Once the decision was made to go and do the work legitimately it meant that we had a fair amount of work to complete before we ever even broke ground on repairs.
this was back in... hrmmm have to think about this for a second and do some research.... yeah March of 2010. That was when we encountered the biggest hurdle to this DIY reno, and what ultimately made us decide that we were in-over-our-heads.
That being said we'd been in a sort of a holding pattern, as renovations are notorious for going in cycles. Incidentally if you let it get away from you the "holding pattern" can turn into a work-stoppage, which is what happened to us. Demo had gone as far as it could go with a meager staff of my husband and my then pregnant self, and we were forced to face the fact that we could not accomplish what we wanted without both professional and financial help.
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
More advice - the worst kind of vice...
So it has been a very long time since there was an update regarding the house, its progress and any new information.
That is partly due to the fact that after discovering the 'hack-job' that was completed on the underside of the house we came to the conclusion that we couldn't finish this project on our own. It simply got too big, and too complex. What started out as moderately complex, now became unrealistic for two DIY-ers to do on evenings and weekends.
We bit the bullet, hired an architect, and began researching the permit background on the house. In the time that we've done that I've learned several things:
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH before starting any job. OMG, why don't I follow my own damn advice I'll never know.
If we'd done this first, (which BTW is really quick and easy to do in Oakland) we would have found out that the 'addition' wasn't legal in any sense of the word. It was originally a porch that was enclosed, poorly at that, and even the porch wasn't in the original plans for the house.
2. If you hire a 3rd party, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
Again, I am stupid for not following my own advice. The first architect that we went with... well he was a complete and total flake. To just avoid further pain we paid him off for 4 months of not calling, producing substandard drawings and leaving us in the lurch with permits. (e.g. he'd never filed for permits, and provided only external elevation drawings - no structural drawings of any kind)
3. Be patient, but consistent with everything.
One piece of advice we got from a cousin who does commercial and residential renos; Make sure that you hire someone who has solid business sense over an expert craftsman. Truer words could never have been spoken.
In my limited experience with contractors and subcontractors, I'd rather deal with the business person who shows up on time, provides updates, checks in with me (without me having to hunt him/her down) provides paperwork and completes the job as requested; than work with the craftsman. Remember the craftsman is an Artiste in the truest sense of the word... as a result the work, (when and if completed) is a thing of beauty. But its worse than having your molars pulled by a team of Clydesdales hopped up on amphetamines to get the craftsman to actually do the work, and do it on a budget and in a reasonable amount of time.
______
editorial note: I added this entry, as this was about the date and time when we expected to get a response back from the design office regarding our permits. unfortunately we didn't.
That is partly due to the fact that after discovering the 'hack-job' that was completed on the underside of the house we came to the conclusion that we couldn't finish this project on our own. It simply got too big, and too complex. What started out as moderately complex, now became unrealistic for two DIY-ers to do on evenings and weekends.
We bit the bullet, hired an architect, and began researching the permit background on the house. In the time that we've done that I've learned several things:
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH before starting any job. OMG, why don't I follow my own damn advice I'll never know.
If we'd done this first, (which BTW is really quick and easy to do in Oakland) we would have found out that the 'addition' wasn't legal in any sense of the word. It was originally a porch that was enclosed, poorly at that, and even the porch wasn't in the original plans for the house.
2. If you hire a 3rd party, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
Again, I am stupid for not following my own advice. The first architect that we went with... well he was a complete and total flake. To just avoid further pain we paid him off for 4 months of not calling, producing substandard drawings and leaving us in the lurch with permits. (e.g. he'd never filed for permits, and provided only external elevation drawings - no structural drawings of any kind)
3. Be patient, but consistent with everything.
One piece of advice we got from a cousin who does commercial and residential renos; Make sure that you hire someone who has solid business sense over an expert craftsman. Truer words could never have been spoken.
In my limited experience with contractors and subcontractors, I'd rather deal with the business person who shows up on time, provides updates, checks in with me (without me having to hunt him/her down) provides paperwork and completes the job as requested; than work with the craftsman. Remember the craftsman is an Artiste in the truest sense of the word... as a result the work, (when and if completed) is a thing of beauty. But its worse than having your molars pulled by a team of Clydesdales hopped up on amphetamines to get the craftsman to actually do the work, and do it on a budget and in a reasonable amount of time.
______
editorial note: I added this entry, as this was about the date and time when we expected to get a response back from the design office regarding our permits. unfortunately we didn't.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
We've got a new roof!!
