Home Improvement Thread II (2018)

[Otis Nice]

you should have left given what was going on and your one of the few the stopped by to help. It was nice meeting you btw.

 

Great meeting you as well.

[Zx2guy19]

Well, buckle in boys. Tonight I signed the largest deal of my rehab life. 4 units in Italian Village. Bought them for $575k, 2 existing houses and 2 lots for new builds. $1.5M all in budget and projecting a $2.1M sale. Scared.

[TTQ B4U]

Well, buckle in boys. Tonight I signed the largest deal of my rehab life. 4 units in Italian Village. Bought them for $575k, 2 existing houses and 2 lots for new builds. $1.5M all in budget and projecting a $2.1M sale. Scared.

Congrats!! Go big or go home right?

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Zx2guy19]

Congrats!! Go big or go home right?

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

Thanks man...if this deal goes south, I won't have a home to go to haha. $110k interest payment on this bitch.

[10phone2]

holy shit. good for you

[2 Sweet]

Well, buckle in boys. Tonight I signed the largest deal of my rehab life. 4 units in Italian Village. Bought them for $575k, 2 existing houses and 2 lots for new builds. $1.5M all in budget and projecting a $2.1M sale. Scared.

 

Hell yeah

[cstmg8]

Awesome, good luck man. You'll kill it.

Be careful on that budget, it could get out of hand quickly!

 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Zx2guy19]

Thanks guys...I am pretty nervous, as I was initially doing this with a partner but I kind of cut him out. He couldn't bring ANY money (I have $400k of my own into it) and didn't really have any more experience than me. So no real reason to have him along for the journey.

 

These places are like RIGHT next to Seventh Son. Hoping it goes well.

[TTQ B4U]

Thanks guys...I am pretty nervous, as I was initially doing this with a partner but I kind of cut him out. He couldn't bring ANY money (I have $400k of my own into it) and didn't really have any more experience than me. So no real reason to have him along for the journey.

 

These places are like RIGHT next to Seventh Son. Hoping it goes well.

 

The two brick homes....kinda cute/cool looking and then the vacant lot next to the one?

 

 

My initial concern there is the crime in the area. Schools suck but people buying there will either not have kids or do private schools.

[Zx2guy19]

The two brick homes....kinda cute/cool looking and then the vacant lot next to the one?

 

 

My initial concern there is the crime in the area. Schools suck but people buying there will either not have kids or do private schools.

 

Close...I bought 288/294 E. 4th and I'm splitting the lots facing Greenwood.

 

Very little crime there in the last 12 months...house next door is hitting the market for $849k next week (new build).

 

And yeah, just like Olde Towne East, no one gives a shit about the schools in that area. It's rich, childless people that move there.

[10phone2]

yea the crime will decrease once property taxes and home valeues continue to go up. What interesting is that in new orleans, the segreation lines from that time are now kept with property taxes. You can be a minority and move where ever with no issue, but better have a good check to pay for it and no one will blink an eye.

 

I'm serious, I couldn' be any happier for you.

[TTQ B4U]

For the past week or so after work and into the nights I've been re-painting and organizing the garage. It's been a while, nearly 22yrs, since the last re-paint and it was in need of a full clean up. Things are slowly coming along. Two coats of pure white ceiling paint, two coats of Gravity Gray on the walls, two layers of dark grey floor paint on the single layer of exposed foundation block that runs the perimeter and did the same on the entry door which I trimmed out in white. The floor itself is due later this summer but will get done.

 

Here are some preliminary under construction pics. Lots of little things in these pics have yet to be put away/organized but it conveys the goals and accomplishments thus far.

 

 

The back left corner is going to be home to a 55" flat screen smart TV with cable run to it. It will have a streamlined cable run for the HDMI and power as I'm not going to bury them in the wall (yet) but perhaps I will should this remain in this configuration. I also plan to have a Sonos Play 5 out here. Maybe two but I'm not sure I'll need a "stereo" effect just yet. We have the entire house done in sonos and it's an amazing system so why not in the garage too Lastly, I'm going to mount an adjustable fan up on the wall/corner area too. TV install first but the fan I want will be adjustable up and down and side to side.

