Hey all,
Was curious if many of you have DIY-gutted your properties with the intention of moving rooms around and or rebuilding rooms. Is it generally worth doing this if you're not a contractor? This is all hypothetical for me, but I'd want to know the viability of doing something like this if we are considering buying a new place where everything else besides the layout/floor plan is desirable. In most cases, I would think the renovations would involve relocating the kitchen and possibly a bedroom.
Generally what would something like this cost as far as demolition, supplies, etc? Better just to hire a interior designer and contractor for something like this if you have little to no experience? Or can you "DIY" and outsource some of the work somehow?
Anything is possible but generally, I don't think it is worth changing entire floor plans unless you are really attached to the house and don't want to move. If I were buying a house, I certainly wouldn't buy one where you have to change the entire floor plan. I doubt you would ever get your money back. Moving all the plumbing, venting, draining, electrical, duct work, support roof loads with beams, supporting floor loads down below, etc. are all expensive and many require permits, outside approval, etc. Not very DIY. Houses that I have retooled part of the floor plan mostly consists of moving a few walls and trying to avoid moving walls with duct work or plumbing in them as much as possible. Also load bearing walls are generally not DIY to size beams correctly.
Personally, I love to fix up homes and do as much as I can but I also hire out some things that require permits I don't have or are outside of my comfort zone. I also tend to hang around and look over shoulders to learn something for another day.
As far as cost, it is impossible to say without getting into lots of specifics that aren't mentioned. For the best idea on cost, I generally draw up a rough plan if it is simple, hire an architect if it is complex and get it quoted out by contractors. It doesn't cost me a dime to get somebody to quote it and I don't have to accept any of the quotes. But it does give me a very good idea of what it is going to cost and whether or not it is worth doing.