Help on old Victorian terrace house fixes with builder or trades
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Comments (135)I'm amazed that this discussion has carried forward for nearly two years! In that time I have moved to another coastal area (cooler climate and better proximity to children) and this time found most of the discussion still rings true. Finding another home here was an incredibly frustrating journey made all the worse by a mad investor rush in the area just when we arrived to start our home search. That search took the best part of six months and in the end there would only be three or four houses to choose from in any week. Result? A rushed purchase, a desperately inadequate building inspection and failure on my part to notice poor bathroom tiling, shortage of closet and storage pace, just how small the lounge room really was, and etc. I disappointed myself because I had let the pressures beat me and now we are trying to resolve all of these issues in a home designed and built by one of this states most respected project home builders 25 years ago. Having now studied the floor plan with more care I realise it was put together (designed) in modular fashion - most bedrooms have similar dimensions and the living areas are all approximately the same size as if the designer simply juggled three boxes of one size and four of another size and then worked out traffic flow. Then he must have thrown them all in the air to see how they would land and that was design number two! And etc and so on. This house aside, we looked at a great many during the six months because we had to broaden our search above and below budget trying to find something. There were massive termite problems, leaky roofs, asbestos galore, gazzumping at every turn, almost all but the most expensive properties suffered at least one substantial fail for the most basic of needs and to top it off the best home in our price range just happened to be built on flood prone land - approved by council who put the flood signs up less than five years earlier. We live and learn. Then there were the real estate agents, but that would take another two years and I doubt the internet has enough free page space available!!! OK, I hear you, they're not ALL bad......See MoreMake builder change drawers? Worth it or not? :/
Comments (38)I have to agree with the comment on symmetrical. I really thought that was something I should be pedantic about but then I had to take into consideration what storage I needed and as my kitchen is only small, there was no way I could even begin to think symmetrical. I chose to have finger pulls on my drawers which unlike handles does not draw attention to the unevenness, but even then I actually prefer the fact that each of my drawers are different, to me it is more interesting, and better still, helps OLD minds like mine remember where I put things....See MoreTerrace Renovation - First Home need Help
Comments (4)Congratulations on your purchase. We have recently completed a renovation which included an excavation. If you are wanting to have parking in the basement, it may cost you in excess of $80K due to the excavation involved. This includes steel beams, concreting etc. We also had to pay an additional amount for underpinning. I think building one home would be better for the size of block, across 2 levels. Or 3 levels, if you prefer. Three levels will be more expensive so depends on how much you're willing to spend. Our builder arranged the trades for the bathroom. We purchased all the tiles and fixtures. My builder did have a kitchen company he uses. However, I found a great place that I wanted to use. My builder organised the trades. I'm happy to share other costs with you if you contact me directly to give you an idea. We are about 10km from Darlinghurst. Our renovation involved both an extension and excavation. We do have a DA approved to add another level, however we have estimated that will cost about $150k. Which we may do in a few years if needed....See MoreDamp in a victorian terrace solutions
Comments (3)Most houses with timber floors that are on stumps have a similar bare earth under the floorboards, so they often smell a bit damp and musty. Most freestanding houses minimise this problem with air vents around the perimeter that are below the floor level and above the ground level to encourage cross-flow ventilation which helps keep it dryer. However in a mid-row terrace house you have less opportunity as you only have the front and rear for air vents. I had a client with a similar problem who installed an exhaust fan under the house to extract damp air. It was permanently running and did the job. However years later when I was involved in a second stage renovation we discovered that the nearest downpipe to their dampest corner was not actually connected to the stormwater. So everytime it rained water pooled under the floor from the downpipe and the exhaust fan battled to dry it out. I would suggest that you check and confirm that all of your old downpipes are properly connected with the stormwater before going to the expense of mechanical ventilation. Pouring a slab is an expensive way to try and fix the problem, and it won't fix it if you have a disconnected downpipe! Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls...See More
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