 

 

 

My world is that of a typical suburban dad so I have to deal with lots more than just auto-related stuff in the garage. My goal however was to consolidate everything into the area behind my car/workbench. The top of the fridge will eventually be clear outside home to the cable box. The freezer next to it too. The back of my workbench will be home to a charging station for several items as I'm consolidating the bins of bits and pieces more than they are now.

 

 

 

 

The bicycle area is something that takes up a lot of room but we use them and with kids it's a must. You'll notice I painted the back side of plexiglass the same color as the wall then mounted it to the wall with heavy duty mounting tape. This way the tires from the bikes won't scuff or mess up the finish there. One piece up top and one below for the rear tires. I have to finish this over the weekend as I need one more section for the last bike on the far right. My flags will continue to serve as cover for shelving that hides more "stuff"

 

 

 

 

Lastly, since the wall by my wife's car doesn't have a bump-out, I'd like to keep it clear and perhaps use it to color up the garage. I also may move my canister vac away from the mower/bike area and put it near the front of the garage by my wife's car as it is low profile and will allow me to have better access to it given it won't be blocked by a bicycle or have a lawn mower in it's way. Haha! Otherwise though I'm digging the clean look of it all.

 

 

[zeitgeist57]

Well done, Tim! You’ve really got me thinking about reorganizing my garage as well...getting stuff off the ground.

[2 Sweet]

Looking great Tim! I always enjoy seeing garage pics, especially seeing the progress as they transform.

[zeitgeist57]

"Tim, awesome work on your garage. I love the cabinetry..............."

 

***PAUSE***

 

"Is that a #MAGA hat on the shelf?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:gabe:

[Limitedslip7]

Quick question for you experienced renovators. Attempting to buy my first house and trying to get a better idea of how far off my numbers are on some things. I've never done home renovations before but how hard could it be, right?

 

First house - Caledonia area, 2130 sq ft 1.5 story, 7.3 secluded acres with a 40x50 shop. Realtor thinks it would be worth about $250-260k if fixed up. House has been poorly maintained though. Owner won't come down below $210k and I would have about $222k in it with closing costs/realtor fee. (Owner has not listed yet, will not pay for any fees or inspections) I would need:

-New roof immediately. Roof is 35 years old on 20 yr shingles, has at least one leak above the garage, some wood rotting is visible so its been like that for a while. Saw a few other stains that could indicate leaks in another room inside the house. Roof is about ~2500 sq ft, fairly complex IMO. Would need to tear off old shingles and replace some wood for sure.

-Front porch is sagging a bit, causing the roof in the front to sag about 4-6". Would need to be repaired before roofing the house.

-Wood siding appears to be rotting/bubbling in places and some wood soffit needs replaced. About 1/3 of the house is stone though which still looks good. Needs resided.

-At least three of the triple pane, crank windows need replacing. I figure about $500 each...

-3/4 basement has a walk-out, but there are some visible, small cracks. There was a puddle down there during the 1st walkthrough that the owner said was from a portable hot tub they had just moved. Didn't look very closely at the walls. 2nd walkthrough was after/during some hard rain. Small water puddles throughout the basement and noticed some mildew on some drywall in the center and coming down from some cracks on a few exterior walls. Appeared to be some water coming in a few places, although the owner swears he had just mopped the floor right before we looked at it. There is no sump pump so I'm assuming I would need to trench the basement and install a sump.

-There was a leak in the shop roof that the owner said had just started. Metal roof/siding, but everything is covered in wood. Roof is visibly sagging from the outside.

 

I'm assuming I would do all the work myself, but I'm figuring about $3k for the front porch, $13k for the roof, $2k for windows, $10k for the basement, $3k for siding, and about $5k for other misc stuff.

