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tomstuart posted:
So you're installing the gas range yourself, but having the dishwasher installed? That seems odd to me... I sold cabinets and appliances in college, and if it were me I would consider putting a bit more cash into the range. Even $100 or $150 can make a big difference in that price range. Unless you've already got a lock on 15-20% off and that's your post-discount price, in which case you're good. The countertop price seems low to me if it includes decent installation, but it's a small house so that might be realistic  Take your current budgets, add 20% because poo poo comes up, and that's closer to your realistic baseline budget. It still leaves you a cushion if you find something unexpected.
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Jul 21, 2015 05:07
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Dik Hz posted:When I had a deadbolt set and got robbed, it just hosed up the door frame even more. And even if the deadbolt had held, they'd just have broken the windows to get in. Dude, you're the one telling people to not bother with deadbolts and describing the many ways in which a house can be robbed, not me. If anyone in this thread is planning on robbing houses, it's you.
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Jul 21, 2015 07:43
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You guys are really making me consider installing steel and steel framed security doors and shatterproof laminated windows. Maybe hire that guy from home alone. He probably needs a job.
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Jul 21, 2015 15:15
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Get the guy from the Purge movies. Assuming we don't start the whole purge thing, should be a pretty decent home security system in truth.
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Jul 21, 2015 15:17
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don't forget to budget $2,000 for misc Home Depot/Lowe's runs for tools/supplies/lumber/parts/gardening/misc/M&M's. Also for window treatments is this just the cheapest possible stock blinds for 8 windows = $125 per window? You'll have to manually adjust and remove slats which is a tremendous PITA as well as might have some funky sized windows that you can't find anything for. HD has good Levelor options you can order online and will be custom sized and get there in about 10 days, it will run at least $150-$200 per window though. Blinds.com as well. Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Jul 21, 2015 |
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Jul 21, 2015 18:21
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Keyser S0ze posted:don't forget to budget $2,000 for misc Home Depot/Lowe's runs for tools/supplies/lumber/parts/gardening/misc/M&M's. Get drapes! Drapes cost less, look better, and are more effective at blocking or letting in whatever amount of sun that you want. Elephanthead posted:You guys are really making me consider installing steel and steel framed security doors and shatterproof laminated windows. Maybe hire that guy from home alone. He probably needs a job. I think bars over the windows would be cheaper and just as effective. They even sell bars that will open via an emergency popout latch on the inside of the house, in case there's a fire and you need to leave through a window QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Jul 21, 2015 |
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Jul 21, 2015 18:43
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kitten posted:First night at the new place we found two tiki torches in our yard. Not sure if that's positive or negative. In the first six months the mailbox has been hit twice by cars, really messed up the second guy's car. 4 months after buying the house, morning of my birthday, my mailbox got taken out by a drunk driver. Drove across 4 house's tree lawns, took out two mailboxes, and destroyed the car. Police, air bags, driver taken to the hospital, all that good stuff. Didn't even hear it happened until the next morning to find pieces of mailbox everywhere. Pulled police report, got his insurance to pay $200 for new box, post, and install. I'm hoping this thing lasts a little longer. And if not, it's cemented in well enough that I hope it totals another car. I'm kind of amazed that he managed to hit two mailboxes, but missed 4 trees and my water shutoff at the street.
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Jul 21, 2015 19:14
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Keyser S0ze posted:You'll have to manually adjust and remove slats which is a tremendous PITA
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Jul 21, 2015 19:42
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I tried removing the 80 extra slats on few off the shelf blinds at my prior place and they came out like crap and the strings never were happy afterwards. I am very easily annoyed, though. I ordered the rest from Blinds.com after measuring all the openings and never dealt with it again. At my new place I needed a single small blind for my master bathroom window so ordered from Home Depot's website a Levilor in walnut for it and it arrived in under a week and was reasonably priced - so I suggest them for any work as well For the rest of my place I sprung for full on plantation (2 inch, hidden tilt, split, custom color) shutters. They freaking own (if it can be fit in budget wise $4K for 10 windows/sliding door). Still use curtains with them in the bedrooms for extra light reduction but for the most part they have been perfect.  
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Jul 21, 2015 20:28
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QuarkJets posted:Get drapes! Drapes cost less, look better, and are more effective at blocking or letting in whatever amount of sun that you want. Yeah but they're ugly as gently caress and make you feel like you're in jail, and make you look like you're totally paranoid if you're the only one in the neighborhood with them. My house had iron bars over all the windows when I moved in and I tore that poo poo out, it was such an eyesore. Never mind that I live in a totally safe townhouse complex where we all know each other, we're all poor compared to the houses around us, and nobody could break into anyone's place without being seen or heard. All that said I'd still love the security of laminated anti theft windows. And if/when I build my own house the entry doors are going to have massive frames with a steel door jamb interlocked in, with steel doors that'll hold up to a battering ram, just because.
