Rendering in a 'brick street'

[HandyAndy888]

Hello all,

I am contemplating the thought of rendering my house. I am in the process of 'modernising' it and my dad cold help me get the job done for minimal outlay.

BUT, there is a dilemma.

The house is in an established suburb and pretty much all the houses surrounding it are brick. There is the odd larger home in render, but they are far and few in between. In my street in particular, all houses are brick.

Should I render? A stone throw away in the next suburb, all the new houses are rendered and the asking price is much higher. When I am finished with my reno, it will look 'like new' and am thinking render would just be the icing on the cake for a potential buyer a few years down the track. Your thoughts/comments appreciated.

 

[MCS_80]

With the right looking garden, roof and fixtures, I dont think anything can beat the appeal of a rendered house when to comes to "New Look" factor.

Id certainly gravitate toward a newer looking rendered house rather than an older looking brick home.

There are rendered houses in our street of mainly bricked houses, and they certainly look more expensive.

Cheers, Mick

 

[Aaron_C]

Do you have a picture of the existing frontage?

 

[skater]

If you are happy with the look of the home "as is" and are not looking for a re-valuation or to sell it, then I would hold off on that render.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like the rendered look, but I'm thinking more long term. Tastes change over time and while it looks good right now, it might not look that good in 10 years time and may date it.

This is something that Hubby & I have discussed for our own home. Personally we don't mind the brick, but rendering it will make the outside more modern. We have decided that we will not render it until we decide to sell. IF rendering is still popular then, we will render it. The benefit to this is that the render will also be a lot 'fresher' as it will be newly done when we sell.

Render is not something that is easy to remove once you've installed it.

 

[Ed Barton]

If you are happy with the look of the home "as is" and are not looking for a re-valuation or to sell it, then I would hold off on that render.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like the rendered look, but I'm thinking more long term. Tastes change over time and while it looks good right now, it might not look that good in 10 years time and may date it.

This is something that Hubby & I have discussed for our own home. Personally we don't mind the brick, but rendering it will make the outside more modern. We have decided that we will not render it until we decide to sell. IF rendering is still popular then, we will render it. The benefit to this is that the render will also be a lot 'fresher' as it will be newly done when we sell.

Render is not something that is easy to remove once you've installed it.

good point.

to add. unless the whole, or lots in the street/suburb render the price won't go up substantially. just a guess. others thoughts?

not the op's intention but would it attract higher rent? i think it would add a few bucks and make it easy to rent. but you probably wouldn't get a substantially higher rent. others thoughts?

 

[Jamie M]

BUT, there is a dilemma.

The house is in an established suburb and pretty much all the houses surrounding it are brick.

I would have thought that would be a good thing.

How much will it cost to render and what do you estimate the property to be worth once completed?

Cheers

Jamie

 

[DaveM]

We have decided that we will not render it until we decide to sell. IF rendering is still popular then, we will render it. The benefit to this is that the render will also be a lot 'fresher' as it will be newly done when we sell.

Render is not something that is easy to remove once you've installed it.

I know of a quality DIY renderer in Erskine Park ;-)

Also, surely if the render goes out of fashion, you can use those fake stick on bricks like they used to use back in the 80's to convert the front of weatherboard houses to a brick look!

 

[skater]

I know of a quality DIY renderer in Erskine Park ;-)

LOL! That's the look I don't want.

Also, surely if the render goes out of fashion, you can use those fake stick on bricks like they used to use back in the 80's to convert the front of weatherboard houses to a brick look!

You are a funny boy today, aren't you?

 

[HandyAndy888]

Thanks for the comments guys and girls!

My best guess, the value as is, is about $280K. With render, probably $330K.

Cost to render is a couple of thousand (DIY).

I agree, it's possible that render will be out of fashion, but I consider it highly unlikely unless a totally new product comes online. Houses have been rendered (lime etc.) for a long time, the smooth look IS 'modern' and should stay around a while.

What I think could possibly date soon, is timber features, which I am beginning to add now; I love the look of a timber screen, or screen feature on a house, but surely this can't stay around for long.

I've tried attaching a picture of the current. This is an old picture of the place before I have started hacking it to pieces.

 

[Aaron_C]

Rendering looks much better. All my Victorian houses are rendered and they look very sleek despite being 120 years old.

 

[RedPanda]

Rendering is single most valuable thing in a renovation. Apart from increasing the valuation, I would assume that rendered houses would rent for more also.

 

[luckyone]

Andy, I think you're place will look far nicer rendered. I think I would definitely go for it, especially since you're handy and can do it yourself.

