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Thanks for the tips. I'll look into those. And yes, I know a lot of this stuff would be really expensive. I'm not expecting to be able to drop a few thousand to update a lovely old house. I'm just trying to get a feel for whether renovating a given house would cost $50k/$100k/$150k. I am fairly handy and could do some projects myself, but I'd like to know how much things would cost if I just payed a contractor(s) to do everything. Here's an example of a not-yet-on-the-market house we'll be looking at soon. They created a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/2301Chamberlain) with a bunch of pictures of all the renovations they've done. According to Trulia, the house was bought ~6 months ago for $296k. After all the remodeling, they're trying to sell it for $440k (and it's almost definitely going to sell for more than that). How much money do you think was sunk into that project?
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Feb 4, 2016 18:53
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The more important question for buying a remodeled house is: Were any permits pulled? Also double check with with the city/county if the permited areas were final inspected and passed.
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Feb 4, 2016 19:32
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The Gardenator posted:The more important question for buying a remodeled house is: Were any permits pulled? Also double check with with the city/county if the permited areas were final inspected and passed. Yeah, I'd definitely make sure everything is legit before I bought a house like this. But rather than buying a finished product like this house, there's probably a better chance that we'd buy a similarly lovely house and redo it. I'm just trying to figure out what sort of investment would be required for a project like this.
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Feb 4, 2016 19:41
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Mr Executive posted:Yeah, I'd definitely make sure everything is legit before I bought a house like this. But rather than buying a finished product like this house, there's probably a better chance that we'd buy a similarly lovely house and redo it. I'm just trying to figure out what sort of investment would be required for a project like this. Here's a pretty good estimator for the costs associated with buying and fixing a house.  
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Feb 4, 2016 21:08
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ulmont posted:Double any breakdown you see for your own planning purposes. Only if he's using HGTV shows for budgeting a remodel. The costs I've seen on apartmenttherapy seem to be pretty realistic. He should budget for some unexpected surprises, but double seems silly. Mr Executive posted:Yeah, I'd definitely make sure everything is legit before I bought a house like this. But rather than buying a finished product like this house, there's probably a better chance that we'd buy a similarly lovely house and redo it. I'm just trying to figure out what sort of investment would be required for a project like this. My only suggestion would be to buy a house with a shorter list of "must have fixed" items and a longer list of "nice to have fixed" or "to be fixed in 3-5 years" items. If you can live with the kitchen and the siding and roof have a few good years left, you can focus on the floors and painting, and also pay for whatever else breaks.
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Feb 4, 2016 21:21
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OSU_Matthew posted:Here's a pretty good estimator for the costs associated with buying and fixing a house. One of those faceplates and about a six inch pigtail of coax cable can't run more than about $5. Figure one for every room in the house and $20 for a half decent crimper, and you'll be ready to flip in no time!
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Feb 4, 2016 23:08
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Mr Executive posted:Yeah, I'd definitely make sure everything is legit before I bought a house like this. But rather than buying a finished product like this house, there's probably a better chance that we'd buy a similarly lovely house and redo it. I'm just trying to figure out what sort of investment would be required for a project like this. You could get a FHA 203k mortgage, which includes money @ mortgage rate interest for rehab of distressed properties. Watch Mike Holmes for horror stories. His more recent program has a proce breakdown of all the trades he brings in.
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Feb 5, 2016 00:53
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Mr Executive posted:Here's an example of a not-yet-on-the-market house we'll be looking at soon. They created a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/2301Chamberlain) with a bunch of pictures of all the renovations they've done. According to Trulia, the house was bought ~6 months ago for $296k. After all the remodeling, they're trying to sell it for $440k (and it's almost definitely going to sell for more than that). How much money do you think was sunk into that project? Hired out and done to a reasonably high quality*, $150k-$200k. Flippers earn their money through sweat equity and shoddy corner cutting work hidden behind pretty finishes. *They didn't. Look at those icicles, you'll need another new roof after ice damming ruins this one first winter we get actual snow. Zhentar fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Feb 5, 2016 |
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Feb 5, 2016 02:53
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Mr Executive posted:Is there a good place to look for examples of what home renovation projects cost? My wife and I are looking into buying an older house and completely refinishing basically everything. This may include things like new windows, roof, residing, painting, new trim, flooring, kitchen remodeling, installing a new bath, and maybe knocking down a wall or two in the process. Paging Kastein with his house of theseus. 
