DIY (Do It Yourself) is a popular trend in the UK, with people tackling various home improvements to save money. DIY Doctor is a website run by tradesmen that offers free information, advice, and tips across all areas of home improvements, building, and home maintenance. It provides detailed how-to instructions for tackling seven simple home repairs, ranging from unclogging sinks and silencing squeaky doors to cleaning moldy surfaces and soaking up oily stains.
As a homeowner, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of home repairs and maintenance. DIY tips can save money on certain tasks, but they can also reveal which ones should be left to experts. DIY Doctor offers a multi-discipline guide to maintaining and looking after a home, covering electrical, plumbing, woodwork, structural issues, gardening, and more.
Some easy DIY home improvement projects include painting walls, installing shelves, updating cabinet hardware, and adding a backsplash. Before making any improvements, alterations, or additions to your home, it is essential to obtain written permission from Homes Plus and other organizations. DIY Doctor offers completely free DIY and construction help and advice from professional tradesmen.
In the UK, DIY and home improvement trends are transforming, with sustainable living and inspired designs being popular choices. By following these DIY tips, homeowners can tackle tasks like fixing squeaky floorboards, bleed a radiator, replacing washers on individual taps, changing taps, and more.
📹 I Bought This 1970’s House That Nobody Wanted And its a Mess – The Renovation EP01
Welcome to my new renovation series. I will be turning this 1970’s property into a modern home for the family and i will be bringing …
What is the most expensive thing to fix in a house?
The 10 most expensive home repairs include siding, storm damage, foundation repairs, heating and cooling equipment, sewer line repair, roof repairs, driveway repair, and termite damage. These repairs can be costly and can impact the value of your home. To prevent these repairs and protect your savings account, it is essential to take preventive measures. Budgeting for these repairs is a good strategy, but it may not always be feasible. Preventing these repairs from occurring in the first place can save you as much money as possible.
What is the most expensive home repair in the UK?
Landlords are carrying out property repair or maintenance work on buy-to-let properties 72 times, with costs exceeding £34, 000, according to recent research. The most expensive repairs for landlords include underpinning, roof repairs, electrical rewiring, and rendering. Alan Boswell Group, buy-to-let insurance provider, and Dave Sayce at Compare My Move analyzed common home damages and their estimated repair costs to reveal the most expensive fixes that can cost landlords a fortune.
What is the average maintenance cost of a house in the UK?
A 2021 Houzz study found that UK homeowners spend an average of £2, 800 yearly on home maintenance for houses over 100 years old, compared to £1, 500 for homes under 20 years old. Older properties have higher maintenance costs due to more repairs, while newer properties generally have lower requirements. Purchasing older or needing significant repairs will impact future maintenance budgets, while well-maintained homes with updated components have significantly lower annual upkeep costs.
What is the easiest thing to fix?
This article provides a list of DIY repairs that can be done without a machine, such as repairing broken eyeglasses, making headphones work again, fixing broken zippers, fixing broken Christmas tree lights, making scratches in wood furniture disappear, sealing a leaky pipe, and fixing a failing flip-flop. The author emphasizes the importance of embracing the four R-words of sustainability: reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair.
They suggest that many items are surprisingly simple to fix, and that repairing rather than replacing can extend the life of items. The article also highlights that even the sewing-machineless can repair damaged denim, demonstrating the versatility of DIY repairs.
What does DIY home repair mean?
Home repair is a crucial aspect of home maintenance, involving the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home. It can be DIY projects or require professional assistance. While home repair is not the same as renovation, many improvements can result from repairs or maintenance. The costs of larger repairs may justify investing in full-scale improvements. Upgrading a home system may be more cost-effective than repair or costly maintenance for an inefficient or dying system.
Repairs often involve simple replacement of worn or used components, such as light bulbs, batteries, or vacuum cleaner bags. Other repairs involve restoring something to a useful condition, such as sharpening tools or utensils, replacing leaky faucet washers, cleaning plumbing traps, and rain gutters. Some repairs require precision, specialized tools, or hazards, making them best left to experts like plumbers.
One emergency repair that may be necessary is overflowing toilets, which often have a shut-off valve to turn off the water supply while repairs are made.
Are houses cheaper in UK or USA?
The UK Land Registry reports that the mean expenditure on purchasing a residential property in the UK is £291, 385, while the mean expenditure on purchasing a residential property in the USA is USD 380, 000, which is slightly higher. However, the United States offers a greater amount of space due to the larger homes and plots of land available, despite the reduction in square footage associated with city living. Notwithstanding the elevated expense, the United States provides a superior return on investment.
Why is DIY called DIY?
DIY is the practice of building, modifying, or repairing things without the help of professionals or certified experts. It involves using raw and semi-raw materials and parts to create, transform, or reconstruct material possessions, including those from the natural environment. This behavior can be triggered by marketplace motivations such as economic benefits, lack of product availability, and need for customization, as well as identity enhancement motivations like craftsmanship, empowerment, community seeking, and uniqueness.
