2023 reno support thread

[succulentlove]

Hi, just wondering if there are a few of us who are renovating in 2023 / expecting to start this year? Maybe a thread to chat would be nice?

We are maybe 50% of the way there- not extending but doing work on pretty much every surface of the house, adding in lots of glazing, moving the kitchen, removing chimneys etc.. A bit worried if we are spending too much given we are not adding square footage, just making better use of what is already there.

Hope to hear from others on their Reno journeys!

Part way through here, the real biggies are now done, wiring done, drains done, roofs reslated, flat roof changed to pitch, veluxes added, old veluxes replaced, utilities (were in bad places) shifted. Floor joists repaired. Paint stripped off all exterior brick. Loft re-insulated to modern standards. Garden cleared, veg garden made, other garden things done, greenhouse added, new shed. Underfloor almost all cleared out (was full of builder's rubbish and old wiring). Kitchen in and working ( but will have to come out again for new floor in due course so surfaces still cobbled together from old ones). Most old kitchen units scrapped, some retained for utlity room. The big plastering jobs done, though some smaller ones to follow, coving and skirtings fitted where the replastering has been done, and those rooms decorated. Kitchen larder built. Bedroom fitted cupboards ripped out and walls plastered. One rad replaced, 3 more this summer, with luck. All bar one window and all outer doors including patio doors replaced ( that last window goes in next week with luck). Lots of decorating still to do. Conservatory starts this month. To do- lots, including bathroom, shower room, driveway, repointing, laying parquet right through the downstairs.

@BlueMongoose wow you have done loads! I feel tired and also in awe just looking at your list. Thank you for sharing!

Its hard work at the moment i keep buying stuff in anticipation of people doing the work for me then they arent available so my house looks like steptoes yard 🤦‍♀️

Yes please, week 4 for us. I have 2 second hand kitchens and a cooker in the garage. Carpets, old gas fire, fitted bedroom furniture, false wall in bedroom and part of en-suite stripped out. Garden clearance started.

Just booked new doors, new window and making a bay window into door for new kitchen. Waiting for another quote for boiler but if not here at end of week will go ahead with current quote. Electrician coming to quote this week. Meanwhile 2 rooms have been stripped of wallpaper and started to be painted and have new guy starting on decorating today helping a current one. If he is decent he is a plumber by trade but very handy so he will be doing a couple of shower rooms, knocking out larder and fitting kitchen as long as is sensible on pricing .

I’m very lucky that I have two guys who are very hard working and can turn hands to a lot of things who are £130 and £140 a day. No 8 yard skips were available when I needed one, was quoted £320 but worked well as rubbish removal guys did it for £130.

This morning I have messaged someone to quote for enlarging loft hatch and new insulated loft hatch, emailed painting ladies to see how booked they are, emailed tree surgeon, told DH to sort Solar quotes, messaged moving guys to quote to move DD and partner from university back here and am off to meet house clearance guys at my grandparent’s as my Dad lived it and I need to get it cleared for completion early next month.

Yes please, we are hopefully over half way through and started in October, not been living in the house for months which is wearing. Currently putting in ground works for phase 3 extension. Really dominating our lived and big financial pressure, keep on saying it will be worth it in the end! Hoping to move back in next few weeks to inside the house but will still be external building site....

What have people's toughest bits been? It takes over your life and loss of privacy was significant but for me the full house clear and edit was massive, been in house over a decade and a lot to go through with no way to avoid it by just packing everything up and moving house with it. Trying to work out what could go in storeage and what was needed out through winter to summer. Demolised garage so even needed full garden shed clear for paint and fittings. That was a big deal and a good thing to have done and realise not everyone would need to but for me it was a difficult part, glad I have done it though. Only loft which is tricky to get to at moment and greenhouse left to clear in the whole place. Our job went into every single room, replaced stairs and all windows to be changed. One single story and a double extension, lots of utilities work and complete reno including replastering of remainder of house. Don't know anyone doing anything similar at the moment so would love a mumsnet support thread!