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Jul 22, 2015 00:03
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I had a home inspected this afternoon that turned out to have foundation issues behind crumbling cement: http://i.imgur.com/VRDQvMW.jpg?1 The basement walls are sheetrocked so we can't see how deep the problem goes. My inspector said worst case scenario I would have to trench out in front of the foundation, temporarily support the house, and build a new wall. He guessed that might be $15,000. He also suggested to call a foundation contractor for a real assessment and estimate before doing anything else. (He didn't have a personal recommendation.) But the foundation contractor I called said I need a masonry expert. My internet skills aren't turning up any masonry experts that do limestone foundations. What is the goon consensus? Who do I want? Or do I just cancel the purchase altogether? Mary Fucking Poppins fucked around with this message at 00:06 on Jul 22, 2015 |
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Jul 22, 2015 00:04
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Mary loving Poppins posted:I had a home inspected this afternoon that turned out to have foundation issues behind crumbling cement: Almost certainly a low estimate. We got a quote to dig out around our foundation and back fill with gravel and French drains and the cost was 20k. This was for fairly simple grunt work that didn't involve supporting a home and building a new wall. Did you Google foundation repairs?
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Jul 22, 2015 00:20
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If you are anywhere near the average home buyer, run. The cost of repairs alone doesn't cover the devaluation of a home with a history of foundation work.
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Jul 22, 2015 02:46
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After a few weeks of wondering whether or not the seller was even going to expose the clean out vent, we finally got to inspect the lateral sewer line. There was a bunch of roots at the very end of the line, near where the owner's responsibility ends and the town's responsibility begins. Our plumber quoted us for $800 root removal via hydro-jet. Seller is apparently calling a different plumber to get their own quote. We haven't officially asked the sellers to repair the line, but it sounds like they're apt to do so. Fiance and I are just relieved there wasn't several grand worth of repairs lurking in the plumbing. Whew!
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Jul 22, 2015 04:17
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There is several grand in repairs lurking in the plumbing, because those roots will be back in a year or three.
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Jul 22, 2015 04:35
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Not if I kill the tree that's causing it.
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Jul 22, 2015 04:37
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Heh, that's one way! How big is it and have you priced tree removal?
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Jul 22, 2015 04:38
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It's large? and no estimates yet. But probably less expensive then a flooded basement.
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Jul 22, 2015 04:44
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If it's a huge tree it probably won't cost much more to replace the sewer lateral and keep the tree... do never buy! 
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Jul 22, 2015 04:50
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Has anyone done a new kitchen with ikea cabinets? I am 99% sure I will be and wanted some personal accounts. Ive read lots of the internet on it and it sounds like the cabinents are just fine, the pain is that since its ikea you do the scheduling, planning, optionally install and that lots of time they will be out of parts and dont do backorder. So basically trading time and grief for savings.
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Jul 22, 2015 07:12
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QuarkJets posted:Dude, you're the one telling people to not bother with deadbolts and describing the many ways in which a house can be robbed, not me. If anyone in this thread is planning on robbing houses, it's you. Instead of being argumentative, why not post your own experiences?
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Jul 22, 2015 11:59
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Ropes4u posted:Almost certainly a low estimate. We got a quote to dig out around our foundation and back fill with gravel and French drains and the cost was 20k. This was for fairly simple grunt work that didn't involve supporting a home and building a new wall.
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Jul 22, 2015 12:49
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Your realtor is poo poo. Hire a structural engineer and a foundation contractor and ask for a written estimate. If the seller won't give you at least that amount as a concession, it's probably time to walk.
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Jul 22, 2015 14:04
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Your realtor wants you to ignore all problems and buy a house ASAP. So yeah, you should ignore that person and their friends in this situation.
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Jul 22, 2015 14:08
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Adding to what was said above: Don't ever buy a house that the "buddy from the bar down the street" has done any work on. It's probably poo poo work if he's willing to lie through his teeth to help his realtor buddy make a sale.
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Jul 22, 2015 14:10
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Unless you are getting a price that you only get on houses with failing foundations, walk. That is what contingency period is for.
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Jul 22, 2015 16:01
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Mary loving Poppins posted:I did, yeah. I called a few places up and haven't had much luck. My realtor, on the other hand, brought over a friend of his who is a new home builder (not a foundation contractor) who happened to be at the bar down the street, and he sees "absolutely nothing wrong with the foundation." He said that he looked into the hole, felt around, and didn't think the problem extended deeper. I asked him "Given that you can't see what's below ground and what you *can* see above ground is crumbling, how can you be confident it's isolated only to where you can see?" He said that if it went deeper the debris would be falling below eyesight, not sitting stacked where it was. He also said "it's not like I can stick my arm clear through the wall" as if the house were a big game of Jenga and as long as it's not falling over, I win. This is a nightmare. I'm not sure how you are having trouble finding someone who can take a look at a stone foundation, but try contacting their union. I am sure they can point you to someone who can speak with more authority than the housing inspector and the contractor from down the street. As it is, you could have a repair that could be upwards of 30-thousand dollars or you may only need a couple bags of type S mortar from Home Depot.