The term “do-it-yourself” has been associated with consumers since at least 1912, primarily in home improvement and maintenance activities. By the 1950s, the phrase “do it yourself” became common, referring to the emergence of a trend of people undertaking home improvement and other small craft and construction projects as creative, recreational, and cost-saving activities. Since then, DIY has expanded to encompass a wide range of skill sets and has become a social concept, with people sharing ideas, designs, techniques, methods, and finished projects online or in person.
How much does a decent house cost in the UK?
The average UK property price has increased for the sixth consecutive month, reaching £289, 723 in July, up 0. 6 compared to June. This represents a 2. 2-fold increase on an annual basis, or around £6, 000 more than a year ago. The average house price in England is £305, 879, while in Wales it is £218, 184, and in Scotland it is £199, 398. Northern Ireland’s average property price was £185, 025. The data is sourced from Land Registry data for July 2024, and the opinions expressed in articles, reviews, and tables are solely those of the author. The trend is expected to continue in the coming months, with London house prices also expected to rise.
Why are UK houses so expensive?
The UK property market is unique due to limited land availability in high-demand areas, particularly in London and the Southeast, and the country’s robust economic fundamentals. This scarcity drives up property prices as more people compete for fewer properties. The country’s strong legal framework for property ownership offers investors a sense of security, making it an attractive market. The demand for housing in the UK has massively outstripped supply, driven by factors such as population growth, increased life expectancy, and a surge in single-person households. More people are living longer and wanting their own space, contributing to the high demand.
Where is the nicest cheapest place to live in UK?
Durham, located south of Newcastle upon Tyne, is known as the least expensive place to live in the UK, offering the most affordable living expenses in 2024. The city is known for its beautiful gardens and a maze at Crook Hall, a 13th-century mansion, and Durham University, which features an Oriental Museum and Botanic Garden. Durham is particularly popular among students due to its variety of universities and law schools, as well as affordable living expenses.
The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Durham is £650, while outside the city it is £360. A monthly travel pass costs £55, and basic utilities are around £235 per month. Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is known for its cheap living costs, as it is the site of the RMS Titanic’s construction and the refurbished dockyards. The city also houses the Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices, Titanic Slipways, and a museum dedicated to the ship.
What is the most common renovation?
A master bathroom is a common type of home renovation project, combining elements such as kitchen remodeling, window replacement, basement remodeling, siding replacement, and the addition of outdoor living space. It is a popular option for those seeking to enhance their living space and overall home aesthetic appeal.
📹 Timelapse of our entire 1920’s house renovation
I wanted to document our entire 1920’s house renovation and extension in a single time-lapse video. This is everything so far from …
I’ve never understood why people are anxious to get rid of fanlight windows above internal doors. Their purpoe is to throw daylight in to a generally dark landing. I alo found when my kids were small the fanlights meant that we could turn their bedroom light off completely, and they got residual light from the landing until we went to bed (by which time they were asleep) and didn’t need night lights in their rooms. I look forward to seeing your renovations here.
I’m not sure why that house stood empty so long. I find it quite lovely, minus the operational issues. I love the stair rails, and the beautiful wood surround on the interior walk thru. The kitchen has a great layout. If the cabinets are in good shape, maybe a new stain or paint would spruce them up. I also like the fanlights above the doors to allow the house to have some great natural light throughout. My favorite is the garden. I would spend a lot of time out there. We have different tastes but it is your home and I am looking forward to seeing how you make it fit your family.
I grew up in a house built in 1973 in the states. We had some lovely plaid carpet along with different colored carpet in all the bedrooms, bathrooms and dining room (thankfully not the kitchen like our neighbors had). The entire house also a various wallpapers…just the closets were painted. We also had an avocado green stove and the phone in the kitchen with a cord that probably stretched 100 feet. Certainly not the style now but it does bring back some fun memories.
Timely. I’ve just bought a 1982 house, one previous owner smoked 60 a day and barely updated anything. So far.. carpets and ceilings out, total new heating system being installed this week. Every time you look you find something else that needs doing. Need to get it liveable ASAP! Look forward to seeing how yours develops.
The kitchen is definitely a 1980s replacement – the style of the wooden cabinets, the cooker built in across the corner with the built in oven under the hob and of course the extractor hood – that style was very popular in the 1980s. The units in the utility room would be original to the house and indeed might have been the original kitchen units at one time.
Great article and looking forward to the series. Moved recently and nearly took on something similar to this but having done the maths and soul searching I/we (the wife) decide we were not up for the challenge both financially and mentally and we ended up with a ……. new build. I agree new build are not everyone’s cup of tea but we love it and with not much to do it gives me lots of time to watch YT websites like yours and get all those hints and tips for jobs that can eventually be done. In fact I’ve just watched this one sitting on my new patio rather than having to lay it first !
