Need help bringing an abandoned property back to life

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Need help bringing an abandoned property back to life

spooky wizard: May 8, 2007

I recently acquired a property that was abandoned in a good area that I want to eventually live in. It has two separate sections, one full house and one rear garage apartment.

I'm struggling on finding information on what to do in this situation. I'll try to give a ballpark assessment of the scenario:

Both sections were flooded during a pipe burst (one in the back section, 2 or 3 possibly in the main section) about SEVEN years ago. (e: By flooded, I don't mean fully flooded with standing water for a long period of time. It flooded one small room, and most of the basement. If there is water damage it is on the walls/ceiling) From the outside, the house looks modern and lived in. There is no sitting water but I do see mold in some sections. There is some asbestos in the basement according to utility workers that have been brought in. They also used to be a hoarders home, who abandoned it along with all their belongings (including food, but not refrigerated food). These are the two main issues that I can see, however I know these two combined are enough of an issue on their own. My goal over the next few months are the following..

1) Clean out the hoarders mess. I think this should be the first step since it's probably hard to determine structural or other damage until the rooms are empty, correct? I have mold filtered masks, gloves, and boots, and a couple of friends with the same that would help out. Rent a dumpster for everything and take out as much as I can this summer (there is a LOT. Luckily it's not garbage, it's mostly useless junk.)

2) Assess the damage. This is where I'm starting to get into "I don't know what I'm doing" territory. Do I call contractors and ask what it'll take to get it livable? Do I need to call specialists in different areas?

3) Take out a mortgage for repairs on the house. I know you might be thinking "Rory Gilmore, that is a dumb idea. No bank would put a mortgage against a house in this condition." I have talked to my bank about the situation and they agree that it's doable. I think if I focus on the back section first, I can rent it out to pay this off.

4) Repairs. What's first?
-For the water to be turned on, I know the pipes just have to be repaired in certain sections. To get to the pipes, walls might need to be torn down. Hell, walls might need to be torn down for mold too though.
-For the electric to be turned on, everything needs to be re-inspected by an electrician. I'm not sure the chances of it passing inspection on the first go are (probably low).
-For the gas to be turned on , the gas company has already told me that they won't turn it on until the gas pipes in the basement are re-done, and the gas meter is placed outside the house. I know this will cost a lot.

5) After everything is running and the unsafe sections are removed, I think the hardest chunk is over and everything else is minor details until it's livable.

Am I on the right track here? Or is this way too much for one person to handle?

spooky wizard fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Jun 3, 2017

# ¿ Jun 3, 2017 20:14

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 17:40

spooky wizard: May 8, 2007

sharkytm posted:

Location? I'd rent a 40 yard roll off and get a good respirator with p100 cartridges (the low profile 3M ones are great), and get to work. Clean out/demo is the easy part, and you might be able to get some help from friends if you provide the safety gear and food/beer.

Expect that every bit of drywall in the lower floors are going to go away, along with the insulation. Mold spreads, and the only way to deal with it in this case is a full "to the studs" gut. If the panel or writing got wet at all, expect to rip it out.

I actually already had one of these kicking around, which is specifically for mold, so I think it'll do the trick. But I'll get the low profile one for friends.

It's in NYC so getting a lot of this removed with a dumpster is going to be expensive, and hard to fit, but I'll call around and see what I can manage. I can put 6-7 bags of trash out 2 days a week for free however, including furniture on some days, and drywall/whatever in low amounts. But there's soooo much stuff that I can't let that be the only way of disposing things.

Regarding air conditioners and refridgerators that are in the house, I know the city will pick them up if I schedule them to.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2017 23:06

spooky wizard: May 8, 2007

Zahgaegun posted:

When you get to it, it's very possible for a layman to learn enough to repair your own plumbing. Yes, certain projects will still be above a layman's ability but a burst pipe is fixable. In your down time you should start learning about PEX.

This is after all the 1-2-3 steps though - and those will be a lot of work. Just know that going in.