You’ve done so well to sort all that @CountryCob . Last renovation which was an extension we bought a new shed rather than clear the old one. Caught up with us when we moved. This time round we are in the incredibly lucky situation of having somewhere to stay with lots of space whilst so being done and having a big garage at new house, also not extending this time.

In a way there isn’t anyway near as much work to be done as before but it’s Edwardian with high ceilings and people keep coming in and saying OMG, so much work to be done and I have to tell myself yes there is but it getting done.

Is anyone scouring Marketplace for things? My kitchen and cooker are second hand and the fireplace in living room will be our old Woodburner from last house with bioethanol insert, a £50 surround plus a granite hearth from a piece that unexpectedly turned up with the kitchen.

@Seaitoverthere thank you, I actually didn't think of a second shed, first shed was full of largely useless things - unlikely veg growing stuff from when had more time etc. We have a local charity for homewares to help people set up so just drove it round there largely. Edwardian reno does sound lovely, ours is a village house of indeterminate age probably around 100 years old and well due some attention. Haven't been looking at marketplace yet but have my eye on a returns style one off house place for furniture and auctions. The hearth for ours is ceramic patio tiles as recommended by fitter, that was a bargain. Unexpected granite sounds like a bonus! Today I have been sorting out waste disposal costs, looking at door position and enjoying the fun of a car based school run when we are used to a 4 min walk. Our mantra should be : it will be worth it in the end. I think our neighbours think we are a bit mad but honestly there weren't many options and location is good. I know what you mean about people commenting there is a lot to do!

We are about a month away from finishing a single storey back extension and a double storey side extension for the garage conversion and ensuite after starting back in January. Our utility is done and a few days ago I was able to move our temporary kitchen out of the hallway into the utility space - it's amazing! There's not much worktop space but considering I've been prepping food on a camping table its luxury! Loads of decoration still to do and the decisions just feel like they're neverending...

@vrouge very good to hear someone coming out the other side of the build! I know what you mean about decisions, before this started I would spend ages with each element especially of fittings, now if something looks OK I don't check all the other options anyone and just get it.

I've found my tribe. We're about a third of the way through so far, every room is unfinished and we have the big expensive things to do.

I am documenting the works on my Instagram account: insta.home2 if you want a nosy.

We bought a 1960s detached 4 bed last year. It's in the perfect location for us and is spacious, we thought it needed a new boiler and a lick of paint but it has turned into a complete renovation, even the shower didn't work properly.

Done:

• new boiler, radiators, pipes and smart controls
• new back door
• new oak internal doors and casings
• stripped wallpaper, blue gritted, plasterboard-ed the ceilings and plastered and then painted the lounge, dining room, hallway, landing and den.
• new white wooden blinds at the front of the house
• loft ladder fitted and loft boarded
• electrics rewired downstairs
• new glass and oak staircase

Being done at the moment:

• rewire upstairs
• stripped wallpaper and decorate DCs bedroom and home office

To do:
Carpets and flooring throughout
Bathroom - it's seriously gross
Kitchen - from the 90s definitely something that Ann Maurice would be proud of.
Our bedroom
New roof
Garden

It's all consuming, time and money and it will be worth it.

@CountryCob the hardest thing for me has been time. We're renovating whilst I'm studying for a degree level professional qualification and working full time from home and have the 2 kids and pets to sort. I also have friends and family complaining they don't see us enough.

@Seaitoverthere I love FB marketplace. I've picked up a mango wood coffee table (£40) that matches an existing side table, it fits perfectly. Finding solid wood furniture in the shops is quite impossible these days, it's full of veneer. I'm on the hunt for a long sideboard for the dining room.

@Instahome2 I do know what you mean about time and think I am being a bit of a house bore when do see people. It takes everything you have though! Am looking forward on one hand to our local auction offerings and on the other in reality am out of storeage, carpets won't be down for months and need to keep rooms clear. The mammoth task of furnishing the house on a budget at the end is quite daunting, itching to get to the good bit though. Had a room plastered today which I love though as cab start to imagine a finished room so much more....

