The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: Le Poisson on March 30, 2017, 08:20:59 PM
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This is part 2 of a miniseries featuring a mustachian attempting to convert an old farmhouse into a rental. As this part begins, we see the renos nearing completion, and the mind of the mustachian turning towards finding a tenant and wrapping up work in the next couple of months.
Tonight we see our host wrapping up a rare weekday visit in which he has completed the installation of a kitchen counter top, trimming a window, and installing a new faucet in the bathroom.
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Tonight I have installed nothing and trimmed nothing. Unless you count the pizza I installed into my mouth. That was some good pizza.
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I just installed a cookie into my mouth. A+, would highly recommend. Will probably install some more shortly given the excellent results so far.
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I stared at some stools that need to be glued back together, but haven't actually applied anything yet. DIY in spirit if not action, yet? Excited for all the amazing handiwork stories :D
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Non-installer #3 here.
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...and #4 as well!
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Following because I need to see the end of the movie! Glad you were able to finish the counter installation without dad's "help".
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Let's hope this thread behaves better re posting. And your helpers are more helpful.
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Here to follow along!
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Tonight I have installed nothing and trimmed nothing. Unless you count the pizza I installed into my mouth. That was some good pizza.
You did trim that before installation ;)
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Good point! I was so productive!
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We begin chapter two with trimming out rooms. Later today Momma will come to hide my mistakes with paint and putty.
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I posted before about using caulk and high gloss exterior paint to hide seams and make trim look good.
Here is how a seam looks before and after the caulk/paint.
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You're making the barnhouse fancy!
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I got the estimate back from Lowes to put carpet upstairs. $4500 with the cheapest carpet and underpad.
I bought 40 boxes of laminate for $800 and asked them to redo the estimate for just the stairs and hallway.
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Trim - pretty! Momma does a good job (and you gave her a good starting point).
Laminate - I hope 3, 4, or 5? 5 is toughest. My new basement laminate is industrial grade (and very nice looking, wide blank), should outlive the house.
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Geez, Prosp, Barnhouse is looking nicer than anyplace I've lived since leaving my parents' house.
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I am currently installing this journal in my 'show new replies' list.
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Here for the second half. It's looking fantastic! I love the wainscot look. Planning on putting it in my living room when I finally get around to my own remodel.
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I spent all of today in lines. Lines at Lowes, lines at Rona. Lines at Home Depot.
I'm frustrated and have nothing to show for the day.
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I got the estimate back from Lowes to put carpet upstairs. $4500 with the cheapest carpet and underpad.
I bought 40 boxes of laminate for $800 and asked them to redo the estimate for just the stairs and hallway.
Never saw a quote for carpet from a big box store that my local, family owned flooring store couldn't beat by a wide margin. At one point I had an allowance in a bid for a mid-grade Berber, installed with pad, for a basement build out. The customer asked me if he could save money by using his own carpet people. After I give him the $ per sq. yard figure I had used to generate my bid, he tells me that his carpet guy will beat it by about 10%. I told him to have his estimator stop by, measure and produce a written quote. No surprise, another scammer. This chucklenut adds 20% or so to the "required" yardage, and his written quote is quite a bit higher. I understand that Canabucks buy less than our green money with dead presidents on it, but Damn, $4500 for builder grade shit, in a fairly small second floor, that's wacked.
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I dont' want to miss part 2!
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I got the estimate back from Lowes to put carpet upstairs. $4500 with the cheapest carpet and underpad.
I bought 40 boxes of laminate for $800 and asked them to redo the estimate for just the stairs and hallway.
Never saw a quote for carpet from a big box store that my local, family owned flooring store couldn't beat by a wide margin. At one point I had an allowance in a bid for a mid-grade Berber, installed with pad, for a basement build out. The customer asked me if he could save money by using his own carpet people. After I give him the $ per sq. yard figure I had used to generate my bid, he tells me that his carpet guy will beat it by about 10%. I told him to have his estimator stop by, measure and produce a written quote. No surprise, another scammer. This chucklenut adds 20% or so to the "required" yardage, and his written quote is quite a bit higher. I understand that Canabucks buy less than our green money with dead presidents on it, but Damn, $4500 for builder grade shit, in a fairly small second floor, that's wacked.
This is likely all true. I haven't been able to find a local shop that is willing to come out on a weekend to run a quote.
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This is likely all true. I haven't been able to find a local shop that is willing to come out on a weekend to run a quote.
Interesting. We know the family that owns the store we did business with for decades, all of our kids in school together, playing on the same soccer teams, all that stuff. The husband and wife both handled sales, and spent a lot of nights and weekends on the road measuring and selling jobs.
