Add Value on 3x1

[Wirra436]

Hey all,

Just curious how some of you would approach adding value to this current floor plan, currently a 3x1 californian style house, high ceilings etc.

Would you convert the the rear toilet and pantry into a second bathroom?
Maybe take a wall out if possible to have open living set-up.

Money wise no more than $20,000.

Any input appreciated, especially if you have done recent renovations to victorian period houses to add value.

Cheers

Wirra

 

[vaughan]

Is this a semi-detached? There are no windows on the rhs.

I'd be opening up to the outside somehow. Add double-doors to the rhs wall of the kitchen and add a deck or patio.

Knocking out walls and remodelling laundries and kitchens will chew through $20k really fast.

 

[travelbug]

Good spotting Vaughan.

How big is the pantry? I'd move the laundry into that and put a big door in the back of the laundry. Take the return off the kitchen and rip out that wall.

I wouldn't bother with an extra bathroom on a 3 bed house.

Much more than that and you'd spend more than $20K.

 

[Wirra436]

Is this a semi-detached? There are no windows on the rhs.

I'd be opening up to the outside somehow. Add double-doors to the rhs wall of the kitchen and add a deck or patio.

Knocking out walls and remodelling laundries and kitchens will chew through $20k really fast.

see attached pics.

Its an old calfornian style heritage house. The brick wall runs the entire length of the RHS.

My entire budget for Reno will be no more than 8-10% of Current Value.

So approx $30K.

Being an investment, just looking for ways to get rental return higher, but also maybe adding capital value.

Carpet, paint (interior and Exterior) and new lighting throughout.

Just was looking for info on other options or maybe experiences to share.

Cheers.

 

[Player]

It would be hard to achieve another bedroom without adding a box onto he back. I would turn the Lounge Room into Bedroom No.1 and Bedroom No.3 into the lounge or family area that can flow through to the Kitchen/Meals. If you can open it up cheaply then you will have a better open plan flow. If not, at least the practicality of having lounge/meals nearby improves the logistics of the leisure/eating aspect of the house.

 

[westminster]

I would try and open it up to the rear garden as well. It will introduce more light into the house and if you do it carefully by using the laundry, pantry and toilet space you might just make enough to create a living room then put a deck onto the rear which the living room interacts with.

If that area is then 5 x 4 or so then you might be able to turn the current lounge into a bedroom (if you had extra dosh it has enough room to have a small ensuite in it) and then you'd have a 4 bedroom house.

 

[Sove18a]

Thought I'll add my two cents

It looks like a lovely little house with lots of potential. I'd swap the lounge with the 3rd bedroom and create an open plan kitchen/dining/lounge. Possibly add French doors to the opposite of the kitchen and add a deck there. Would really open it up, imagine warm summer nights with the doors open and the BBQ on

I'll paint the dark wood in the hallway white to brighten it up and the fireplace to give it a modern look.

If you swap the 3rd bedroom around with the lounge I wonder if it is possible to fit in a ensuite in there?

All the best ... Love to see what the finished product looks like.

Sue

 

[Wirra436]

All Fantastic idea's I appreciate the input

It definitley needs more natural light, I agree.

The Dark skirting/Trim doesnt help.

But theres something about the character of an old house I love.

Im also an electrician so installation/Replacement of lighting wont be a budget blower.

My thought was on the same track with converting the lounge into bedroom 1 and bedroom 3 into open plan living/dining etc.

Being located in a rural Victoria it can get quite cold.
Ducted heating will be installed next year, so with that in mind would you remove the Gas Heating in the current lounge? or just leave it as is.
Being an IP maybe just leave it.

$30K my budget and im sticking to it.

Cheers

 

[Rhinsor]

I'ld make the lounge room bedroom 1 and take out the wall between the entry and the current bedroom 1

 

[bryn]

It would be hard to achieve another bedroom without adding a box onto he back. I would turn the Lounge Room into Bedroom No.1 and Bedroom No.3 into the lounge or family area

same- and then deck that little outside area. would be a massive improvement.

 

[MRCCON]

see attached pics.

Its an old calfornian style heritage house. The brick wall runs the entire length of the RHS.

My entire budget for Reno will be no more than 8-10% of Current Value.

So approx $30K.

Being an investment, just looking for ways to get rental return higher, but also maybe adding capital value.

Carpet, paint (interior and Exterior) and new lighting throughout.

Just was looking for info on other options or maybe experiences to share.

Cheers.

This house is worth 300k? Where is it?

I've done a few of these for clients.

For 30k including paint etc, you wouldn't be able to afford transform the laundry into the kitchen, that would require a new kitchen, but would probably look the best.

Your most cost effective option is to swap the 3rd bedroom and the lounge.

The lounge is then big enough to add a built in robe. Rip the window out in the old 3rd bedroom, you should fit 2 x 820 french doors into that cavity.

Build a big L shaped deck and pergola that wraps around the side and back.