And it couldn't have happened at a better time. Turns out that we're in for a deluge of rain which should dump an entire years worth of water in the span of a few days.
I gotta say I was so happy once the roof was completed, and in record time (2 days.) This is also an exquisite example of when to know your limitations, and when to hire a contractor.
I mention this because in previous posts, I enumerated about the prior state of the roof. The few rains that we had before we were able to get the contractors in, showed both me and my husband how shoddy of shape it was in. There were several indoor waterfalls that we discovered during those cloud bursts.
The reason we decided to go with a contractor rather than attempt to do it ourselves was:
1. My 70+ father in law and 75+ aunt were far to eager to do the work themselves.
2. My Brother-in-law insisted that he was a "mighty-mighty stage hand" (his words, not mine) once, and therefore heights and danger were in his second nature.
3. The 2 story height from the ground was just high enough to create broken limbs, or other possible broken bits.
4. No one in the extended group of family or friends who wanted to help knew the complete process for building a roof, as they had only done bits and pieces of the actual repair or construction.
...That and my mother-in-law, my mother and I were all in agreement. Too risky, too long to complete with novices, so get a contractor.
Contemplating the cost/benefit breakdown it was the smart decision. Here's our calculation:
1. Demolition of the existing roof:
a) We do it: Cost ~ $300- 2K. Time line for completion: 2 - 4 weeks
b) They do it: $2k - 6k. Time line for completion: half of a day.
2. Putting on new plywood
a) We do it: Cost $ 200- $400. Time line for completion: 1-2 weeks
b) They do it: (same as above, and included in the price) Time line for completion: the second half of that same day.
3. Completing the roof, including felt, shingles, flashing and tar.
a) we do it: cost $2k - 3K. Time line for completion: 4-6 weeks
b) they do it: cost $4k - 6k. Time line for completion: the 1 day.
The math is generalized, and you shouldn't use it for anything other than just guesses. But the numbers won me over:
a) We do it it would cost anywhere from 3- 6k. Approximately completed in 2-3 months
b) Contractor does it, could be anywhere from 12k - 22k. Approximately completed in 2 days.
Yep. Contractor, no doubt.
I gotta say I was so happy once the roof was completed, and in record time (2 days.) This is also an exquisite example of when to know your limitations, and when to hire a contractor.
I mention this because in previous posts, I enumerated about the prior state of the roof. The few rains that we had before we were able to get the contractors in, showed both me and my husband how shoddy of shape it was in. There were several indoor waterfalls that we discovered during those cloud bursts.
The reason we decided to go with a contractor rather than attempt to do it ourselves was:
1. My 70+ father in law and 75+ aunt were far to eager to do the work themselves.
2. My Brother-in-law insisted that he was a "mighty-mighty stage hand" (his words, not mine) once, and therefore heights and danger were in his second nature.
3. The 2 story height from the ground was just high enough to create broken limbs, or other possible broken bits.
4. No one in the extended group of family or friends who wanted to help knew the complete process for building a roof, as they had only done bits and pieces of the actual repair or construction.
...That and my mother-in-law, my mother and I were all in agreement. Too risky, too long to complete with novices, so get a contractor.
Contemplating the cost/benefit breakdown it was the smart decision. Here's our calculation:
1. Demolition of the existing roof:
a) We do it: Cost ~ $300- 2K. Time line for completion: 2 - 4 weeks
b) They do it: $2k - 6k. Time line for completion: half of a day.
2. Putting on new plywood
a) We do it: Cost $ 200- $400. Time line for completion: 1-2 weeks
b) They do it: (same as above, and included in the price) Time line for completion: the second half of that same day.
3. Completing the roof, including felt, shingles, flashing and tar.
a) we do it: cost $2k - 3K. Time line for completion: 4-6 weeks
b) they do it: cost $4k - 6k. Time line for completion: the 1 day.
The math is generalized, and you shouldn't use it for anything other than just guesses. But the numbers won me over:
a) We do it it would cost anywhere from 3- 6k. Approximately completed in 2-3 months
b) Contractor does it, could be anywhere from 12k - 22k. Approximately completed in 2 days.
Yep. Contractor, no doubt.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Poll time: you need to choose
Okay... here is the interactive part of this discussion. You've seen the plans so far... and I have one more to add to the mix. For a recap of the prior two plans you can go scroll down, or click here to re-read the options. The poll will remain open until 29th. **So you get to choose our new home!