Of course this is all ties into an interesting trend. The DW and I, with no real knowledge of what was to come, relocated to a very rural region, 100 miles from NYC. Our carpet store buddies did the same, relocating from the Philadelphia area. This happened at the start of a massive, two decade long, population boom generated by NYC ultra long distance commuters. When we first arrived, the business community was about as difficult, and ass backwards as possible. They were almost all original settlers, multi-generation owners, well off, and a huge PITA to deal with. Businesses that would shutter for lunch, even if you were walking in the door, having driven ten miles, and really needed something. Businesses that would call around behind your back, (once they figured out that you had developed other ties to the community), asking if you are worthy of their services? Seriously, God help you if you were a minority, or had the accent and obnoxious mannerisms of a working class NYC resident, they would either ignore you, or screw you over.
In that kind of good ole' boy environment it's was pretty easy to see why a local flooring store couldn't be bothered to look at a job on a weekend. Hell, when we first migrated, if you were low on gas and it was after five on a Saturday, you were screwed until Monday morning.
Plenty of gas stations around, all owned by locals who could of cared less if you were impacted by their schedule. Interesting times, and a lots of life's lessons learned while learning to thrive in a community that considers you an outsider if you weren't born there, to the right family, since being born there after 1970ish, and from a "move-in" family, didn't mean shit.
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Many of the local contractors are driving 2 hours into Toronto to get the "real Money" all week long. I understand the shortage of skilled labour in town. If your billing rate is double what it would be locally, the drive makes sense. It also makes sense that these folks want their weekends off. It seems like this would open up opportunity for some entrepreneur to start up a high service level local business - but if someone has, I have yet to find them.
What local guys I have found were so highly priced, and with such long waits, I couldn't hold out for them, (This was for drywall/framing guys) and opted to DIY.
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On my Austrian blind, I am replacing plastic rings which deteriorate in the sun with brass rings I found that my father was going to throw out. The rings were green and horrible when I got them, but look nice now. As it is an existing blind, it doesn't need to be trimmed (and Austrian blinds are very forgiving, size wise). Installation will occur when the room has been fixed.
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I put an ad on Kijiji today... 6 views in the first hour. Not bad.
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Feedback, not quoting.
You like exclamation points!!!!!
I would get the car out of the exterior pictures. Unless you had a specific reason for having it in?
You mention the country kitchen, but no photo - you mentioned it, you need to show it.
Hope this helped? Oh, take one off the new # viewers, that was me just now.
And people do browse, I have been looking at lots of ads on Kijiji and I am months away from moving.
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Feedback, not quoting.
You like exclamation points!!!!!
I would get the car out of the exterior pictures. Unless you had a specific reason for having it in?
You mention the country kitchen, but no photo - you mentioned it, you need to show it.
Hope this helped? Oh, take one off the new # viewers, that was me just now.
And people do browse, I have been looking at lots of ads on Kijiji and I am months away from moving.
- Car is in because shiny orange things draw attention.
- kitchen is a shambles. No photo is the best option there.
Agree on the browsing. Also I suspect all the hits so far are off the forum. :)
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Two replies to the ad so far. both from the same email addy, both with the same text. Sent about 2 seconds apart.
Bot? I think its a bot. Unless someone hit send twice.
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Hitting send twice is a thing.
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Hitting send twice is a thing
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Hello Snacky, are you a bot?
Please answer the following question to prove you are human:
(47^8)-4(the area of Kazakhstan)/(5((32.9/the average number of raccoons per square km in Toronto)^3)^4^5)
Thanks.
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42.
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Are the photos with furniture from the previous owner?
Is the tree swing still in the backyard?
Good luck showing and renting!
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42.
I actually haven't read that book. I tried Zen (for some reason people who read one seem to also have read the other), but didn't get far. I should give it a go.
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Are the photos with furniture from the previous owner?
Is the tree swing still in the backyard?
Good luck showing and renting!
1. yes - from the listing when we bought.
2. Yes. it is J1's favourite hangout when we are there.
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Any chance that the swing is a liability? Rope breaks, etc.....
So close! I bet you have learned a lot from this -
- proper tasks where your dad's help is actually help
- better time estimates for work
- what to contract, what to DIY
- planning, what helps, what you need to delay
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I'm not worried about the swing.
I've been reading here a lot lately. The blogger is one of our speakers at CMC, and the laundry list of articles is a great resource to me.
http://landlordrescue.ca/all-posts/
Worth looking at for ideas if nothing else.
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Getting there!
