Room to Improve (v2)

MrMusician18

Deleted User wrote: »

But that's kind of my point - the show has wandered very much into dreamland territory that makes it seem like the only way to do anything to your house is to spend a quarter of a million, which really isn't the case.


I've no issue with Room to Improve being a show about millionaire's lifestyles. 'It is what it is', as they say. However, it's not realistic to assume you can't get something decent for smaller money.


My extension is an example of how you can do something on a tighter budget, and it doesn't have to be a non-job (ie; if you were to watch RTI, you'd think a €50k budget would get your spare room renovated and maybe a coat of paint in the hallway, which isn't real life).


I'm not saying the market in dublin hasn't gone silly altogether, of course it has, but the vast majority of people aren't in a position to drop 1.5 million on a house. Although there are many millionaires out there, they are not the general public in Ireland, and i think the frustration in this thread is that 'real people' aren't necessarily being represented in the show anymore (compared to it's earlier days).

At the same time, a 50k budget wouldn't cover the cost of a deep retrofit on a large family home either

NSAman

MrMusician18 wrote: »

At the same time, a 50k budget wouldn't cover the cost of a deep retrofit on a large family home either

But it isn't all about being a size queen....:)

Modern thought-out architecture comes in all shapes and sizes and costs.

What we are seeing in RTI is the bling part of architecture. It isn't the reality of architecture.

Muahahaha

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

Mantis Toboggan

Muahahaha wrote: »

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

It's on the player.

Sparko

Muahahaha wrote: »

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

Tomorrow at 10.35pm on rte 1 if you don't have access to the player.

funkey_monkey

funkey_monkey wrote: »

KKV - 3rd photo - were you getting your access through your neighbours garden?

I was indeed. We demolished the back boundary wall as it was easier (my garden has a shed with a roof, so getting the digger in, etc. would have been a pain).


With the wall gone we used their back entrance instead of mine. Threw them a few euro for the hassle, and did some work on their garden and they were happy enough (they never use the garden so didn't really care in the first place, to be honest).

Also meant I didn't have to have that small 'dead gap' between my extension and the boundary wall, as my extension wall now is the boundary wall. Which helps, and means they can just piggyback off my wall if they ever decide to build out.

Everyone came out better off for it.

twirlagig

I haven’t seen it yet but thanks to the poster/posters who mentioned George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. It’s brilliant! Ended up watching it til 3am this morning! And I’m only on Season 1 of 8 I think! Perfect viewing, just hate all the ads on All4

brookers

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Absolutely agree . A small extension for the kids , an added on downstairs bathroom for the older person , ideas to make rooms work better for families ,and how to increase storage . I think most of us could relate to that , like you I am over the massive budget huge extension now

Doesnt roisin do that in home rescue, sponsored by ikea....

Millionaire only not

Muahahaha wrote: »

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

It’s repeated 2/3 times next Sunday daytime fr sure !
RTÉ want to earn some of the contribution they made to build his house!

PARlance

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Looks great, fair play to you. We need more of this! I don't know how to show the spoilers. OMG!

I am in Dublin and it is impossible to find a builder/tradesperson at the moment.

But onwards and upwards. I can live with it for now. Don't know where to start with a 50k budget to do a kitchen, take down a load bearing wall (RSJ), downstairs loo. Should that cost 50k?

Fair play to you. Hope you are very happy with your NON Bannon refurb. We need to see more of this!

You won't get that for 50k unfortunately. The example shown was a very cheap extension done for very cheap. Doesn't look like any insulation went into it. No major structural work. A flat roof. Can't even see an extractor fan in the kitchen.

PARlance

PARlance wrote: »

You won't get that for 50k unfortunately.

Of course you would. :rolleyes:

You'd get a decent kitchen anywhere for €5k. You'd get the toilet suite bought for €500. People on this thread really do show that they haven't a notion on pricing at all.

PARlance wrote: »

The example shown was a very cheap extension done for very cheap. Doesn't look like any insulation went into it. No major structural work. A flat roof. Can't even see an extractor fan in the kitchen.

Insulation is grand in it and was properly researched and invested in, so you're wrong there. There is obviously an extractor fan in the kitchen, so you're wrong there. Major structural work in the sense of what? It required all new plumbing and electrics (and re-routing of existing), 2 new fuse boxes, and foundations/walls etc. had to be built, walls knocked, etc.

It does have a flat roof, yes. That was cheaper than a pitched roof, but I wanted a flat roof as i think they look better. So the only real 'cheapness' about that decision was opting for felt over fibreglass, and again, that was a fairly thoroughly researched decision, and not one i made willy-nilly.


Now don't get me wrong, I'm not overly defensive about my house/extension, at the end of the day, all a house is is a pile of bricks in a funny shape.

But it irks me when people are so misleading to others about the costs of things, spouting exaggerated and nonsense pricing about the cost of doing things when it's not the case in reality at all.


Tradesmen are busier than ever, and they are charging more accordingly, but it's not like I lucked out and got a builder that was desperate and worked for a pittance. My electrician, plumber, locksmith, roofer, cabinet maker, etc. all cost a fraction of the kind of money that was being talked up on boards.

