How long is a piece of string, but...

[Kensington]

Hi folks.

So, we have found a potential property to buy but it needs a few improvements to get it up to scratch. Before we go down the path of thinking about offers, we need to get a rough guestimate of how much said improvements may cost us. Ideally, we'd want them done before we moved in.

So, work that we can see needs doing at first glance:
> Replacing cement/concrete chimney with a more earthquake friendly option.
> New bathroom (nothing fancy, just basic white suite consisting of toilet, shower over bath plus screen and a basin/vanity). The room is on the smaller side, approx 2m x 2.5m
> New kitchen units (not the designer/all singing all dancing route - maybe something a la flat pack Ikea). We have the white goods, but would need a new hob/cooker/range hood and probably a breakfast bar in addition to the usual units, sink etc. The kitchen area is approx 3m x 3m.

In your experience, how much do you reckon those three jobs would individually set us back? I know it is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but ball park figures would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[Super_BQ]

I assume you're buying in Wellington? Get a full building report before looking at any renovation. You may find the house could have more critical issues such as wood rotten, leaks, electrical issues, etc.

[Kensington]

Yes, Welly. A building report would be one of the conditions of any offer we make, but we just wanted to get an idea of how much it would cost to do the renovations IF we bought the house.

We've had a look at various bathroom / kitchen companies so have an idea on some prices but obviously we have to factor in labour too which isn't easy info to find.

[mylesdw]

Difficult to make even a stab without a bit more info.

What is the construction of the house, is it one or two floors?

When you say "new bathroom" do you include decorating, tiling, flooring, same with kitchen.

Are you intending doing any of the work yourself - decorating for example?

[Kensington]

It is a single level property with double garage beneath. It looks to have concrete foundations (from what I could see inside the garage) and fibre cement cladding. Painting, tiling we can do ourselves - not adverse to a bit of DIY to save $$!

My rough guestimates, based on how much it would cost in the UK and adding on extra for NZ generally being more expensive - so I was thinking around $3,000-5,000 for the bathroom and around $10,000-15,000 for the kitchen. Sound plausible?

[batgirl1001]

Kitchens and toilets are the most expensive renovations done to the house - so the prices are high. If you have some DIY skills, you might be able to save a fair bit of money doing some of the work yourself. Also you may consider getting fittings/appliances that are on the lower end, mid-range of the market and consider kitset designs for your kitchen (since it is squarish 3x3) saving on costs. We were quoted $7800 for our 4x2.5 m kitchen minus all the appliances (just the standard melamine mdf design, nothing fancy, laminate benchtop) decided it wasn't worth it.