 

2nd property - Estate sale house. 1950 sq ft brick ranch on 5 acres that will be going up for auction soon. From comps I'm estimating it would be worth about $240-250 fixed up. Has a newer roof installed in 2016 and a full basement in good shape with no leaks. Interior is pretty much original from the 70s. Would need:

- 2x bathroom remodels - $4k each

- Kitchen remodel - $10k

- About 1700 sq ft of new flooring - $10k

- Baseboard heat, so I would need to install central air/heat/ductwork - $10k

- 8ft deep pool in-ground pool (liner) and an in-ground hot tub surrounded with concrete that would need to be removed and filled in. $5k

- $5k for paint/misc

- $6k for closing costs if it goes for around $180k at auction.

 

Am I way off on my cost expectations here? I'd like to get the first property listed but the numbers aren't adding up in my favor. Looks like the 2nd property could be a reasonable deal but it's in a nicer area and there has been a lot of traffic...

[TTQ B4U]

Well done, Tim! You’ve really got me thinking about reorganizing my garage as well...getting stuff off the ground. "Is that a #MAGA hat on the shelf?"....."Tim, awesome work on your garage. I love the cabinetry..............."

 

Thanks Clay! Haha on the hat too. The cabinets aren't heavy duty stuff but I don't have much heavy stuff in them. Picked them up at The Anderson's when they were clearing everything out. $25ea and I took the last 6 they had. I simply put up the Rubbermaid Track system, dropped in adjustable shelving and set them on the shelves so they can be easily moved.

 

Looking great Tim! I always enjoy seeing garage pics, especially seeing the progress as they transform.

 

Thanks! It's not perfect but it's loads better than it was 1 year ago and 20x better than 2yrs ago. I can certainly do better with a custom workbench, etc. but maybe later. For now I wanted to use what I had without buying much new and get it done quickly as in days.

 

Here are a couple update shots. One last corner back in the far right where my toolbox and bench are at to paint, etc. and then of course clean up as there's still a lot laying about to get to. My wife busts my chops because I spend the evenings out there working on it but it's not easy when it's just one person and I don't think she gets that. Very time consuming work not difficult or hard.

 

Installed a nice 4k LG 55" Smart TV. Micro Center had them on sale and the guy there was "dealing" as this and the Sonos made for a nice sale for him in like 5 minutes. Instead of adding a fully adjustable fan up near the ceiling (pricey little guys), I picked up a larger Vornado that is fully adjustable and can be moved easily. Works amazingly well. I had it pointed straight up and it definitely circulates the entire garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to hold off on the wall mount for the Sonos Play 5 for now. Let's see how things turn out and if it's even needed. For now it's up on the cabinet and sounds amazing like the rest of their stuff. It hits as hard and goes as loud as the old 12" Cerwin's it replaced. Two of them would definitely be overkill......but I will likely add another at some point

 

 

 

 

 

 

I moved my shop vac over to this wall for easier access and it's up out of the way and flush enough so it's not in the way. Had to dress up the walls with silly banners until I find something better. I like them as they serve as a good reflections for detail shots inside. Not my favorite layout but it works and that's what counts for now.

 

 

 

 

obligatory car-shot after I wiped off the never ending pollen.

 

 

 

 

 

One last corner and part of a wall to go then onto putting stuff away. For now, off to enjoy the holiday weekend!

Edited May 25, 2019 by TTQ B4U

[BuckeyeROC]

Looks great man!

[cstmg8]

Garage is looking awesome Tim! It'll look even better with a Callaway Silverado in it...

Paint really cleaned up the look, and sets off the organization. The TV is a great addition to modern garages. I'm amazed how often I use mine for how to videos on YouTube.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[10phone2]

Quick question for you experienced renovators. Attempting to buy my first house and trying to get a better idea of how far off my numbers are on some things. I've never done home renovations before but how hard could it be, right?

