FabSwingers.com forum: Doing house things. DIY and stuff like that!

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

If your house was old, run down and needed serious work like all new electrics and major plastering work, would you do it - or just move house?

Have you ever renovated a house to a major extent?

Did you DIY or get tradespeople in for everything?

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I love watching shows like Homes under the hammer and the one last year where many people bought houses for £1 and had to completely renovate them.

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By *andonmessMan
over a year ago

A world all of his own

Things like the electrics etc I can do, and my house needs a LOT of work done on it (I'm over halfway there now thankfully) but owing to work constraints it's easier for me to get trades in to do jobs.

Plus things like plastering are an art form, I'd never in a million years do as good a job as a plasterer so I'd far rather pay them to do a top notch job.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If the house was located in a prime location I would renovate it, if not then easier to sell and buy a ready to move in as contractors can be a right pain

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I got one room plastered when I first moved in but the mess was horrendous. It gets all around the house.

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By *abs..Woman
over a year ago

Yes I’ve renovated and no, I will never do it again. From now on I will get a man in who does. (In no way intended to be sexist but I like to watch a man work

)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Depends on the house and how it speaks to me.

Yes I've done major structural and refurb works on an old farmhouse I now miss.

Done by combination of contractors and my own work.

Would love to do it again if I ever find the right project. Maybe an old manor house,water mill, or farm.

The sort of place where some imagination work and a bit of love brings a piece of history back to life.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Every property I have bought I have had renovated - when I was younger I would do a lot of it myself - sanding floors, decorating, tiling etc but always use trades for important things - structural, electrics, plumbing.

Although I have employed many hunky men I make it a rule to never play with workmen or tenants - I always keep it professional.

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By *ex God and Sex KittenCouple
over a year ago

Planet kitten, North East usually but occasionally South as well

We moved into our house 2 years ago this month knowing it would need a lot of renovation and remodelling work to put our stamp on it and make it ours.

Some work we've been forced to do because the previous owner wasn't too worried about doing things correctly.

So far we've completely stripped back and rebuilt an entire loft conversion, (the original conversion wasn't legally compliant so this was essential work) remodelled 2 bedrooms (which involved removing and adding walls) completely renovated the bathroom, and remodelled the living room.

Everywhere has been replastered and rewired as we've been going along, we've changed windows and converted all the old lighting to LED as well.

I've done what I can to keep costs down but got proper tradeys in to do the things I can't do.

There is plenty of other stuff to do before we're finished.

SG & Sk xx

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

Nearly three years ago we bought a house that needed a LOT of work. I stop short of saying renovation because there's no major structural work to be done.

Apart from fitting the new loos and shower etc Mr N has done it all with me as builders mate. We still have quite a lot to do but we'll get there.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Started with a tiny house and a lot of ideas. Now,20 years on , it's huge

mostly down to Mr.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"We moved into our house 2 years ago this month knowing it would need a lot of renovation and remodelling work to put our stamp on it and make it ours.

Some work we've been forced to do because the previous owner wasn't too worried about doing things correctly.

Everywhere has been replastered and rewired as we've been going along, we've changed windows and converted all the old lighting to LED as well.

I've done what I can to keep costs down but got proper tradeys in to do the things I can't do.

There is plenty of other stuff to do before we're finished.

SG & Sk xx"

I thought if a house needed rewiring it would need doing all at the same time. Is it possible to just do it room by room? What about the main box, does that get done first or when they've all been rewired?

That's brilliant that you've done all that in just 2 years!

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Yes I’ve renovated and no, I will never do it again. From now on I will get a man in who does. (In no way intended to be sexist but I like to watch a man work

) "

Why wouldn't you do it again?

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By *icassolifelikeMan
over a year ago

Luton

So long as you get the dangerous stuff checked off have a go yourself! What could possibly go wrong!?? Lol

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By *abs..Woman
over a year ago

"Yes I’ve renovated and no, I will never do it again. From now on I will get a man in who does. (In no way intended to be sexist but I like to watch a man work

)

Why wouldn't you do it again? "

It went on for such a long time and the dust and mess was constant. It took about six years to complete ... just in time for me to sell it.

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By *0tt0nSu3Woman
over a year ago

London

"We moved into our house 2 years ago this month knowing it would need a lot of renovation and remodelling work to put our stamp on it and make it ours.

Some work we've been forced to do because the previous owner wasn't too worried about doing things correctly.

Everywhere has been replastered and rewired as we've been going along, we've changed windows and converted all the old lighting to LED as well.

I've done what I can to keep costs down but got proper tradeys in to do the things I can't do.

There is plenty of other stuff to do before we're finished.

SG & Sk xx

I'd like to know too. I'm amazed that you have done it within two years as well!

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By *horecruxCouple
over a year ago

SE4

"I got one room plastered when I first moved in but the mess was horrendous. It gets all around the house.

Plastic sheets and dust covers get a room done each weekend or all at once over three or four days depending on the size

What's your tea making skills like ?

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

"If your house was old, run down and needed serious work like all new electrics and major plastering work, would you do it - or just move house?

Have you ever renovated a house to a major extent?

Did you DIY or get tradespeople in for everything?

Need to know the value of the house now, the cost of the renovations and it's expected value after to work out whether it's worth the investment of time and money.

Unless it's a house to live in not profit from and is in your to die for location.

