Top tips for contemporary makeover of a 50s semi detached house

[Jumpkin]

I am trying to make cosmetic changes to refresh a 1950s 4 bedroom semi detached house. it was last refurbished about 15 years ago - I have owned it 2 years now.

I don't have the budget or energy to move out and then get a proper refurb done - single mother with 2 children at school. Overall budget for ground floor refurb (100 sqm) is about £50k tops which will ideally need to include underfloor heating, flooring, new mid range kitchen, new main door, a wall splitting a long living room, painting the whole house. Ideally also a new staircase but that looks structurally complicated. I also want to change the old looking skirting throughout and the door architraves throughout the house since they look period / dated.

What are your top tips for internal changes that you made which didn't need planning permission but made the house look contemporary?

And, I'm reading a lot of feedback against amtico on mumsnet. For those who have underfloor heating, what floor did you choose to go on top of it? I am looking for tiles (or tile effect lvt) in the entrance hallway and kitchen and a simple wood- effect lvt or other flooring in the living room?

Thank you so much.

What type of UFH are you thinking of? Electric will be very expensive to run and a retrofit wet system (I have one) is very involved in terms of installation (all doors and skirtings have to come off). In terms of floor coverings, I have UFH on both floors and have both tiles and carpets. I just had to work out the tog rating to stay within the UFH manufacturer recommendations. You need to factor in fitting costs.

What’s wrong with the staircase? Or do you mean bannisters/balustrade?

What is your basic infrastructure like? I.e electrics and plumbing? How are you planning on the house to run the UFH? Gas? Heat pump?

Overall, £50k will go quicker than you think. You can save money on a kitchen by buying a second hand kitchen, but I’d recommend Ikea as being durable and ones you can dress up with retrofit doors from specialist firms. You just need to find a good carpenter/kitchen fitter. Spend money on better surfaces and appliances.

Can you explain a bit more about ‘a wall splitting a long living room? Do you mean you want a stud wall installed? Could you zone it off instead? A wall will certainly reduce light.

To save money, you might have to do some decorating yourself.how do you feel about that?

Skirting/architraves are easily replaced but the cost adds up quicker than you think if you need a carpenter to install.

£50k is a decent budget but tight if you want to include UFH and not do any work yourself..so I think you need to decide what it is you really want to achieve (is it a general refresh/a dream kitchen/efficient heating system?) and then plan from there to make sure you spend money where it’ll make the greatest difference to your overall wishes.

I renovated a 50s house and honestly I would abandon the idea of UFH. As pp says it will be extremely expensive and could end up eating up 10k+ of your budget. Better to focus on good insulation IMO.

Can you post your floor plan?

Do you have any interest in keeping any period features? They can look lovely and still modern if renovated properly. For example doors, fireplaces.

I wouldn’t go with UFH either as it’s so costly. Stick with radiators.

I don’t agree with that as a blanket statement if you are referring to operational expense. I live in a period house and in comparison with my former house (similar size, also period fitted with an efficient boiler but with radiators) my wet UFH system in my current house (efficient boiler but in conjunction with a retrofit UFH to both Floors) keeps a much more even temperature and has been more efficient in terms of our energy use than radiators. Electric UFH is very expensive to run I agree. UFH is not cheap to fit, but if you are doing it as part of a whole house renovation, it isn’t that much more than good quality radiators. In this instance, I don’t think it would be wise to replace a newish/functioning CH system when the budget is so tight. It would be a different story if the OP has been told it is necessary to replace.

Not necessary to replace radiators with wet underfloor heating but I am keen to do this. Floorplan of ground floor attached- I am planning to split the living room in 2 (with or without a sliding door in between) and also add a door between kitchen and living room. I was looking at the Wunda system. I feel radiators take up too much of wall space and make furniture placement difficult.

I want to get rid of period features since I don't use fireplaces. Also want to replace the skirting and architraves etc. Could go to about 60k, push comes to shove. I think I need to budget about 17k for the kitchen including fitting. This phase is only ground floor.

I also need to budget for a new door and also change a bay window from single to double glazed but may budget that for later. All other windows are double glazed.

Is it a bad idea to install LVT over wet ufh?

I’ve got Wundafloor. They’ll give you advice about LVT and suitability. It is seriously involved though. And you’ll have to do it before any kitchen fitting.

Don’t block up fireplaces without considering ventilation or you’ll get damp. If you remove chimney breasts, allow for the fact that taking out one on the ground floor increases the load on the floor above. Taking both out will require a gallows bracket for the chimney on the roof. In your situation I’d fit a sliding pocket door into a stud wall.

I wish people wouldn't buy period properties then rip out all the character and try to turn them into new builds.

Thanks for the constructive comments.

@Netaporter one fireplace is boarded up inside- I'm just blocking that and removing the surround. You are right about the sliding door- just a plain stud wall would be better.

People buy homes for all sorts of reasons, @WonderingWanda , e.g. location, budget, size. It isn't a "well preserved period home" by any standard just because it has a fireplace. I am allowed to make changes to decor, last time I checked.