All Forum Posts by: Thai Chau

My partner and I own and operate four self-storage and parking facilities and are looking to expand.  We know our business and understand the need in our area.  We have a great team assembled (two zoning attorneys, Civil engineer, surveyor, geotech, environmental engineer, and a programmer for facility websites/software).  We have several properties under contract.  These projects would be ground-up development with total project costs of $1.5-$3.5 million.  I can be reached at [email protected] or 678-490-5197

Ever wonder what it takes to start and build a home or multi family property?

I’m going to take you through all the steps of this journey.

Project: 1232 Somerset Rd Raleigh, NC 27610

Goal: tear down fire damage home and build new home for resale.

Time line: purchase late September and list by march 30th

Purchase price was $235,000

Budget $500,000-625,000 depending on if you hire a GC

Projected list price 950k-1.05m

Alright now that you got the quick run down on what’s going on let’s talk about the process of building!

First step was to put out bid requests with plans attached for the subcontractors. (I’m a licensed general contractor btw)

We need demo, tree removal, dumpsters, portable restrooms, gravel for driveway, concrete pump and materials, crews for footings and masons. Block, electrical,HVAC, plumbing, framing, and everything else you can think of that makes a house. Also utility contractor if you are not taped into the city water and sewage.

Once you have all bids or your GC has them you pay a surveyor to draw up a demo survey if you have a home to remove and plot plans for projected new construction. Remember to have them include Limits of disturbance, front year impervious limits,the whole property impervious surface, cantilever and roof hangover, trees to be removed in right of way, what trees that will be replacing the right of way, driveway curb cut in information. All locations of the HVAC, and ect. The LOD and ect got me. Easy fix just took my guys a minute.

After that you can log into the raleigh website and apply for your demo permit and new build permit. Be advised it’s like $5500+ in permitting.

You’ll have to wait and get remarks back for things that need to be added or changed.

After about 30-45 days of BS you will be approved.

Yay! We can now start demo! Down comes the house, and clean up. Once that was done we did grading and saved the logs from the poplar and red pad tree to be reused and made into lumber.

Now we get our surveyor back out to mark the footings and get the subs out to dig with a mini excavator and install rebar

While that happens we have a temporary pole set up for power.

I than call in inspection for that

We passed!

Now concrete can be poured

Make sure to order a pump if you want to make it easier on the guys and trust me they will tank you for it. Also most concrete trucks charge $250 after 30 mins every 30 mins so it’s just smarter to do this.

Once concrete is poured get your masons ready, set….. go! Now you get to really see the footprint of the home. Exciting right?

After we are done we needed to grade the crawlspace. So we had enough room for a mini skid steer…… and yep one of the guys damaged two piers that now have to be replaced…… it’s ok these things happen. So that’s probably a $500 repair.

Next we install encapsulation material, why so soon? Cause we can stand up lol 😂

Wrap any piers and walls inside in 10 mil white plastic vapor barrier. Then ram-set 2” insulation foam 3” below the block top for a termite inspection. I do not foam in my vents until after everything is done on the home. This allows you to vent the crawlspace until you have power and install a dehumidifier to finish the encapsulation.

Next is framing the sill/bottom plate, rim band, girders and floor joists! Don’t forget that sill sealer(foam)

We applied lexel silicone to help with air sealing the foam board on the top and we do it to our rim band.

That’s it you are all caught up on where we are at, next step for us is to call our open floor inspection.

Hi, I haven't been on the site in a while -- hope this forum is still active?

The planning dept has pushed back a very small project I'm doing and requiring a land surveyor. We didn't think it should be necessary, but...

Any recommendations for someone reasonably priced? Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hello All, I, too, am interested in converting from a 1-family to a 2-family. In my situation, I've lived in my small Bronx property for 20 years. As my children are older, I am looking to downsize and have a positive cashflow in the process. I'm thinking of renting out the top floor (sec-8 tenants) as a two bedroom apartment with a separate entrance from the outside. The 3rd bedroom would be converted to a kitchen and living/sitting space. This floor would have a separate meter.  I would live downstairs which would also be converted to a 2 bedroom with a bathroom needed to be installed. I was also thinking of getting rid of the boiler and installing a split cooling and heating system. With the conversion (possibly 60K,) I plan on staying longterm to reap the conversion expense and capitalize on the cashflow, thereafter.

After speaking to an RE agent, I was told that the sell value would be between 525K and 575K with ONLY basic renovations. However, with the conversion, it would be around 650K.

 I was told by an architect to contact a NY Land Surveyor to see if the conversion is feasible. Any thought would be helpful. 

Thanks.