Qlder - worst house on the street

[CharlotteBee]

Hi, Me again

I have purchased the worst QLDER on the best street close to town.

Front of the house faces south and rear north.

I am doing the plans up for the house now and wanted some ideas on the bathroom...and the front of the house.

I am adding a new exterior paint, roof repair and repaint, bathroom - this is a blank canvas, rear deck, gravel drive, fence under the house (palings), remove wall in kitchen and add a breakfast bench and add an island.

Anyone else done the old QLDER?

 

[DaveM]

I am doing the plans up for the house now and wanted some ideas on the bathroom...and the front of the house.

A bulldozer?

How about some floor plans... would be good to see the layout to get an idea of improvements.

Couple of things...

* Front door looks way too low? If you are goinig to redo the roof then I would suggest increasing the head height
* Whats the facade like behind the front lean-to/enclosed verandah?
* Roof repair... looks more like a full re-sheet? How rusted is it?
* Why does everyone call a house on stilts a "qlder". Its a house on stilts A proper qld'er is a beauty to behold.

For the front, it could come up looking pretty good with a new roof, replace the ugly aluminium windows with something a bit more classic, paint in a great classic colour, garden beds and some taller shrubs to infill the under house void.

 

[RPI]

Loads

Open up the verandah and it will look lovely

 

[westminster]

Yup I would definitely revert it back to a verandah with some nice railings to open up the front and get rid of the dodgy door.

If you are thinking external colours I love the look here - it is Porters Old Stone Wall (dulux can match) and colourbond surfmist

 

[Tim86]

Not a qlder, but is a workers cottage, which was from the same time. Just not as grand.

For the bathroom I would grab a clawfoot bath, get a acrylic one (the old iron ones crack). You can grab a new one for about $700. Then I would do either a pedestal basin or a nice colonial style vanity from recollections. They also do the pedestal basins on special for $99 from time to time.

I've got a workers cottage too. But I'm slowly transforming it into something a bit more. I'll attach some before and afters.

 

[Tim86]

Also for your front door, I would do a small gable in the middle with a grand entryway underneath it. I would probably leave your front deck built in because you will just lose too much space otherwise. I left mine built in and I just raised the roof so I could extend it out for a new front deck with railings, etc... But that was a lot of work and would cost more than $3000 if you got someone else to do it I would imagine.

That place has potential. But I hope you are doing a lot of the work yourself or else it's going to get expensive. Throw some breezeways and archways in the house too. Gives it a much more qlder/grand colonial kind of feel.

But anyway that's my style, feel free to disregard lol.

 

[CharlotteBee]

Wow Tim Looks amazing. We have windows above the doors as in your pictures and you have inserted some decorative timber in there? What are those called?? And where can I get them, because that would be cheaper than filling in the window gap left. I really love the block this house is on. It is 1/2 acre, one of the only big blocks left, with another 1/2 acre at the back.

I have a builder/carpenter for $35 a hour and i am buying all materials and we are labouring. We are doing the tiling, plumbing, groundworks, purchase materials ourselves.

I am struggling with the bathroom and the front, I was thinking of adding a small verandah at the front but only at the door?

The bathroom is massive we have to move the toilet and shower to make use of the space.

And to fence under the front half of the house for appeal - leaving the back unfenced for now as we may enclose for a laundry/

 

[Tim86]

Wow Tim Looks amazing. We have windows above the doors as in your pictures and you have inserted some decorative timber in there? What are those called?? And where can I get them, because that would be cheaper than filling in the window gap left. I really love the block this house is on. It is 1/2 acre, one of the only big blocks left, with another 1/2 acre at the back.

I have a builder/carpenter for $35 a hour and i am buying all materials and we are labouring. We are doing the tiling, plumbing, groundworks, purchase materials ourselves.

I am struggling with the bathroom and the front, I was thinking of adding a small verandah at the front but only at the door?

The bathroom is massive we have to move the toilet and shower to make use of the space.

And to fence under the front half of the house for appeal - leaving the back unfenced for now as we may enclose for a laundry/

They are called breezeways, you can get them made to a custom size. I got mine from here: http://www.woodworkers.com.au/website/pdfs/FAQs/WWlaser_products.pdf

They were around $100 ea I think.

- Sounds like a good plan re the work and minimizing the costs. I'll eventually get a carpenter in to do some of the work to speed things along as well when I raise the house and do the extension out the back.

-You could do a small verandah out the front. Might look cool to extend a gable in the middle of the front right out to cover the deck too. Put in a grand entryway plus have your little front deck bit as well. Lots of options. Check out recollections for some bathroom ideas

 

[CharlotteBee]

Thanks

I love the woodworkers site. I have the measurements so i might jump on and have a look. Hardest thing I am finding is getting all the materials and finding time to pick them up/install.

I am looking at affordable doors for 4 new interior doors and the rear french door.

And we are still getting materials for the deck. We have to get the carpenter to assess first. He is willing to stay in the home for the few days he is working there to save on costs too.

 

[CharlotteBee]

Yes we are using this colour or very close to it thanks to you. You definitely hit the nail on the head in terms of colour. Most are too "out there" in the blues and greys and something more subdued would suit the jacarandas surrounding the house!

 

[Tim86]

Thanks

I love the woodworkers site. I have the measurements so i might jump on and have a look. Hardest thing I am finding is getting all the materials and finding time to pick them up/install.

I am looking at affordable doors for 4 new interior doors and the rear french door.

And we are still getting materials for the deck. We have to get the carpenter to assess first. He is willing to stay in the home for the few days he is working there to save on costs too.

This is the cheapest place I've seen so far for decking wood: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/sumn...ber-86mm-for-decks-privacy-screens-/357905603

But I haven't used him before so I don't know how good the product is.

As for doors, I'm just getting them from bunnings. You can even grab your french doors there pretty cheap as well. Or underwood demolition yard has some cool french doors all premade in the frame for $2000.

 

[CharlotteBee]

Ahhh that is the place, underwood demo! I forgot the name. I will do a call around and ask them as well as the bunnings site, I seen that affordable doors had internal timber doors for $200.

I will check out that decking, we had some fence palings on that site fore free needed painting! and a WHOLE S/S kitchen package incl dishwasher for $1500 bet they were snapped up!

 

[arms]

Yes we are using this colour or very close to it thanks to you. You definitely hit the nail on the head in terms of colour. Most are too "out there" in the blues and greys and something more subdued would suit the jacarandas surrounding the house!

ring the somerset council they may have a heritage advisor available the same as ipswich city council has .
very helpful ! when i renovated my investment qlder at west ipswich

 

[CharlotteBee]

Hi Arms.

My MIL works at the council and I don't think they do. I have downloaded the Heritage PDF from ICC website though. I work in construction so i am doing the rounds with my contacts..

Do you have some pictures of yours?

CB

 

[arms]

They are called breezeways, you can get them made to a custom size. I got mine from here: http://www.woodworkers.com.au/website/pdfs/FAQs/WWlaser_products.pdf

They were around $100 ea I think.

i made my own with a fretsaw i purchased on ebay .
i needed 11 of them and for custom made they were $160 EACH.
i made a template of an old breezeway in another old house i own and scaled it down to suit the new size in the home .came up a treat and i saved a packet as well as getting a new toy to play with