As a heating engineer of twenty years, heres my opinion for what its worth. On the whole combis arent that great for homes with multiple bathrooms. Youd be far better off with an unvented cylinder which will future proof your install for when you have your extension built. Also you cant just decide on a combi installl without other checks and a proper site survey. Combis use a lot more gas than the heat only you already have. So you will almost certainly need a renewed gas run unless you can site the boiler very close to the meter. Have you checked the incoming water pressure and flow rate? You need to know these before deciding on a combi. If you have a cylinder fitted instead then you could also have solar fitted in the future and then have free hot water for a good few months of the year. You could also have a twin coil cylinder fitted and heat it from the wood burner. You cant do either of these with a combi. Dont just jump into a combi install. On a personal note i wouldnt touch a Worcester with a barge pole. Bang average boilers backed up with a world class marketing team. Plastic pigs. As someone who has serviced and repaired probably 10K+ boilers in my career, IMHO get a either a Vailant or and Ideal Vogue with a cylinder. Hope this gives you a bit of useful guidance. All the best. Should have added. That if your current heat only boiler is actually in good condition. Then why not relocate it and use it to heat an unvented cylinder. That way you save on the cost of a boiler and are only paying out for the cylinder.
Keep the Alcove unit, put a massive CRT telly in it. 😂 The bedroom lights, was probably built with the one nearest the window so that shadows weren’t projected on the curtains when getting dressed etc, the other potentially a later add on to create more light. I have a 70s house and all the luminaries are by the windows in the bedrooms.
This house is a time capsule of my 1960-70’s childhood. My mother would have loved the carpet in the lounge. Single sockets in each room was normal. An electric kettle, radio, tv, razor and hair dryer were the main things you would have plugged in back in the day. Looking forward to your renovation. Have fun. 🏡👏🏼🇦🇺
Seems like a very nice house in good order considering it has been empty for a while. All the quirks in the original house is common to a property of its age, ie lack of sockets, glass panel above doors etc. A perfect house for you to renovate. Probably built considerably better than modern builds. Was there no immersion heater fitted to supply a bit of hot water. I’m sure you are aware textured ceiling coatings could contain asbestos. Good luck with the project.
Be wary of putting in a wood burner in, especially with a baby in the house. Do some research on indoor air quality especially PM2.5 particles. Wood burners are not good for air quality. The main bedroom has MFI bedroom furniture, can’t remember the name of it, but remember selling it in the early 90s. 15mm pipework will work with modern ASHP, have a look at a Vaillant AroTHERM for example. They are super quiet too, quieter than a gas boiler. ASHPs have moved on leaps and bounds in a very short space of time, worth revisiting what it currently on the market.
I bought a late 1970’s house this year. it had the origihal traditional boiler system and the original 1970’s kitchen, original gas fire in the lounge and artex ceilings. Got myself a new wooster bosch combi, a new gas fire and new kitchen so far. Still need ot sort out bedroom celings and move the ceiling light sockets to a central posisiton as, like this house they are in front of the bedroom windows.
We have a similar aged house and also renovated whilst living here. We are not DIY experts, so we had professional help. The carpet and fireplace were similar to yours, but ours was gas. One socket per room, terrible central heating… One thing we did and I can highly recommend is put in Underfloor Heating. We used a system by Wunda, where we laid styrofoam panels with grooves in them, which we then ‘walked’ the pipes into. It was easy to lay (we did this bit ourselves) straight over the cement underfloor and meant we didn’t need any radiators on the wall, which makes a surprising difference. We just lost about an inch in height, as that is how much the floor came up. The heating is also lovely and even throughout each room and controllable by room. I think this was one of the best decisions we made 🙂
The house was last done up in the 1990s and I think you are a bit negative. Its fantastic and youve even got a little summer house. The bedroom alcove should be made into a cupboard for storing suitcases etc or with shelves for laundry. Will you be adding a utility room? Thats a must……cant wait to see what you do with it. Btw get rid of that arch! 😄👌
I actually think that the house is pretty good. Our second house was a weatherboard 1922 California/Federation style home in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia. This house of yours is a palace compared to ours, one kitchen bench top 2’ long and narrow, had to use an ironing board as bench space. No insulation, and in an Aussie summer it was unbearable. Had to start from the stumps up, lifting the floorboards in my bedroom at one stage. Living without a kitchen was not fun with a child in the house. Oh, and the shower was in the laundry?? Loved that house and still miss it though.
Looking forward to this, especially having lived through all these ‘trends’ which were so popular in their time. We are just coming to the end of renovating the 1960 house that we moved into 11 months ago. I think the best thing about older houses is that they had so much space compared with modern ones but of course, there is always a lot of renovation work to do.
That’s a really nice house, incredible how it went unsold for so long, round here they’d rip your arm for something like that! I do think the boiler is quite expensive. It’s fairly easy to take an old tank out and prepare everything ready for a plumber to come in and fir the boiler. That’s what I did and it came in around £2k all in (although that was about seven years ago).
