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The Hidden Costs of Renovating a House

The costs that catch people are the ones behind the plaster: damp (€3,000 to €8,000 to treat), a damp-proof course or tanking (€5,000 to €12,000), asbestos (€5,000 to €15,000 to remove) and subsidence (€10,000 to €30,000 or more to underpin). Hold back 5% to 10% on a light refurbishment, 10% to 15% on a full renovation and 15% to 20% on a gut renovation.

What turns up, what it costs, and what's never in the builder's price.

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  • €3,000 to €8,000damp remediation
  • €5,000 to €15,000asbestos removal
  • 10% to 15%contingency, full renovation

What turns up behind the plaster

JobTypical costWhat moves the price
Damp remediation in a period house€3,000 to €8,000How far it has spread, what's causing it
Damp-proof course or tanking€5,000 to €12,000Length of wall, a basement or not
Asbestos removal€5,000 to €15,000Where it is and how much. A licensed contractor
Underpinning for subsidence€10,000 to €30,000 and upDepth, length of wall, access
Complete rewire with a new water system€20,000 to €35,000The size of the house, how much plaster is opened

Per square metre of floor area. Ask for the written price to show VAT at 13.5% and what's excluded.

Contingency by level

LevelHold back
Light refurbishment5% to 10%
Full renovation10% to 15%
Gut renovation15% to 20%
A period house, any levelThe top of the range, or more

What's rarely in the builder's price

A hallway stripped to the timber studs, looking through to the stairs
  • Architect's and engineer's fees.
  • Planning fees and the commencement notice, where they apply.
  • Rent or a mortgage on somewhere else while you're out.
  • Storage for furniture.
  • Skips and a parking suspension on a Dublin street.
  • Kitchen appliances, light fittings and blinds.
  • Landscaping after the builders leave.

How to find them before you start

  1. A pre-purchase or condition survey by a chartered building surveyor.
  2. An electrical inspection report.
  3. A drain camera survey on a house over fifty years old.
  4. An asbestos survey before any demolition in a house altered between the 1950s and 1980s.

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More on renovating in Dublin

Costs, old houses, timing and grants.

New glazed doors in a block extension, with scaffolding outsideWhat it costs in Dublin€330 to €530 per m² light. €670 to €1,330 per m² full.A finished open-plan kitchen under rooflightsCost room by roomA kitchen €15,000 to €25,000. A bathroom €8,000 to €12,000.The hall and timber staircase of a period house mid-renovationPeriod housesAllow 15% to 25% more. Here's why.New pipes and cables fixed to a wall before plasteringRewiring and replumbingA rewire with a new water system, €20,000 to €35,000.A room stripped back to the wallsHow long it takes8 to 12 weeks light, 24 to 36 weeks for a gut renovation.An empty period room with the ceiling down to the joistsGrantsUp to €50,000 for a vacant house, €70,000 if derelict.

House renovations in every part of Dublin

Price your renovation

Four taps: the house, how much you're doing, when it was built and the scope. You see our price guide per square metre. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one renovation company that covers your part of Dublin to ring you.

What kind of home is it?

It sets the size and the access.

Questions people ask

How much should I keep in reserve?

10% to 15% on a full renovation. More in a period house.

What if the builder finds something mid-job?

Ask for it priced in writing before the work is done. Agree how extras are handled in the contract.

Is a survey worth it?

Yes. It costs a fraction of any one of the problems it finds.

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