Ok, I got one!

[FL Beachgirl]

The deal I'm working on is of course evolving. Some things are good, and some things not so good.
Since I am planning on living in this property one of the not so good things is turning out to be the layout of the house on the lot. Where the sliding doors exit the back of the house there is virtually no yard space and what little there is, is taken up by an enclosed porch. Fortunately the dining room wall faces the other part of the yard where there is actually space.
Now, the house is brick over block..which in MOST cases this would be a great thing...but for what I'm thinking about doing it may not be so good.
I want to knock a big hole in the wall and install a sliding door so that there is an exit point directly to the larger part of the back yard (you know, for crazy people who want a pool *cough cough*
How difficult would doing something like that be and does anyone have any idea what a project like that might entail? Is it a difficult job or something that can be handled with say...a sledge hammer and a creative mind (and a preframed door)<grin>
Of course I don't want to spend a ton of cash on making this property what I want it, so do any of you have an idea of what a project like that might cost? (just the door, I know what the pool is gonna run...approximately)
I'd like to try and get as many projects done before I move in, like the roof, this door and the floors...it just seems like it would be alot less disrupting to do it that way, but if it's a huge ordeal it may have to wait till after.

Any suggestions guys?

Jen

[Teen2233]

I think your going to need to get a carpenter/contractor to do this job, I would just give a local contractor/carpenter a call and see if you can get an free estimate.

[brianb_cobbres]

"How difficult would doing something like that be and does anyone have any idea what a project like that might entail? Is it a difficult job or something that can be handled with say...a sledge hammer and a creative mind (and a preframed door)<grin>"

No, it is not really that easy. You need to provide support for the brick and block that will be above the new door. And no, the preframed door will not do the trick. Generally a steal plate or beam has to be inserted into the wall as a header before removing the lower brick and block. I would stongly suggest you let a professional handle the job.

I have a similar problem with the house I have been trying to buy in that the only door out to the screen porch is in through the garage. Nothing a cement saw cannot handle and I can use the brick to make some other repairs.

[Aldo]

Buying a personal residence is a whole different type of purchase. My guess is that you like the deal better than the house and I sense that there may be other things at issue. That's the same for most purchases, but that's where it ends. Here, you are buying your own personal castle, so it must be a home that you really love. That said, an extra $XXX to make it even better shouldn't even be an issue, especially if you are getting a good deal. My thinking is that, before even closing (not to mention moving in), you've already identifed one or more, shall I say, defects and that probably doesn't include removing the existing doors and trying to match the brick facade. I'm sure any home owner will agree when I say that the longer you live in a home, the more things you'll want to change.

Frankly, I'd like to think that I misinterpreted your post. If I'm pretty close to the mark, you may want to reconsider that purchase, if possible.

No disrespect intended here. I just want to be sure that you know what you're doing/getting in to and I wish you the best.

[FL Beachgirl]

Well, there are some rehab issues...those are to be expected on purchasing a foreclosure so I knew they were going to be there going in.
Most of the things I intend to "fix" are minor cosmetic (ugly wallpaper I want to rip down and paint instead). All along I intended (even before finding this one) to buy my "project" house. I happen to like doing minor rehab...I spent 6 years doing it to my last house and loved working on it.
The door though is really the only thing that needs changing rather than fixing to suit me.
It is a great deal, if I weren't planning on moving in it would be an excellant rehab and retail, but I do really like the house, the layout is nice, the location is perfect for my needs and the amount of work that it needs is just enough to keep me busy when I'm not working on real estate investing.
Frankly until I can afford to have my dream house built I'll have to make due with personalizing every home I buy for myself. Even then I will likely be a spoiled pain the the behind about it and sit with the person drawing the plans and make changes to that one too :smiley21:

No worries Dan, I won't jump into something that's too big for me :)


Jen

[FL Beachgirl]

Anyway, we went for the "next step" the other night and got to do the walkthrough of the house.

There is quite a bit that needs to be done :SM112: What I had thought was going to be just tile and paint and roof...well.....isn't

There is a wall in one of the bathrooms that has the plaster (or thin coat or whatever they used) chipped off under the window pretty badly. That will need to be redone and painted.
There's a TON of wallpaper all over the house that is mostly starting to peel, so those walls will all need to be stripped, sanded and repainted or re-papered (depending on what I decide to do with each individual room)
The master bath has a mold problem that my seller said she has looked for the source of but cannot find. It looks pretty localised, so it doesn't scare me much, but I will need to rip the cabinets out, reseal the walls and replace.
I might put a window in that bathroom for circulation though, not quite sure how to solve that problem.
Then there is the bedroom with the DARK...PURPLE....PAINT on the walls LOL. At least that's an easy one to deal with. (give it to my son and tell him to close the door muahahaha...j/k)
I will likely end up redoing the kitchen at some point, though it isn't a *need to do it now* thing. It is functional, but the counters and cabinets are ugly as sin so I will want to take care of it sometime before I sell in a few years.

*sigh* too bad this house is in such a great location...honestly I've thought about just flipping it and using the cash for a down on something else, but that wuld create a cash flow problem for me and I'd rather not have to deal with that. Fattening my bank account for a little while seems to be pretty appealing to me.
I did run across another deal yesterday, but I didn't have any cash to get into it so I ended up having to pass it on to someone I know who can do it. He will give me a bird dog fee for it, but it has potential monthly cash flow and it would be nice to start getting into some of those sooner rather than later.

One step at a time...
Jen

[Dan Auito]

Keep plugging Jen, as they say, Rome wasn't built in a - - -. Slow and sure wins the race. You've got the right idea, take care of your family's needs first and then start the long term investment holding game.

[Aldo]

The problems you described aren't even problems in my opinion. Yes, some are time-consuming tasks but, like most folks, you probably have more time than money. If a room is purple, you may have to spend 6-8 hours over two days to apply 3 coats of paint. Wallpaper is easy to remove, but eats a lot of time. If you choose to re-wallpaper.........well, you're fired. Mold is easy to get rid of with a 50-50 bleach-water solution and my guess is that it is due to a lack of an open window or exhaust fan. With due respect, unless you are a whiner/crybaby, a little mold is more of a nuisance than a problem. Speaking of windows, an exhaust fan would probably be the cheaper than putting in a new window. If this ends up as your personal residence, do the fan now and the window later.

I guess what I'm saying is that, if you do the work, the cost to repair those defects will be less than $500 and whatever your time is worth. I'll say no more. The ball is in your park.