All Forum Posts by: Wesley W.

@Dallas Trufyn  I'm not sure these add any value as both the fire pit and grill are fully portable and I'm not sure if anyone would assume they stay with the property upon the tenants vacating.

The looming issues here are the failure of these tenants to abide by the lease terms, and the exposure to liability they have just generated for the owners.  I would think since @AW Cast is also an owner-occupier, it would be even easier for an attorney to create a case for their culpability in the wake of an accident.

If it were me, I would send the tenants a "notice to cure."  This may be more awkward given you o/o, so you can always blame your "insurance guy" if you are not comfortable.  I think you should be direct with them, though - as difficult as it may be - since you are setting precedent based on how you handle this for many issues forthcoming in the future.  You must assert that you make the rules, and they are not up for negotiation, especially after the fact.

@Delsater Z. I once again thank you.  I like your second layout better, as I think it would be possible to plumb it given existing structural contraints.  However, I'm afraid it might add some costs/time that might make it impractical.  Tell me what you think.  It's always helpful to have another perspective from outside my narrow "field of focus."

In the mudroom, there are existing w/d hookups, an electric wall heater, and both electrical panels for the building.  I think all of those would have to be removed or relocated if I made that the kitchen.  Unfortunately, I didn't post pics of the mudroom until now, so it is hard for you to visualize.  Here are a few pics:  (clockwise sweep taken from doorway between mudroom and kitchen)

Door to lobby from mudroom.  Note wooden cabinet (also pictured below) for image continuity.

Hot water tank for upstairs (which I intend to move to the basement); 3" copper is upstairs toilet.  Behind the pet taxi is an awning window, beneath which is an electric wall heater.

Electrical panels (for both units) and the washer supply fixtures.  The drain goes through the right hand wall, which is under the kitchen sink.  Along the floor of the left wall is the 240v outlet for the dryer.  Note edge of pet taxi for continuity between images.

As an aside, both SECs are severely weathered and need to be replaced, from the panels to the utility pole.  I thought this might provide an opportunity to move the panels into the basement (and out of the living space), but then I would have to essentially rewire the entire bottom unit and probably portions of the upstairs unit (occupied).  At the very least, extend the runs for each circuit back to the basement from the mudroom.  This sounds time-intensive, no?

Also of note:  the door to the lobby from the mudroom (first image in this post) is a nice 36" steel door with a deadbolt; the door to the lobby from the present kitchen is an ancient 30" solid wood 4-light paned door that will need to be replaced (pictured in OP).

I apologize if I keep throwing up all over your ideas, Z.   At the very least, your suggestions are helping me see what is possible and not possible within the constraints of the infrastructure/budget, as well as making me realize I need to provide more information to this thread.  I'm taking for granted the details/limitations I'm privy to but no one else is because I am the only one on-site.  ;)

I thank you again for your continued creative input.

@Delsater Z. thank you for your valuable input.  I really appreciate it.

There are a couple things in your design that I think would create obstacles for me:

I'm not sure I'd be able to move the kitchen plumbing to the other side of the house.  I neglected to mention that the "room side" of the unit does not have a drop ceiling.  Given that, I would have to run the plumbing supply lines across the crawlspace (which is what I am trying to avoid). I'm also not sure I could get a big enough pitch on the kitchen sink drain pipe from that side of the house to the main sewer line (which is under the current kitchen sink) since the height of the crawlspace is so minimal and where I would need to tie into the sewer would be a bit above grade.

I do like the idea of creating a closet, because other than the mud room, there really isn't any storage for this unit as is, and I think anyone reading this would agree the existing bedroom size is impractical.  I like the idea of opening up the mud room entrance as well.

A point of clarification - the light blue opaque rectangles in my diagram are windows; the transparent rectangles are doors.

Hello all,

I once again call upon the collective input of the BP community for my latest project.

