What does 'in need of modernisation' actually mean?

[mumarooni]

Hello. FTB here, looking at houses on Rightmove and wondering what sort of work is meant when adverts say in need of modernisation. Does this mean redecorating, or re-roofing?! Or what in between? Love to hear from anybody who bought a house that said this and what it involved (and a ballpark sense of costs would be so interesting if anyone feels able to share). As you guys probably like to see houses...here is the sort of thing I am looking at...www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/128235044#/?channel=RES_BUY

That needs electrics plumbing damp and possibly new roof or roof repairs before you look at new kitchen and bathroom. I’d check the sewage pipes for good measure.

Guttering needs replacing aswel

It can mean anything from cosmetic work to a full renovation!

The house looks like a great home for someone. Realistically that looks liveable but it depends on your comfort/risk levels. To fully modernise it, the house prob needs a rewire but
the current owners are probably happily living with the electrics as they are. Possibly upgrade the heating system, radiators, insulate. A new kitchen, bathrooms. Maybe new windows. Haven’t looked at the roof…

This realistically doesn’t need to be done in one go or at all, you could move it and be happy with a bit of paint, or want to go the whole hog and renovate completely- it’s so variable between homeowners.

good luck on your house search!

It means the house will need renovation, and make sure you get a detailed survey done.

Generically, I'd expect it needs central heating upgrades, new kitchen, wall paper, bath room units.

House in OP's link has a sorry kitchen, needs new flooring (they pulled up horrible carpets looks like), a cooker... WTF is the green stuff on bathroom window? I agree with PP who have suspicions about wiring & roof/guttering.

£5k-£20k for work on house in OP's link. Really depends if you could live a while with that bathroom & kitchen & if there are major problems that pictures can't show, such as boiler that has died. £5k to add flooring through out would be good price.

It’s a deliberately vague term which can mean anything but is frequently used to try and give the impression that a house that probably needs knocking down and rebuilding, could just do with a lick of paint.

Woah you think? I am doing a similar project in south west England, no roof needed but everything else and I am looking at 60k costs

Thanks for so many quick replies! Really helpful and interesting.

We bought a house needing renovation, so long ago now that to give costs, if I could remember, would be pointless. What we did do was pay for two surveys, one for the mortgage by the lender then an independent surveyor. This uncovered unseen horrors, think woodworm, asbestos, mix of lead and copper pipes, brickwork needing repointing etc. We then re negotiated the price with the seller because of all the extra work. That survey was worth every penny. Still live here 30 years later.
The house you showed on Rightmove needs loads of work but once done would be amazing.

It usually means it needs stuff like rewiring, new kitchen /bathroom/dg windows etc. Very often, the place is still habitable so you could move in and live in it while doing it up.

Means:
It's not tastefully painted in shades of grey
The kitchen is functional but again is wood finish cupboard doors from 20-30 years ago, and not grey
The bathroom is functional but hasn't the latest rainfall or power shower and you have to step up into it.
The paint is 'shades of white' rather than feature walls and Farrow & Ball.

My advice is always get a full structural survey. Make sure it doesn't have expensive stuff needs doing eg damp or rot/need re-roofing/need rewiring/doesn't have subsidence. Paint colour or kitchen cupboard finish is neither here nor there as you can repaint or change out doors very cheaply. Look at what the energy rating is - can you easily improve the loft insulation and use thermal curtains to keep costs down - or does it need double glazing? Is the boiler modern and functioning well or will that need replacing?

That loo is very dodgy, for a start. And why have they taken the cooker away?

Anything from re wiring , new kitchen , bathroom , CH system to more structural stuff like a new roof or more . However it could be perfectly habital while you do the work .
A full structural survey will advise and obviously things you don’t want to see are major damp issues or subsidence that’s ongoing and requires underpinning

You will need a survey. Our house was advertised as 'in need of modernisation' and it basically needed taking back to the brick and redoing everything that was made out of wood, as it had rotted away (beams, joists, floorboards, windows), replumbing, new boiler and rads, rewiring, replastering, new kitchen, new bathrooms, roof repairs, new gutters and downpipes. It cost about 800 pounds/squaremeter. I would budget between 500 to 1000 pounds/squaremeter for a back to brick renovation, depending on what standard you go after, whether it's self managed or you use a contractor and project manager, and whether it's listed/needs traditional materials like limeplaster.

The green stuff is a tree in the garden

It appears from the photos that the roof & chimney stack may well be ok, and assuming it has never been flooded out and the damp course is fine, then there probably isn't anything horrible like dry rot. You'd need to check one of the exterior wall, as it looks like it has had some patchy repointing.

Since it says modernisation rather than renovation I'd guess it needs rewiring, new windows and doors, new central heating, new kitchen and bathroom, and completely redecorating everywhere else. All of which you could do over a longish period. Get the place rewired first though.

Loving the period fireplaces, and what could be a fantastic garden.

www.buzzfeed.com/tomphillips/what-estate-agents-say-vs-what-they-really-mean

Here you go

The windows appear to be newish and double glazed, and the roof tiles look ok but a lot of the wiring is pinned in trunking down the outside of the plaster so work will probably include:

Some additional wiring
Channelling in & replastering
check/add loft insulation
New kitchen
new bathroom and new loo
New ceiling (kitchen)
Redecoration throughout
Check floorboards
Reflooring and/or recarpeting throughout

£60-£80k assuming the survey doesn't show up anything disastrous.

Outside, complete makeover of garden, check drainage and oil tank.
At least another £5k.

I'm on my fourth 'requires modernisation'. It always costs more than you expect. 🙂

My sister recently bought a house like this - bought both semis and knocked through to one house.

Old farm cottage being sold off. Room sizes small. Landowner on all 3 sides probably rents out the other semi to relatives. Likely solid brick walls, cold as the grave, I would say you are looking at full rewiring, damp treatment, new heating, insulation and replastering, kitchen, bathroom as well as sorting out the garden. Roof doesn't look too good and part of the kitchen ceiling is coming down. Nice wide floorboards and fireplaces.

You would definitely need a full structural survey, and quotes from a builder. I'd say £50k plus to get it habitable and warm with basic finishes.

Modernisation is cosmetic imo. Think of decently maintained house with decor tastes from 30 yrs ago.

That house in the link needs a full renovation. You will start to modernise it and various tradesmen will uncover all sorts of structural faults. It looks like a money pit unless you are closely related a builder.

Looking at the picture 16, there is a developer’s sign opposite, and looking at picture 17, it seems there will be an extra building plot to the side of the house, so what you see as a wide garden, is nothing of the sort.
It also needs a full renovation, a drive, it’s on a main road, there is nothing walkable, and a bus every 2 hours. I don’t see any redeeming features to be honest. It’s rural as there are no nearby amenities, but with none of the rural benefits as it’s on a main road and surrounded by other houses.

It’s a money pit overlooking a B road - not very appealing to me but maybe you like projects and don’t mind living on a B road

'Modernisation' means it needs lots of work and from the photos that'll be a moneypit.

It's an old house-
New kitchen
New bath suite
Re floor
Upgrade heating
Fires may need replacing
Redecorate throughout
Possible mould/damp
Re wiring
Possible new windows/external doors