REHABBING A 1920'S BRICK HOUSE ON RAINIER AVE ADVISE

[Andy Pillinger]

Hi all,

I am partnering on a JV for rehabbing a 1920's 3400 sq ft brick house on rainier ave s. The house is in poor shape and needs a complete remodel. The roof and upstairs windows are new. However all the wiring and plumbing is not to code and there are signs of asbestos around ducting. It was recently used as a duplex(smaller unit in basement) but that was illegal and we are required by law to convert back. One question I have is what's the difference between a mother in law and a duplex. Or put another way how far can we go before a mother in law becomes a duplex?!.. for instance can we put a bathroom in?. We are trying to figure out what gets us the best return on our money, rehab the 1300 sq ft basement fully into a mother in law if legal or just add a wet bar and minor rehab like carpets new dry wall and a lick of paint etc?....

Can anyone recommend a contractor with a good reputation that could possibly quote on this project. If they are familiar with older buildings that would be a plus.

I would like to thank anyone in advance for their advice and expertise.

Regards

Andy