Deck/pergola combo of reasonable finish costs about $500sq/m. I'm not sure on the dimensions there, but it looks to be 5m x 2m, then say 5.6 x 4m. Which is about $15k worth of outdoor area.

Should leave a fair bit left over to work with the inside.

The kitchen is hand made,absolutely beautiful, get it resurfaced in a gloss for about 3k, stain the floors in walnut, then a satin polish for about $20sq/m.

It's hard to gauge much money needs to go into the bathroom, but if you were painting it yourself, there's roughly $2,000 in just paint if your doing inside and out on a place like that.

 

[Wirra436]

This house is worth 300k? Where is it?

Ballarat. Soldiers Hill Precinct. 500m from train station and CBD.

Thanks for the info.

The idea of a deck is definitley a plus.

Im renting out the house as is for a year, than starting reno's late next year once the lease is up.

Gives me time to save the cash and move forward with Improvement's.

 

[imbi3]

Do you need council approval to do the works?

 

[MRCCON]

Do you need council approval to do the works?

If he's doing a deck and pergola of that size, yes.

If he's changing a window opening, yes.

 

[wylie]

You have some good ideas here. I would also swap the lounge with the bedroom.

To stick to $30K budget might be hard but if this was my house I would want to get rid of the pantry and second loo. Could they be incorporated into the footprint of the current laundry? Close up the back door and move the loo there. Stack washer/dryer above each other and a skinny sink and put it behind double doors? That might allow the loo to be in the back corner.

If you have opened up the walls to Bed 3 (including the wall forming the hallway) and ditched everything past the doorway at the laundry end of the kitchen, it would open up the space enough that your pantry could be housed in an island unit, with drawers. People expect a tall pantry, but if you offer a bank of drawers under an island, that becomes the pantry and gives more work space.

I would be tempted to rip off the laundry/pantry/loo and re-use the part of the kitchen that backs onto the laundry and run it right to the back wall and incorporate a laundry behind double doors. We've done that numerous times including in our own kitchens. I love it, but many people want a dedicated "room".

That means you have lost a toilet. The second toilet is a "nice have" but I would give it up to have that whole corner free to look out to a deck encompassing the side part that kicks in and either run it completely across the back or at least turns the corner.

You could add the loo behind the current laundry, even if you pushed it out into a "box bay window" set up. That means fiddling with services attached to the back wall, and all this starts to push the budget out.

I also thought about pushing the fridge into the doorway into the laundry and reconfiguring things. Basically, I'm looking at the plan to make it work for me if I was living there, and that usually entails spending more than I would for a rental.

How big is the back yard? Is it nice enough in "outlook" to want to sit on a deck if you ripped off the whole of the back?

There are so many options, many of them dictated by whether you touch the kitchen or not.

 

[Wirra436]

Basically, I'm looking at the plan to make it work for me if I was living there, and that usually entails spending more than I would for a rental.

Hey Wylie,

Great Ideas yes, but as it is a " Rental " I wont over-capitalise.

If it was my PPOR and I lived in there etc different story.

1. I honestly think I can give that kitchen an industrial look with paint, lighting and a new splashback arrangement.

2. Change Lounge to a Bedroom.

3. Open up Bedroom 3 and install french doors to flow onto deck.

4. Deck to wrap around back of house.

That will eat into a 30K budget easilly.

Whatever is left over will be used for painting, lighting, carpet and polished wood floors.

Im going to re-use the existing red bricks that you can see at the back of the house and use them for a paved car parking area.

See below pic

Theres quite alot to play around with.

 

[Wirra436]

Hi All.

Just a bit of an update, the renovations are still ongoing on the Soldiers Hill Property.
Few issues with Council in regards to getting a deck approval, fingers crossed that the go ahead will come in 3 weeks time. (Heritage Overlay)

Painting:
INT: 2/3 completed, Satin white Finish for skirtings & Frames, Antique white USA for walls, 1000x brighter.
EXT: Front is done and has come up well, now completing side and rear of property.

Bathroom:
Gutted bathroom, replaced with basic white 200x200 white tiles and border to spilt up walls. New Floor tiles basic shale grey.
To be installed next week, New Vanity, Toilet, Showerscreen and Tapware.


Still to do list:

Exterior Painting.
Wooden Floors.
Carpets
Lighting.
Landscaping (Front & rear)
Blinds etc


Unplanned expenses:

Roof Replacement (on its last legs)
Interior Doors that were beyond repair (Replaced).
Removing plumbing on back of house and re-installing with copper underneath house.
Fence Replacement on Sides (God Damn Ivy wrecks everything)

Budget: Currently $15,000 Over, As this is my first RENO I see it as a learning curve and with un-expected costs, especially the roof the costs have increased.

Timeline: Has Increased by a month. House to be ready for rent Mid March.

See below for current before/after pics if interested

Cheers.

Wirra.

 

[coastal]

Nice

Looking forward to the finish reno pics

 

[knightm]

Love the exterior colour!

 

[westminster]

Looking good