# Forum Home Renovation Demolition  where to start

## Foodie1

We are currently considering whether or not to just bulldoze our house or fix and renovate as is.....the list of things to fix/replace is getting longer all the time. The house is around 35 years old?ish (maybe more).....It creaks (which dosnt actually bother us most of the time) and its just feeling so outdated right now.... We have no idea where to start. Someone said there are people who will demolish and also buy windows/doors from house lots they are demolishing?

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## David.Elliott

A question for the ages!
IMO it depends whether the existing structure has any redeeming features design wise or architecturally that make it worth keeping.
I don't recall 35 years ago had anything desirable specifically worth recommending saving it.  
If it is an especially nice example of the time for the area, might be worthwhile. 
Then there's the recycling/reuse thing as well... 
Sometimes... you get a better quality result with a renovate as the quality you get from some/most project builders can be very average.. 
How about some pics???

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## Foodie1

There is nothing extraodinary about the house. The whole place needs painting inside and outside under eves etc The bathroom is tiny and needs stripping right back at re-doing. The kitchen is outdated and tiles in the wet areas are ancient. There is a sunroom that has been tacked on about 15 years ago and a lot of corners were cut putting it up. The roof of the house and the roof of the sunroom share the same  guttering. ( the sunroom roof runs back to the house for some stupid reason....previous owners had no idea, hence the gutter shareing) Needless to say when it rains and the gutter hasn't been cleaned we end up with an indoor swimming pool. We obviously didnt add this room.  I will post  some pictures in the next few days....

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## shauck

There is nothing so far in what you've listed that most people won't tackle in a pretty simple renovation. If you simply dislike the building and can afford (after having paid for it) to demolish it and rebuild, go ahead but another option is to give it a quick makeover, sell it and buy a block of land and build to suit your style/needs. Is the block it's on so desirable, more so than any empty block in the vicinity (if there are any)?

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## barney118

Dont expect too many people rushing to "buy" parts of the old joint, there would be no windfall and time is not going to be on your side. 35 years old reminds me of the "project" home of the era, brick veneer? made with match sticks, possibly oregon or pine (not treated), wouldnt have thought of termite protection in the day so no "termimesh" but possibly has DPC in bricks. 
Having lived in the place for a while you get a feeling of what you want/need etc, start with looking at property prices in your area and set your self some comparison/limit to what you can achieve without overcapitalising.
Depending on your needs, it could be a matter of stages etc building and depending on funds vs a total rebuild. Draw up a detailed budget of what you think it will cost vs a rebuild to give you a ball park stating point.
I have gone past the point of return on my house and having to refit/rethink on these simple issues such as damp/termites for the future and retrofit etc which is hard work, but I based my judgement on the fact my house is made from hardwood, been around for 60yrs and the foundations are solid and havent moved in that time on an extremely sloping block.

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## shauck

About the only nice renovation I've ever seen on a brick veneer is when the place is rendered and the roof is replaced with tin. I almost categorically dislike brick veneers. They remind me of my childhood, living in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne (Mooroolbark). I visited my Dad the other day and all I see are tired old houses from the early sixties that are now looking worn out and have no charm or redeeming features. Sorry if I'm offending anyone else's aesthetic, it's probably a psychological thing for me.

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