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Hook, line and sinker. Just remember when it's all done, both months overdue and $000's over budget, you will both be extremely happy for many many years.
Things have drastically changed in the last few days. When my architect showed my wife and I what was possible we were like kids in a candy store...totally out of control. Our current leading design candidate expands what we thought was a straight forward addition to include a 600 sq foot attached garage, and a covered front porch, and new wood floors everywhere in old and new area, new siding on old and new area, and a finishable attic, large kitchen island, wood cabinets, nice finishings throughout.
We expect to live here at least another 10 years if not longer.
I have no idea how to estimate and share with you the initial total cost per square foot of the addition since now a garage, a porch, and the existing structure are all part of the remodel.
Key1
Well, it's not really a per-square-foot price any more, is it? Seems like you should have quotes for each "piece" of this huge remodel/addition. (They ARE pricing it that way, right?) I am curious, what is the TOTAL cost they are now quoting? I assume it's a lot more than the $160k you originally thought.
Not to be a downer -- I think it sounds really exciting!! But I would do it only if I were going to be there another 20+ years (10 doesn't seem long enough to me for this kind of "commitment," but that's just me!).
Well, it's not really a per-square-foot price any more, is it? Seems like you should have quotes for each "piece" of this huge remodel/addition. (They ARE pricing it that way, right?) I am curious, what is the TOTAL cost they are now quoting? I assume it's a lot more than the $160k you originally thought......
I have received 1 number which they made clear is an estimate... not in stone .
All in the number is approximately 245K!!
It's a scary number to me but I am being told I will have essentially a new home.
I asked for breakout for the garage but they told me it is difficult because they have a price for the siding which is on the old, the new, and the garage, and the mason will be making foundations and using labor and concrete for the garage, the porch and the new addition all at the same time, as well as the roofer doing all at the same time, etc.. Apparently the subcontractors are not pricing the job in pieces, they are pricing the entire job.
I forgot to mention I will be having two HVAC zones which means another AC and another Furnace.
The new furnace will go in the attic. Is that a concern? Do any of you have a furnace in the attic?
Someone may ask if I sell my home for 400K and add 245K can't I just buy a new home in this area for 645k with what I am getting. The answer is no, not a new home....and besides if I were able to sell my current home for 400K we would have to spruce it up a bit first, make any needed minor repairs, not to mention the transfer tax and the real estate commission, and moving cost, negotiations, etc.. I would be lucky to net 350K, which means I would be trying to buy for 595k.....I'm sure you can get a very nice home with all of these things and much more for $595k somewhere...... just not here.
One thing I did not see mentioned was what the other houses around you are like. You don't want to stand out as the nicest house on the block. When it comes time to sell, people not only consider your property but its location. You could have a really nice property but it will be a tough sell if it's surrounded by smaller houses that are not so nice.
It just seems that what you are trying to undertake is so complex, complicates and risky. I have heard a lothorror stories about these complicated additions...
I am very curious about the "lot of horror stories" that you mentioned you heard for adding additions.
Please give me an example of a few.
What exactly happened?
I want to know so I won't repeat the same mistakes....
We almost put a new furnace in the attic but the cost was just too much for the space. Have you considered a new ductless A/C for upstairs instead? It'll probably cost a little more but the install and space it saves (while providing a lot more zones) could be more beneficial, as they also work as heat pumps.
The horror stories are typically exactly as you imagine they would be. They take a thing down: the mortar needs repair, it's actually the concrete block, structurally there needs to be a new member put in the middle of the house for the stairway, the code means we need to actually take out this wall to run the ductwork, but we can't do it this week because the mason is actually called off to another emergency project and can't do it so we're delayed another week until he can come back and then the roofer can't make the new schedule because he's already planned to be in East Brunswick on another job that day. So we need more time. And money.
These aren't mistakes that you can avoid because sometimes you don't know about the termite damage from twenty years ago until they open up that wall. Or that the new code requires a fireblock there that they thought existed. Or previous owners did something halfway that needs to be corrected.
Case in point is when we air sealed the attic. It turns out when they built the interior walls they didn't put a horizontal 2x4 at the top of the wall, so the walls basically vented straight up into the attic. So that took twice as long as planned because someone took an unexpected shortcut on construction 90 years ago. That's the sort of thing you're going to find and it's not something you can plan for because each house is completely different.
The real question is if you're going to be living in your home while this work is going on or if you're just doing it right and moving out for a few months so they can start work at their normal time.
I am very curious about the "lot of horror stories" that you mentioned you heard for adding additions.
Please give me an example of a few.
What exactly happened?
I want to know so I won't repeat the same mistakes....
Thanks
Key1
haha look at you trying to put defiantNJ in his place knowing that he is unlikely to really recall any specific horror stories that he claims to have heard.
The horror stories are typically exactly as you imagine they would be. They take a thing down: the mortar needs repair, it's actually the concrete block, structurally there needs to be a new member put in the middle of the house for the stairway, the code means we need to actually take out this wall to run the ductwork, but we can't do it this week because the mason is actually called off to another emergency project and can't do it so we're delayed another week until he can come back and then the roofer can't make the new schedule because he's already planned to be in East Brunswick on another job that day. So we need more time. And money.
These aren't mistakes that you can avoid because sometimes you don't know about the termite damage from twenty years ago until they open up that wall. Or that the new code requires a fireblock there that they thought existed. Or previous owners did something halfway that needs to be corrected.
Case in point is when we air sealed the attic. It turns out when they built the interior walls they didn't put a horizontal 2x4 at the top of the wall, so the walls basically vented straight up into the attic. So that took twice as long as planned because someone took an unexpected shortcut on construction 90 years ago. That's the sort of thing you're going to find and it's not something you can plan for because each house is completely different.
The real question is if you're going to be living in your home while this work is going on or if you're just doing it right and moving out for a few months so they can start work at their normal time.
Those are the type of unforseen circumstances I am expecting.......I was thinking much worse when I heard "horror stories", like someones new 2nd story collapsing or someones roof blowing off in a storm because they did not use hurricane ties....
As long as I don't have too many of the unforseen circumstances.......I think we are mentally prepared for it. Since we will be staying with local family, they will be free to do what they must to get it right.
Key1
Oh, then you've heard other ones then. The odd thing is that when it happens to your house it's always so much worse...
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