I’ve almost finished my house renovation learning along the way and it taken me over a year working most days. I’ve learnt a lot and plan on doing another project straight after. I don’t know if your working on the property full time but if you were with your experience of doing up properties how long would you estimate it would take to by yourself only to renovate the house completely. It would good to know how long it should take realistically.
To be honest the property doesn’t look too bad at all. I live in a 70s property so can relate to some of the nuances that may annoy you. We’re also in the process of buying a 70s bungalow which is in a far worse state than this house. I think you’ve done well to pick this up. There will be challenges, but you’ll get it to how you want it. Without knowing how much it was or what your refurb budget is, someone could have missed out on what could be a nice house. Their loss is your gain.
Loving this so far and agree with you regarding the look of the house, so am looking forward to seeing what you do to it. Great tutorial on the outdoor pipe, something I could do myself. Just a niggle though, quit the ‘nagging Mrs’ comments, as a single mother I don’t appreciate them….they’re just as archaic as the house.
We moved into a very similar house in 1988/89. Had same pretty much everything that’s in yours. It was built in 1970. Leaks from pipes, damp areas, lovely Artex ceilings 😳 crumbling sheds, falling down extension. Then after about a month I came downstairs and stepped into ankle deep water (from rad pipes covering all the downstairs area and it ruined the 1970’s carpet 😣😂 This took me right back. Once you’ve updated it’ll look fantastic!!! They’re well built houses! 👍🏻
We bought a cheap 3-bed semi in a similar condition and rented a flat for a couple of months rather than move in and try to do the work around us. Rewired, replumbed, new boiler, new kitchen, new bathroom, Artex plastered over, painted, new doors and carpeted and we moved in after 6 weeks. Would have taken MUCH longer had we been living there.
Carpet in lounge is late 60s early 70s. Those light fittings look like they are 1950s in style: could the owner have moved them from their old house when they moved in in ’73? We took out a solid dividing wall in our house. The joists run parallel to the wall and none were resting on the wall. I don’t think the chimney was added later, I think it was original build. From the 1960s, builders started doing external chimney breasts, rather than the usual internal ones. The kitchen looks 80s, but having said that, when we bought our house, we inherited exactly the same style units (ours were MFI) and that was installed in 1994.
None of it is ‘horrendous’……a bit dated maybe, but the house has been added to bit by bit, so you will see the joins. I don’t think refurbishing an old house to make it look like it’s just been built and “contemporary” is a good idea. Most buildings have some history and a sympathetic upgrade will give the house its soul.
Why though? I do not see anything Wrong with the house. Other then Electrical work needing to be updated. Some Painting. Take up carpet and put some nice hardwood flooring down. The Fireplace is Perfect as is. Remove that electric fireplace and have the chimney inspected so it can be used again. The Kitchen looks Great, Does not need Updating at all. I hate seeing people go into Nice Homes, and just say all of it needs to go. Make it some Awful horrible modern crap. Modern stuff is Just HORRIBLE AND IS AND NEVER BEEN WANTED. Modern stuff is Depressing with its gray colours, boring white colours, Plane looking stuff. No Colours, No wood on Cabinets anymore. Painting bricks. Just STOP IT. Let MODERN STUFF Be killed Off already. Stuff from the 50s to 80s décor are Just SO MUCH BETTER, Has Colours. Shows happiness
Nooo don’t get rid of the niche by the wardrobe in the master bedroom!! Use it for a few pretty, modern, thick wooden open shelves, deep ones. The wood adds warmth, the depth adds spatial interest and Positive/negative to what otherwise is a box with straight walls and above all they’re useful for putting the odd plant on or some interesting books, etc. Adds character, warmth, interest. Have the wooden shelves end a few inches before the wardrobe so they aren’t level with it – will look much better/ more pleasing to the eye. Generally awesome though – you’re doing a great job! 😊
I love a good reno DIY and yours seems like it will be a nice one. I have read many of the existing comments, and I agree with those who say that all the “tearing out” and “throwing in the skip” isn’t necessary. This house simply needs updating. If you can rethink some of your destruction then you won’t be having to put so much in the landfill. The last I heard, England wasn’t getting any bigger!
The house is much better on the inside than it is on the outside. That will be the biggest challenge for sure. Please avoid a media wall, they are super tacky. The kitchen is mid 80’s and the light fixture in the dining room is late 60’s and isn’t worth much more than £15-£20. Log burner is a great idea.
This is a lovely house . I particularly like the carpet in the dining room. A real treasure from the 1970’s when proper patterns and wool carpets were bought to last, non of this grey plastic stuff you get today. The wood is also great and definitely a 1980’s kitchen from when the sheds in the town were a new idea. Yes sheds! Do not destroy your sheds Reuse them. You are handy with tools remake them into something new for the children to play in! Remember old is not all bad & think before you throw because you will have better quality than your mates and different. “Do different” like a Norfolk boy would!