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Jul 22, 2015 16:36
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Inspections are absolutely, totally worth it, and if anything comes up, get contractors who focus on the things that need to be fixed in to do estimates. I found Angie's List is also totally worth the $10 if you need a way to contact a lot of people in a hurry. I just got back from a house we're looking at buying to get contractors in for estimates. Our inspection showed the roof needed work. Brought in a contractor, said it really wasn't too bad (it was a recent tear off that they seemed to have quit working on it 80% of the way through), just needs some minor gutter work, some flashing, and some trim. Probably about a grand. Some electrical work needed as well. New breaker box, undo a double-tapped air conditioner electrical supply line, re-ground everything, fix an exterior outlet that's not a GFCI, add a missing outlet in the kitchen. Ballpark $1600. Needed some plumbing work. Inspector wasn't pleased at all, though said it might be "workable." Plumber basically said "yeah. This is a total tear-out-and-start-over job." That's going to be $11k+, plus labor for putting all the walls back. Surprisingly the city supply line is 3/4" and sufficient for the home (it's 140 years old), but is choked to 1/2" right after the meter.  Sewer's clean though! Hooray? We should be getting paper estimates for all this stuff back through the week. We might still go through with it if the seller's willing to play ball, but at this rate we'll close and won't be able to move in for a month. We have the money in the bank to extend our lease another month if need be, but eh. The seller also keeps trying to hurry along A/I, but we're pretty confident he doesn't have any other offers, plus any other competent inspector will easily find a lot of these problems. Our attorney has also been awesome, and keeps saying "cool your heels, I'm on vacation" This entire process is amazingly distracting, time-consuming, and stressful (not to mention expensive, inspection + radon test + sewer scope + asbestos test is well over $1k); and we haven't gotten anywhere near closing. Do never buy.
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Jul 22, 2015 17:22
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notlibber posted:Has anyone done a new kitchen with ikea cabinets? I am 99% sure I will be and wanted some personal accounts. I've been looking at doing the same thing in a year or two, so I'd like to hear your take on them if you go through with it.
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Jul 22, 2015 18:03
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I have a friend who totally remodeled a house by himself, as in moving walls/ceilings and even an exterior door. His Ikea kitchen cabinets were the only thing that stuck out to me in a bad way - the doors didn't line up with one another, most were a millimeter or two off and it stuck out like a sore thumb.
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Jul 22, 2015 18:48
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My folks looked at IKEA cabinets for their new kitchen. All said and done and installed, the price wasn't much lower than either the higher end Home Depot lines (I forget the mfg), or the custom cabinet maker they went with - who was basically identical to Home Depot prices, and his fit and finish and options are *perfect*. He ended up being cheaper than other places because he didn't charge markup on the third party accessories (hinges, better-than-lazy-Susan, etc). IKEA cabinets are also particle board vs hardwood, that alone is a good reason to not do them IMO.
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Jul 22, 2015 19:14
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Mary loving Poppins posted:I did, yeah. I called a few places up and haven't had much luck. My realtor, on the other hand, brought over a friend of his who is a new home builder (not a foundation contractor) who happened to be at the bar down the street, and he sees "absolutely nothing wrong with the foundation." He said that he looked into the hole, felt around, and didn't think the problem extended deeper. I asked him "Given that you can't see what's below ground and what you *can* see above ground is crumbling, how can you be confident it's isolated only to where you can see?" He said that if it went deeper the debris would be falling below eyesight, not sitting stacked where it was. He also said "it's not like I can stick my arm clear through the wall" as if the house were a big game of Jenga and as long as it's not falling over, I win. This is a nightmare. There is a chance that what your realtors friend who is totally not looking out for the realtor says is true. You may buy the house and not have any substantial problems with the foundation. Or you might have to spend 20k+ on repairs and then have a harder time ever selling the property in the future. I would get a quote from someone who specializes in this work and then reconsider if you still want to buy with the new info.
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Jul 22, 2015 19:18
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I'm in the house buying process as well in the Chicago suburbs. Wife and I found a house we like, put an offer in $20k under list and it was accepted, inspection scheduled for Friday. Hooray! The seller disclosed they get "seepage in the basement because the neighbor's driveway slopes towards the house" so we've got a basement dude coming, and I think we're going to need a roofer to come take a look as well; they added a skylight in the bathroom that doesn't look like it's sealed properly on the roof, although, I don't see water damage in the bathroom from this. Other than those two issues I didn't notice anything major. Reading this thread has been really helpful and a bit frightening at times, so hopefully the inspector doesn't uncover anything else major.