Here are the layouts in no particular order
Plan #1: There 2 bedrooms, 1 formal dinning room off the kitchen.
Plan #2: Has a mud-room or entry way, 3 bedrooms, and a tiny dinning/nook off the kitchen.
Plan #3. (click on the image to see it bigger) 2 Bedrooms, 1 formal dining room, and a breakfast nook.
Which design do you like best
**May not be valid in California, and we reserve the right to choose at random whichever plan we decide. But choose anyway, we want your feedback.
Here are the layouts in no particular order
Plan #1: There 2 bedrooms, 1 formal dinning room off the kitchen.
Plan #2: Has a mud-room or entry way, 3 bedrooms, and a tiny dinning/nook off the kitchen.
Plan #3. (click on the image to see it bigger) 2 Bedrooms, 1 formal dining room, and a breakfast nook.
Which design do you like best
**May not be valid in California, and we reserve the right to choose at random whichever plan we decide. But choose anyway, we want your feedback.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The First Steps
As I have said before when I first began this endeavor I thought it would just be repairing some damage, sprucing up a bit, moving in, and all will be peachy. Well no, not exactly. A very wise woman told me that when you work on a house remember two things:
1. It will cost you twice as much as you think.
2. It will take twice a long as you suspect.
I think she might be right. I am a computer guy by trade so I am not unused to a project getting bigger more costly over time. So I am no stranger to projects running out of control. At this has not been the case thus far but I am very wary of the runaway project.
There are two major concerns that I had originally felt were the most pressing, they were the leak in the kitchen and the subsequent dry rot in the basement below and the roof.
The Kitchen leak.
It looks like it he basement was not in as bad shape that it appeared at first. My brother turning of the water allowed the wood to try. There was also some excellent weather in the area that aided in the effort.
The roof
I was planning to replace it in the first place, therefore it was a known factor and did not worry me to much outside of the cost. I was not, however, planning to get on the roof and work on it myself. Roofs are best left to professionals. Although the roof is not high off the ground and the pitch is manageable, it is just high enough to break limbs and for me to possibly die. I made the executive decision to let someone else take the risk.
After establishing what needed to be addressed most urgently, I was feeling pretty good about the project. I decided to prepare the basement for a general contractor to take a look at the dry rot in the wall directly below the kitchen sink that had been dripping.
The intention of preparing the area is to remove the drywall and strip the walls down to the studs. I did it because when I speak to the contractor I did not want to leave anything to interpretation so I made the area clear so when they came to examine it they could get a good look at the overall problem.
1. It will cost you twice as much as you think.
2. It will take twice a long as you suspect.
I think she might be right. I am a computer guy by trade so I am not unused to a project getting bigger more costly over time. So I am no stranger to projects running out of control. At this has not been the case thus far but I am very wary of the runaway project.
There are two major concerns that I had originally felt were the most pressing, they were the leak in the kitchen and the subsequent dry rot in the basement below and the roof.
The Kitchen leak.
It looks like it he basement was not in as bad shape that it appeared at first. My brother turning of the water allowed the wood to try. There was also some excellent weather in the area that aided in the effort.
The roof
I was planning to replace it in the first place, therefore it was a known factor and did not worry me to much outside of the cost. I was not, however, planning to get on the roof and work on it myself. Roofs are best left to professionals. Although the roof is not high off the ground and the pitch is manageable, it is just high enough to break limbs and for me to possibly die. I made the executive decision to let someone else take the risk.
After establishing what needed to be addressed most urgently, I was feeling pretty good about the project. I decided to prepare the basement for a general contractor to take a look at the dry rot in the wall directly below the kitchen sink that had been dripping.
The intention of preparing the area is to remove the drywall and strip the walls down to the studs. I did it because when I speak to the contractor I did not want to leave anything to interpretation so I made the area clear so when they came to examine it they could get a good look at the overall problem.
Friday, October 30, 2009
The House
As I have mentioned before this house needs some love. On the surface the house looked as if all it needed some cosmetic work. Upon further inspection it needed a whole lot more.
Due to the state of the banking industry in the past year there has been a lot of turbulence in neighborhoods. I would say around mid-2008 the number of foreclosures increased dramatically. On top of the new foreclosures, Oakland does have pockets where homes were sitting empty because they were too pricey for people to buy due to the speculation of the past 5 years. As a result of all of the “flippers” and other speculators, during the "housing bubble" many of these homes were not remotely worth the asking price.
