All Forum Posts by: Bill Briscoe

Has anyone used them to order HVAC systems? How much labor did it cost to get one installed?

Got the bug guys out today. He said it looked like wood rot, but the wood was so far gone - if there had been termites he couldn't see them now.

The budget needs to be minimal and I'll do a lot of the work myself. I'd like to market as a lease purchase, but would be happy holding it as a rental for a while.

New DW, range, and micro obviously. And Faucet. My wife thinks the cabinets are ok to keep. This is a middle/lower middle class neighborhood and most comps have similar cabinets with updated countertops, though some cabinets are painted white.

Cabinets - should I paint or just shine them? What is the cheapest/easiet way to make them look newer?

Counters - most comps have faux granite formica, one has corian. I was planning to just install the single piece 22" depth formica tops from HD and cut to fit, but notice the diagonal piece above the DW which is deeper than the 22". Not sure how I would make that work here.

Another option might be the butcher block tops from lumber liquidators - how hard are those to install? Other ideas?

Add Drawer and Door pulls?

Floors- Tile? or is Laminate Wood or something else OK?

No, I didn't see any mud tunnels or signs of insects.

So what is the remedy besides the obvious - put up some flashing and gutters to channel water away?

Can I simply brace the rotted 2x4s from the back or sides with additional lumber then resheathe and reside? Or do I need to totally remove all rotted pieces from the substructure?

I'm thinking wood rot from moisture as the brick threshold and roof runoff funnel water towards that area.

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Here is the jetted tub. It has that dated color and gold faucet, but I think it works. The water isn't on, but I turned on the switch and the pump came on.

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What do you think? I do plan to remove the wallpaper and paint!

"I would suggest you speak directly to a local Appraiser and see what rocks their boat"

Good idea - I'm trying to contact some appraisers now. Don't actually know any local ones however. Is there a local data book that appraisers go by to make adjustments for carpet vs tile vs hardwood vs laminate, or brick vs wood, architectual vs 3 tab, etc? How would I get my hands on such data?

"Commission on resale = 7K
New roof = 5-10K
New Paint = 3-4 K
New flooring = 3-5 K
New Furnance = 3-5K
New WH = 1K
Garage Door = 1K
New Kitchen aplliances = 2-3K
Carying Cost = 6K "

Agreed the margins are thin. I make up for that by bargain shopping and not paying for a contractor's profit margin. My repair budget is around 24K plus 4K for contingencies. My exit strategy is either market as lease/purchase or hold as rental - avoiding the commissions.

Specifically, I have:
$7K for roof
<2K paint - I'll do interior myself. Exterior - I know a guy...
Flooring - agree with your estimate - but what are the pros/cons of various materials here? Comps are a mix of laminate/tile/carpet.

HVAC- agreed
Garage door - priced at about $700 installed - might be able to buy cheaper and install myself
WH - budget model for $350, install myself

Kitchen appliances - I'm thinking ReStore or like new from CL for say $250-300 a piece for black/stainless oven and DW. Fridge is usually considered personal property here.

Kitchen counters - I priced a pre-fab faux granite formica counter with end caps for under $150 at HD. Would need 2 pieces. Install is simple enough. With sink/facuet probably $500-600. From pics the comps look like updated formica or possibly Corian. What are the cheapest counter options that are an upgrade from formica?

Baths are the other question - what are pros/cons of various 3-piece Tub inserts vs cleaning existing tile, other options? Comps are a mix of vinyl inserts and tile. The Tub inserts start at $60 up to a few hundred.

Carrying cost - depends on rehab time - about $700/mo interest and OpEx.