PLEASE donate whatever you can! Don’t just demolish everything and chuck it in the skip. Habitat for Humanity and similar organizations can reuse the kitchen cabinets, cabinets in the bedrooms, etc. (even the electric fireplace if it still works) to furnish homes for needy individuals and families (homeless, veterans, elderly, single parents with very limited income). They usually even come and take them out for you to reduce damage, which saves you time to do other jobs. Even the smallest items (faucets, lights, fixtures, etc.) are valuable to them. Please call them before you call for skips! ❤
That’s a lovely house, and will be amazing when it’s done. Following this series with interest, having recently (I think/hope, lol) finished renovating a mid fifties house. I would say do definitely get a full rewire done, though. By the time all the alterations are done, there will be not much of the original wiring left, so now is the time to make sure it’s all in good shape, and ready for the next 50 years. We found some really genuinely dangerous bodges and hacks hidden under floors and in walls as I was pulling out the old cabling – really quite scary.
About the ugly bathroom window install, I’ve found retro fitted new windows and frame often don’t line up with the old original frame outline, installers like hiding this gap with a pvc decor trim, solution is when redecorating remove the bodged pvc trim and re-tile or re skim up to the frame, the wall or reveal then looks like a nice original normal wall finish.
Garish floral carpet is 70s. Utility room original units, kitchen is probably mid 80s upgrade and very nice for its day. PVC windows replaced original single glaze wood. Looks like 70s taps and shower. Seems to be some 80s redecoration generally. Including possible 80s bath upgrade (the 70s bath tended to have a flat board housing later 80s had that fat plastic bulge. I wouldn’t wipe the 70s completely off the page in your resto…a nice Seiko clock hanging over the fire, perhaps? Stove great idea, hearth is ugly sadly so semi agree with removal but I always prefer saving something if it can be recontexalized.I think a building looks better if you can see layers of history and fashions come and go.
My first thought about the electrics is that there are so few sockets (which are almost certainly not split between sufficent separate circuits), is to start from scratch. Leave the existing sockets as they are, install a complete new system with copious numbers of sockets then swap over from old to new and remove the disconnected old stuff at your leisure.
It looks like a house with great potential and although dated it’s liveable. We are renovating our house and everything was like this. Done most of it over the last 18 months but have just started knocking through the kitchen and dining room and putting in a downstairs loo. Great website for lots of how-to guides and general knowledge, thank you.
When you pulled out the electric fire place I could see your old fireplace is the same as mine. I bought my bungalow last year (built in 1968) & I still has the original fireplace which is the same as yours. It’s called a Baxi Burnall. They are unique & rather special. Google it & you’ll see what I mean 😉 Don’t just rip it out & throw it in the skip.
Exciting times. I know you’ve probably already on the way to a combi, but worth considering unvented instead. I don’t know the future of gas and gas prices, a cylinder would let you still have hot water via electric if you wanted. Also depending on your roof and orientation, solar panels may be worth considering to get “free” hot water.
Nah, that is not horrendous It’s a bit dated in places but it isn’t like you’re making out mate We’ve been house hunting and there are far far worse out there for big money But it’s your gaff and you need to be happy with it and if ultra modern is your thing then go for it – todays modern is tomorrows dated look don’t forget
I’m just done doing an occupied renovation, so good luck. In the long run, you will probably be better off rewiring the complete property. Any decent sparkie will be able to do the rewire in stages for not a lot more, then tie everything in properly to a new board at the end. All I need to do now is replace the back door, and fit a new kitchen. Our current kitchen is pretty much like yours, so we just upgraded doors etc. until we decide what we want to do with it. Check your cabinets though. They look very like some of the Moben units I fitted back in the day. Those were originally ply rather than particle board. We also installed a wood stove. We bought a Contura inset stove which fits straight into the builders opening. No need for register plate etc. Our installer also filled between the stainless liner and the fireclay one with waterproof vermiculite. Looking forward to the fun beginning.
That wardrobe with an unknown cavity next to it, Is that too narrow to turn into a walk in wardrobe, or maybe an ensuite ? I would rewire completely the whole place, once you are sorted with what goes where. Easy for me to say, but start over is my recomendation, Have seemingly more than you need outputs with USB on most. Havent got a clue about combi boilers, so it sounds a good choice you are making. The whole place is a very shrewd investment. You stand a chance of making an incredible place to live for a family and make a killing at the end if you have to move. Of course THE most important thing is to avoid ear bendings from the missus. Oh and custard creams ? What wrong with jammy dodgers ? I dunno the young of today 🙂
I’ve just bought a 1930’s semi, I’m renovating the majority myself, the main issue I’ve found so far is damp coming through the chimney breast, I took the wallpaper off and the plaster just fell off (saved me a job 😂), there was tinfoil behind the paper so the previous owner was clearly trying to expel it. A few surrounding joists are also rotten 😫
The carpet reminds me of my chikdhood….so mid 1980s and the kitchen defo mid 1980s but was modern thing at the time! I am sure tho will scrub up. Those glass windows above the doors….im rackling in my 1950s gouse! What was that all about….. other than a massive fire risk. But…..the gosue looks tidy and probably the old girl couldnt stay safe any more! The gouse is nice tho….and a great famiky protect
You’re turning it into an American house and taking all the British charm away..! Love the conservatory… those ‘windows’ above the doors are called transoms. Fans aren’t necessary if you have a window in the bathroom. Good for the insulation.. ugly fitted furniture, agreed..! Ceiling lights are hideous..! Add electrical outlets, for sure..!! Especially with high tech these days. That pipe being exposed to the outside elements is what caused it to go brittle and break.
