It will be far cheaper to do a tearodown of that building and build a new home than to do all you are planning. Remodeling starts at twice the cost of new construction, and that scope is insane.

WHAT made you buy a big house like that that has so many very very expensive problems? Your location will determine the cost premium, but it most definately will approach the cost of a new build to do all that you've listed, plus uncover hidden structural damage.

If I were you, I would take a pair of scissors and cut that list to about 1/4 the size, and then hope I could afford that There's nothing wrong with living with older things in your home. Only the structural repair is important. https://www.jlconline.com/cost-vs-value/2025/

To detertmine the cost range going forward you'll need a really intensive comprehensive home inspection. Then a structural engineer or an architect who works with one.

With so many structural issues, the first thing is to have a structural engineer inspect the home, and see what actually is critical to keep the home standing. You already know you have support beam issues. How serious is the question? That is already very expensive.

Is the foundation in good shape? That inspection should includes the roof and any flashing issues at chimneys and other penetrations and side wall junctures. Do you have at least a 200 amp panel with modern electrical witing? What sbout your plumbing? Galvanized and falling apart, or modern Pvc?

You can’t plan cosmetic pretty things if the house is falling down. Termites are no joke! Also ”moving a kitchen” is a 100K+ vanity project that only should happen if you have that burning a hole in your pocket after all the hundreds of thousands in structural and systems work is taken care of.

This house had better be incredibly sentimental, or a be a spectacular example of some famous architect.

Why did I buy a house with all these issues? I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUES. That’s right, I am dealing with the most egregious real estate fraud, misrepresentation, non-disclosure, concealment, civil conspiracy, and who knows what else. Yes, I had an agent. Yes I had a lawyer for closing. Yes I had a thorough home inspection and termite inspection. Our agent seems great and has a major online presence and awards, etc. The bottom line, I got played! They knew what they were doing. It was orchestrated. Strategic. Pre-planned defenses to avoid liability. Looking back at the transaction process, it’s all very clear. The agent and inspector worked together to soft pedal major defects as minor updates. The termite inspection was just negligent but the contract language protects them from liability. The “new roof” was an upsell but they left out the part about storm damage and the insure claim for it. Needless to say, they didn’t repair the damage. Painted over everything just before listing. Walls and ceilings cracking and peeling weeks and months after closing. Agent convinced us to change offer to all cash to be more competitive. I’ve now learned that agent was avoiding lender that would have discovered issues they concealed from us. It’s a disaster. I’m disgusted with the level of organized deception. These people do this for a living. It’s disgusting. I am considering having a lawyer look at everything but that can just turn out to be another waste of money and I can’t risk another major loss. This was meant to be our forever home. The biggest investment of our lives and it’s a nightmare. Friends and family who know the details have been screaming at me to get a lawyer but this agency and broker obviously know what they are doing and don’t seem to be worried about being sued so I’m guessing they covered their tracks. All though, they didn’t have the decency to remove the cans of concrete filler, paint, and drywall pieces used to conceal damage. How nice of them to leave all the junk behind.

We are a family of 5 and aging parents moving in. Father in-law had a stroke, mother-in-law refuses to let strangers care for him, I don’t blame her. They are sweet and having them live with us is not a bad thing. I’ve actually been looking forward to it….but this situation is a run away train. I’m thinking of selling, obviously at a major LOSS. I’ll disclose everything and take the best offer??? I honestly don’t know who would buy this house knowing everything that is wrong with it. I wouldn’t have bought it for half the price we paid for it and we really LOVE the area. Coastal South Carolina.

"What questions are you asking up front?"

The most important question is whether or not all of this work can be accomplished cost effectively, or would it be better to sell and buy something else.

Take an experienced general contractor to lunch. Bring some photos and some dimensioned drawings. He'll be able to tell you in about 5 minutes.

I would give up on moving rooms around and some of the other things. The very first thing to get done, is to make sure all the structural things are done, and that the termite problem is taken care of. Once thats done, make sure the electrical is all up to code and safe, and the same with the plumbing. Then decide, about doing anything else. Hopefully, the roof is going to be ok, since its new, so you wont have that expense. Once you get all the very important things done, then it is time, to go about any other remodeling, that you want to do. If you should decide to sell, about that time, at least, you are putting a safe house back on the market, so someone else could actually live in it.

This is the kind of project better taken on when you already have a trusted contractor and/or designer/architect that you have already worked with before.

My contractor does lots of projects like this on 30+ year old homes in my neighborhood. He gets the next client from word of mouth. He built our house in 2021 and we got his name from the realtor that sold us the lot. He has given our name out as a reference and asked to bring potential clients through our house.

I would stop by any remodeling or new build projects in your area and ask to speak to the owners. You might find a good contractor similar to ours.

Building permits are public record. You can get the names of contractors who have applied for kitchen reno permits in your area from your building department. This will show who is currently working in your area.

An attorney is allowed to take on fraud cases on a contingency basis - however, you'd need to find one that does work in this area and is willing to take the case after being shown all of the evidence (I did a quick search - there are firms that take fraud/misrepresentation cases on a contingency basis). I would look for a real estate litigation attorney first since a real estate agent is involved.

Due to the fact that there is a real estate agent (agency would have deep pockets + insurance), an attorney may be more interested in the case. If it was fraud by the seller alone, an attorney would be much less likely to handle a case on a contingency basis (will seller be able to pay any judgment received?)

In South Carolina, home inspectors are not legally required by the state to carry General Liability or Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance. However, obtaining coverage is highly recommended. It doesn't matter what the home inspection contract language states if the inspector was fraudulent or was grossly negligent (gross negligence should be an exception - however, I haven't researched this in S.C.)

There are also seller disclosure laws in every state. If someone knowingly allows false statements to be included in such an affidavit, there will be liability. If the real estate agent knowingly allows a seller to include false statements, there will be liability also.

The good news is that if you can find an attorney that will take your case on a contingency basis, you wouldn't have to pay any $ upfront. Also, if the case fails, you wouldn't owe the attorney any $ (you need to read the contract very carefully to make sure that you aren't responsible for any "expenses" = non legal fees).

I am so sorry that you are going through this. It's very unfortunate that there are people out there that prey on innocent people - that is just the world where we live.

I am also sorry to hear what you’re dealing with -

+1 to @cat_ky suggestion-

agree to get a good inspector to start with and a trusted contractor - no to removing walls, moving the kitchen etc - get the house safe and live-able, in my opinion everything else can wait