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Feb 5, 2016 03:28
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Crotch Fruit posted:Paging Kastein with his house of theseus. At least it's not a house of Sisyphus.
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Feb 5, 2016 03:30
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Zhentar posted:Hired out and done to a reasonably high quality*, $150k-$200k. Flippers earn their money through sweat equity and shoddy corner cutting work hidden behind pretty finishes. Is having icicles indicative a bad roof?
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Feb 5, 2016 21:31
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No, it's indicative of a bad enclosure. Insufficient insulation and/or air leaks. Icicles form when snow melts but the air temperature is below freezing. The more heat you're leaking out your roof, the faster that happens and the bigger your icicles get. In the right conditions, the ice will form a dam, and water will pool behind it, potentially leaking through your roof and causing water damage. edit: You can't entirely prevent the thaw/freeze that forms icicles and ice dams, but you shouldn't ever have large icicles like that.
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Feb 5, 2016 21:44
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Does it matter that this house is in Madison, WI where the temperature has been just below freezing for most of the winter? Based on what you've said, it seems like this would be perfect icicle weather.
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Feb 5, 2016 22:38
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Just below freezing is pretty mediocre icicle weather; stuff does melt more easily, but it's slower to freeze so more of the water runs off rather than forming icicles. (I live in Madison myself, so I'm pretty familiar with how the weather's been this year)
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Feb 5, 2016 23:38
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How do I replace the lightbulb in this bathroom fixture?  I did see some tabs in there but when I put a tiny screwdriver in to pry it out, the plastic nearly broke.
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Feb 6, 2016 01:14
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BoyBlunder posted:How do I replace the lightbulb in this bathroom fixture? Tried twisting the plastic? It may only be held in by those tabs, but a quarter turn into a notch.
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Feb 6, 2016 04:41
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Thy to see if the whole assembly drops a few inches. That is how both my fans work. It will be on some wire hangers and give you access to the inside. Re icicles: if you have gutter helmet you can also get icicles pretty fast if the sun hits the aluminum edge. It warms rapidly, then the water freezes as it bends around then you get massive icicles.
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Feb 6, 2016 13:13
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Captain Cool posted:How much do you need? If you're carrying an amp of low voltage for more than a foot or two, you're going to need some fatter wires to keep your voltages from dropping too much. If you just hate the waste, how about shortening a non-critical cable you already have? It's not about the waste really, it's mostly that it's going to be for something that you hold, and I'd prefer not to deal with keeping the power source in the thing. The flexibility is because I don't want to tug or push the stationary electronics I'm hooking it up to, if that makes sense. 1 to 2 feet of length would probably be fine.
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Feb 7, 2016 04:07
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So this is my gas service: (Click for full size) I should really replace that nasty, rusty old pipe. It's about 17' long, and 7/8" outer diameter by my measurement. I'm guessing the process is something like: 1) close the gas valve 2) burn/bleed off any remaining gas in the line 3) hacksaw off the old pipe 4) install new pipe 5) open valve, check for leaks The devil's in the details, though. For example, I assume I should make the cut at that painted-grey short length of pipe that connects the two T junctions. How do I then remove that short pipe so I can thread a new pipe into the T junction coming off of the meter? I also assume I should be using some kind of gas-safe gunk on the threads for any connections I make. Is there a special type of pipe to use here, or do I just go for 7/8" galvanized steel? If I google for gas pipe I see a bunch of flexible hose types of things, not rigid metal pipe. Is there some special paint I should use to protect these, or can I just use any exterior-grade latex paint (with appropriate primer of course)? Also, I can't actually transport a 17' length of steel pipe myself. Any problem with cutting it in half and having a join halfway along? TooMuchAbstraction fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Feb 7, 2016 |
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Feb 7, 2016 19:22
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Maybe I'm just too cautious of a person, but I'd say that you probably shouldn't attempt any DIY gas line repair unless you're already experienced in it. Just call the gas company to do it. It's also entirely possible that the gas company "owns" that gas line. It varies by jurisdiction and company, but some utilities own up to the meter, some own everything outside the house, etc...
