Period property full house renovation - who wants to place a bet?

[Labraradabrador]

meeting with builders this week to discuss budgets, and I promise to update once we get the quotes. Trying to mentally prepare myself- what would you expect this to cost:

Grade 2 listed 6 bed detached stone house in the SouthWest, approx. 4,000 sqft. We have received planning permission, and have had full structural review by an engineer that confirms everything in good shape (as much as possible to tell). We have not yet had electrics fully tested - we think they were updated early 90s, but not sure and this is a bit of an unknown.

on the list:

• full decorative refurb of whole house (remove carpets and refinish underlying wood floors, remove wallpaper, paint, new doorknobs, light fixtures, etc.)
• new cast iron radiators in most rooms - this might get reduced depending on budget
• add wall lighting to two rooms (so presumably also replastering)
• Full refit of kitchen and 3 bathrooms - aiming for higher level of finish without going bonkers on brand name fittings
• some minor internal changes - combining a couple of small rooms and removing a staircase, moving location of one bathroom.
• open up 2 fireplaces and install log burners
• some windows could use a light refurb - debating whether to get fancy secondary glazing that will fit the existing frames, but depends on budgets.

so how much will this hurt? Obviously we had discussed budgets before we bought, but in the 2 years since everything has gone bonkers. I’m also not sure how much I trust the architect’s budget sense anyways.

would also warmly welcome any recommendations on suppliers if anyone has refurbed a period property recently.

excited but terrified to hear responses…

Sorry bit confused with the “additions”!

@withthehammer is correct, and as mentioned previously the changes we had approved eliminate modifications introduced in the 80s. As @withthehammer did, we also engaged an architectural historian to help inform our proposals, facilitate an informal early assessment of a rough proposal by the planners, and then write a detailed heritage statement rationalising our proposals. There was some minor feedback in the informal review which we incorporated, but everything was well received. Not sure if it was all necessary, but I think hiring a respected advisor helped demonstrate we understood the history of the building and recognised its importance.

Although the process took time, it was all very straightforward, and we generally found the planners to be very open minded and helpful. I do think it can be a bit of a lottery though depending on where you live and who you are working with.

Really think you are going to get murdered on prices by handing it over to a construction company to manage all the trades.

Ive refurbished period buildings not much smaller than yours for a lot less than 50% of the sums being discussed here. Im sure the construction company will do an excellent job but effectively you have to pay their project management salaries, overheads, profits, VAT, Corporation tax etc and that is extremely expensive, particularly if you want someone you rate to do it.

If you have sufficient income that you think 150-200k of post tax income can spent on a cost you can avoid and are happy to absorb that cost then crack on.

open up 2 fireplaces and install log burners

Philistine!

@Dorisbonson I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here.
It’s the only way people are coming in with 400-500k estimates.

Wrong.

Different finishes. The difference is down to whether you use Homebase own brand electric shower OR Aqualisa premium brand. Whether you have underfloor heating throughout and then use engineered wood, Amtico and wool carpets or laminate from carpet right

but what the OP needs doing, even if you go with the Homebase and carpet right option and manages herself… won’t do for under £250k

I suspect @Dorisbonson and @C4tastrophe that when you last did a huge reno it was before Brexit? Before the pandemic?

A long time ago. But 2 guys can strip old plaster off and replaster a room in 2 days. A tiler can do a bathroom in 2 or 3 days. A pair of electricians can rewire a house in 7 to 10 days.
Getting to 400k takes a lot of effort when the building is there already.
But anyway, we’ll soon be getting the quotes in off the OP.
I agree with Doris, if you use a big contractor you’re in for well over 100k just for the site manager.

A long time ago

as expected

Okay so going through your list again, I'm betting it will be less - maybe around £200k

-floor sanding by a company specialising in period floorboards - I've just been quoted £22 per m2. We are hoping to oil or lacquer it ourselves to save money. However c. £40 per m2 to refinish it totally
-stripping multiple layers of wallpaper and cladding and awful lining on walls and ceilings - we are in process of having this done for £450 per room. This includes filling and lining the walls that are okay (don't know if you can do that in listed?). I'm waiting on a quote for wall repair and reskimming so don't know that cost yet.