Problem is once you start you don't know what you'll uncover and it could be a money pit but any buyer might struggle to buy it as is if it's really bad unless they are a cash buyer

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It’s a trade off of your time vs expense. I have fully renovated a number of houses and it saves a lot of money doing it yourself but that’s time you could spend doing other things. The mess is something you have to learn to live with. If you don’t have the required skills or haven’t done it before I wouldn’t advise starting major renovation yourself. Even now when I know exactly what I’m doing when I have a room stripped of all plaster board and down to the bare joists and bricks I sometimes still get the “what the fuck am I doing this for” feeling

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I got one room plastered when I first moved in but the mess was horrendous. It gets all around the house.

Plastic sheets and dust covers get a room done each weekend or all at once over three or four days depending on the size

What's your tea making skills like ?"

I'm great at boiling a kettle.

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By *rrol.BMan
over a year ago

Wrexham

Our house has been a major project.

It needed stripping back to the plaster (and even the brick downstairs due to damp), all new plaster, electrics, plumbing (lead pipes), central heating fitting.

I brought trades in for electrics, plastering and tiling. We painted everywhere ourselves, I fitted new floors (most of the boards were shot) and did all the plumbing (including digging the trench for a new water main). I also took down a chimney, made the front porch larger, knocked a few walls down and learnt bricklaying to patch places up.

It was hard, cost more than we ever expected and took longer than we imagined (in fact it is still ongoing, we have 3 rooms without electric, the Aga needs a flue and I have to learn how to parquet the conservatory) but this house feels like mine now.

There are literal blood, sweat and tears in these walls.

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By *ynecplCouple
over a year ago

Newcastle upon Tyne

We bought our house because we thought it needed little work doing on it. Since buying it we have had the attic converted put in a kitchen twice, a bathroom twice, a shower/bathroom three times, had the house rewired and done some major work on every other room in the house at some point. We have often though we should have just moved but it's our house and we have developed it to our tastes which would probably have happened if we had bought somewhere else anyway.

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By *ex God and Sex KittenCouple
over a year ago

Planet kitten, North East usually but occasionally South as well

That's brilliant that you've done all that in just 2 years! "

When I renovated the loft I put in new wiring for the lights and sockets but got a qualified spark to change the main consumer unit for a brand new bigger one at the same time and he did all the actual testing and connections.

Because this is quite an old house (50's ish) there was hardly any sockets in each room. We've added more sockets and changed the lights in each of the rooms so it made sense to put in new wiring and create new ring mains as we got to those parts.

SG & Sk xx

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By *ilth500Man
over a year ago

Merseyside

"If your house was old, run down and needed serious work like all new electrics and major plastering work, would you do it - or just move house?

Have you ever renovated a house to a major extent?

Did you DIY or get tradespeople in for everything?

do it. im a joiner so im half handy lol

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By *horecruxCouple
over a year ago

SE4

"I got one room plastered when I first moved in but the mess was horrendous. It gets all around the house.

Plastic sheets and dust covers get a room done each weekend or all at once over three or four days depending on the size

What's your tea making skills like ?

I'm great at boiling a kettle.

I can only help so much

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

That's brilliant that you've done all that in just 2 years!

SG & Sk xx"

Sockets are such a pain! It's crazy how many plug extensions I have.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Our house has been a major project.

It needed stripping back to the plaster (and even the brick downstairs due to damp), all new plaster, electrics, plumbing (lead pipes), central heating fitting.

There are literal blood, sweat and tears in these walls.

I know someone that had to do that. They had to move out while the house was totally gutted back to bare brick because the plaster and electrics condition was so bad (old) and couldn't be patched. It cost them £90K.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Our first house was a big renovation.

Quite a big thing for us to take on at 22.

Had loads of work done including a dormer extension. This is all whilst living it it too

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By *iamondCougarWoman
over a year ago

Norfuck! / Lincolnshire

"I love watching shows like Homes under the hammer and the one last year where many people bought houses for £1 and had to completely renovate them.

I saw that! What a great way to rejuvenate a run down area

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By *ex God and Sex KittenCouple
over a year ago

Planet kitten, North East usually but occasionally South as well

Sockets are such a pain! It's crazy how many plug extensions I have. "

Until I started this renovation I didn't realise how easy it is to add extra sockets to a room.

I've done all the chasing in, routed cables, fitted the back boxes and sockets then got a qualified spark in to connect and test everything then issue the certificates to keep the building control guys happy.

SG &Sk xx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I love watching shows like Homes under the hammer and the one last year where many people bought houses for £1 and had to completely renovate them.

I saw that! What a great way to rejuvenate a run down area "

Weren’t there ridiculous Ts&Cs involved with that?

I saw some of it and when areas get that bad I think it’s just better to level them and start again.

Even for a quid there’s no way we’d of moved into such a shithole.

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By *lenderfoxMan
over a year ago

Leeds

"I love watching shows like Homes under the hammer and the one last year where many people bought houses for £1 and had to completely renovate them.

I saw that! What a great way to rejuvenate a run down area

Weren’t there ridiculous Ts&Cs involved with that?

I saw some of it and when areas get that bad I think it’s just better to level them and start again.

Even for a quid there’s no way we’d of moved into such a shithole. "

A couple of those schemes have been quite effective, there was one I read about in Liverpool a while back which had really rejuvinated the area.

Half the problem is private landlords who don't do any maintanence on the properties which leads to these states of disrepair

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By *iamondCougarWoman
over a year ago

Norfuck! / Lincolnshire

"I love watching shows like Homes under the hammer and the one last year where many people bought houses for £1 and had to completely renovate them.

I saw that! What a great way to rejuvenate a run down area

Weren’t there ridiculous Ts&Cs involved with that?

I saw some of it and when areas get that bad I think it’s just better to level them and start again.

Even for a quid there’s no way we’d of moved into such a shithole. "

There were yes!

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