The rewire upstairs has been done, the electrician has to finish 2 sockets in a couple of weeks. We've had the plasterer in DD1's bedroom, I feel for her as she only has a bed in there and she has her Mocks this week, I want to get her room finished ASAP.

@Instahome2 , great progress ! We have one nearly decorated room with another not too far off. Am waiting for electrician to check the system so this is a bit of a gamble that we won’t need a full rewire. We have 300mm loft insulation apparently which was good news.

I’ve decided to live with textured wallpaper on a few ceilings the ceiling as don’t want to be going there on the having to plaster the ceiling front.

May I join in We are about a third of the way through our renovation. We have made a courtyard where our okd oncervatory is, moving the kitchen into what is now our living room to make a kitchen/living space and we will then have a snug in what was the old kitchen. we are using some trades but my DH is also doing a lot of the grunt work
Done
Removed conservatory
Re-render outside walls
Laid pipework/drains for new kitchen
Tiled new courtyard and steps
Painted render and most of brick wall
Installed and painted new door for outhouse
Installed outside lights and sockets
Moved and replaced outside tap
Installed new radiator in what will be new kitchen

To Do
Install kitchen
Electrics for new oven and island
Arrange delivery of new sofa for kitchen
Sell/donate old dining table
Purchase new smaller dining table
Strip out old kitchen
Remove tiles from walls
remove old radiator and replace with the one from the old living room
Install wall lights and reposition sockets
Plaster the old kitchen
Paint
Clean and restore quarry tiles in old kitchen
Purchase large rug and underlay for centre of room
Purchase sofa and new set of covers for existing sofa bed for this room

As long as its all finished by Xmas I'll be happy

The kitchen is being delivered on 8th July so at the moment I am frantically clearing out the living room of things that are no longer needed and trying to find space in our tiny house for stuff we do need but don't have the space for at the moment. The wh upside is we haven't had to go without a kitchen while all this is going on.

@grannycake sounds like you have made loads of progress, I am aiming for Christmas also. Hope the delivery of the kitchen goes well, it completely takes over doesn't it? I was a bit sick of living away out of a box this week but have found some further patience thankfully. Will do our list...

Done
Garage demolished and single storey side extention including new boiler
New staircase and some room configuration downstairs, 3 steel supports taking out chimney and taking down walls
Rewire and heating system in half of house and replaster
Moved utilities and new water tank thing
Emptied house of all possessions bar loft and relocated for almost 3 months now
Replaced 4 windows
Lots of new flooring in downstairs but not all
Demolised old problematic rear extension

To do
Rebuild rear extension double storey
Lay associated drains
Decorate most rooms
Clear and organise loft
Change rest of windows
Landscaping front
Redo garden
Build garage
Line chimney and fit Inset stove
Carpet
Repoint retained frontage/ tidy up
Furnish

Never move again and try to maintain everything as well as possible so never have to do major work again

@Seaitoverthere I hope you don't need a rewire, ours has been brutal. We did it in 2 halves to reduce disruption. The scabby old carpets are even more wrecked having being pulled up so many times.

Thankfully we finished stage 2 a week ago and the plasterer has been in the DCs bedrooms so we are now ready to paint but DHs shifts have ramped up for summer so we shall try to squeeze it in on his days off to get the DCs bedrooms back to normal.

@grannycake you have a lot on, kitchen is a major renovation, hope it goes smoothly. I can't wait for our new kitchen, I haven't quite decided what I want. I keep switching from a white gloss handle less to a navy or cream shaker. What did you choose?

@CountryCob you are doing big building works, how is it going vs the original plan?

