Looking To Rehab

[heightslurker]

a thing to think about? The sewer line.....is it new pvc or old, rusty cast iron?

we just had to replace ours...not fun..and not cheap...it's something i will add to my list of "things to do before you move into your old house":

1. tent for the termites that are probably there

2. refinish the floors (if needed) before moving in all the furniture

3. replace the cast iron sewer line

[heights_yankee]

2. refinish the floors (if needed) before moving in all the furniture

we did not do this and i am kicking myself. of course, our house was updated about 5 years before we moved in so we didn't think about it. we just took it for granted. now there is almost no finish on the wood and the floors never feel clean. is there any way to get the floors refinished (at least clear coated) while we are living here or does that require and empty house?

[heightslurker]

we did not do this and i am kicking myself. of course, our house was updated about 5 years before we moved in so we didn't think about it. we just took it for granted. now there is almost no finish on the wood and the floors never feel clean. is there any way to get the floors refinished (at least clear coated) while we are living here or does that require and empty house?

fortunately, we refinished before moving in (but the polyurethane rippled and had to be re-done...and that meant the floor was wet longer which meant furniture in the garage forever and mattress set up in the kitchen to sleep, blah blah) I can't remember exactly, but i think we could walk on it after a few days, but any furniture would leave marks in the still 'soft' finish...the longer we waited, the harder the finish.. i think we waited several weeks, but that still probably wasn't long enough if you're a stickler about it. In certain light, from certain angles, you can see very faint marks in the finish that the felt pads made in the soft-ish two week finish. Oh well, we were tired of sleeping in the kitchen. And, honestly, no one gets on the floor to inspect your finish that close, not even me (unless the dog has an accident).

If you currently live in the house, i imagine it means packing your garage with furniture (or other rooms of the house without wood) and possibly even renting some of those PODS

One comment i can make, though, is that the dust from sanding gets EVERYWHERE...i was swiftering down the walls, (ceilings, light fixtures, fans) for weeks, no, make that months. It's amazing where (and for how long) you find the dust... what a mess!

[Shamrock]

fortunately, we refinished before moving in (but the polyurethane rippled and had to be re-done...and that meant the floor was wet longer which meant furniture in the garage forever and mattress set up in the kitchen to sleep, blah blah) I can't remember exactly, but i think we could walk on it after a few days, but any furniture would leave marks in the still 'soft' finish...the longer we waited, the harder the finish.. i think we waited several weeks, but that still probably wasn't long enough if you're a stickler about it. In certain light, from certain angles, you can see very faint marks in the finish that the felt pads made in the soft-ish two week finish. Oh well, we were tired of sleeping in the kitchen. And, honestly, no one gets on the floor to inspect your finish that close, not even me (unless the dog has an accident).

If you currently live in the house, i imagine it means packing your garage with furniture (or other rooms of the house without wood) and possibly even renting some of those PODS

One comment i can make, though, is that the dust from sanding gets EVERYWHERE...i was swiftering down the walls, (ceilings, light fixtures, fans) for weeks, no, make that months. It's amazing where (and for how long) you find the dust... what a mess!

Rejuvenation is a less involved version of refinishing and, while it will require you to get everything off of the floors, may not require as much set up or drying time after the job. My limited understanding is that it is less expensive and does not require much (if any) sanding.

[SilverJK]

another question!

What kind of cost (i know this will vary widely depending on materials and etc. but i'm lookin for a rough estimate) to build a garage (2 car with a little workshop space) and maybe a 800 sq. ft 1BR 1 BA apartment. I would definitely want to keep it within the theme of the heights, but i gotta have my cars under cover, and some of the houses i've seen don't have garages at all. If i can find a livable house in the heights for close to $150,000 I'll be able to make it happen this summer, otherwise i'm waiting till my wife starts working in May 09. Is this a ridiculous wish? I saw a house on Lawerence for 170k, thats pretty dang close.

