How much does it cost to...

`Hey everyone,

We are looking potentially buying our first home in Park Slope, Brooklyn and have been looking at many bownstones now. For us, the size and location of the house are key considerations – we have seen a super wide array of potential homes. Some would require something close to a gut renovation and other ones will ‘need’ a lick of paint but are otherwise completed palaces.

As mentioned, we’d be first time home owners and we haven’t got any real experience doing big reno projects. We both have a healthy dose of skepticism, common sense and conservatism. So far we have been relying on our conversations with the estate agents to figure out ‘what it would cost to.. ‘ (put in a new kitchen; update the bathroom in this house; replace the ceilings; get a deck made etc. etc.).

Now that we are getting closer to actually putting a bid on a house we’d like to nail down those estimates and are wondering how other people approach this. Do you take an architect to a viewing and have him very closely involved in the inspection report? Or do you go directly to a gener al contractor? And when they give you a number and a timeline – what is people’s experience in keeping to that budget and timeline? For things like simply replacing a 50 year old bathroom (but not changing the location), do you need an architect? Is there a list of ‘trusted’ general contractors?

I know these are a lot of questions and for most there is not a single answer – I appreciate anyone’s experience and advise. If you don’t feel like typing it up – please just reach out and I’ll happily buy you a coffee! We are about to invest a large amount of money and are pretty freaked out about making mistakes.

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in General Discussion 4 years and 11 months ago

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Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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While I can appreciate the wisdom of living in a home and getting to know it before you undertake a large-scale renovation, I’m of the mindset that getting it done before you move in is also a valid approach. Like the architect above said, there are many, many people who never get around to it once they get in and get settled. Only you can know yourselves well enough to honestly answer that question. I think it’s important to note that if you do gut renovate your home, it will likely be the most expensive, most exhausting, and most arduous project you’ve ever experienced with a home or apartment. It will also hopefully be one of the most rewarding. Having a budget is good, and sticking to it is amazing, but based on my experience and conversations with others, one should allow for anywhere from 30-60% cost overruns. I am so glad that we renovated our new home, but I might have been more glad when it was done, so I could begin healing from the stress of it all. I’m only kidding a little bit. Ha! Good luck!

Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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Hello, architect here. A lot of great suggestions on here, although I would avoid residing in the house during construction, or postpone the renovation for a later date. I know too many acquaintences who postponed construction and have been living in an unsuitable house for 5+ years in avoidance of such a big undertaking (reno + moving + financing, etc). Would be happy to share my further two cents with you as we have experience with renovations, and I just finished my own renovation in the Crown Heights area. You can contact me at re [at] mcdowellespinosa.com.

cate | 4 years and 11 months ago

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If the house needs a full electrical and plumbing upgrade and new wet rooms (also maybe skim coating and floor refinishing) it does not need a gut renovation — but you cannot live in it while these renovations take place. You can certainly get an architect willing to take this on. If you are planning to spend $80K or up, I would absolutely talk to a few architects. Also the architects control your access to quality contractors. You could live in the house for a while, make your plans, then live elsewhere for three to six months while the work is done — if you need to. If the house does not need a mechanical update but you just want to change the appearance of, say, one kitchen, it’s more feasible (although a huge pain) to live there while the work is done. Children and pregnant women should not be on a construction site. My best advice is to make sure the house is structurally sound with no leaks and no significant settling. Hold out for a dry cellar. Try to find a house with a floor plan you already mostly like and the occupancy you want. Additions and changes of occu pancy are among the most time consuming and expensive of renovations. Here are some helpful articles: https://www.brownstoner.com/interiors-renovation/renovating-an-old-house-top-10-things-to-know/ and https://www.brownstoner.com/interiors-renovation/renovation-costs-kitchen-bathroom-brooklyn-house/

Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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And I completely agree with @resident2 above that unless it’s essential, live in the house for a while first and then decide if you even need the change. For example, we initially wanted to open up our basement, but now we decided it’s actually better not to because it actually keeps the basement cool in summer and warm in winter!

Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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The best advice we got when we purchased our brownstone last year was to hire a good lawyer and a good home inspector. You need to make sure that the legal and structural cost implications of your potential new home is something you can handle. All other aesthetic changes are really secondary and can be done over time. Don’t trust your real estate agent for estimated work costs. Also go with a house that’s closest to your ideal (within budget of course) as much as possible. The couple before us spent over 5y doing gut renovation. I just can’t imagine going through all that time, money, stress and strain on your relationship. Finally, I realized this after we brought our house that many architects won’t do “small” (not gut) jobs. So unless you’re doing a gut renovation, hiring someone to do a few changes will take some work.

resident2 | 4 years and 11 months ago

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From my experience most people make the biggest mistakes by rushing to do a renovation as soon as they have bought a house.
Buy it, paint & clean & then move in … then spend the next year or so working out exactly what you like about the house, the sun shines in here, the noise from neighbors there etc go to House Tours if they Open Up again (next year) to see how people have renovated etc. If the workmanship looks great get referrals of their contractors. Houses that are on the market & “Staged” give a distorted idea of how people really live in a house!
Go to Kitchen Cabinet Show rooms, get prices, visit tile shops, etc Appliance Showrooms… you will soon see a huge range of prices.
How long do you think you will be living in the house? Long term? you can design it strictly for your own taste, if you think 4-5 years or so, maybe be a little more Classic, neutral to appeal for resale..
When it comes to choosing a Contractor if you do go the full renovation job think of it as a personal relationship; you will be “living” with this person for a very long time & trust ing them with a huge investment of not only money but time and your emotional well being….
It is a huge stress on finances & emotional well being to do a complete gut renovation on a whole house if you have not at least done a minor renovation and lived through that. Does your full time job give you the time to take a full renovation on? No you can not just write up a contractors contract, give them the plans & keys and then only check in when it is time for the next payment….

yudashasom | 4 years and 11 months ago

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If you see a 50 y/o bathroom, it’s safe to assume that you need to replace the plumbing and electric throughout. Minimum of 50k for plumbing, 25k for electric. Then a decent kitchen will cost you 50k+ (20-25k for cabinets, 15k for appliances, 15k for tile, countertops, hardware, fixtures), mid-range bathroom 15k+ and that’s only the beginning. You need an architect to talk through the process with and prepare plans, an expeditor to file then plans, and a contractor to pull permits. Hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Can you live in the place for a few years as-is with cosmetic work? That will give you time to figure out the rest and deal with a future renovation if you don’t have $500k now to renovate.