It's pretty much on target with cost and stage but that is the family business to do elsewhere. I wasn't as ready for the pace of decisions and change and trade conversions that needs, multiple times a day every day. We are lucky to be able to but have lived in dilapidated conditions- significant leak in garage roof/ damp/ broken doors and gates for years before we got to this stage. I think what helps with that is having a realistic handle on what things cost and how much they take and the order all the trades are in and scheduling them. Making sure workers have materials and work for the day to keep them on the job - this is where the enabling jobs scheduling fits in. Now doing everything in a year, for financial reasons with a remortgaging target and to limit time away from home and for work efficiency. Its pretty busy and hard work, taking shape now but realistically there are months to go of very intense work. I still have animals at the house and in the wider area and school run that way and all but a small amount of our possessions are in storeage. Trying to do lots of decorating ourselves. Work also busy for both of us, don't make any social plans anymore constantly driving around. It will get us what we want in the end though. But short answer is we are on target now despite some set backs as was expecting them and had a realistic timescale, budget and contingency after years of planning and preparation. The pace of building and planning is hard work though

Thanks @Instahome2 . It’s annoying it has taken so long to get electrician out and he is currently away.
@CountryCob that is very full on. We aren’t moving again and will definitely keep on top of maintenance in the future.

New boiler and radiators being started next week. Chimney sweep tomorrow, tree surgeon coming for quote next week and measurements being done for new doors and a some new windows including turning a bay into a door for new kitchen. Wallpaper stripped in 5 rooms so far with 3 painted and hopefully 3 more rooms will be painted by end of next week. I need to plan the kitchen and decide on things for en-suite.

We are very lucky to have several great guys who are all very handy and can do a variety of things including kitchen fitting and plumbing . Currently all on a sensible day rate and each do a few days a week. They are all starting to think about retirement and selective as to what they take on so am very grateful they are happy to work on the house . They all get on well too and it makes for a good working atmosphere.

How is everyone doing? New central heating going into ours at the moment .

We are about 1/2 weeks away from being able to move back into some rooms, lots of painting and a lot of building dirt and dust to clear. We aren't finished so can't put carpets in but have a few finished rooms. Not sure what will do about floor surface but not at that stage yet. End is in sight but still loads to do. Sometimes it really gets to me other days I can see the bigger picture.

@Seaitoverthere we did the boiler and radiators last year. I hope it goes smoother than ours. We moved the boiler from the kitchen to the loft to give a kitchen cupboard back. After fitting the radiators he realised we were on an old one pipe system and needed all new pipes going in. The dust from channelling the walls was horrendous. It was so worth it though, the house was so warm last winter with a fancy smart controller.

@CountryCob Yay to getting closer to the finish line. 🙌

The electrician has finished stage 2 (upstairs) of the rewire, the plasterer has skimmed the DC bedroom walls and ceilings. We've just finished painting them yesterday. Our jobs this week are; we need to fit and paint the skirting boards and architraves. We also need cover the old windowsills with upvc fascia boards. Our carpet fitter is coming to measure up and we need to order the carpet and replace some floorboards. Once that's down we need to order the new wardrobes and they should have their bedrooms back. They are both really looking forward to decor stage and I've promised them a trip to the range and dunelm to get bits for their rooms. Sounds like they want a lot of faux plants.

Sounding really encouraging for you both 😊

We do need a new gas pipe into house and our boiler is being moved from old kitchen to new kitchen. Is a pain bit for various reasons it has to go there and we will just have to box it in.

This morning I have started lighting and ordered some new picture rail. Off plant shopping later.

@Instahome2 Took me ages to decide as well. Went for pale grey shaker style in the end (with white stone effect worktops - the budget would not cover quartz)

The kitchen is in!! Electrician coming on Monday to connect electrics but plumber is on hols so sink/dishwasher will have to wait until 31st July. As we have changed the room the kitchen is in we can live with this

Its the mess I can't stand - so much cardboard/polystyrene, etc And we have stuff that doesn;t have a home until we renovate old kitchen so there is stuff stashed everywhere. I have 6 dining chairs tin my bedroom