Just take a look! She's about to be ours. We have an occupancy permit at last and we are still set to close on July 24th. Things have been going so well so far that we're now looking into the remodeling process - and boy, does she need some work done. Recent weeks have highlighted the differences between our families. Chris' dad today remarked that the hardest thing to manage would be the lawn, as it is in rough shape. My father, after seeing it last night, had this to say this morning:You need to do three big things right away, the chimney, the roof with the added dormer/window, and the heating system replacement with a gas furnace and removal of the old oil tank - probably in this order, as you need the chimney done before you do the roof, and the chminey before you re-do the heat. You may want to think about talking with your neighbor about what good contractors he has found in his building process...
On the heating subject you may want to find plumbing/heating specialists (most of them are), and have them look at all the plastic plumbing used in the renovations - I don't think that is done right, and think it will be a problem downstream (I know, poor word choice). They also need to look at the ductwork, and repair all this so it at least works with the existing floor grates, etc. I would not think about finishing the A/C now, leave that for next year...
Just a guess, but I would say you are most likely looking at the better part of $20,000 to do all of these things - and I am always low in my estimating.... On the roof especially, with a house that old, you may have surprises once the contractor goes into the attic and looks at the structure of the roofing timbers and underlayment. In the old days they used boards not plywood as underlayment both on walls and roof. I noticed a gradual sag in the roof towards the middle last night, and this may mean - only may mean - some work to repair the substructure and plywood the whole thing - it has to be stripped, don't let anyone fool you into just a re-roof, and the chimney work has to be done first.
On the heating subject you may want to find plumbing/heating specialists (most of them are), and have them look at all the plastic plumbing used in the renovations - I don't think that is done right, and think it will be a problem downstream (I know, poor word choice). They also need to look at the ductwork, and repair all this so it at least works with the existing floor grates, etc. I would not think about finishing the A/C now, leave that for next year...
Just a guess, but I would say you are most likely looking at the better part of $20,000 to do all of these things - and I am always low in my estimating.... On the roof especially, with a house that old, you may have surprises once the contractor goes into the attic and looks at the structure of the roofing timbers and underlayment. In the old days they used boards not plywood as underlayment both on walls and roof. I noticed a gradual sag in the roof towards the middle last night, and this may mean - only may mean - some work to repair the substructure and plywood the whole thing - it has to be stripped, don't let anyone fool you into just a re-roof, and the chimney work has to be done first.
The only worries I have about the house other than the above are 1.) the bow in the front wall - but it is possible this has been there for 100 years, 2.) where they excavated the foundation wall for the kitchen remodel - I would have the mason repair this and leave an opening to crawl through for access, but it is too wide for my liking the way it is, and 3.) the sill damage by the bulkhead - but we can figure out how to fix this - rent some jacks and go at it - I have done this before, and with Chris for muscle and my mind/tools we can fix this, but it should be fixed.
Other than the above, you should plan on lots of buckets, Murphy's oil soap, some bleach, ammonia for windows, not a lot, and TSP, sponges, mops, rags, etc. as you really need to scrub before you move in.
Other than the above, you should plan on lots of buckets, Murphy's oil soap, some bleach, ammonia for windows, not a lot, and TSP, sponges, mops, rags, etc. as you really need to scrub before you move in.
As you can see, this is a bit different from "good luck fixing that lawn!" Chris and I are trying very hard to stay in the middle - heed my Dad's caution and excellent advice, but still enjoy and embrace the situation like Chris' parents insist. It's a beautiful thing, having two caring and involved families, and we're lucky for any advice we can get!
And on top of all of this - Chris' brother and his girlfriend had an offer accepted today, too! Hopefully there will be enough pickle-colored paint to go around. Their property needs less work than ours does, so hopefully we'll be able to have a couple of barn-raisings where we help them, you know, paint the walls, and they'll help us, you know, jack up the back of our entire house....
So it begins! Stay tuned, as I think this is about to get much more exciting. :)
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