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Feb 7, 2016 20:54
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That's not too cautious. Say you close the valve and burn off the gas. That leaves the pipe full of atmospheric pressure gas, and someone sawing at the outside with a hacksaw. Hope there's no sparks!
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Feb 7, 2016 21:05
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Yeah, you need a non ferrous non sparking tool to shut off the gas meter, and even then, only the utility is supposed to turn it back on. You could do all that and get some gas line thread sealant/pipe dope and some black iron pipes to replace it. Thread the pipes together and paint them with an oil based rust inhibitor paint or something like that. At any rate, I'd check with your utility first
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Feb 7, 2016 21:17
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Seriously, unless you're a trained gas fitter, do not gently caress with gas lines. It may be illegal, and it's definitely dangerous. Don't be the next guy to come in posting about lost fingat.
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Feb 8, 2016 00:07
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It would take forever for that pipe to rust through, if that's your concern. I'd paint it with something like Eastwood Rust Encapsulator then topcoat to match your house.
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Feb 8, 2016 00:25
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The coating on the inside of galvanized pipe could flake off and clog the flow of gas. Or so I've been told.
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Feb 8, 2016 01:04
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The Gardenator posted:The coating on the inside of galvanized pipe could flake off and clog the flow of gas. Or so I've been told. Why would that happen because of appears to be surface rust on the outside?
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Feb 8, 2016 01:07
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I've never seen that, but have been told it can happen from the gas reacting with the coating on the inside of the galvanized pipe. My own house line is galanized and works fine
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Feb 8, 2016 01:13
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Well, it seems worth asking the utility if they'll fix it themselves, anyway. This does seem like the kind of thing that ought to be doable yourself; the big gotchas that I can see are just ensuring that the gas flow is properly shut off and that there's no remaining gas in the line. Yes, gas burns and can explode with the right fuel/air mixture, but that doesn't make it automatically a touch-only-if-professonial domain, surely?
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Feb 8, 2016 01:24
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I have a propane tank I installed myself that replaced an exisiting one that was old. I have to disconnect it and take it to a fill up station instead of having the gas company come by and fill it. Gas company would only fill propane at my house if I had a contractor install a new concrete slab at a closer to the road location with new piping that would have to be flow/leak tested. I'm happy saving several thousand dollars using my existing pipe and tank location.
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Feb 8, 2016 01:32
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Well, it seems worth asking the utility if they'll fix it themselves, anyway. A professional is just someone who's proven they know what they're doing (and are insured accordingly) so yes, if you knew what you were doing you could do this job safely.
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Feb 8, 2016 08:21
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Gas is low-pressure and easy to check for leaks, nothing to be afraid of if you take the time to do it right. That said, I would just knock the rust off and paint. If you really want to replace it, don't cut it, unscrew it. Use correct pipe dope. Get a pressure gauge and perform a leak test according to your code requirements before turning the supply back on (e.g. 15 PSI for 24 hours or something). Then live with the satisfaction of not being afraid of your gas lines.
