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Building new or Renovating 1901 home
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| citric_acid |
Ive been trying to purchase a home for about a year now. Unfortunately my budget doesnt quite match what I am looking for. So now I am faced with 2 options, I own an acre of land and can build a new house on it but would be pushing my budget and possibly wont be able to have the darkroom without compromising other areas of the house. For the cost of selling my acre I can purchase a home built in 1901 and still afford to put 140k into it (it needs new plumbing, electrical and roof and i would remove lath/plaster walls replace with drywall turn attic into a master suite, new kitchen and basically do a 100% remodel along with add a darkroom into the creepy cellar).
Does anyone have any experience with building or extreme renovations and have advice for either?
I love old homes, love the character but new homes have less you are going to have to worry about. Im not sure which way im going to go but I am hoping to be out of my rental by Feb |
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| Trance-MB |
| I would say go for new. Or you must be very handy and have a lot of time and really want an old one. Also new means for sure better isolation. |
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| EXTREMUM |
| If you can sacrifice the darkroom for a short while, go with building a new home on your own property. Ask if you can extend the lease or move back in with the family, until the new house is built. Revamping an old home sounds like a headache, than it's worth. |
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| EarnYourKeep |
| its always been my dream to have a house that looks old with a ton of character on the outside and once you step through the door it's modern and new with almost that meatpacking d bag feel |
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| jonSun |
| If you choose the old house keep the plaster where you can. They don't make em like they used to. Plaster is more water/fire resistant & a better sound barrier. Also it's more durable. The only good thing about drywall is that it's cheaper. |
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| citric_acid |
| quote: | Originally posted by EXTREMUM
If you can sacrifice the darkroom for a short while, go with building a new home on your own property. Ask if you can extend the lease or move back in with the family, until the new house is built. Revamping an old home sounds like a headache, than it's worth. |
can not sacrifice darkroom, I can extend my lease as much as I want but I cant afford to keep paying a $1300 rent on my own which is why im trying to get out asap and unfortunately moving in with parents is not an option because of the dogs.
I am looking for a place that is cheaper without a lease but so far all i have found is only $200 cheaper unless I moved 40 miles away from work which is still an option but I really need to get this darkroom asap as the only public darkroom within 8 hours of me is shutting down in a couple months and I have a lot of gallery shows im working on for next year.
Life would be easier without dogs but i wouldnt have it any other way. |
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| citric_acid |
| quote: | Originally posted by jonSun
If you choose the old house keep the plaster where you can. They don't make em like they used to. Plaster is more water/fire resistant & a better sound barrier. Also it's more durable. The only good thing about drywall is that it's cheaper. |
didnt realize plaster was better. My reason for ripping it out was I already have to redo the electrical and plumbing and I figured it would save some headache if we were dealing with open walls. something I would leave up to my contractor to decide i suppose, im not sure the cost of repairing plaster walls |
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| Lilith |
Plumbing, electrical and roof... that's a LOT of work. It's not impossible but it's also not going to happen in as short a time frame as you're wanting.
Especially with the US going into winter soon, depending on where you live exactly the plumbing and roof is something you really do want clear skies and not a frozen/raining hell so the machinery (diggers, cranes, scissor lifts etc) don't get bogged and sink or they have to run temporary covers over the roof. It could literally sit there for weeks if the weather is bad enough.
Electrical, can be done anytime provided they don't have to dig.
Really depends on 'how' much needs to be done in those 3 areas and goodness knows what else they'll find while ripping everything up, can be anything from dry rot to termites, crumbling foundations, insulation to water ingress- then you're going to also be paying for all the interior damage being repaired as well.
Basically its expensive madness, which won't matter to some people if they really love the look of a place or its being kept in the family. I mean I keep a plumber and sparky on-call for my properties and have done so for many years now, we're good business partners in that regard, but the prices are still monstrous if something major goes bang.
For a dark room, if it had to be done quick I'd just build a metal shed on a concrete foundation with some plumbing and electricity run out to it. |
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| wienerschnitzel |
| I'm with Lilith- you could be opening a huge can of worms. Our house is almost 100 yrs old now, we've updated most of it but some things are still a bit dodgy. Our house is cute but the novelty is wearing off. Can't wait to sell it next spring and buy a '50's' bungalow. |
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| citric_acid |
Plumbing and electrical would all be getting completely replaced but all the walls are coming down, its basically a rebuild with current layout of an old home. The well and septic were recently replaced so only the areas inside the home would need to be replaced, i would get rid of the old knob and tube wiring and replace the plumbing with pex along with add a master suite in the attic then just update the kitchen and put some new flooring in. Oh cant forget the darkroom!
The house has been in the family for quite some time but over the last 10 years has been rented out to employees. The foundation is in good condition and the roof only needs repairs. Our family plumber and electricians have been in that house many times so I would hire them on to do the work. The house is small, 1350 sq/ft + a finished (but will be redone) attic and it sits on 2 acres and my current acre is right next to it so I would have a total of 3 acres.
I have a total reno budget of 140 but can go to 165 for unexpected surprises. It would be about 15k for electrical, 8 for plumbing and 3500 for roof. the rest would go towards the demo, possible asbestos removal if they find any and then the new drywall and remodeling. my kitchen comes to a total of 11k with appliances after the floors and walls are back up.
I cant build a house for less then 175 and thats before the cost of well and septic, landscaping and with low end flooring and appliances, that also couldnt be built until summer.
my acre has no well or septic currently and i wouldnt be able to get one in until next summer. that was my original plan but i cant afford to stay at my current rental AND build a darkroom, hell i can barely afford to live here without any debt. I am also sick of renting.
I think the new home is out of the question after my talk with a builder today... i just saw the email that if I wanted a basement (darkroom) it would be another 20k, if im spending that much money I want high end flooring and finishes and it seems id just be getting a poorly built home... the housing cost and income are so out of balance in this area. |
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| citric_acid |
ill be talking to a few more builders over the next few weeks and hopefully bringing a contractor into the old home shortly.
I know old homes are full of surprises, part of that scares me part of that makes me really excited to do this. I will see where more builders and contractors come in with prices. Its a big decision either way and both have their compromises i will have to weigh out.
im just happy im finally getting the ball rolling with getting out of rentals. and darkroom. soon i will have a darkroom! woot. i could live with just a darkroom and kitchen but the dogs wouldnt be too fond. |
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| citric_acid |
| quote: | Originally posted by wienerschnitzel
I'm with Lilith- you could be opening a huge can of worms. Our house is almost 100 yrs old now, we've updated most of it but some things are still a bit dodgy. Our house is cute but the novelty is wearing off. Can't wait to sell it next spring and buy a '50's' bungalow. |
what all did you update on your home? I wasnt sure if you guys had done the renovations or if you had purchased it like that, its very cute :) |
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