I may be getting a bit ahead of myself in case you already covered this in another article, but what is the situation with asbestos like? I am buying house atm (mid 90’s) and was warned in a survey that properties of this age may contain asbestos. I’m particularly concerned about ceilings since I plan to install spotlights in the kitchen and get rid pattern in the living room ceiling. With your property being built in 1973, I think you may have the same issue.. unless I am missing something.. Do you do asbestos surveys, or do you know how to recognise it yourself?
Honestly dont see the issue so far. All houses need doing up snd this looks lovely from the outside and nit too bad inside, Just needs imagination and decorating. Unit in the living room is lovely. Flooring can be changed too. If I had the funds I would of bought this and done it up, Even just to be in a half decent area xo
Just found your reno articles – doing a big one myself (two bedrooms with ensuites for my teens in the basement). I notice you were able to just pull the drain pipes apart and only push fit them together. Here we glue every connection to prevent leaking and any sewer gases escaping. Any thoughts as to your damp behind the cabinets coming from sweating or minor leaking from those drains?
I’ve seen kitchens like yours in places built from the early 1980s with the tiles over the extractor hood. I would guess the older style units in the utility room are from the houses original kitchen so that kitchen was likely to have been fitted when it was extended. Don’t envy you with that green goo, had that in my first flat. Its a nightmare to get off your fingers!
Only lived in our30s house for 3yrs this augs looking on the right move already my husbands going nuts the problem is the bungolow fell through the house we truly loved was sold the house webought is on a bit of a busy rd we done the garden its lovely the house we both fell in love with is back on the market but now up 185grd more but better arear and no traffic how can it be so much more money ❤😂😊😢😢
I’ve got 2 pendant lights in my utility room that’s maybe 3m squared. neither of them are central. Then I have a switch for each in the kitchen that leads onto the utility room and then another switch for just the 1 in the utility room alongside a mystery switch. Being a house owner is certainly fun.
For the bedroom wardrobe/alcove area, I’d take everything out, wardrobe & adjacent, check the full space created and design a new floor to ceiling wardrobe interior, put new sets of modern doors on with mirror on a door interior, plus interior lights and sockets inside wardrobe for a hairdryer/tv/shaver/charging, reinstate full width coving & decorate.
I live in a house where someone came in and decided to remove interior doors and walls and we look forward to the day when we can replace them! When I so often see people wanting to do the same thing in houses I wonder how differently my family must live from how others do that we find the incredibly popular open concept to be such a bother instead. 🤔 We have someone trying to watch TV in one room, and we can no longer close off the dining room, where people are doing homework, or playing a game, and then someone else is in the kitchen cooking & washing up, and the noises just all come together and everyone keeps getting louder trying to hear whatever it is they’re doing. Do other families all decide to do the same things at the same time, perhaps? Or do they all “escape” to their bedrooms, leaving the wide open rooms that were created mostly empty? Or do they just embrace the chaos? 😀
Interesting article, and good presentation too, thank you. Looks like it could be a really rewarding project, just a shame you have to live in it at the same time which will make it 10 times harder! It would be really interesting to see figures/prices of house cost, cost of separate alterations material wise etc. Then total cost at the end of the project. Not sure how much you intend to do yourself, so an insight into your successes and failures is always interesting as we all learn by our mistakes and we all make them. I am just finishing building a three bedroom oak framed barn new build in which I have done all the trades myself, so always learning, as I have the next project lined up which I have started already. Hence I find your articles very interesting, so keep it up as I know how hard it is.
👍 My old house needs new radiators fitted. But the new metric ones are not a simple refit because of the substantial difference in pipe centres. Would be great if you could provide some pointers for easy fixes and also to address the more involved solution of redoing the pipework under the wooden floor etc. Cheers.