[AJXterra]

I would guess that most of the lots in the heights are valued higher than 150k. TBH, I think the pricing in our area is going to keep coming up so you really are going to have to go for a small bungalow w/ no updates and possibly no garage...even after your wife gets her job.

[Porchman]

another question!

What kind of cost (i know this will vary widely depending on materials and etc. but i'm lookin for a rough estimate) to build a garage (2 car with a little workshop space) and maybe a 800 sq. ft 1BR 1 BA apartment. I would definitely want to keep it within the theme of the heights, but i gotta have my cars under cover, and some of the houses i've seen don't have garages at all. If i can find a livable house in the heights for close to $150,000 I'll be able to make it happen this summer, otherwise i'm waiting till my wife starts working in May 09. Is this a ridiculous wish? I saw a house on Lawerence for 170k, thats pretty dang close.

Not sure about the cost on the garage. Plumbing for the aprtment would add a fair amount. 800 SF seems a bit generous for a garage apartment behind a bungalow of similar size. Maybe 600 SF (20x30)? In prioritizing what you need to do on a property, do you really gotta have your cars under cover?

Not ridiculous. However, from what I've seen in what's for sale and what has been purchased, $150k gets around the current "for lot only" breakpoint in the western Heights.

Good luck!

[SilverJK]

i own some expensive tools, and i also drive a 08 Jeep Wrangler, so having a garage is pretty much a must ( with good weather i like to leave the top off the jeep). I'll also have a jet ski and project car that will need to be garaged (the jeep is so short wheelbased that i'm sure they could all fit in a 2 car garage. So yes, I GOTTA have a garage = ].

My wife will make more money than me, so once she starts working, our price range will be a lot more flexible. I could probably get away with not having a garage for a while if I had to, but then the cost of buildings one would be a new part of the equation. (which is what brought the question up). I meant 600 sq. ft apartment actually, not sure why i wrote 800. I was thinking 20ft x 30ft would be perfect. Are there any good sites to look at garage w/ apartment floorplans?

So here is my plan for now, let me know what you all think.

Keep looking heavily in the heights for the right oportunity purchase. (starting in August)

Try to find a livable home that is in my budget (150-180k). (that most likely means west heights, no garage)

When my wife starts working, build garage w/ apartment and really start the rehabilitation/ rejuvination of the house

If i don't find the right house at the right price, i'll just wait until my wife is out of school and then purchase a home (probably up to 275k) that maybe has a garage and doesn't require as much work.

This site is awesome.

[cwrm4]

For a 600 sq ft garage with apt on top, you are looking at a low of $35k-40k for a tract-home quality unfinished shell, up to about $100k for one properly built and finished out on the inside.

The costs add up fast...the plumbing alone will kill you, as you'll likely have to get entirely new sewer lines and tie-in to the street.

I am currently building a 24 x 26 garage, with a 28 x 26 living space above, plus a 22 x 10 covered porch/porte cochere off the second story, and I'm looking at around $80k all-in with the second floor mostly UNFINISHED on the interior. However, I'm building it right. I could have done it for about $50k if I wanted to do it on the cheap.

[SilverJK]

I would love to see some pictures of your construction if you dont mind. What you are building actually sounds exactly what i want. I can finish the apartment that wouldnt be a problem. (sheet rock, floors, trim, paint, etc.) might hire someone to float cause i hate doing it.

[cwrm4]

Should break ground in about 2 weeks and will probably post pics somewhere as it is built.

There is a bit of a Catch-22 around doing a lot of the work yourself...while it will save you money, it is very difficult to finance a project when the end result will be "unfinished".

Also, the city inspectors, at least in the Heights, have really been cracking down on structures built "unfinished", e.g. running plumbing up to a space that would eventually be a bathroom. I have heard in a few instances they wouldn't issue a permit to do just that...if you ran the plumbing, you had to finish the bathroom. Of course, it all depends on who is looking, and whether or not you get caught, and what they will actually do to you if you get caught.

