how much should I budget to renovate a beach house?

I’d say 30% is smart, especially if you’re pulling off siding or digging into anything structural. Last year, I thought I was just replacing windows—ended up with half the wall gone from hidden water damage. Curious, did you run into any electrical surprises too? Those old beach houses can have some wild wiring...

Yeah, those old beach houses are full of surprises. I’ve opened up walls and found knob-and-tube still running in spots—never fun. You’re right about the 30% buffer, though. It’s saved me more than once when rot or weird wiring popped up. Honestly, I’d rather overbudget and have cash left than get caught short halfway through.