Mantis Toboggan

You're not getting a 250 square metre extension for 50k, that's just not possible.

Casati

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

You're not getting a 250 square metre extension for 50k, that's just not possible.

Neither did Dermot, his total house is 240 sqm

Mantis Toboggan

Casati wrote: »

Neither did Dermot, his total house is 240 sqm

Exactly! Someone saying you can easily do an extension for 50k isn't comparing apples with apples.

PARlance

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Of course you would. :rolleyes:

You'd get a decent kitchen anywhere for €5k. You'd get the toilet suite bought for €500. People on this thread really do show that they haven't a notion on pricing at all.






Insulation is grand in it and was properly researched and invested in, so you're wrong there. There is obviously an extractor fan in the kitchen, so you're wrong there. Major structural work in the sense of what? It required all new plumbing and electrics (and re-routing of existing), 2 new fuse boxes, and foundations/walls etc. had to be built, walls knocked, etc.

It does have a flat roof, yes. That was cheaper than a pitched roof, but I wanted a flat roof as i think they look better. So the only real 'cheapness' about that decision was opting for felt over fibreglass, and again, that was a fairly thoroughly researched decision, and not one i made willy-nilly.


Now don't get me wrong, I'm not overly defensive about my house/extension, at the end of the day, all a house is is a pile of bricks in a funny shape.

But it irks me when people are so misleading to others about the costs of things, spouting exaggerated and nonsense pricing about the cost of doing things when it's not the case in reality at all.


Tradesmen are busier than ever, and they are charging more accordingly, but it's not like I lucked out and got a builder that was desperate and worked for a pittance. My electrician, plumber, locksmith, roofer, cabinet maker, etc. all cost a fraction of the kind of money that was being talked up on boards.

I was replying to Spanish Eyes post. They refer to knocking down a load bearing wall in their extension and that they couldn't do it for 50k... I agreed with them.

If anyones looking for a half decent extension with structural work, they'll be paying more than 50k Fair play for doing it cheap, but it is a cheap extension with "grand" insulation.

Sunny Dayz

Only catching up now. Wasn't a fan of the two-parter. It was very much the "Dermot Bannon & Friends" show rather than Room To Improve. And that's the way the show has been leaning the past few series. I felt I know little or nothing about the renovation - what kind of heating did they put in, bathroom and kitchen fit out, what he did with the original doors he wanted to save, did they keep the original stairs, put in a new one or move it.

When the next series starts up I will be in two minds about watching it - there are better home improvement tv programs out there, it just would be nice to be watching Irish one's that my tv licence is funding.

mgn

The first few series where okay but it then started to be more about Dermot and a few attention seekers with more money than sense, than it was about renovating a house.
What really stood out for me was the builders, standing around waiting for Demot to give them the information the needed, any builder i know would be straight out the gate and when the came back you wouldn't leave them waiting again.

Addle

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Only catching up now. Wasn't a fan of the two-parter. It was very much the "Dermot Bannon & Friends" show rather than Room To Improve. And that's the way the show has been leaning the past few series. I felt I know little or nothing about the renovation - what kind of heating did they put in, bathroom and kitchen fit out, what he did with the original doors he wanted to save, did they keep the original stairs, put in a new one or move it.

I def saw 1 door reused anyways.

meeeeh

[Deleted User] wrote: »

But it irks me when people are so misleading to others about the costs of things, spouting exaggerated and nonsense pricing about the cost of doing things when it's not the case in reality at all.


Tradesmen are busier than ever, and they are charging more accordingly, but it's not like I lucked out and got a builder that was desperate and worked for a pittance. My electrician, plumber, locksmith, roofer, cabinet maker, etc. all cost a fraction of the kind of money that was being talked up on boards.

Yes things can be done cheaper but it also depends what you want. The layout you went for wouldn't work for me. I would want kitchen configured differently with more natural light. If at all possible I would also want a window in the bathroom, I'm not sure there is one. If you ad to that underfloor heating which is something a lot of people opt for nowadays, your numbers quickly start going up. All renovations (or almost all) in last season also went for high energy rating standard so they qualified for a grant.

You don't need an architect for what you did. At the same time it is fairly obvious you didn't use an architect. I'm not being a snob because we didn't use architect either. The timber frame company we went with had one on the team but he didn't deal with the design and room layout. House building is like anything else, you can always waste money but you won't get above average finish on the cheap. You should be also able to tell when good architect was involved in the build.

Addle

I can buy a coat in pennys and I can buy a coat in BTs.
Cut your cloth and all that.

chooseusername

twirlagig wrote: »

I haven’t seen it yet but thanks to the poster/posters who mentioned George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. It’s brilliant! Ended up watching it til 3am this morning! And I’m only on Season 1 of 8 I think! Perfect viewing, just hate all the ads on All4

If you don't fancy paying for ad-free, you can do what I do;
A bit of forward planning needed,
start program in player ,no volume , have shower,dinner, whatever,
just before it finishes return slider to start and off you go-no ads.

