Justin and I have been at the house Monday and Tuesday after a weekend of camping with our friends. :)
In those days we have been taking out the sheetrock in the Garage and the Big Shed, installing radiant barrier material and organizing our Little Shed that keeps our garden tools and lawn mower and soon we will be removing the fiberglass insulation in the Big Shed since it was not sealed and had an infestation of small to medium size lizards, spiders, red ants and who knows what else...
Today though, I have to tell you, I am totally exhausted and we are going back today to haul the debris that we have been piling up in the Garage along with some of the old wood that the seller left behind. The electricians will start work Thursday (God Willing) and take a week to update our electrical system and new braker box. It is then set for the HVAC people to come in and finish replacing the duct work and other items that they are responsible for.
In the meantime, we have our designer finishing our drawings for the bathroom addition. We already have the outside drawings and elevations and all we need is the inside cabinet and electrical drawings (approx. $800 for everything), then we have to get an engineer to look at the foundation (approx. $450), get a bid from a contractor ($??) and go to our bank to get financing.
Whew...home ownership is WORK. I will keep you updated and try to take some pictures today. :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ending of the Option Period
We have had some really good news! We went back to the Electrician and asked what the cost is to make the house legal. Apparently making the house up to "code" was to rewire the house and put in many more outlets on top of the grounding and replacing the breaker/panel. We are now done!
The seller is going to pay for the repairs and we will assume the city permits (only about a couple hundred $$).
Now we wait until May 15th to close!!!
In the meantime we are waiting to hear back from some designers and the contractors about what the cost will be for adding the new bathroom and carport.
I want the carport to be solid like a carport but look like a pergola..what do you think?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Inspection and Contingencies
You may have heard by now that we have still progressing with the house on Morrow.
The update:
Inspection went well last week but it was determined that the HVAC/furnace was out of code and the ducts would need to be replaced for about $2300+/-. Also the electrical panel and wiring were out of code and most importantly had serious factors that need to be resolved to the amount of $10,000 (ouch!). [The inspection report was rather lengthy but these were the serious two since it is an older house]
After meeting with the electrician and furnace/HVAC person and getting those bids, we forwarded them on and included them in our contigency to the seller that the repairs be made after closing and that they pick up the cost.
Tonight...Janet, our realtor, called and said that the seller does not want to lose us and are willing to split the cost of the repairs 50/50. You should probably know that there is two lingos going on with the electrical that we need to get more information about tomorrow from the electrician that submitted the bid. One was making the house "legal" and the other to "code". I am sure that to make it legal will still be expensive but going to code will make the addition of the 2nd bathroom alot smoother when the time comes.
My stomach is churning on the notion that we could be facing an uphill battle with getting into an older home. Also that the seller will not budge on what she wants to pay.
The facts and then you judge:
Say you were buying this home and the seller's house was in need of some updating. You are thinking that they need to make it "habitable" right? That's what I am thinking. How can you sell a house to another person when the house needs something as basic as electricity without being shocked. The backstory of the seller: she inherited the house from her parents and holds a paid note with no liens on the house. Should she pay the entire amount and call it a day since you think that she is gaining nothing but $dollars in the transaction? She has probably been paying the taxes and house bills since this. Now, say that you know that the house has been on the market for around 249 days..does this make a better bargaining tool for you to get the money you need to bring the house up to code/legal...whatever.?
Now we are faced with asking the electrician the difference between legal and code and seeing what that price point will be. Either way I feel that we start this whole process over with another house or get the seller to assume more of the cost since technically the house is not ours "YET".
YET! Fascinating word that would change lives and hopes. The new meaning that turns an appartment to a house and a buyer to an owner. We will not assume liability YET, we will not be a money pit YET...daunting and sinking and spinning to an ever lasting word..YET.
The update:
Inspection went well last week but it was determined that the HVAC/furnace was out of code and the ducts would need to be replaced for about $2300+/-. Also the electrical panel and wiring were out of code and most importantly had serious factors that need to be resolved to the amount of $10,000 (ouch!). [The inspection report was rather lengthy but these were the serious two since it is an older house]
After meeting with the electrician and furnace/HVAC person and getting those bids, we forwarded them on and included them in our contigency to the seller that the repairs be made after closing and that they pick up the cost.
Tonight...Janet, our realtor, called and said that the seller does not want to lose us and are willing to split the cost of the repairs 50/50. You should probably know that there is two lingos going on with the electrical that we need to get more information about tomorrow from the electrician that submitted the bid. One was making the house "legal" and the other to "code". I am sure that to make it legal will still be expensive but going to code will make the addition of the 2nd bathroom alot smoother when the time comes.
My stomach is churning on the notion that we could be facing an uphill battle with getting into an older home. Also that the seller will not budge on what she wants to pay.
The facts and then you judge:
Say you were buying this home and the seller's house was in need of some updating. You are thinking that they need to make it "habitable" right? That's what I am thinking. How can you sell a house to another person when the house needs something as basic as electricity without being shocked. The backstory of the seller: she inherited the house from her parents and holds a paid note with no liens on the house. Should she pay the entire amount and call it a day since you think that she is gaining nothing but $dollars in the transaction? She has probably been paying the taxes and house bills since this. Now, say that you know that the house has been on the market for around 249 days..does this make a better bargaining tool for you to get the money you need to bring the house up to code/legal...whatever.?
Now we are faced with asking the electrician the difference between legal and code and seeing what that price point will be. Either way I feel that we start this whole process over with another house or get the seller to assume more of the cost since technically the house is not ours "YET".
YET! Fascinating word that would change lives and hopes. The new meaning that turns an appartment to a house and a buyer to an owner. We will not assume liability YET, we will not be a money pit YET...daunting and sinking and spinning to an ever lasting word..YET.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Found some really cool stuff!
http://www.dutchtub.com/english00/index.php
What if I start selling these here?
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