[Melwood]

Yeah.. I thought that was funny.. that just screams: "IGOTTAHAVETHISHOUSE!"

heh

I'm always leery of listings without interior shots.. Either the current tenants are incredibly messy.. or it needs a major overhaul.. (or it was unaccessible the day of photos)

Good luck! Come to da hood!

The realty company left the front gate unlocked last night, so I tried to look in thru the windows. Only the front two windows offered a view, the rest of the windows had blinds drawn tight.

I could see into the living room (left of front door) and front bedroom (right of front door). Granted, it was hard to see, but everything appeared to be in good shape, although the floors could use a little sprucing up. Most of the wood trim was never painted, and the bedroom doors have original-looking hardware and were never painted either. The hallway still has period-looking gas heater mounted to the wall. I didn't see any obvious weirdness or crappy remodeling (again, couldn't see the kitchen or bathroom). I also realized that this is a decent sized house for a 2-bedroom Norhill Heights home. The paint on the outside of the house is in acceptable shape...this may be a case of an eccentric owner (an old man who lived by himself - he died and left the house to his church, so I'm told by a neighbor) who nonetheless took care of basic maintenance. If a buyer can look past the unique landscaping, this could be made into something really nice if it falls into the right hands. The garage is a piece of crap though. Noticed that they lowered the price to < 200K

[heights_yankee]

i am always outside at my house on pineridge (this house is the end of my street) and when i see people stop, i run over and tell them how great the area is and how much my house has appreciated in the last 3 years. one of these days it is going to work, but mostly they just think i am crazy.

[Porchman]

I saw a house on Lawerence for 170k, thats pretty dang close.

If you're talking about the salmon house, the price has been dropped a bit more.

[Melwood]

If you're talking about the salmon house, the price has been dropped a bit more.

Sorry for the vague reference - I was talking about 1019 W Melwood, which Heights Yankee linked in a previous post. I forgot to mention the nice painting the previous owner did on the ironwork/porch roof supports - he painted the ironwork leaves green, and the little flowers coral...sounds tacky but it is actually charming and unusual.

[SilverJK]

Yeah i noticed that the lawerence one went to 165k. Hopefully something similar will be available when I start actively seeking to buy (january). I WILL be moving to the 'hood' as soon as possible though (looking to rent starting in august).

[SilverJK]

What is everyone's thoughts on the area east of main, north of calvacade, and west of airline. I was driving through their yesterday, and it looked to be a nice area (for some reason i thought it was rough there and never really looked). There is also an insane amount of contruction in that area. This area seems to be a little more reasonable too. I see these houses in the area are labeled under several subdivisions, such as Sunset Heights, Stude, and a few other names, what input on these areas can you pass along?

I saw one house over there for like $135k that looked to be in pretty good shape.

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...s=1&sType=0

Thoughts?

[Dan the Man]

What is everyone's thoughts on the area east of main, north of calvacade, and west of airline. I was driving through their yesterday, and it looked to be a nice area (for some reason i thought it was rough there and never really looked). There is also an insane amount of contruction in that area. This area seems to be a little more reasonable too. I see these houses in the area are labeled under several subdivisions, such as Sunset Heights, Stude, and a few other names, what input on these areas can you pass along?

I saw one house over there for like $135k that looked to be in pretty good shape.

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...s=1&sType=0

Thoughts?

I looked at some houses in that area, and it seems ok. The prices are definitely lower, since the area isn't as gentrified as the southern and western sections of the Heights. It seems like there is more rental property in this section of the Heights, but there is some new construction going up. I'm sure the gentrification wave will cross North Main & Cavalcade fairly shortly, as the demand to live in the Heights is not going to lessen any time soon.

The house in the listing is a shotgun house, which is one of the reasons it is so cheap. The lack of internal circulation space in these houses really bothers a lot of people; they're really only suitable for single people or couples with no kids. They can be creatively remodeled, though...