people have already said the most important is the safety aspect first: make sure you budget to have the wiring checked and also the boiler/central heating.

Then I would definitely get rid of the carpets in all the rooms. Give the flat a good clean before you move in and you can do some of the painting yourself if you think the walls need refreshing.

After that you can plan changes to the layout in the future when you have the money to do it and improve the bathroom/kitchen but it looks perfectly liveable as it is.

I think it looks well maintained. It is a little dated but bungalows often are. I love bungalows.

I think you could get things done over time.

Pull up the carpets (there might be decent floorboards) and some paint in the walls. When you can you can do up the rest. I reckon about £25k for kitchen, bathroom and flooring.

Apologies it's an apartment! I'm obcessed with bungalows!

Bless I bet the owners were really proud when they got it done, makes you wonder if in 30-40 years, people will be posting about redundant kitchen extensions and awful grey decors.

It's a great flat. Spacious and light. I don't think you need to do anything urgently. You could even live with the bathroom if you get a new bath panel and new flooring. You could paint the kitchen cabinets too if you wanted. New light fittings, paint, window dressings (blind) and new flooring and it would look fab. You could do a lot with £5k
Obviously check boiler and electrics

That is already starting to happen with conservatories as well!