Hi thanks for this. I bought a similar 70s house two years ago and paid a fortune bringing it up to date. I encountered similar problems. Those ceilings I hate lol. Most likely full of asbestos. I have identical ceilings. Decided in the end just to paint them. No sparky is going to mess about with new led light fittings on those monstrosities. Skimming them only masks the problem. Though did pay to get it removed in the bathroom. On a positive its a lovely house and affordable to run. I get what you say about the lack of plugs, so annoying, ended up with a complete rewire and now have lots of plugs and a circuit board up to current standards. Word of warning, when buying these properties that require some updating, be aware of the financial implications and you are not going to get a quick profit turnover. Has to be long tern investment. Unless you can be like this guy and fix it up your self ha ha.
You should see my house I rent, was built nearly 70 years ago and the last time it had any work done was in the 80s when they did some bad diy and tried to change it in to a Tudor house in and out, the wood outside is rotten and started falling off, had some new doors on the kitchen units, it’s dreadful but can’t afford anything else on my own, trying my best to do what I can with decorating, but a slow job, so hoping to pick up some tips
Some really great historical MFI fitted furniture there, classic pieces! Amazing how that exterior pipe had disintegrated with UV damage, but oh, you left the barcode sticker on the new elbow joint, one of my pet peeves, I always take them off. Good luck with this great new project, be interesting to see it develop
I agree with you regarding the interior ‘time-warp’. Although I have never liked the 1970’s suburban street architecture, I must say that the exterior (minus the brick colour) of the house is quite a handsome and holds its own. I see this with black exterior aluminium frames, doors etc, and some dark coloured/ burnt effect weatherboard cladding. The interior just needs to be opened up with good flooring, bathrooms and kitchen. On the upper bedrooms I would vault the ceilings (I saw a ‘single storey’ bungalow that had it done in the kitchen, lounge and diner, and it looked incredible!. Then, with the correct landscaping, this could end up being a prime property on the street. (but then you are flipping property, so I get it is a controlled budget). I will be interested to see it when you have completed the reno.
Late 1960s early 1970s wiring you risk green goo. You may find yourself better off rewiring as you go and having each room fed with radial circuits. Not only is it carcinogenic but in the long run can cause house fires. You can have a Heat Pump on 15mm copper it isn’t an issue, much smaller than that and it posses more annoyance. If you’re after a wood burner you’ll need the chimney checked and possibly lined/fan flued. Not always a straight forward install as people like to think. Also go unvented if you’re having 2 showers/ full bath and half bath. Otherwise you’re looking at an electric shower.
You can see the potential a lovely big house & garden. Watch out we know, as our house is 70s built, all ceilings then covered in artex had asbestos too all through. I doubt the kitchens original they were those flat shiny brown or light blue coloured doors with the metal handles that ran along doors then. Im surprised you’ve not got a blue or green bathroom suite of those times too. I remember my friend bought a flat in 80s original it had a brown suite 😮We have a house just like this near us just sold, owned by an elderly lady just as it was built. It’s amazing to see just as it was from 1970s. Good luck it’s going to be a fabulous house once finished.
100% relatable as we are starting our third year in our 1950s home and have had to slowly renovate due to living here at the same time. In all honesty it’s a beautiful home. Yes aesthetically it’s a little old but what a diamond in the rough!! We would have bought that as we’re able to see past the decor which is something most people struggle with. Can’t wait to catch up with the content and see what you do with it. Love the transom windows above the doors, it’s a beautiful feature and a adds such a character piece. Are you sure you want to get rid of them? Bedroom alcove would be really good use of space. Could use it to extend the built in wardrobe which is always handy space to have. If you want a tv can always have a space in the middle to place a tv in it with storage above and below. Beautiful garden too! X
Great article. It reminded me of when we moved into our home in 2009. It had been empty for about 3 years and was very much stuck in the 80. The first thing British gas did was to condem the boiler(with red and white warning tape).it took me about 10 years to get the place fully updated and how we wanted.looking forward to perusal your journey.
Glass bannister for the stairs to keep the natural light. Sockets upgraded to double sockets. Wall lights upgrade to more modern light fixtures. Conservatory idea i agree with yours. Love the the idea of a media wall and log burner. I personally like the kitchen cabinets – the solid wooden ones. Id change the worktops though. Maybe for marble. Or epoxy resin stone look kit. Theres a website on YT who do alot of that Stone Epoxy Counter tops or something they are called. Id leave the windows above the doors for more natural light throughout the house. Maybe make some nicer trim for them to make it look more modern. Id re till the bathroom. Laminate or hard wood floor. Door handles throughout need to be made more modern and matching. Id extend the built in wardrobe and fit mirror doors floor to ceiling. Get rid of the stuff built in around the bed. Doors and skirting all stained wood. Just looks more homey than white (unpopular opinion). Note: this is the forst article of yours i have seen. Looking forward to the renovation:)
As a builder having lived in my house whilst doing it up. Let me give you a couple of bits of advice:- 1. Make sure your Mrs is happy to live in the house and all the dust etc while the works progress! 2. Dont bite off more than you can chew, work wise. 3. Plan plan plan to make sure you get everything in the right order. I guess you wont be doing everything at once so make sure to plan the order of work. 4. Do NOT deviate from item 1! Hardest part is keeping all services running at the end of the day! Good luck I think you have got yourself a bargain there. Look forward to all the articles.