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Jul 22, 2015 21:28
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americanzero4128 posted:I'm in the house buying process as well in the Chicago suburbs. Wife and I found a house we like, put an offer in $20k under list and it was accepted, inspection scheduled for Friday. Hooray! The seller disclosed they get "seepage in the basement because the neighbor's driveway slopes towards the house" so we've got a basement dude coming, and I think we're going to need a roofer to come take a look as well; they added a skylight in the bathroom that doesn't look like it's sealed properly on the roof, although, I don't see water damage in the bathroom from this. Other than those two issues I didn't notice anything major. You've probably already got an inspector lined up, but in the Chicago area, I cannot recommend Domicile Consulting enough. They did the inspection on the place we're looking at in Bridgeport, as well as a friend's home in Canaryville, and are nothing short of thorough. Morgan (Irish guy) is a qt too. 
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Jul 22, 2015 22:14
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I've got a question about home buying. I've read up on this a bunch now and still feel very conflicted. I'm looking to buy a house in Northeastern Indiana, the Muncie area, and I've looked at about ten homes so far. Most of them are on slab foundations. My dad has warned me that these are bad because they limit what you can do compared to a crawl space. The general consensus seems to be that slabs, crawls, and basements all have their upsides and downsides. Some people I've talked to will flat out not buy a slab. Some things that I've read have said slabs are alright and decent, that people have never had a problem. One house we looked at had water in its crawlspace, but I think that can be normal after heavy rainfall--which we have experienced. The house I've looked at is listed $144,900. It hasn't been inspected yet and was built in 1976. I liked the interior but am by no means well-versed in homes, building code, or anything like that. It's been on the market for nearly a year now. No central air, baseboard heat, no ducts. Would need central air and a furnace, so figure that on top of costs down the line. Roof is 9 years old now. I read that to get an idea of what condition the slab is in, to just look around the garage and at outer corners where things expand and contract. Didn't get to do that at inspection. What do you guys think about all this? From what I've heard, I feel that crawl space would be better, but my options for that in this area seem somewhat limited. Thoughts?
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Jul 23, 2015 04:10
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americanzero4128 posted:they added a skylight in the bathroom that doesn't look like it's sealed properly on the roof, although, I don't see water damage in the bathroom from this. This, with slight damage in the bathroom, is the issue that scared people so much we got our place super cheap. It's a scary problem.
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Jul 23, 2015 04:38
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notlibber posted:Has anyone done a new kitchen with ikea cabinets? I am 99% sure I will be and wanted some personal accounts. I have a friend who did his new kitchen with IKEA. If you are able to beat their prices for assembly and installation with a competent handyperson/contractor/laborer/robot, they're pretty much exactly as you describe. You order, they deliver a few weeks later when they feel like it, there will be missing/extra pieces that you'll have to deal with. If you get a countertop from them, too, you will have to be 100% done with the cabinet install before they will come to measure for that, and the final counter install will be another week plus. With my friend and his cousin doing the installation, the price was unbeatable and because they were careful and took their time the only misalignment comes from where they didn't realize they had an extra-tall refrigerator. If you get them to install the cabinets, most of the savings disappear. If you do a decent job on the install the price and quality is unbeatable.
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Jul 23, 2015 04:49
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vandalism posted:What do you guys think about all this? From what I've heard, I feel that crawl space would be better, but my options for that in this area seem somewhat limited. Thoughts? What does one do with a crawl space except perhaps store a few things? I can see an argument for a slab or a basement, but a crawlspace seems pretty marginal, like a detached shed would. Baseboard heat and no ducts though? I basically filtered those out of my searches entirely.
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Jul 23, 2015 05:57
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baquerd posted:What does one do with a crawl space except perhaps store a few things? I can see an argument for a slab or a basement, but a crawlspace seems pretty marginal, like a detached shed would. Run wire. Run ducts. Re do plumbing/move plumbing fixtures. That sort of thing. I'm not in the market to buy ATM but I browse a fair amount. I rule out baseboard/non-central-air houses for sure.
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Jul 23, 2015 06:17
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baquerd posted:What does one do with a crawl space except perhaps store a few things? I can see an argument for a slab or a basement, but a crawlspace seems pretty marginal, like a detached shed would. Crawl space would allow you to do things like major plumbing repair/relocating without having to jackhammer your slab open. Not a problem with a high likelihood of happening, but something some people are concerned about. IMO there's nothing wrong with slabs and there's no real reason to avoid a house you love because of it.
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Jul 23, 2015 06:19
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