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Leperflesh posted:IKEA does installs, although maybe they subcontract that part. They actually have an online tool I've been playing with that lets you lay out the whole shebang, pick cabinets and appliences and tile and etc. etc., and then dumps it all out to plans & pricing. Then you go in to a store, chat with a consultant, and I guess at that point they estimate the labor costs and you get a total price. The Ikea brand counter tops are pretty bad, they don't have corner pieces, so you just bump the front of one counter against the end of another, and there's a weird plastic piece that goes in between. I'm not sure if Ikea offers custom made laminate counters (mine has a bunch of granite and stuff), but if they don't go to a Home Depot or something and get them there. You'll spend a bit more, but they'll be a lot nicer. As for Ikea cabinets, that poo poo is dead simple to put up,I've done it myself with my dad. You have to buy a metal rail for the upper cabinets, and then they all hook into and attach to that, rather than the wall. That means you don't have to worry about studs so much. The bottoms are also easy because they have legs you adjust individually. The hardest part of the base cabinets would be mitering the toe kick so it looks nice when you snap it onto the bases. My dad also put quarter-around all around the toe kick to tie it into the rest of the molding. Putting on counters can be a bit tricky, depending on how straight your wall is.
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Oct 5, 2011 16:59
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sanchez posted:daggerdragon, I'd really like to see some photos when your kitchen is done, some of the stuff in your list is a result of luck and can't reliably be repeated (flooring and appliances) but the cabinets in particular sound very interesting. I don't know how much materials are where you are, but here a finished cabinet from Ikea is way cheaper than just buying the raw particle board and paint or melamine foil. Let alone the work to cut and joint perfectly cut pieces. The same goes if you want to buy finish quality plywood for stronger cabinets. It's really no different than furniture making where you build something because you enjoy the process and holding on to the finished work whereas anything commercially built will always be cheaper and more professionally finished than a new-DIY. If you're a carpenter with all the tools then it's a different story entirely.
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Oct 5, 2011 18:14
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FISHMANPET posted:The Ikea brand counter tops are pretty bad, they don't have corner pieces, so you just bump the front of one counter against the end of another, and there's a weird plastic piece that goes in between. I'm not sure if Ikea offers custom made laminate counters (mine has a bunch of granite and stuff), but if they don't go to a Home Depot or something and get them there. You'll spend a bit more, but they'll be a lot nicer. Yeah Ikea lacks real corner laminate counters, but on the flip side their corner joining pieces look better than a lot of cheaply done custom laminate counters where they join the laminate on a 45 angle anyways. Good laminate will use a larger sheet of formica rather than join two on a 45. The other plus when I used an Ikea counter a few years ago was that the whole slab was a true 1 1/4" (or was it 1 1/2") thick rather than most which are 3/4" thick with a built-up edge profile.
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Oct 5, 2011 18:19
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More improvement talk: I did do the IKEA kitchen whole remodel! I can tell you that when we did it (the only reason we did it the way we did) was that we got 20% off everything (countertops, appliances, cabinets, pulls, parts/hardware) by also buying 3 appliances. It saved us something like $2-3k. We could've saved more by not going with corian counters or keeping the old fridge but IKEA's laminate counters really do look quite cheap and that old fridge was waiting to die. That said, I assembled everything and my Dad and I did all the construction/electrical/plumbing/floors/painting. It certainly wasn't cheap (grand total of about $9k) but that old kitchen loving sucked and we got a really nice kitchen (new counters, apps, floor, electrical, and plumbing). Funny note: During demo of the old kitchen, I pulled whole wall cabinets out with a single jerk. Most were held into the soffett by 2 big nails. Those were waiting to fall at some point in the future. If you want to see, here's my album of the project.
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Oct 5, 2011 19:24
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Thwomp posted:More improvement talk: Question: If you were tearing out the entire old kitchen, why didn't you put in a chimney/vent for the range hood since you were tearing that out too?
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Oct 5, 2011 20:38
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Thwomp posted:
I think your kitchen came out looking pretty nice actually. You definitely don't have a lot of counter space, and that corner next to the fridge looks a little cramped, but it's probably the best you could do with the space you have. You said IKEA's laminate counters do look "quite cheap" but you didn't go with Corian. What did you wind up picking for those counters?
