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Honest Builder

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  • 17-12-2007 3:37pm
    #1
    rosullivan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 70 ✭✭


    I have just bought an old farmhouse (circa 1900) in West Cork. It is in need of complete renovation and I am trying to find a builder who (a) knows how to renovate an old farmhouse and (b) is not planning to do a shoddy job, double the price halfway through and retire to Santa Ponsa on the proceeds.

    Anyone know of such a builder?


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    #2
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    Trouble is with an old house renovation, as you start pulling things apart to rebuild them you often encounter problems that force a rethink of the original plan.
    I am not standing up for dodgy builders, just making you aware that sometimes as things go it can be cheaper and faster to simply knock and rebuild with a modern house.
    You can still size the house the same but your actual interior will be much greater, not to mention all the insulation benefits etc etc.
    I have a few friends and colleagues that have renovated and to a man/woman they all said that if they did it again they would knock and start from scratch.


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    #3
    ircoha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,290 ✭✭✭ircoha


    Agree 100% with CJ, "doze and go" is the only way


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    #4
    rosullivan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 70 ✭✭rosullivan


    CJhaughey wrote: »
    I have a few friends and colleagues that have renovated and to a man/woman they all said that if they did it again they would knock and start from scratch.


    OK that's fine, but I don't want to knock it. I want to renovate it. I don't mind paying for renovating it. I just don't want to get screwed by a dodgy builder (of which there are many crawling around this country). Was my original post unclear?;)


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    #5
    Kashkai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,399 ✭✭✭Kashkai


    We bought a small bungalow with the same intention as you, i.e. to renovate it and substantially enlarge it (i.e. add on 1,600 sq ft). Post construction, it would have been cheaper and less hassle to knock it and start from scratch.

    However as you state, you don't want to go down this road so the best I can offer is to get a properly qualified engineer in to give the place a good going over to provide you with as accurate an estimate of what the job will entail/cost as possible. In my bitter experience, architects do not possess the competency to give you a good idea of what major structural work will cost as they are just basically glorified designers. Our architect gave us a totally unrealistic estimate which did not take into account having to re plumb and rewire the existing build to tie in with the new extension or how the new roof would tie in with the existing structure. In the end, with costs soaring, we had a head to head with said architect who admitted he didn't forsee the costs involved and then he buggered off. We then got in an engineer who not only took our dodgy builder in hand (a long and painful story btw) but also spotted some major design flaws caused by the architect, that in the engineer's opinion could have caused the roof to come crashing down.

    So before you go looking for a builder, get an engineer in to check the existing structure and to provide you with proper plans to ensure your build does not cost you the money and grief that ours did. Best of luck.


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    #6
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    rosullivan wrote: »
    OK that's fine, but I don't want to knock it. I want to renovate it. I don't mind paying for renovating it. I just don't want to get screwed by a dodgy builder (of which there are many crawling around this country). Was my original post unclear?;)

    Sorry Maybe I was unclear.
    What I was trying to say was that, you can contract a good builder.
    BUT when dealing with an old house and 100 year old building practices things can and will happen during the course of the build that will throw the budget out the window, and in the process create friction between the contractor and yourself.
    Even if you agree a fixed price to do the work, if there is a problem during the build the builder will in all probability either a) ask for more money or b) if the money is not forthcoming try and make the money up by cutting corners somewhere else.
    There are good builders out there but finding one that will take on a project like yours is difficult, most trades prefer to deal with relatively new houses as the potential of being sucked into a long drawn out drama is a known pitfall in this type of situation.
    The best way to approach this type of project IMHO is to actually start yourself and try and find a builder that will work alongside you, this will greatly increase the chances of a successful outcome.
    Do you know your neighbours? ask them who they might recommend.


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