 

[RazzaDazzla]

Similar question.

The parents house is a 45 year old red brick veneer with a 30 year old second story extension on top.

The extension is weatherboard, though boards are only visible on sides and back as the top front is set back and the original roof line finishes under the top floor windows at the front.

The house is well and truly overdue for some TLC. Structurally it is A+, with brick piers on a solid foundation of sandstone.

The terracotta tiles need to be replaced as their are leak issues. The inside is going to be modernised to make it quite contemporary with original polish floor boards, down lights, removing wall between lounge and dinning etc.

So two questions;
a) AS the terracotta tiles need replacing, should they be replaced with tiles or colorbond. If colorbond, do they go for a red look to make it like the original redish terracotta tiles (not my choice but suggested by builder)? Or Colorbond with a dark grey/black?

b)bricks. Render? Or keep and show the home off for what it is, a classic, structurally sound red brick home? The builders opinion is keep the classic red brick. I personally like what someone suggested above; and that was, if render is still in vogue in a few years time, then render before selling.

To be honest, the folks aren't getting any younger, but us kids love the idea of them spending some money on a family home that has been so good to us as a family.

I personally think I'd love to see it restored externally to it's original red brick glory, with modern paint colours on gables and eaves, black aluminium windows, modern planting and landscaping. And of course, modern inside.

Or is red brick dead and buried?

 

[wobbycarly]

Thanks for the comments guys and girls!

My best guess, the value as is, is about $280K. With render, probably $330K.

Cost to render is a couple of thousand (DIY).

I agree, it's possible that render will be out of fashion, but I consider it highly unlikely unless a totally new product comes online. Houses have been rendered (lime etc.) for a long time, the smooth look IS 'modern' and should stay around a while.

What I think could possibly date soon, is timber features, which I am beginning to add now; I love the look of a timber screen, or screen feature on a house, but surely this can't stay around for long.

I've tried attaching a picture of the current. This is an old picture of the place before I have started hacking it to pieces.

What is the point of rendering when most of the house is hidden behind that hedg-y thing?

 

[skater]

What is the point of rendering when most of the house is hidden behind that hedg-y thing?

Gotta agree! The first thing I'd do is remove it to give the house some street appeal.

 

[lizzie]

a) AS the terracotta tiles need replacing, should they be replaced with tiles or colorbond. If colorbond, do they go for a red look to make it like the original redish terracotta tiles (not my choice but suggested by builder)? Or Colorbond with a dark grey/black?

b)bricks. Render? Or keep and show the home off for what it is, a classic, structurally sound red brick home? The builders opinion is keep the classic red brick. I personally like what someone suggested above; and that was, if render is still in vogue in a few years time, then render before selling.

How old is the house. Anything red brick prior to 1940 I'd leave as red brick.

Anything after 1960 I'd definately render.

We are currently dragging our beautiful (not) two storied red brick 1980's house kicking and screaming into the 21st centuary.

The two major cosmetic details were removing the old red roof and replacing with colourbond in ironstone (charcoal) and when we have finished the structural work we'll render the whole lot - most of the new work is blueboard - and paint in a cool tinted beige.

Will take a very dated house and turn it into something that looks like it was built in the last 5 years.

Our last last house (not the inbetween 1920's job we renovated) was built around the same time as this house 1980's ... but ... it was more boxy and rendered with a dark roof. Still looks as modern today as it did nearly 30 years ago.

I wouldn't worry about render dating ... colours date (like the 1970-80's red brick colour) not the render.

Had this argument at length with hubby until I paint a wall of the brick on the garage that is being pulled down - he then realised that it wasn't so much the brick, but the brick colour, that was the "dated" problem ... but he doesn't like painted brick so we will render.

 

[HandyAndy888]

What is the point of rendering when most of the house is hidden behind that hedg-y thing?

Um, yes, I was contemplating that also. I have began hacking that too, but I love hedges and I will keep it for privacy reasons.

So, is render all about 'street appeal" then?

 

[wobbycarly]

Um, yes, I was contemplating that also. I have began hacking that too, but I love hedges and I will keep it for privacy reasons.

So, is render all about 'street appeal" then?

IMO, yes. It doesn't really change the thermal or structural properties of the walls, so purely cosmetic, I believe.

 

[skater]

So, is render all about 'street appeal" then?

Absolutely!

 

[Jamie M]

So, is render all about 'street appeal" then?

Sure is. I doubt it has any structural benefits.

Street appeal is important though - for revals and when selling.

Cheers

Jamie