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Oct 5, 2011 20:44
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CrazyLittle posted:Question: If you were tearing out the entire old kitchen, why didn't you put in a chimney/vent for the range hood since you were tearing that out too? The microwave is a vent which sends air up through the soffett, into the attic and then out the roof. Plus the soffett made a hood too impractical and we had no where else to put a microwave. Leperflesh posted:You said IKEA's laminate counters do look "quite cheap" but you didn't go with Corian. What did you wind up picking for those counters? Ummm, I actually said we did go with the corian. I worded it a bit weird. We were at first thinking about granite like everyone else does when remodeling but decided against it for various reasons (expense, look, care). Corian was a good compromise. The laminate at IKEA could be okay but it looked cheap and felt cheap to us. Maybe you can find a style that isn't bad. It's really up to personal preference. We got a really nice under-mount sink with our countertops too. Also, yeah that corner was always going to be a bit cramped. It was a tough space to work with. We put our stand mixer and cutting boards back there. It works well enough as a space to put seldom used bulky items.
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Oct 5, 2011 21:22
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I nice thing about Ikea is you can pretty easily "reface" your cabinets by just swapping in new doors.
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Oct 5, 2011 21:49
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Thwomp posted:If you want to see, here's my album of the project. Nice job, now I want to buy a house. Totally counterproductive to the point of the thread 
Daeus fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Oct 6, 2011 |
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Oct 5, 2011 22:04
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Thwomp posted:More improvement talk: I love the paint color. What is it?
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Oct 5, 2011 22:56
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Thwomp posted:If you want to see, here's my album of the project.
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Oct 5, 2011 22:59
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Brennanite posted:I love the paint color. What is it? Thanks! Athenian Green by Behr. Daeus posted:Nice job, now I want to buy a house. Totally counterproductive to the point of the thread Sure it looks nice now but after a weekend of demo, I was freaking out. Nothing like looking at bare studs to really sink in the reality of what you planned to do. Edit: New thread title.....is this my fault? Thwomp fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Oct 6, 2011 |
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Oct 6, 2011 18:05
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Thwomp posted:Sure it looks nice now but after a weekend of demo, I was freaking out. Nothing like looking at bare studs to really sink in the reality of what you planned to do. This. I actually got a little depressed around mid-way through the project thinking we'd never get it done, ever. You just need to keep going and it will eventually go from being a forest of 2x4's to a house, and once the drywall's up and painted and the floors are in, then it gets to be a home. quote:Edit: New thread title.....is this my fault? 
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Oct 6, 2011 18:34
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daggerdragon posted:This. I actually got a little depressed around mid-way through the project thinking we'd never get it done, ever. Seriously. We bought our house in March 2010... with a baby on the way in May! On top of that, it was a foreclosure that needed new flooring, all rooms painted, and awful wood panelling removed in the den and downstairs bedroom. There were quite a few nights where I was installing flooring after working all day and looked around at bare studs or sub-floors and thought what the hell have we done (and why did we do it now!). Thankfully, it all got done in time, but added a lot of unneeded stress.
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Oct 6, 2011 19:09
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new home, old colors, same Arsenal
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Has anyone tried the wood countertops from Ikea (or other places)? Our house is not high end enough for granite or Corian and we really don't like the look of laminate countertops. I like the idea that they can be sanded and refinished if needed.
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Oct 8, 2011 13:14
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slowfoot posted:Has anyone tried the wood countertops from Ikea (or other places)? Our house is not high end enough for granite or Corian and we really don't like the look of laminate countertops. I like the idea that they can be sanded and refinished if needed. The wood butcherblock stuff? I've got a kitchen island and my office desk made out of it. Seal it with some stain, or coat it with some poly (what i did on the island and desk respectively), and it's great stuff.
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Oct 8, 2011 16:47
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I hvae a question about how much to offer. Keep in mind that I don't really know a whole lot about it. My husband's dad said "if a house is listed for 145000, don't be afraid to offer 132000". Does that seem ridiculously low to anyone else? I know you generally buy for less than the list price, but that seems like way too big of a difference (assuming there isn't something obviously wrong that would lead to such a drop in price). I just don't want to miss out on a house we want because our offer was too low, even though we could afford to pay more. Any advice?
