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Renovating an old house – where to start, how much does it cost?

Making your dream of owning your own house come true comes down to a choice: building a house or renovating an old one. Thanks to the first solution, we gain access to a space perfectly suited to our needs, but on the other hand, erecting a new building is a very complex undertaking. The difficulty in accessing attractive plots, rising prices of building materials and a number of official formalities necessary to meet make more and more investors consider buying and renovating an old house. Of course, it will not be an easy task, but the benefits of such a solution can be so great that it is worth considering renovating an old house. Where to start such a renovation?

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What should you keep in mind before you decide to renovate?

The commencement of renovation works must be preceded by several extremely important activities:

– analysis of the technical condition of the building – before we start planning the renovation, it is necessary to thoroughly check the technical condition of the house (roof, walls, floors, foundations, woodwork) and all installations;

– determining the scope of work – depending on the above analysis and the need to make changes to the layout or function of the rooms, the scope of renovation should be determined in order to properly plan the course of work and the necessary financial outlay;

– completing any formalities – most often renovation works do not require additional formalities. The exception to this is when during the renovation we plan, for example, to replace the roof, change the color of the façade or make thermal insulation of the building.

Renovating an old house – where to start?

It should be remembered that renovating an old house is a multi-stage undertaking. Depending on the scope of necessary work and the changes that we want to introduce, the renovation will most often consist of the following works:

– replacement of the electrical installation – in terms of wiring and appropriate protection of the entire installation;

– replacement of the central heating system – old heating systems do not keep up with modern heating technologies;

– roof replacement – if the roof truss is in good condition, you can focus on replacing only the sheathing. Poor condition of the truss will require the investor to strengthen or replace it;

– insulation of the building – meeting the energy efficiency standards may require the replacement of the heat source and thermal insulation of the building;

– improving the condition of walls, floors and ceilings – necessary in the case of poor condition of cladding materials or plaster and high humidity and mold.

– replacement of window and door joinery – old wooden windows and doors may be leaky;

– finishing works – for example: painting, replacement of tiles, sanitary facilities, furniture, as well as external facades.

renovation of an old house and construction of a new one

Renovating an old house or building a new one?

Regardless of whether we decide to buy a new house or renovate the old one, it will be a time-consuming undertaking and require our full commitment. The final choice between the two options should take into account the estimated costs and the time of work affecting the possibility of moving. The availability of attractive plots or the ability to meet our housing needs in a well-kept or new space will also be important.

How much does it cost to renovate an old house?

The total cost of renovating an old house will depend on the scope of necessary repair work and on adapting the existing space to our needs. Therefore, before making a decision to renovate, it is worth making a detailed analysis of the technical condition of the building and, together with the work plans, make a valuation of the necessary materials or necessary works that we will commission to contractors. It will always be a cheaper investment if it is done using the economic method. And the possibility of carrying out the renovation in stages will allow you to spread the financial outlays over time.

Are you wondering how to organize a construction site on your plot well? Check out our article!