• electrics have come in less than we thought - new fuse boards needed etc, quite a bit or rewiring. £7 k ish plus lights and sockets and switches etc. I've spent about £5k on those, a lot bought in sales. Still need to get a few more.
• radiators we decided traditional style columns in the end, and that will be about £4.5 k for all radiators, valves, fitting etc. Plumber is £300 a day incl VAT, and has fit four a day
• replacing our staircase - £2.5k for a new one in oak, £2k to fit it
• reclaimed fireplaces - £2k per fireplace
• HMKOC large kitchen - £10k for the cabinets, it will come in at about £25 k with fitting appliances and quartz
• bathrooms - we are doing three and a downstairs cloakroom, the labour quotes have come in at £5.5 k per bathroom, including the tiling and layout changes. I'll source the fittings. Expecting around £9k per bathroom all in.
• skips - expecting about £2k (£330 per 12y skip)

Last time I used a company that managed everything, and it was easier but cost a lot. This time we are doing a lot of the sourcing of and arranging trades ourselves, and getting quotes etc. Trades have recommended other trades, so that's been good.

We are doing a lot of steel work however and that's the bit I'm very nervous about the cost of.

It's exciting good luck and please do come back and update!

Also extra stuff to think of in an older house - asbestos full survey (£700) and removal of asbestos £2k, plus £200 for the air quality test afterwards. Glad we've got this done and our trades have wanted confirmation of it.

We are doing a lot of steel work however and that's the bit I'm very nervous about the cost of.

dp you have any idea what this will come in at ?

No I think this will be hugely expensive, but this is coming in under the extension works and I'm waiting for the building regs drawings

.

Sorry to butt in on your thread OP (but there are clearly knowledgeable people here...).
I'm in a 2250 sq ft Victorian sandstone detached 4 bed in Scotland. There is NO insulation at all (original slate roof in poor condition, 60cm sandstone walls with original lathe & plaster).
Not listed nor on a conservation area. Because I am on certain benefits & the house is a (lowest level of) E on an EPC I can get help. But I've had 3 firms around & they all want to stick modern insulated plasterboard on internal walls, plus room in roof. Will this cause long term issues? I have no money, my utilities are high & we are freezing so I'm minded to accept free help but, apart from the fact they will wreck period features will it cause longer term problems too?
If anyone would be kind enough to pm me rather than derail OP's thread I'd be grateful.
OP your project (& budget) sounds both terrifying & amazing. Good luck x

@medianewbie I think that warrants a thread of its own, internal insulation for Victorian house. Personally I don't think it's a good idea, and it can cause real problems in the future if poorly done. So it needs to be done well with proper ventilation and heating otherwise I think you just end up hiding a problem. www.heritage-house.org/stuff-about-old-buildings/insulation/internal-insulation-to-old-house-walls.html

You probably need to fix your roof first!

@C4tastrophe I think you haven't taken account of the massive change in material prices over the past few years it's having a huge impact on projects especially projects on listed buildings as you can't swap things out easily and make different choices, if availability or costs are too high.
Last year the construction industry faced average material price rises of 60% on top of the price rises of the year before. Labour rates went up too but only by about 15% and that's a lot to do with fuel, energy & plant hire costs rather than loads of profit.
I think there are some wild estimates here but I wouldn't be surprised at it coming in fairly high.
From 20yrs+ of experience in the industry, having a good main contractor will not necessarily cost loads more for most people, the saving is usually people putting in hours and hours of their own time and not factoring in the cost of that (there is a cost even if you don't acknowledge it) and also not acknowledging that they will make mistakes along the way which often they will live with or not account for the costs of rectifying.
Not all main contractors are good and that is another problem, as is the shortage of available and good tradesmen at the moment.

@BarrelOfOtters I would if I could but I have no money, hence qualifying for 'free Govt help'. To get a new boiler you have to accept IWI & RIR insulation. I'm worried about damaging the house (either way - cold & damp vs lined with plastic & sweating)

And you think the OP will be around the £200k mark?

@Whatislove82 I don't think she is doing an extension?

Anyway it's just a guess based on the quotes I've had in the last month or so. I'd be interested in seeing what it comes out as

No extension but how big is yours? And hers is listed and also removing and replacing a staircase

Yes
me too!

Although Op should add on 30% to whatever they say!

@Whatislove82 it's just a guess! I'm
Removing and replacing a staircase also. The point of the thread was to have a guess at how much they might be. That's my guess, you have had yours

I'd guess around 185k mark