This is Sreejith’s house in his hometown in Elankoor, Malappuram, Kerala, that was renovated by spending just Rs 5 lakh. He approached me to help him renovate a small traditional house that was built years ago. This makeover, on an extremely affordable budget, without taking down too many parts of the house was possible by rearranging spaces and reusing the materials. A sit-out, living area, dining space, kitchen, two bedrooms and bathroom have been arranged in the house with an area of 850 sqft. It's just 50 sqft more than the old house. With proper planning and smart execution, anyone can give a modern and fabulous makeover to their old homes.
When should one renovate a house?
You should start thinking about renovating your house when you notice leakages on the ceiling all the time, if the concrete begins to come off, moisture spreads on the walls, the ceiling structure begins to tilt due to the passage of time or if these problems continue despite changing the roofing. The lack of proper bathroom facilities or shortage of bedrooms too could be the reasons for renovation. It is quite difficult for many to pull down the house that they had built by spending their hard-earned money. Besides, they may be emotionally attached to their ancestral homes that have become old and weak. The basic idea of renovation is to transform the old house by adding more amenities, making the structure sturdier and ensuring that the house meets the needs of the modern age.
Budget
Budget plays a pivotal role in the renovation of a house. After renovation, I have seen many people complaining that they preferred their old house. Determining the budget for building a new house isn’t difficult. However, one needs to have both engineering skills and experience to prepare the budget for a renovation.
The first step is to prepare the plan of the house. The changes or additions could be made only after preparing the plan. Keep in mind that the expenses to join the concrete slabs would be different from joining sheets or roofing tiles.
The expertise to anticipate the expenses to build new walls by removing the old ones and other strengthening works is significant in keeping a tab on the total budget.
Reusing windows and doors that are long, wide and also sturdy, is also a good option. Meanwhile, the building blocks could be reused after pest control treatment. In case, nothing in the old house is good enough to be reused, then you could sell the debris and other materials to those who purchase parts of old houses by fixing a rate.
There should be proper planning before renovating or pulling down the house. There is no point in retaining a redundant or unnecessary area. This would only increase the expenses and mar the overall look of the house.
Inspections
If you plan to retain the foundation of the old house, then a thorough inspection should be done. You should decide whether it is possible to strengthen by giving a pillar foundation before the estimate is prepared.
It would be better to replaster after replacing or repairing the wiring and plumbing on the walls. The layer of old whitewash should be removed before cement plastering.
The planks should be set for concrete roofing after strengthening the foundation and the walls. Adding a beam belt above the old wall would make the concrete roof stronger and durable.
You should decide whether the old septic tank, waste water tank and water tank should be replaced before the plan is prepared.
A Vastu consultation could be done before renovating old ancestral homes. The granary and attic spaces that are commonly seen in old houses may have been built as per the Vastu rules. So, consulting a Vastu expert would save you from stress and tension in the future.
This is how Sreejith’s house was renovated
The old rafters have been replaced with a new GI truss roof and old roofing tiles were polished and reused. Earlier, the house had a single-slopped roof. However, now, the roof has been built in two layers. The walls are raised by one and a half inches to make the interiors look vaster. Designer brick cladding has made the outer walls attractive. Meanwhile, the front yard has been paved with rocks and grass in alternate layers. Jali walls are built on both sides of the structure. The floating GI car porch looks extremely stylish and modern. The old red oxide flooring is replaced with chic vitrified tiles.