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Oct 8, 2011 21:46
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Choose Deth posted:I hvae a question about how much to offer. Keep in mind that I don't really know a whole lot about it. My husband's dad said "if a house is listed for 145000, don't be afraid to offer 132000". Does that seem ridiculously low to anyone else? I know you generally buy for less than the list price, but that seems like way too big of a difference (assuming there isn't something obviously wrong that would lead to such a drop in price). I just don't want to miss out on a house we want because our offer was too low, even though we could afford to pay more. Any advice? Depends on the property and the area you're in, but in some cases you can go lower than that right now. My impression from searching in SE Michigan is that there are a lot of people out there trying to sell, clinging to the hope that homes are still worth X, and listing way higher than they'll realistically get.
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Oct 8, 2011 21:56
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Choose Deth posted:My husband's dad said "if a house is listed for 145000, don't be afraid to offer 132000". Does that seem ridiculously low to anyone else? 1. Are you the kind of person who might regret "overpaying" for a house? Do you really want to get a great deal, and you don't mind waiting for a few months or more to find one? Then lowball whatever houses you want, and be happy if any of them accept. 2. Are you the kind of person who might regret "missing out" on a house if the sellers accept another, higher offer? Do you really want to just find a house you love and get it right away? Then offer as much as you think the house is worth, and be happy if they accept. It sounds like you're the second one on the list, but ask your husband and make sure that you see eye to eye on this because buying a house is one of the most stressful things you will ever do. Make sure you communicate and focus on getting a house you love and can afford. And remember that satisficers live happier lives than optimizers.
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Oct 8, 2011 22:00
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Choose Deth posted:I hvae a question about how much to offer. Keep in mind that I don't really know a whole lot about it. My husband's dad said "if a house is listed for 145000, don't be afraid to offer 132000". Does that seem ridiculously low to anyone else? I know you generally buy for less than the list price, but that seems like way too big of a difference (assuming there isn't something obviously wrong that would lead to such a drop in price). I just don't want to miss out on a house we want because our offer was too low, even though we could afford to pay more. Any advice? Use real estate websites like Zillow, or your municipality's database or real estate transactions to try and see what the average sales prices for houses in that area have been in the last 6 months to a year. It's even better if you can find information about size on Zillow, since that will let you determine a price per square foot. Compare all that to what they're asking, and ask yourself what price seems appropriate for the house in question. Will it need work immediately or in the next few years? Do the appliances need to go? Does the lay out really suck (it's very difficult to change a lay out)? If you like the place it may be worthwhile to offer near the asking, however it'd still be informative to get an idea of what places are going for in that area. That said, he's saying you should offer 10% below ask, which isn't that crazy unless you think the place could spawn a bidding war.
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Oct 8, 2011 22:04
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Choose Deth posted:I hvae a question about how much to offer. Keep in mind that I don't really know a whole lot about it. My husband's dad said "if a house is listed for 145000, don't be afraid to offer 132000". Does that seem ridiculously low to anyone else? I know you generally buy for less than the list price, but that seems like way too big of a difference (assuming there isn't something obviously wrong that would lead to such a drop in price). I just don't want to miss out on a house we want because our offer was too low, even though we could afford to pay more. Any advice? Putting in a lower offer is commonplace - there's nothing wrong with attempting to negotiate the price. Do you know if there are other offers being made on the home?
