All Forum Posts by: Christopher B.

 Leaky vents can be resolved with a $2.50 tube of caulk. If the trunk lines are leaking excessively that can be resolved with a $5 roll of aluminum tape and an hour of labor. However, neither of these should cause an $800 bill. 

Call 2 foundation companies and get some opinions. Call one small, but reputable company, and one bigger company. If it needs work, use the estimates as a range of repairs for negotiations with the buyer and seller of the house. Use it as a chance to learn what needs to be done. Piers and proper drainage likely resolves the situation. 

 Local governments operate differently. Here in Knoxville, TN, if I did anything electrical wise to a hourse that has knob and tube they would have me bring it to modern code. They're trying to get the housing stock up to current codes. If I moved nothing and just replaced recepticles I may be able to pass code due to it being grandfathered but I wouldn't buy a house with old electrical like that unless it is cheap enough to replace it all. It's just how I operate. Now I've remodeled houses that had copper wiring but not the grounds that you see in the 50' and 60's houses without doing rewires. To pass code we put gfci breakers in at the box for all bathroom, kitchens, etc. This is substantially cheaper and just as safe imo. Heck, I did it on my personal, 1950's home 6yrs ago.

Welcome here and hopefully we'll see you around Knoxville. I group in Louisville so know Maryville/Alcoa quite well, nice place to live. The first place to network is the local reia, the chapter president Victor Jernigan is around here somewhere. 

 Yes, you absolutely NEED to change knob and tube wiring. A fireman just explained to us all why. It is absolutely UNETHICAL to leave knob and tube wiring in any house in my opinion. If you leave it there and disclose that to the buyers and they're cool with it then that's on the them. However, I strongly believe it is our responsibility to remodel houses that will function properly and be safe for the future users. Leaving outdated, 100yrs old electrical that wasn't designed to handle modern electrical needs, that has been proven to be high risk for fire and does not pass any codes is not the responsible or ethical thing to do. It's also not possible to remodel a house with knob and tube wiring and not change it, if you're pulling any permits at least. 

RTA cabinets are your friend, Google around there are plenty of places online. If you're not good at doing a layout many will do that for you if you provide dimensions. Don't forget to ask for the contractor discount, can usually save an extra 10-15%. Hardware and faucets look online. For appliances find a local discount supplier like a scratch and dent store. Nobody cares if their fridge has a dent on the side.

I'm big on floorplans. In the past I've drawn them by hand on oversized graph paper. Time consuming yes, but when I began, seeing my houses from that angle helped me improve floorplanning. They also greatly help the subs in the house. If a plumber calls and asks exactly where I want the toilet, "flooplan is taped to the wall." I recently purchased a software program for it. Easier to read and I can create 3-D renditions for pre-marketing and conveying the designs to my subs. 

 I haven't bought any houses from auction yet. We don't shy away from larger rehabs, moving floorplans, etc though. The older and crustier a house is the better so it naturally leads to the replacement of most if not all major mechanical systems. 

 "Might" have to replace knob and tube wiring? That stuff is very dangerous and not built to handle modern electrical needs. I highly recommend everyone who remodels a house with knob and tub or even aluminum wiring to do a complete electrical update. Passing off an outdated house with new paint as "rehabbed" is unethical and taking advantage of the future homeowners

I have replumbed almost every house I've worked on. Have rewired or done extensive electrical work on almost all rehabs as well. If you pull permits the inspectors are going to want to see it up to code. Some things they'll let pass since it's "grandfathered." Electrical wise our city has been big on getting all smokes hard wired in, gfci's, etc. If you're working on a house built in 1980-now its generally not a big deal and easy to deal with though as these are prettt modern. Anything older you should you look into thoroughly.