Creamy Goodness

Addle wrote: »

I can buy a coat in pennys and I can buy a coat in BTs.
Cut your cloth and all that.

Analogy doesn’t really work. When the coat is wrecked you just buy a new one, but when your Penney’s extension is wrecked due to shoddy work what do you do?

(Not stating that anyone’s work described here was done by a cowboy).

Muahahaha

Only just saw the episode last night and have to agree about how it felt like it turned into a gardening show at one stage. Couldnt understand that giant picture window at the front, like I presume the view across the road is basically of someone elses house? If you sit in that staring out it for the evening the neighbours will be telling the Gardai that you're stalking them !

Finally did anyone notice the Eileen Gray chair in what looked like a very small spare bedroom? If thats an original and not a fake then those things are super expensive. I was only just over in London at the weekend and popped into the Aram store in Covent Garden, they have exclusive rights to reproduce Eileen Grey furniture. That chair he has in the bedroom would have cost almost £2,400
https://www.aram.co.uk/non-conformist-chair.html

HeidiHeidi

The house overlooks the church grounds, so no other house to spy into / be spied into from.

Re the chair - I'm torn between wondering how much of the finished product was hired/borrowed for the filming, and thinking that he'd have a keen eye and probably has a few (or a lot of!) decent pieces collected over the years.

Muahahaha

Muahahaha wrote: »

Finally did anyone notice the Eileen Gray chair in what looked like a very small spare bedroom? If thats an original and not a fake then those things are super expensive. I was only just over in London at the weekend and popped into the Aram store in Covent Garden, they have exclusive rights to reproduce Eileen Grey furniture. That chair he has in the bedroom would have cost almost £2,400
https://www.aram.co.uk/non-conformist-chair.html

Blimey, for a chair with only one arm? I love some of Eileen Gray’s stuff, but not this particular one. Each to his (or her) own, I guesss

twirlagig

chooseusername wrote: »

If you don't fancy paying for ad-free, you can do what I do;
A bit of forward planning needed,
start program in player ,no volume , have shower,dinner, whatever,
just before it finishes return slider to start and off you go-no ads.

Must try that! Thanks!

Muahahaha

Deleted User wrote: »

Blimey, for a chair with only one arm? I love some of Eileen Gray’s stuff, but not this particular one. Each to his (or her) own, I guesss

Yeah Im not a fan of it either. I sat in her Bibbendum chair in the shop in London and while its gorgeous to look at its not that comfortable to sit in as your shoulders arent supported. More so a chair for a reception or waiting room than something to sit in reading a book for an hour. Came with a hefty price tag too, £3,500+ and more for it in leather.

NSAman

Muahahaha wrote: »

Yeah Im not a fan of it either. I sat in her Bibbendum chair in the shop in London and while its gorgeous to look at its not that comfortable to sit in as your shoulders arent supported. More so a chair for a reception or waiting room than something to sit in reading a book for an hour. Came with a hefty price tag too, £3,500+ and more for it in leather.

The more unique the chair the pricier, especially if an original. I know we have a few pieces here by Eames and Rashid and a few others. Most of it (especially one chair was given to me by the designer which I hate ... the chair not the designer). Cannot get rid of it as it is too valuable and a present is still a present. ... Furniture can be a good investment.

meeeeh

meeeeh wrote: »

Yes things can be done cheaper but it also depends what you want. The layout you went for wouldn't work for me. I would want kitchen configured differently with more natural light. If at all possible I would also want a window in the bathroom, I'm not sure there is one. If you ad to that underfloor heating which is something a lot of people opt for nowadays, your numbers quickly start going up. All renovations (or almost all) in last season also went for high energy rating standard so they qualified for a grant.

You don't need an architect for what you did. At the same time it is fairly obvious you didn't use an architect. I'm not being a snob because we didn't use architect either. The timber frame company we went with had one on the team but he didn't deal with the design and room layout. House building is like anything else, you can always waste money but you won't get above average finish on the cheap. You should be also able to tell when good architect was involved in the build.

I didn't use an architect, no, but I never would have, considering I fairly well knew what I wanted before I started. Had I been doing an extension 'for the sake of it' or just hadn't any idea what design id like, etc. id have strongly considered an architect. My extension, like most, is effectively just a box on the back of the house, so an architect would have been overkill in my little project.


Again, though, I appreciate you can spend an unlimited amount of money on a house. I can buy an armchair in Ikea for €10, or I can buy a chair with one arm for a couple of grand, as posted above. There's never a limit on how much you can voluntarily spend.

However, my point is that there are floors on the cost of things. A sheet of 8x4 plasterboard is a tenner. Less if you've an account with them. That won't change much in the course of a house build. You can get a bathroom suite for less than €500.

I bought steel beams for above the sliding door. They're about 12ft long, and there are two of them. I spent €100 in Cisco. People need to stop pretending like this stuff costs in the thousands, when it simply doesn't.


Someone said above €50k wouldn't knock a supporting wall? Your cost would closer to €5k.

prunudo

Where are you getting plasterslab for a tenner?