Home Reno Estimates

Long story short, our house search isn't yielding much worth looking at in the areas we want (and the budget we have), and thinking of finding a place that we do a bunch of renos to instead of the more move-in-ready type.

The problem is, I truly have no idea about what it costs to do some of this stuff. I'm talking average-grade with honest workmanship, nothing luxury, nothing garbage Kijiji backyard builders.

For example, what is a decent estimate/budget for:

1) New kitchen including cabinets, sink, faucet, island, counters, flooring (leave out appliances)

2) New bathroom including vanity, sink, faucet, flooring, tile, toilet, tub

3) Removing a wall(s) and getting a new support beam. We're looking at 60's bungalows and what it takes to open things up, but at what cost.

4) New paint for ~1,300 sq.ft

1) New kitchen including cabinets, sink, faucet, island, counters, flooring (leave out appliances) $30-40g

2) New bathroom including vanity, sink, faucet, flooring, tile, toilet, tub $10g

3) Removing a wall(s) and getting a new support beam. We're looking at 60's bungalows and what it takes to open things up, but at what cost. Hard to guess depending on work but $20-30g?

4) New paint for ~1,300 sq.ft $10-15g

Beam shouldn't cost 20-30k, its like a days worth work... only implication would be flooring.
$500 for engineered drawing, then maybe a couple thousand in materials & labour.. i did it forever ago hard to remember exactly, but it was cheap. i got everything ready though i guess. Stripped the old wall and cut the ceiling open..

1) Kitchen you're probably looking at $20-30k depending on quality of cabinetry and counter space. You can assume ~$175/linear foot approx 24" wide for quartz counter tops and Ikea's kitchen builder should get you within 15% of the cabinetry price for just eyeballing prices. I had a friend just do his kitchen for $22k with custom cabinets and quarts in a ~1600sqft 1990's house in a small community about 4hrs from Edmonton but he did flooring and some prep work himself.
2) Bathroom depending how fancy you go with the tile you could be $7-15k as tile alone varies from ~$4/sqft for home depot tile to ~$11/sqft for quality tile. Finding a quality honest tile guy will likely be your biggest challenge with how strapped trades are.
3) Probably looking at like $10-15k depending how many walls and the direction of your trusses. Engineering will be the most time consuming part of it.
4) For the paint I just paid $4200 for walls, trim (fill, caulk, paint), and doors (5) on 860 sqft of floor space in my newly developed basement. When we moved into our house we got just the walls painted on ~2300sqft of floor space including the entry way that goes both levels and we paid $7000. I HATE painting so it was money well spent for me but that's easily something you could do yourself for about 1/4-1/5 of that cost using quality paint like Sherman Williams or Benjamin More.

It rounds to $100k.

Unless people are quote pricing from last 6 months (or less) everything is more then whats being quoted above.

Also based on my current basement development, unless you have the time and patience to chase individual trades you should hire a GC to manage the project.

Edit: Also have a buddy doing a gut reno right now and he can't even get quotes for kitchen millwork. Nobody shows or returns calls; everyone is so swamped right now. So good luck OP.

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Originally Posted by 88CRX

Unless people are quote pricing from last 6 months (or less) everything is more then whats being quoted above.

Also based on my current basement development, unless you have the time and patience to chase individual trades you should hire a GC to manage the project.

Edit: Also have a buddy doing a gut reno right now and he can't even get quotes for kitchen millwork. Nobody shows or returns calls; everyone is so swamped right now. So good luck OP.

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haha, this is scary, msommers i'd by a place and just live in it for a little bit before you reno cause 88crx is right, everything will be a nightmare.

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Originally Posted by ExtraSlow

It rounds to $100k.

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This is the way.

Aka "If ya gotta ask, you can't afford it pal"

Also, renos rarely increase the value beyond costs unless the place is a dump. YMMV and this is the internet, but that is the reality my family has seen. Especially right now when prices have topped out and materials/labour are as expensive as they can get

I appreciate everyone's responses, helps gauge where things are at and what we need to budget for roughly if we go the reno route.

As for prices, it is what it is. We're looking for a home to raise a family in for the next two decades and this is just where things are at. And now that homes are selling for xxx, neighbours selling in the future will not mentally be able to go lower than that unless they're forced to sell (job, divorce, etc). I'm at peace with it.

In the midst of taking out teleposts in the basement of a new place I bought and reinforcing existing beam for $6k. Had another house painted in last 60 days for 5k.

One thing I'll note is my lender scewed around on my pre approval. I requested a purchase plus improvement as part of the mortgage as we had 60 to 100k worth of work being done.

Approval and conditions were removed. Handed in quotes from our contractors for the new place and the bank hit me with a higher interest rate.

Told them to screw off. Just paying more out of pocket now. You may want to check your pre approval if your lender wasn't aware of the improvements you want to do.

Hopefully you don't run into same issue.

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Originally Posted by JfuckinC

haha, this is scary, msommers i'd by a place and just live in it for a little bit before you reno cause 88crx is right, everything will be a nightmare.

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I regret doing my basement right now. Only because all the trades seem to be prioritizing all their bigger jobs/clients/GC’s and not just some peasant basement development. I mean I get it, but fuck does it sucks.

Your kids will tear that place apart. Don't spring for nice things.

Your list was sparse for a full reno on a 60’s home but if you plan to do a proper full reno of the main floor, basement, 2.5-3 bathrooms, full kitchen and appliances, using granite and other decent finishings, exterior updating, windows, doors, furnace etc. you will be in it for ~$200k.

Maybe you won’t do everything at once but you will hit this number.

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Originally Posted by ExtraSlow

Your kids will tear that place apart. Don't spring for nice things.

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Wise words.....move in, live until the kids are older that 8-ish. Reassess.

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Originally Posted by arcticcat522

Wise words.....move in, live until the kids are older that 8-ish. Reassess.

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+1. Kids fuck shit up and you will be generally angrier if they are fucking up your recently renovated house. Walls get destroyed, they smash toys into corner baseboards, slam kitchen cabinet doors and drawers, etc

Try to find something that is dated but still good condition…something that you can live with for 6-8 years to get your kids a bit older then do a reno then. This is what we did and no regrets. Also gives you some time to save up instead of putting the Reno costs on LOC

Always live with no ragrets.
Get a tattoo of that and go!