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Oct 9, 2011 01:55
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Also keep in mind that there are different approaches to setting a list price and these vary from one person to the next, one agent to the next, and one market to the next. Some people list a super-low price in an attempt to attract multiple bids. At a lower price point they may get more people looking seriously at the property and some buyers may "fall in love" and then be willing to engage in a bidding war. Some people list a super-high price on the assumption that everyone lowballs and they'll wind up taking less. They may also hope to attract a higher "class" of buyer. They may be assuming they'll get only one or three low bids and then can take the best one. Some people list a price based on what the property was worth years ago - they're in total denial about price drops. Some people are desperate and need to unload the property immediately - they list a discount price (or perhaps the lowest they can actually afford to sell the property for and escape from their mortgage still solvent). Some people have all the time in the world. They set a high price that they won't budge on and are willing to leave the house listed for months - even a year or more. They may take the house off the market multiple times if they don't get satisfactory (or any) bids. Basically there's just so many approaches that it's not safe to make assumptions. My advice is not to determine your bid based on the asking price but rather on what you think you're willing to pay, the urgency of getting this house, whether you believe there are other bidders, and so forth. Most important of all; don't overpay just because the sellers are really nice people. I know lots of really nice people but I don't go around giving them thousands of dollars for free just because of it. When it comes to the price, you absolutely don't need to be concerned about the sellers' financial future... after all, they have no concern over your financial future (if they did, they'd voluntarily lower the price for you just because you're a nice person).
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Oct 9, 2011 04:52
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Thanks for the advice all, it's very helpful. We looked at more houses today so I'm getting a better feel for what to offer in different situations.
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Oct 10, 2011 01:25
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My husband and I had our offer accepted today. This is our first home. We don't have a seller's disclosure because it's an estate. Does anyone know of a good inspector in and around Philadelphia? Even though my husband's best friend's parents are our realtors, we do not want to be screwed over with a bad inspection.
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Oct 10, 2011 03:57
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PoliSciGirl posted:My husband and I had our offer accepted today. This is our first home. We don't have a seller's disclosure because it's an estate. Does anyone know of a good inspector in and around Philadelphia? Even though my husband's best friend's parents are our realtors, we do not want to be screwed over with a bad inspection. A very useful piece of advice I was offered and which worked out pretty well for me was to get someone to do the inspection that is also a PE. You'll pay more than some guy that took a weekend course and bought his license, but then, I also got a 70 page report listing more flaws than the entirety of the disclosure and inspection HUD provided me with. Well worth the $800.
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Oct 10, 2011 04:05
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We have been offered a windfall gift to help pay for a downpayment from my in-laws. Is there anything that we should be aware of when recieveing such a gift? I'm assuming that the lender will want the money to be in our account for a while?
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Oct 10, 2011 17:10
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Inlaws will have to sign a letter saying it's a gift and probably provide a bank statement showing the money leaving their account. It's a common scenario and nothing to really worry aobut.
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Oct 10, 2011 17:31
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Jorath posted:We have been offered a windfall gift to help pay for a downpayment from my in-laws. Is there anything that we should be aware of when recieveing such a gift? I'm assuming that the lender will want the money to be in our account for a while? Maybe more relevant questions are if you are in a place financially to be able to afford a house, even with this windfall. What other debt do you have? What sort of emergency fund? How stable are your jobs? How long do you plan to live in the area you are currently living in?
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Oct 10, 2011 19:03
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cstine posted:A very useful piece of advice I was offered and which worked out pretty well for me was to get someone to do the inspection that is also a PE. You'll pay more than some guy that took a weekend course and bought his license, but then, I also got a 70 page report listing more flaws than the entirety of the disclosure and inspection HUD provided me with. Sorry for being dumb, but what is a PE? Also, is it good to use a mortgage broker? PoliSciGirl fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 19:29
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PoliSciGirl posted:Also, is it good to use a mortgage broker? Opinions on this vary, but personally I think it's a good idea (and it is what I did). A broker can comparison-shop for you for a loan, and can do so right up to the day you actually apply, getting you whatever is the best deal on that particular day. They are also paid by the bank, not you, so you don't pay extra for the privilege. (In theory the cost of paying brokers must factor in somewhere, but it effectively means all mortgages cost a little more in order to pay them, so you might as well use one since you're paying anyway!) A broker can also be a great person to ask for advice and explanations regarding the loan process and details of the loan documentation. A broker may be more helpful for stuff directly related to the loan, than your buyer's agent. However, a broker is not a substitute for a lawyer (any more than your real estate agent is), so do keep that in mind.
