All Forum Posts by: Kevin Kolling

@Jimmy O'Connor it’s roughly 15 1/2’ wide.  Is that what you mean by frontage?

@Jimmy O'Connor currently it’s about 1800sf of house but my plan is to increase that to about 2500sf. The lot is just under 1500sf.  

I am in a little bit of a holding pattern with the city pretty much locked down from the pandemic and considering my options.  I am in the process of renovating a 3 story rowhouse in the point breeze area that I’ve owned for close to 20 years.  Before I started gutting it, it was renting as a 2 unit with a 2br 1ba unit on the first floor and 3br 1ba on the second and third floor.  I’m hoping to extend the third floor the whole length of the house since the third floor was only the front half of the house before.    I originally was planning on the rehabbed house as a 2br 1.5ba on the first floor renting for $1600-1800p/month and a 3br 3ba on the second and third floor renting for $2000-2200.
 My questions would be 

1. Do you think those numbers are realistic $3600-$4000p/month combined? It’s a block from the Ellsworth/federal stop for the broad street line so it had nice access. 

2. Since I’m going thru a zoning process anyway, Is it worth considering a 3 unit.  Potentially a 2br 1.5 bath unit on each floor to reach a higher combined monthly rental income?  I know going from 2 units to three units does change some stuff in the philly code but I’m having a hard time finding exact details about that.  Does it need a standpipe and sprinklers no matter what? Or is that only for new construction. I’m pretty sure the common areas need different fire detection requirements.  I guess I’m wondering if the juice is worth the squeeze for three units.   I’m doing the majority of the work myself so it’s my sweat equity as far as labor costs.  Any advice would be appreciated

Just wanted to update my original post.  I reached out to my structural engineer and asked if he knew anyone.  He recommended a company that he has dealt with in the past.  They also do special inspections which I will need for some of the work I plan on doing anyway so it was convenient in that regard.  I have been in contact with their survey guy and his price was a little less than half the estimate from the other company.  Unfortunately with the work stoppage in the city, I am In a bit of a holding pattern with surveys and zoning plans moving forward.   

Thanks everyone for your input.  I was told that I needed a site survey to get an accurate Existing building location, property lines and any encroachments from neighbors.  My situation may be a little more complicated than a regular rehab because I am hoping to enlarge the width footprint of the back of the house toward an existing 3’ wide walkway/alley that provides rear access to the houses perpendicular to me on the cross street.    Currently my back door accesses the backyard by a walkway on my property that runs parallel to the public alleyway.  

I am in the process of having my architect work on a zoning permit for the rowhome that I’m rehabbing.  He told me that I would need a land survey of the property and when I didn’t know anyone in the area he said he would reach out to a company that he uses.  Not having much experience with land surveys I Googled the average cost of a land survey and it said on average around $400-500.  When I got the proposal the other day it was $2250.  I thought that sounded high so I thought I would shop around.  My property is 15’ wide by approximately 98’ deep.  I guess I have two questions.  1. Does anyone have experience (preferably) in Philadelphia with land surveys and their costs?

2. Do you have anyone that does land surveys that you would recommend that I could call.  

Thanks for the recommendations. Do they all tend to have their own structural engineers that they like to use or do I need to find my own ?

Hello everyone.  I have come across this website a few times while researching various real estate topics and finally decided to join.  To give you some background, I have a two unit rental property that I bought back around 2002 in the point breeze section of Philadelphia.  At the time in my mid 20’s it was what I could afford but the neighborhood wasn’t great.  I put some lipstick on the pig and  began renting it out.   Since then as some of you know the neighborhood has improved a lot and property’s values have increased exponentially since then.  My long term renters moved out this past April so I was between selling it and renovating. I decided to renovate and with my friends help we were chugging along.   I had L&I pay a visit on Tuesday afternoon and got a stop work order.   Now I am in the market for a structural engineer and an architect.  Im wondering if anyone’s can recommend  someone.  Most of the firms I found online are in center city with some high rent offices which I would imagine translates into high rates.   I’m also considering getting mundy contractors license in Philadelphia so I can pull my own permits.  Has anyone gone that route?   How bad is it?  I know the stuff they require and it seems pretty straight forward.