House refurbishment but where do I start ? Re-generate an old or tired space and give it a fresh breath of life. Click here for answers, information and tips

[Chris Douglas]

My house is 24 years old looking tired and in need of a renovation/refurbishment/upgrade but where do I start?
The windows and external doors are wooden and in good condition should I replace with UPVC just for the sake of it?
I am looking to upgrade my kitchen,bathroom and garden but need to be sensible with my budget.
Can any one offer any advice for a starting point and who would be the best workmen to contact?

[stoneyboy]

Hi chrisdouglas
If your windows are not double glazed then replacing them with upvc would be a good place to start.
If they are, pick your most important upgrade, get this underway and ask the tradesmen if they know of other local trades for the next project. Split your renovation into bite sized pieces so that if you get a bad job you will not be in for the whole lot.
Regards S

[Chris Douglas]

Thanks for your reply S.
I read some where that wooden windows and doors can last up to 60 years with regular care & maintenance but UPVC will only last 20 years.
Longevity is important to me so should I replace my windows and doors even though they are in good condition.
Regards Chris

[stoneyboy]

Hi chrisdouglas
I’m sure there are some wooden windows which if properly treated before being installed and are regularly maintained they may last 30+ years. Upvc ones on the other hand are not dependent on preparation or brick opening conditions.
If you are happy with the existing windows pick the next most important project.
Regards S

[Chris Douglas]

Thanks S
Your advice has been valuable. I will look into getting
some quotes for the work that's needed.

Kind Regards
Chris

[ajam9@gmail.com]

One of the things you can do is, before get your hands on the job, is to see how your ideas will work. That might save you from some disappointments... And today is so easy to access interior design platforms that, there is no excuse for us to be unhappy with the refurbishment outcome! Try Planner 5D or FloorPlan or even Modsy. They all are intuitive tolls that can keep you safe from bad judgments!

[iamdash]

I agree with some of the replies, saying to start with the most important work first, which may not always be the most exciting. This could be something like new electrics or boarding and insulating the loft. Basically, things that you may not want to have to bother or worry about again.

We have flipped two houses in the last couple of years and apart from the above the biggest single pieces of advice I can give you are:

- Don't go for the cheapest tradesmen. We had absolute cowboys that we went for because the company owner seemed like a nice guy and was cheap.
- Do one thing at a time, and get it down properly. We basically renovated the whole of our downstairs including ripping out the kitchen as well as our master bedroom and ended up having to live out of one bedroom, with two dogs and cooking with a slow-cooker. Big mistake. In hindsight, it would have been much better to treat each thing as a mini-project - something we plan to do in our next house, later this year.