Hiring out is expensive but the time and labor savings are clear. Don't hire out blindly, really give effort to understand the work/job/step that you're hiring for. Some you will be able to do yourself, some you might have to hire for.

I'm not meaning to be disrespectful but it would be helpful to know if you're physically strong. Demo can get heavy and sometimes requires some oomph.

I'll start looking into doing things myself as well then. I know regarding the gas, and putting the meter outside, that seems like something that's above my paygrade.

No disrespect taken. My username might make you think otherwise but I'm a tall bulky dude, so the demo won't be a problem.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 03:45

spooky wizard: May 8, 2007

Zahgaegun posted:

Your neighbors will be happy that someone is fixing that place up, make sure you talk to them when you get an opportunity. You'll start off with all sorts of goodwill.

Yeah, it's actually already happened. I stopped by to start cleaning the outside and 3 different neighbors came up to me saying how good it was someone was doing something, offering help with plumbing/electrical depending on what they could do, took my number so they could call me with issues when I'm not there, help with taking the trash to the curb if I'm not there on trash day, etc. It was nice

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 03:54

spooky wizard: May 8, 2007

Some Guy From NY posted:

In 2013 i did a full gut of a house I inherited in Brooklyn NY. It was NOT cheap. I did everything the (mostly) legit way, getting permits through the city - which requires an architect to sign off on. An architect is needed even if you do not change ANY structural supports. You also need a plumbing and electrical permit. I however only got the general construction permit, signed by the architect and licensed general contractor, and the plumbing permit. The GC did the electrical on the down low. To get the general construction permit, asbestos testing also needs to be done. The guy who did my asbestos testing identified asbestos tiles and said he could either enter it in the permit that it won't be disturbed, or I could remove them myself prior to him submitting the findings. He would then come back and verify they were removed before he submitted the paperwork.

The GC took care of the paperwork for the dumpster. You need a permit to have the dumpster on the street.

Why does the gas meter need to be put on the outside? My gas meter at the time was in my basement and had a transmitter installed so it could be read from the outside.

My electric meter was in the basement which ConEd would have to come in monthly to read.

I am thankful I decided to go the legit way with permits, because on the VERY FIRST DAY of work, someone called the city inspectors to come check on my job. They came prepared with all the paperwork/permits filed, including the asbestos testing. They claimed there was a lot of dust being made and that someone called concerned it was asbestos dust. Since all my paperwork was in order, he just said to use a hose to wet the debris to keep the dust down. If I did not have the proper permits, he said my job would have been shut down and I could have been fined thousands of dollars.

You are really rolling the dice doing this by yourself/without permits. It only takes one rear end in a top hat neighbor to completely screw you over.

Edit:

As others have said, you will need a dumpster. You won't believe how much debris is made and how heavy it is. You will never get it all out with normal trash collection. If you have a driveway you can try to put the dumpster there. I think you do not need a permit if the dumpster is on private property. If it has to stay on the street, then yes you need a permit. I think they run a few hundred dollars.

My basement also had a leaking pipe that was a problem for years before I inherited the house. Everything had to go, including the wall studs.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Alright I think this is the most helpful since you've done this in the city. What kind of permits would I need, and how did you find reputable general contractors/architects in the city? I would like this to be legit and legal while still doing what I can myself, and leaving what I can't to a contractor.

Con edison came in and said they would not turn the gas back on because the gas line from the street to the house is from 1930, and they would need to dig it up and replace it on their dime. They said if they do that, I would need to move the meters outside since they want all meters to be outside now. Honestly con edison has been the most stressful part of this whole process, since customer service has no idea what energy services does, and promises things ES doesn't even come close to delivering on.

There is a driveway I can fit a dumpster in, I think I will be good on that front. But I'll work with a GC to figure out my options.

edit:

Follow up question, which dumpster company did you use?

spooky wizard fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Jun 4, 2017

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 19:29

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Need help bringing an abandoned property back to life