Totally agree on padding the budget by at least 20%—honestly, I'd even push it closer to 30%. Every time I think I'm ready to tackle something simple, like painting or new flooring, suddenly there's mold or rusted pipes lurking where I least expect it. One thing I've learned is that beach houses are a whole different animal. Salt air and humidity just eat through everything faster than you'd think.
Have you considered getting a detailed inspection before diving in? I know it's extra cash upfront, but in my case, it would've saved me from discovering rotten beams only after ripping out drywall. Now I'm always suspicious—if one thing's damp, chances are something else is too. Better to know exactly what you're dealing with beforehand... saves headaches (and wallet-aches) down the line.
Couldn't agree more on the extra padding. I don't have a beach house, but renovating my old historic place taught me that inspections never catch everything. Always add extra cash for those lovely surprises behind the walls...trust me, they're there.
Haha, those "lovely surprises" behind the walls are the worst...and weirdly entertaining in hindsight. When we renovated our place near the coast, we budgeted an extra 20% thinking we were being super cautious. Turns out, even that wasn't enough. Between hidden water damage, rusty pipes, and some questionable DIY wiring from previous owners (seriously, what were they thinking?), our emergency fund evaporated faster than my patience. I'd say whatever you think you'll need, add a bit more—then maybe a little extra for therapy or wine. Renovations always seem to have their own sense of humor.
Haha, relatable. When we tackled our beach cottage, we thought we'd seen it all—until we found a colony of carpenter ants happily munching away behind the kitchen cabinets. Honestly, every time we opened a wall, it felt like spinning some twisted renovation roulette wheel. Budget-wise, we ended up closer to 30% over our original estimate, and yeah...a good chunk of that went toward wine and stress-snacks. Renovations near the ocean just seem to have their own special surprises built in.
Totally get it—beach houses seem to have their own little ecosystem going on behind the walls. Did you find any rusted-out electrical boxes or fixtures yet? Salt air basically eats metal for breakfast. Curious if you ran into moisture barriers failing too...we had to redo a whole section because the previous owners skimped there. Honestly, I'd say whatever you're budgeting, add at least another 20% just for those "fun" discoveries lurking beneath the surface.