I think where you plan to build a fireplace it would be nice to put built in shelving to put books or nick knacks, plants etc. maybe small cupboards on bottom to store kids small toys, puzzles, games etc. It would be nice to salvage as much of the wood kitchen cabinets etc. and sell them if you’re changing them as they seem in pretty good condition and someone else might like them. The weird alcove could be a little makeup station to sit and put on makeup etc. or you could pull everything out and extend the closet beside it.
My parents bought a house in 2001, I was 8 and they renovated the entire property (it was in a worse state than what you’ve bought. Blue bath tub with the old stained wood panelling around it *shudders*) and whacked a massive extension on (taking down and then rebuilding the kitchen, more than doubling the size of it then adding a third bedroom on top of the kitchen with an en-suite). As a kid I loved it. I’m not sure of the age of any kids you may have, but honestly it was great. I got to help with several projects (hence my now love of DIY), but it was also like a playpark for me. The frame of the kitchen, before it got plastered and windows put in was my new football pitch, for example. It’s awful with the dust, and I imagine my parents had a tough time with living in it, cleaning it every day and dealing with two young kids. But it was worth every second of stress as the home they have is the best on the street (and there’s over £00 properties on the street!)
Thats a lot of work to do in there cameron……but it will look absolutely amazing once your done. I love the look of the house and the garden will be fantastic for a family. Plenty of room and scope mate. Well done to you getting it. I know its more work but im thinking id fill the alcove in next to the built in wardrobe? Make it one flat wall. Giving you a bigger wardrobe and more room for a wall hung tv? Just a thought mate. And i think your going the right route with a combi too mate, sooooo much simpler even than an unvented system. And i havent heard good things about air source heat pumps especially with bigger houses….they struggle to actually warm the house. Ive fitted combis to some huge homes and got them really toasty. Just make sure you have good incoming mains pressure mate.
Looks like a great project. I’ve been renovating a similar aged house the last few years. Started similar to you, sorting the plumbing then swapped to a new combi. Had a couple of issues early on, needed a couple of lintels replacing over large 2.1m windows, re-roof. Had help with those early issues and big jobs like the roof but all been DIY since, learned all about underfloor heating, plastering, knock through kitchen diner. I’d like to get it finished this year but that’s probably optimistic. Anyay, looks like fun project and will be following along 🙂
Love this type of content . I currently started doing DIY/ Maintenance but late in the game at 32 but I like your articles because your for the everyday people and not cocky would love to work with some one like you 12-18 months the skills you would learn would be crazy. I would love to have 10% of your knowledge and skill. Keep it up 👍🏻.
At least the house hasnt got artex on every surface like my house had. Every single cei,ing and wall in my had the stuff on. We have had all the down stairs room re done, new kitchen, new heating all new plaster skimming and now we have to do the upstairs when we get some savings together again. I think the house is very good to be honest
Deffo rewire mate – having been in the position of buying old houses needing ripped back to the brick – do the rewiring, so that you can at least be sure that its safe – and you can then get stuff put in where you want it. Better to bite the bullet now than realise in 2 years you need to do it 😉 Can’t wait to see how the place will turn out – it has potential – luckily many people cant see past decor issues. PS – i reckon that carpet is 70s, not 80s (old enough to have seen these sort of carpets in my parents house lol).
we spent months and months living in a worksite when we had the rooms decorated, not really recommended if i’m honest although our recent extension was also done with us living in the house it was far less intrusive the hardest part is finishing everything up for the evening so you can use the house again if the water’s been off or the leccy has been upgraded so they are the things you really need to look out for when you start fiddling with anything looks like a great house once it’s done though, plenty of space
Great potential, we’ve just moved into a 1930’s property with a similar kitchen and extractor built in, there’s a date on one of the cabinets 1981, the wall lights are the same as hat we have. 1 socket in every room, strange ceiling light positioning in the bedrooms but instead of the 2 that you have, there’s just the one nearest the windows, not sure if it was a privacy thing having less of a silhouette on the window when getting dressed
really looking forward to perusal this series, me and my partner brought a 1972 house december last year and are currently renovating it whilst living in it, so i believe ill relate alot to this series, our house is similar to yours, we have just had the old water tank system taken out and replaced with a combi boiler, our kitchen cupboards look like yours, we also had the glass above the bedroom doors and have taken them out ourselves and fill them in, had a wall knocked out to make more space, we have artex ceilings aswel, had an asbestos report done, luckily only one ceiling is asbestos so were yet to tackle that, had more sockets put in, have you checked under your carpets for the brown tiles? we had alot of them and unfortunately they contain asbestos also, so were thinking maybe screed over them, good luck with the renovation, looking forward to seeing what jobs you do and how you do them, as your articles do help me alot with DIY