Looking at purchasing a small ‘fixer-upper in neighborhood that we otherwise could not afford. While considering the advantage / disadvantages of DIY versus paying someone else to do the work, I have some questions concerning the order of the work. Considering that most of the homes in this neighborhood were built between 1930 and 1940, and that the ones we can afford have not had their major systems replaced, we would be looking at a major overhaul. (the 95% of the homes in this area that we can not afford have typically been updated AND greatly expanded. The typical original home averaged 1200sf, while most renovated homes average well over 2,000sf and many of these homes have been torn down and replaced with 5000sf mini-mansions (on tiny lots!) My point here is that the ‘historical’ value of these homes is negligible; the only architecturally ‘important’ homes are 1950s era “Jetsons modern” style on lots where the original small home was torn down and replaced by some wacky modern design. (when Hollywood actors invaded this neighborhood and built some hysterically funny homes. Anyway…..
My question – assuming that we are talking about a complete renovation (ignore any possible expansion at this point) concerns the order of work, considering that we will not be able to afford a “do it all at once” cost is no object renovation. It will take time and with the work spread out, order becomes an issue. If the work needs to be spread out over time, my initial thought is to proceed as follows:
o new roof / windows, weather tight ‘shell’
o HVAC, electrical and plumbing (order of these?)
o interior renovations (walls, built-ins, kitchen and baths)
o interior finishes (paint, flooring, etc,
o landscaping after all of the major work has been completed
this seems like common sense, but am I missing something / anything?
My question – assuming that we are talking about a complete renovation (ignore any possible expansion at this point) concerns the order of work, considering that we will not be able to afford a “do it all at once” cost is no object renovation. It will take time and with the work spread out, order becomes an issue. If the work needs to be spread out over time, my initial thought is to proceed as follows:
o new roof / windows, weather tight ‘shell’
o HVAC, electrical and plumbing (order of these?)
o interior renovations (walls, built-ins, kitchen and baths)
o interior finishes (paint, flooring, etc,
o landscaping after all of the major work has been completed
this seems like common sense, but am I missing something / anything?
