Buying a House in 2 yrs - Realistic Numbers?

[SwampSurvivor]

The city itself isn't so great crime wise, but I just love the Syracuse area.

Don't know what it is, but I love it here. I've said it before - but I plan on being buried here!

 

[IndyIan]

You should get your own quote as well for repairs, just incase they get their handyman buddy to whip up a quote he'll never honor.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
The city itself isn't so great crime wise, but I just love the Syracuse area.

Don't know what it is, but I love it here. I've said it before - but I plan on being buried here!


What other areas of the country have you lived in ?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Back with another update. The problems have been fixed and I should be closing on it next month.


A contractor has done the following.

• Fix and Repair Main Beams
• Add main beam
  
• Jack up and resuppot beams
  
• Add perpendicular structure under saggy spot main beams
  
• Reparied broken floor joists
  
• Insulate crawl space
  
• Install vapor barrier

Looks pretty good. I'm exited. I may end up putting an additional harbor freight portable garage up in the back yard behind the garage for extra storage but we'll see.

The main issue will be getting the second story leveled out as well. Then, making the water heater accessible - It's walled in currently in its own room.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Then, making the water heater accessible - It's walled in currently in its own room.


Sawzall and a bit of contempt should fix that.

Although I suppose in all seriousness you should figure out what what is load bearing and which ones aren't.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Then, making the water heater accessible - It's walled in currently in its own room.


Sawzall and a bit of contempt should fix that.

Although I suppose in all seriousness you should figure out what what is load bearing and which ones aren't.

He just needs a door/casing space....
install a fire/monoxide detector (10-year sealed battery) while you're at it
Miller... please do showers at 60 degree not 55 this winter... your cat will love you.

congrats? any projects planned before the big white coming?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Then, making the water heater accessible - It's walled in currently in its own room.


Sawzall and a bit of contempt should fix that.

Although I suppose in all seriousness you should figure out what what is load bearing and which ones aren't.


That actually lead to some of the issues with the house. At some point, someone had the idea to open up the living room onto the porch. Took out a load bearing wall and never supported it right. That was fixed a few years ago and the house stopped sinking after that. The water heater "room" is just a thinly constructed wall around it in the corner of the kitchen.



Originally Posted By: pandus13

He just needs a door/casing space....
install a fire/monoxide detector (10-year sealed battery) while you're at it
Miller... please do showers at 60 degree not 55 this winter... your cat will love you.

congrats? any projects planned before the big white coming?


Hmm. I was thinking of going the other direction. 50 maybe even! Heating this house shouldn't be too much more than the apartment, actually. It's gas heat instead of $.40/c KwH electric heat.

I'll be in the apartment for a month or two after I close on this - cleaning, painting the living room, removing carpet for pop and lock floor to replace it. And collecting all of my junk from friends houses and yards and driveways and putting all of it in my garage.

 

[supton]

Nice plan. I was stubborn and moved everything into my house the day after closing. I would have slept in my new house, but wife was 5 months pregnant, so that wasn't happening.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Hmm. I was thinking of going the other direction. 50 maybe even!

Real men wash with snow
i heard cool water does wonders for quality shaving

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Heating this house shouldn't be too much more than the apartment, actually. It's gas heat instead of $.40/c KwH electric heat.

I'll be in the apartment for a month or two after I close on this - cleaning, painting the living room, removing carpet for pop and lock floor to replace it. And collecting all of my junk from friends houses and yards and driveways and putting all of it in my garage.

so.... maybe this Black Friday may be for you looking for flooring, paint/primer, tools and insulation (hint, hint) and not oil and toys for the jeep?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I may end up spending a night or two there. Plus, keeping an eye on it is a nice idea. Who knows if the furnace would die. Plus moving in the middle of January isn't too much fun.

All booked up for black friday, but may have some time to pick up flooring. Have to pick my mom up from retail work at 6 am, then heading into the woods for some night wheeling friday night around 4.


I won't do anything other than painting the walls until I get around to getting all of the floors and walls leveled incase I get extra cracks. Then I can open it up as needed.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Well it's mine

... and the bank's.

Since it was a rental, there was some stuff left behind, so just working on cleaning that out for now. And slowly moving my stuff in. Hoping to move in by the end of the month.


They also installed a programmable thermostat. It defaults to 78 degrees after 9pm. Just happened to run back up because I forgot something after I closed on it and changed the locks ... good thing I did, it was 78* inside! I've restricted the upstairs vents to keep heat usage down though. Especially while I am not there.

Mortgage/taxes is going to be less than my rent. Utilities and mortgage should be about the same as I'm paying now for the apartment.

 

[supton]

Nice. Congrads.

Weird to default to 78 at night, that's pretty high. Easy enough to fix I guess.

I can't think of a reason that restricting heat to the upstairs would cause a problem. Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[pandus13]

HOHOHOH Congrats!

Please check REALLY carefully if the former tenants didn't leave any fleas.... (for cat's and your health).

take it easy and one (step/thingy) at the time.

maybe you can paint/clean a base area to have a your/cat's corner....

and change the toilet (water consumption)

and get a long hose (6-7') for the shower (cat will thank you. your tired feet too....)

and see if you need to insulate any water pipes....

if you don't get new appliances, clean the existing at least twice.

since you are now inside, listen for any creaks in the floors (to get the points where you need to fasten the subfloor), cracks in the walls (wood working in winter)

insulate/plastic non-needed windows.



well, Happy new year in your new house my oil friend!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
HOHOHOH Congrats!

Please check REALLY carefully if the former tenants didn't leave any fleas.... (for cat's and your health).

take it easy and one (step/thingy) at the time.

maybe you can paint/clean a base area to have a your/cat's corner....

and change the toilet (water consumption)

and get a long hose (6-7') for the shower (cat will thank you. your tired feet too....)

and see if you need to insulate any water pipes....

if you don't get new appliances, clean the existing at least twice.

since you are now inside, listen for any creaks in the floors (to get the points where you need to fasten the subfloor), cracks in the walls (wood working in winter)

insulate/plastic non-needed windows.



Well, Happy new year in your new house my oil friend!


Thanks

They did have some animals. If it wasn't the middle of winter I'd have the place bug bombed - I'm going to be living in the crawl space in these upcoming months and I'm not a huge fan of spiders that living so close to a lake brings.

The house has some structural issues - the worst of which have been taken care of, but there is still a lot more for me to do. I have a separate fund set aside should the furnace or water heater give out - but I'm not putting any money into the house until I get it leveled.

I haven't got 100% visual confirmation of the work that has been done underneath - I met with and watched the contractors do some of the work underneath, but I still need to see what all they did end up doing underneath.

My goal is to create 3 hatches in the floor so I can drop down into each section between the girders / main beams and start working on creating actual piers. I would like the underpinnings of the house to be overkill.

I already bleach bombed the kitchen and bathroom. I'm sure it smells like bleach outside I used so much. Carpets are getting a good steam cleaning too.

Once I get started on the structural work I will probably start a topic here on BITOG. I'm sure the DIY'ers will either enjoy it ... or hate it.

Here's the view from the "sun room" that used to be a porch. Someone knocked out a load bearing wall to expand the living space into it. At least it is insulated and has new triple pane windows.