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Feb 8, 2016 15:10
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eddiewalker posted:It would take forever for that pipe to rust through, if that's your concern. I'd paint it with something like Eastwood Rust Encapsulator then topcoat to match your house. I've been trying to google the lifespan of steel pipe since I saw his post. Looks like some sites say 50 years, so he might want to replace the pipe. I think the concern is around the fittings. TooMuchAbstraction posted:So this is my gas service: I'm going to answer your question to the best of my ability since no one else is. But please check the laws and regulations where you live before doing anything. As long as you are doing things to code and check thoroughly for leaks, gas isn't that scary. You don't want to burn off the gas in the line. You should have a sediment trap at the end of the gas line, just open the cap there and let the gas escape. I don't know how much luck you are going to have with a hacksaw. I would suggest a reciprocating saw with a heavy metal blade. I wouldn't cut between the 2 T connectors, that pipe looks new. I would probably cut between the rusty elbow and the rusty T. You will need 2 large pipe wrenches to do the work. You also want teflon pipe dope. 7/8" OD would mean that's 1/2" pipe, which doesn't look right to me. The connectors should say the size of the pipe. That pipe looks more like 3/4" or 1" Is it exactly 17' of pipe? Could you do like 10' and an 8' piece with a coupling? Most black steel pipe that I've seen at the big box stores comes in 8', 10' and sometimes 12' lengths. If you can't piece it together with off the shelf lengths, some hardware stores will cut and thread steel pipe for you. While you are replacing that gas run, make sure you have an appliance shutoff for wherever that line goes.
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Feb 8, 2016 15:21
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This isn't really a question but since I've become a new homeowner I read this thread just for info assimilation and interest. I just found out my water heater is loving 25 years old! Gonna have to deal with that shortly. I found out because the water was loving hot. It was set to 130.
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Feb 9, 2016 02:31
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Feenix posted:I just found out my water heater is loving 25 years old! Congratulations on your well-maintained and long-lived water heater? What's to deal with? Modern water heaters will most certainly allow you to set them to scalding temperatures too.
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Feb 9, 2016 02:56
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No kids in the house, so we figure as long as it doesn't melt our pots and pans it's probably not too hot.
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Feb 9, 2016 03:03
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Building some display cabinets and want to use these type of corner hangers but can't seem to find them anywhere. It doesn't help that I have no idea what they're called, assuming they have a specific technical name. My local hardware stores haven't had them. Only ever seen them in boxed cabinet/shelving sets you find in places like walmart or target.
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Feb 9, 2016 03:12
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Speaking of water heaters, mine started leaking today! I rent so I told the landlord and shut off the gas to it and the cold water supply valve. It looks like it's leaking out of the bottom of the tank, so I cleaned up what I could and drained the tank as much as I could using a hose connection at the bottom of the tank. I have a towel down on the ground now and it looks like the leaking slowed a lot. Anything else to do I'm not thinking of?
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Feb 9, 2016 03:20
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baquerd posted:Congratulations on your well-maintained and long-lived water heater? What's to deal with? Modern water heaters will most certainly allow you to set them to scalding temperatures too. Well it's 2 separate things. Sorry if I made it sound like one was because of the other. It was painfully hot so I went to set it and found it was at 130. And also found it was installed in 1991. Which blows my mind. Most seem to be like 9 or 10 year recommends. Feenix fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Feb 9, 2016 |
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Feb 9, 2016 03:25
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Hashtag Banterzone posted:I've been trying to google the lifespan of steel pipe since I saw his post. Looks like some sites say 50 years, so he might want to replace the pipe. I think the concern is around the fittings. Good to know. This house was built in the 50's, so I suppose it's possible that pipe is original. I haven't done a leak check yet though. And thanks for all the info! It's helpful for giving me a sense of the amount of planning involved in the project at the very least.
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Feb 9, 2016 03:46
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ChesterJT posted:Building some display cabinets and want to use these type of corner hangers but can't seem to find them anywhere. It doesn't help that I have no idea what they're called, assuming they have a specific technical name. My local hardware stores haven't had them. Only ever seen them in boxed cabinet/shelving sets you find in places like walmart or target. That is definitely proprietary. Your best bet would be to buy the hangers and corner braces as 2 separate items. Even the triangle shape isn't common. You may have to settle for flat L brackets. nwin posted:Speaking of water heaters, mine started leaking today! Is it leaking out the tank, or out the tube connected to the TPR valve? How hot is your water? If it's too hot, then the TPR could be doing its job properly and you have a runaway thermostat.
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Feb 9, 2016 04:16
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