Gutting a house to the studs

[Thirteen]

...and refinishing it. I know any reno or remodeling is a huge headache and tons of work (hello, 90 year old house I grew up in), but what if it's a relatively small home (approximately 950 sq ft)?

Is there any way to get a ballpark on modest finishings? We're talking dry wall, mud&tape, floors (wood or tile, probably), replumbed, new electrical, an HVAC, etc. Is it more like 100k, or more like 200k?

I like the looks of this property I saw, but the existing building would need a ton of work. Maybe even a demo, if I see it in person and it's just the pits.
Thanks!


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[SoonerTexan]

I can ask my coworker--they are essentially doing that with their home that burned down.

I think a lot depends on how much of the work you do and how much you contract out.

950 is small...this isn't for you, right? Don't do it!

[SoonerTexan]

The beauty of work IM.

1500 sq foot house. 8k for the teardown and demo. 180K for the rebuild. Suburban Texas.

[houseelf]

I'd have a contractor you trust walk the house with you.

Honestly, this sounds like hell to me. My marriage wouldn't survive a major house reno. I'm only slightly kidding. God bless those of you who have that desire.

[Pollyanna]

Whatever the contractor tells you add at a minimum 30% and double the estimated time. It's likely cheaper to knock it down and rebuild. Can't wait to hear what you decide!

[Thirteen]

It's likely cheaper to knock it down and rebuild. Can't wait to hear what you decide!

I suspected this might be true. I have no idea how much anything costs, although it always seems more expensive to build than to buy.
Maybe this is not the case?


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[SoonerTexan]

What about getting an RV for while you are out there? Might be cheaper in the long run

[BonBon]

Whatever the contractor tells you add at a minimum 30% and double the estimated time. It's likely cheaper to knock it down and rebuild. Can't wait to hear what you decide!

^this. and building is mf-ing painful. I can't emphasize that enough. :-O

[metroguy]

950 is small especially if you have kids.. i think 2k square feet is probably a good size if you have kids..

[diggitydot]

Truly, costs will vary wildly from one area to another.

[Sheherezade]

We did ours - also under 1000 sq ft - in residency. We did DIY construction/demo though and it was a Baltimore row house, so very few interior walls on the first floor (None, actually). Totally worth it in our circumstance because we redid all electric and plumbing. New drywall. Ripping down plaster is a huge PIA, but drywall isn't so bad. Dumpster rental, lots of labor.

[Deebs]

This is a dream of mine, but for a second investment property. It's really hard to live in a house and have any work going, more so if kids are living in the house.


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[Sheherezade]

Yes - our DIY remodeling hobby got much more challenging once we had two toddlers - and no nap time.

[alison]

We are budgeting 500k for a second floor addition (master br, master bath, balcony). My dad's an architect. I think renovations are far more expensive than we think they are/should be! And definitely location dependent!

[v-girl]

950 is small especially if you have kids.. i think 2k square feet is probably a good size if you have kids..

We have a family of 5 in 1,450sqft.