Title: How Much Should I Budget To Renovate A Beach House?
I tried patching sills last year... ended up ripping them out this spring anyway.
That right there sums up beach house renos in a nutshell. Salt air is relentless—patch jobs are usually just buying time, not solving the problem.
Here’s how I look at it:
- Inspections are great, but even the best inspector can’t see through walls or under old paint. I’ve had “solid” beams turn to mulch once we started demo.
- Doubling the budget for woodwork/windows might sound nuts, but if you’re dealing with 20+ years of salt exposure, it’s not overkill. It’s insurance. If you don’t need it, great—you’ve got cash left over.
- Careful planning is key, but I’d rather overbudget and be pleasantly surprised than underbudget and get stuck mid-project. Nothing kills momentum (or profit) like running out of funds halfway through.
- On my last place, I thought I could save the original windows with some epoxy and elbow grease. Two storms later, half of them were leaking again. Ended up replacing them all anyway—should’ve just bit the bullet upfront.
If you’re handy and have time to poke around with a screwdriver, that’s awesome. But if you’re hiring out, contractors love “surprise” rot—they’ll charge you for every bit they find.
Bottom line: salt air + old wood = hidden costs. Plan for more than you think, hope for less. And yeah, sometimes there really is no cheap way out... unless you like patching sills every spring.
If you’re handy and have time to poke around with a screwdriver, that’s awesome. But if you’re hiring out, contractors love “surprise” rot—they’ll charge you for every bit they find.
That’s the truth—hidden rot is where budgets go to die. Curious, how old is the place you’re working on? Age makes a huge difference in what you should set aside. Are you thinking full gut or just patching up what’s visible?
Yeah, hidden rot is such a budget killer—totally agree there. I’ve seen it go sideways fast, especially with older beach houses where moisture just sneaks in everywhere. Sometimes you think it’s just a little patch job, then suddenly you’re ripping out whole walls. Are you dealing with original materials or has it been updated before? That can really change how deep you need to go.
Are you dealing with original materials or has it been updated before? That can really change how deep you need to go.
If it’s still got the original stuff, brace yourself—rot and water damage are almost guaranteed somewhere. I’ve gutted a place thinking it was just the siding, then found the framing shot too. If it’s been updated in the last 10-15 years, you might get lucky, but I’d still budget for surprises. Beach houses just don’t play fair with moisture.
That’s the thing with beach houses—no matter how much you prep, something always pops up. I thought I was just redoing a bathroom in my place, then ended up replacing half the subfloor thanks to hidden leaks. If you’re working with original materials, I’d pad your budget by at least 20–30% for surprises. Even with recent updates, salt air finds a way... It’s like the house is playing hide and seek with your wallet.