The situation on the streets had been brewing for months, properties in previously undesirable locations and homes selling for near a million dollars sat empty. What does this have to do with my house? Let me tell you.
When you have a whole legion of houses that have been laying empty for extended amounts of time you have some common side affects, vandalism and theft. I have seen this multiple times. If a house sits empty for any extended amount of time, people are going to make use of it whether they are supposed to or not. Things like squatting and looting become prevalent. The best way to say it is people went shopping.
Some one took the garbage disposal.
(I did not know they where sought after items)
Washing my face will be a challenge... no vanity or sink.
I am not sure of the actual culprits. I will not blame it on the neighborhood because that does not seem fair. Some of this could have been done by the previous occupants. I can tell you this though: someone did not behave very nicely.
Of particular of notice to me were the acts of minor of vandalism. As you can see in the above photo the garbage disposal was removed. Someone in their need for a hasty exit, left then the water on. It was not a shooting geyser but rather a gentle but STEADY spring of a bout a .10 of an ounce per minute. This may not seem like very much water but believe me is adds up over time. Imagine every hour you walked into your kitchen and poured a tall coffee (Starbucks size) onto the floor. If one were to do this 24 hours a day it would be about 7 gallons per week (mind you this is my best guess by eyeballing it.) Needless to say the sub floor and the cabinets where ruined. It had also leaked into the basement below and rotted some of the wood in the wall. The basement below had a fair amount of stagnant water in it including one of the light fixtures. At the time of discovery my brother and I turned off the water at the main so it can at least dry out. Needless to say the damage was done.
Also during the time of its listing it was real-estate agents and building inspectors left their mark as well (ripped up carpet and holes punched in drywall.) With all of this it did not seem so bad. Fix a couple of thing s and move right in right? Well yes and no…
Due to the state of the banking industry in the past year there has been a lot of turbulence in neighborhoods. I would say around mid-2008 the number of foreclosures increased dramatically. On top of the new foreclosures, Oakland does have pockets where homes were sitting empty because they were too pricey for people to buy due to the speculation of the past 5 years. As a result of all of the “flippers” and other speculators, during the "housing bubble" many of these homes were not remotely worth the asking price.
The situation on the streets had been brewing for months, properties in previously undesirable locations and homes selling for near a million dollars sat empty. What does this have to do with my house? Let me tell you.
When you have a whole legion of houses that have been laying empty for extended amounts of time you have some common side affects, vandalism and theft. I have seen this multiple times. If a house sits empty for any extended amount of time, people are going to make use of it whether they are supposed to or not. Things like squatting and looting become prevalent. The best way to say it is people went shopping.
Some one took the garbage disposal.
(I did not know they where sought after items)
Washing my face will be a challenge... no vanity or sink.
I am not sure of the actual culprits. I will not blame it on the neighborhood because that does not seem fair. Some of this could have been done by the previous occupants. I can tell you this though: someone did not behave very nicely.
Of particular of notice to me were the acts of minor of vandalism. As you can see in the above photo the garbage disposal was removed. Someone in their need for a hasty exit, left then the water on. It was not a shooting geyser but rather a gentle but STEADY spring of a bout a .10 of an ounce per minute. This may not seem like very much water but believe me is adds up over time. Imagine every hour you walked into your kitchen and poured a tall coffee (Starbucks size) onto the floor. If one were to do this 24 hours a day it would be about 7 gallons per week (mind you this is my best guess by eyeballing it.) Needless to say the sub floor and the cabinets where ruined. It had also leaked into the basement below and rotted some of the wood in the wall. The basement below had a fair amount of stagnant water in it including one of the light fixtures. At the time of discovery my brother and I turned off the water at the main so it can at least dry out. Needless to say the damage was done.
Also during the time of its listing it was real-estate agents and building inspectors left their mark as well (ripped up carpet and holes punched in drywall.) With all of this it did not seem so bad. Fix a couple of thing s and move right in right? Well yes and no…
About the blog
I write this to entertain, amuse, and inform. My goal is that someone can benefit from the discoveries and experiences that my wife Kira and I are enjoying. It is always nice to be able to avoid missteps, so I offer my mistakes to aid others. I think through collaborative participation we can all have deeper understanding of the world we live in.
I believe that that the true beauty in life in the aggregate of human experience. The more we participate the more there is for others to enjoy. Here is my contribution to that.
I believe that that the true beauty in life in the aggregate of human experience. The more we participate the more there is for others to enjoy. Here is my contribution to that.
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