I plan on completely renovating the downstairs unit in a duplex we own. In my opinion the floor plan is terrible and there isn’t much square footage to work with as it is. I’ve included some pics below as well as the current floor plan.

Here are some additional factors/obstacles:

(1) Since this unit sits above a crawl space, one thing I will do is move all of the horizontal runs of supply pipes from below the floor into the drop ceiling between the units. We’re in upstate NY where the pipes in crawlspaces may freeze.

(2) I will move the water heater (which, ironically is for the upstairs unit) from the mud room to the basement area beneath the upstairs unit (but accessed through this unit). This is where the other water heater is, and will create some more space in the mud room.

(3) The mud room has the service panels for both units therein, and has the washer/dryer hookups for the first floor unit.

(4) The “bedroom” and “bonus room” are nearly useless as is, less than 70 sq. ft. each.

(5) There is a trap door in the kitchen floor that provides access to the main water shutoff to the entire building, so this will limit flooring options.

(6) The wall (and all those parallel to it) with the doorways to the two rooms is a load bearing wall.

(7) The floor is sagging quite a bit, and I plan on jacking it up a bit from the crawlspace, but I don't want to get too crazy as the top floor is finished and I don't want to play havoc with the doors and their frames up there.

The pics are a clockwise sweep of the kitchen, the first image shot from the doorway to the mud room.

My goal is to improve the mechanicals and floor plan to increase the use and livability of the space so it will command a higher rent (prior owner rented this for $300 to the same guy for 26 years without an increase). On the other hand, I don't want to over-improve since this is a modest-sized apartment and I don't want the time horizon for my ROI to be too far down the line. I've already purchased a gas range and am considering some form of gas-fired room furnace for heat (especially if I open up the floor plan).

What do you think? Open up the interior walls and make it in to a studio? Add a window on the exterior bedroom wall to let in more light?

I’m upon to your suggestions and advice on this one. Thanks!

I like keeping the cabinets a natural wood - it will cut down on maintenance on the turnovers (repainting).  I would just poly them (which you can buy with a stain therein to make them darker if desired) and some new hardware would make them look like a million bucks.

@Nathan Gesner Do you use net or gross income for DTI?

 How would this make it any easier for me to gain access over a chain locked door?

Maybe I am being over cautious but it just seems like I could be relinquishin control to the tenant if at some point I lost cooperation with them for legal entry. 

Hi folks,

I had a tenant ask to install a chain lock on her door. Her toddler is getting out, apparently. 

I'm not keen on honoring her request since it may preclude entry by me at some point.

Does anyone have another solution,  or do most people allow chain locks on their rental units?

Thanks in advance! 

I use Leon Levy with Berkshire Hathaway.   He's very investor friendly. He knows the deal.  PM me if your Google search doesn't yield his contact info. 

Does anyone here have a tenant whose rent gets paid through DSS? I want to verify something I was told today.  

I have a tenant that gets part of their rent paid through Albany County DSS.  The frustrating part is the vouchers are not sent out until the last wednesday of the month.  Which means, I'll expect to get the voucher at the end of the week or early next.  THEN, I have to sign it and send it back.  If I catch the letters in my PO Box on the same day they are delivered (I do not check it every day), I am still looking at a minimum of two weeks late for the rent payment.

What I would like to verify is what the Albany County DSS accounting department told me today.  That is, "the state" controls when the vouchers are sent out, and the counties have no local control over it.  If that is the case, then every landlord across NYS should be getting their rent paid weeks late through DSS.  

Please share your county of business and whether or not this is in fact the case in your locale.  Thanks in advance!

This program is set up to obviously disincentivize landlords from participating.  They don't do direct deposit (my lease requires payments be made to the bank, not mailed to me), and they send out the vouchers at the end of the month, so your rent payment will always be weeks late.  This is unacceptable to me for my business, so I am just doing a bit of research before I (a) call BS on their claim at the county level, or (b) terminate this tenancy.

Thanks in advance!