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Oct 10, 2011 19:52
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One more question about mortgages- I have a few paid off collection accounts (4). Three out of 4 of them are to be taken off in the next year, but one was paid in 2009. I have a 730 credit score and my husband has almost a perfect credit score. We don't have any debt. We are putting 20% down. Will we have a problem getting financing? We are already pre-approved, but I've heard that means nothing.
PoliSciGirl fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 20:20
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PoliSciGirl posted:One more question about mortgages- I have a few paid off collection accounts (4). Three out of 4 of them are to be taken off in the next year, but one was paid in 2009. I have a 730 credit score and my husband has almost a perfect credit score. We don't have any debt. We are putting 20% down. Will we have a problem getting financing? We are already pre-approved, but I've heard that means nothing. We were in exactly the same situation earlier this year. Wife around 730, me close to max. Getting the mortgage was as painless as anybody could have wished. We also went with my bank, and not with a broker. We talked to a few banks and a few brokers, and there was no differences in the numbers, so I decided to go with the institution that already had all my banking information/years of history. The advice about the attorney can't be repeated too often. He cost me a grand, but after all the seller's and my agent's shenanigans, I paid with a big smile.
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Oct 10, 2011 20:40
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sheri posted:Maybe more relevant questions are if you are in a place financially to be able to afford a house, even with this windfall. We want to move so that we can live in the next house for the rest of our lives, or at least until our son goes away to college in 16 years. Thus, it'll be a long decision, as school district/neighborhood access & amenities will factor in much more than when we bought our current place. We are planning to sell the current place after we move as we have no desire to be landlords. Due to the logistics of selling we will have to move out first.
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Oct 10, 2011 20:46
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PoliSciGirl posted:One more question about mortgages- I have a few paid off collection accounts (4). Three out of 4 of them are to be taken off in the next year, but one was paid in 2009. I have a 730 credit score and my husband has almost a perfect credit score. We don't have any debt. We are putting 20% down. Will we have a problem getting financing? We are already pre-approved, but I've heard that means nothing. No problem at all. None. Most underwriting these days is computerized, which with a 730 you should pass with no issue.
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Oct 10, 2011 21:01
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PoliSciGirl posted:One more question about mortgages- I have a few paid off collection accounts (4). Three out of 4 of them are to be taken off in the next year, but one was paid in 2009. I have a 730 credit score and my husband has almost a perfect credit score. We don't have any debt. We are putting 20% down. Will we have a problem getting financing? We are already pre-approved, but I've heard that means nothing.
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Oct 10, 2011 21:18
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PoliSciGirl posted:Sorry for being dumb, but what is a PE? Professional Engineer. Criterium Turner is who I used, based on the wife's recommendation of prior business with them. It's way worth it, since in a lot of states, being a 'home inspector' means you took an extension class at the local community college and are now qualified to look at the biggest purchase someone else is looking at and call it cool. A proper PE went to school, has far more certification requirements, and frankly, that's a GOOD thing here. Also, they're qualified to actually do assessments of structural problems and fixes - which is very important if you live somewhere that these issues are common (I have no idea about PA, but in TX *every* house has foundation and structural issues to some degree).
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Oct 10, 2011 21:36
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PoliSciGirl posted:Sorry for being dumb, but what is a PE? In this context, I believe cstine is referring to a Professional Engineer. It's someone who has been licensed with the state to have completed an accredited engineering curriculum, accumulated a certain amount of experience, and passed a rigorous examination. e:f,b
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Oct 10, 2011 22:19
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cstine posted:Professional Engineer. Criterium Turner is who I used, based on the wife's recommendation of prior business with them. Can a PE perform ALL of the duties of a home inspector? Such as termite, mold, electrical?
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Oct 10, 2011 23:44
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senor punk posted:Use real estate websites like Zillow senor punk posted:which isn't that crazy unless you think the place could spawn a bidding war.
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Oct 11, 2011 01:17
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PoliSciGirl posted:Can a PE perform ALL of the duties of a home inspector? Such as termite, mold, electrical? I think the suggestion is to get a licensed home inspector that is ALSO a PE. A Professional Engineer's license is a completely separate thing. People who build bridges and skyscrapers have PE licenses, but they may not be able to do a home inspection.
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Oct 11, 2011 01:25
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