how much should I budget to renovate a beach house?

That’s a fair call. Salt air is brutal - honestly, I’ve never seen it fail to cause some kind of surprise in older beach places. Even with a solid inspection, there’s always something hiding where you can’t see. I usually run numbers with a 20-25% contingency, and even then, I’ve had projects that ate through that buffer faster than I expected. Once had to rewire way more than planned because the corrosion was worse than it looked on the surface.

I get wanting to keep the budget lean, but shaving the contingency too much can really backfire. If you end up not needing it, great - you’re ahead. But if you do, at least you’re not scrambling. It’s just tough to predict what’s behind those walls, especially when you throw salt and humidity into the mix. Better safe than sorry, in my book.

Yeah, salt air’s a sneaky beast.

“there’s always something hiding where you can’t see”

- ain’t that the truth. I once thought I was just patching up some drywall, ended up with half the studs crumbling in my hands. Contingency is your friend.

That’s a familiar story - beach houses always have surprises lurking behind the walls.

“there’s always something hiding where you can’t see”

That’s why I usually recommend setting aside at least 20% of your budget for contingencies, especially with older coastal properties. Salt air doesn’t just mess with drywall; it corrodes fasteners, eats away at window frames, and even damages flooring if there’s enough humidity. Sometimes clients underestimate how much needs replacing once you start opening things up. It’s not just about aesthetics - structural integrity can be a real issue near the ocean.

That 20% contingency is solid advice, but honestly, with beach houses - especially older ones - I’ve seen that number creep closer to 30% in some cases. Salt air is brutal. Like you said, it’s not just the obvious stuff. I once helped a friend tear out what looked like “just a little” water-damaged trim, and half the subfloor was mush.

“there’s always something hiding where you can’t see”

Couldn’t agree more. Even things like electrical wiring can be compromised by the humidity and salt. If you’re budgeting, I’d say start with your main renovation costs, then add at least 25% for surprises. And if you’re planning on keeping the place long-term, investing in higher-grade materials (stainless fasteners, composite decking, etc.) pays off. It’s tempting to cut corners, but coastal weather will find every weakness eventually.

I’ve seen people try to save a few bucks by skipping marine-grade paint or using regular drywall, and it’s always a mess two years later. Salt air is relentless. I’d rather spend a bit more upfront than redo everything when the walls start sweating... learned that the hard way.