 

First house - Caledonia area, 2130 sq ft 1.5 story, 7.3 secluded acres with a 40x50 shop. Realtor thinks it would be worth about $250-260k if fixed up. House has been poorly maintained though. Owner won't come down below $210k and I would have about $222k in it with closing costs/realtor fee. (Owner has not listed yet, will not pay for any fees or inspections) I would need:

-New roof immediately. Roof is 35 years old on 20 yr shingles, has at least one leak above the garage, some wood rotting is visible so its been like that for a while. Saw a few other stains that could indicate leaks in another room inside the house. Roof is about ~2500 sq ft, fairly complex IMO. Would need to tear off old shingles and replace some wood for sure.

-Front porch is sagging a bit, causing the roof in the front to sag about 4-6". Would need to be repaired before roofing the house.

-Wood siding appears to be rotting/bubbling in places and some wood soffit needs replaced. About 1/3 of the house is stone though which still looks good. Needs resided.

-At least three of the triple pane, crank windows need replacing. I figure about $500 each...

-3/4 basement has a walk-out, but there are some visible, small cracks. There was a puddle down there during the 1st walkthrough that the owner said was from a portable hot tub they had just moved. Didn't look very closely at the walls. 2nd walkthrough was after/during some hard rain. Small water puddles throughout the basement and noticed some mildew on some drywall in the center and coming down from some cracks on a few exterior walls. Appeared to be some water coming in a few places, although the owner swears he had just mopped the floor right before we looked at it. There is no sump pump so I'm assuming I would need to trench the basement and install a sump.

-There was a leak in the shop roof that the owner said had just started. Metal roof/siding, but everything is covered in wood. Roof is visibly sagging from the outside.

 

I'm assuming I would do all the work myself, but I'm figuring about $3k for the front porch, $13k for the roof, $2k for windows, $10k for the basement, $3k for siding, and about $5k for other misc stuff.

 

2nd property - Estate sale house. 1950 sq ft brick ranch on 5 acres that will be going up for auction soon. From comps I'm estimating it would be worth about $240-250 fixed up. Has a newer roof installed in 2016 and a full basement in good shape with no leaks. Interior is pretty much original from the 70s. Would need:

- 2x bathroom remodels - $4k each

- Kitchen remodel - $10k

- About 1700 sq ft of new flooring - $10k

- Baseboard heat, so I would need to install central air/heat/ductwork - $10k

- 8ft deep pool in-ground pool (liner) and an in-ground hot tub surrounded with concrete that would need to be removed and filled in. $5k

- $5k for paint/misc

- $6k for closing costs if it goes for around $180k at auction.

 

Am I way off on my cost expectations here? I'd like to get the first property listed but the numbers aren't adding up in my favor. Looks like the 2nd property could be a reasonable deal but it's in a nicer area and there has been a lot of traffic...

 

to me anything that has basement water issues, run like hell

[smokin5s]

Tim help me re-organize my garage...

[Brandon]

Got around to (mostly) finishing the patio a while ago. Built the paver walls and columns. Never did paver work really, but it was not too bad, cutting each stone on a curve is a semi pain but it turned out nice enough. I have the hardscape and wall lights to install, just not much time recently; all the wiring is run ready to go. I also have to finish the Built in grill station...Another weekend some time. All the kids are over all the time so don't mind the stuff.

 

dice animation

 

Made the table as well out of cedar. Wife wanted a thanksgiving sized table for all the feasts we (don't) have...But its nice, will put a light stain on it once it finishes breathing.

[Tractor]

Very nice patio. Im hoping to get started on one at my place this fall. We use the heck out of our grill and fire pit now so I plan to try to give those extra attention.

[cstmg8]

Finished pulling out the concrete countertops, for quartz install tomorrow. Damn things were even heavier than I thought! 2" of concrete, the long piece was at least 400lbs, but we managed to remove all of it cleanly. I cut one L-shaped piece to make it more manageable. I also cut the "bar section of the peninsula off, to make one large area.

The plan is to use the removed concrete countertops to build an outdoor kitchen off the patio.

I'll post before and after pics when the quartz goes in.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[iwashmycar]

Why ditching the concrete? Looks? Performance Issues?

 

I every-now-and-then get clients asking about them. We usually deter them just because they are overly expensive compared to quarts or granite we usually use standard.