Your pictures don't do it justice. I can be more specific if you need me to be.
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Snacky - give this article (http://landlordrescue.ca/landlord-101-screening-tenants/) a read. (Same blog, but applies to selecting tenants)
CW - be as specific as you want - I'll snap more pics this weekend to post before we travel.
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Definitely get rid of the mud shot in the backyard. Either take it from the mud side or avoid the ground all together. Or put it in the ad that it will be sodded by June.
Is that plastic on the window in the pink room? And what's with those wires?
Main pic of house should be closer and not shaded if possible.
The upstairs landing looks confusing and if they figure out that one of the rooms is a bathroom, it looks small. (Which it is - but that's not a selling feature.)
I'm thinking unfurnished room pics will probably be better unless you feel they make the bdrm look too small?
Those were the things that popped out at me.
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Definitely get rid of the mud shot in the backyard. Either take it from the mud side or avoid the ground all together. Or put it in the ad that it will be sodded by June.
Is that plastic on the window in the pink room? And what's with those wires?
Main pic of house should be closer and not shaded if possible.
The upstairs landing looks confusing and if they figure out that one of the rooms is a bathroom, it looks small. (Which it is - but that's not a selling feature.)
I'm thinking unfurnished room pics will probably be better unless you feel they make the bdrm look too small?
Those were the things that popped out at me.
Thanks! Will make some changes once I have other pics. I'll need to clean out all the tools etc. on Friday when I get up there, then I can take better pics on Saturday morning. I'll keep all of this in mind.
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The picture that is four pictures is odd. One, why are these not individual slides. Two, three of the four are bedrooms but the other one is the landing for the stairs? Why is that with the pictures of bedrooms? It's a four bedroom, where is the picture of the fourth bedroom?
Also this might be a Canada thing but 200 sqft lot makes it sound like the yard is only about 20'x10' but that doesn't seem right so I'm just confused about what 200 sqft lot means.
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The picture that is four pictures is odd. One, why are these not individual slides. Two, three of the four are bedrooms but the other one is the landing for the stairs? Why is that with the pictures of bedrooms? It's a four bedroom, where is the picture of the fourth bedroom?
Also this might be a Canada thing but 200 sqft lot makes it sound like the yard is only about 20'x10' but that doesn't seem right so I'm just confused about what 200 sqft lot means.
Good questions! The 4-in-one pic is stolen from the feature sheet when I bought the house. They are too small (low res) if I break them up and blow them up.
The 4th bedroom will get a pic once it has a floor. :)
The ad says 200 foot lot - which around here means "really big!" Its normal to see a 40 foot lot, so this is a lot of space. Many townhouses are on 20 foot lots. A renter coming out of a complex will feel like they have endless space with a yard that big. Then they get to cut the grass...
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I would say 200 foot frontage or 200 foot wide lot, just to be clear. clarity is your friend.
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I wouldn't mention it at all. Numbers is confusing and peoples is dumb. Lot sizes usually matter to buyers, not renters.
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This all sounds negative. Sorry about that...
I'd remove "parking for RVs" - It's obvious from the lot size and everything else, and might encourage the wrong type of tenant.
I have a lot of problems with the outside pictures. I think it's cultural - I am used to pictures of houses with gardens and lawns. It all looks so desolate to me. The front house picture is all road and dead earth on the other side of the road, and there is junk in the front yard - milk crates and stuff - get it out, and take a picture with a little of the trees showing on each side (not much) - it is the house they are interested in. The picture of the pond adds nothing to me (this one gives me the heeby-jeebies, and I think it's a problem with it being a completely different climate), especially with the milk crates and the car. The back yard is OK, but, is there a carport on the side? If so, I would take it to show the carport better, and have the swing in incidentally rather than being the main focus of the shot. That also gets rid of the fence.
Does your camera have any wide-angle? Most home photos are taken somewhat wide angle - you might need that for the front house shot,to eliminate the road, and it can make the rooms look bigger (real estate agents go too far, but you want something that makes the rooms look like you perceive them, rather than tiny).
One of the inside pictures has a shelf with plants on it inside the window. Do you really want your new tenants adding such a shelf?
I do like the minimalist approach to the words and I agree with others that if you mention a room, it's a good idea to show it. People like to see pictures of bathrooms.
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Joining in!!!
Since there are no pics of the kitchen or bathrooms, I'd assume they look like murder scenes. When you can, take some nice shots of these rooms.
I'd also pull the ad until you get all the photos sorted out. That will make it fresh again. Anyone, who's seen it now and didn't like it won't look again when you update photos. However, they will look again when the ad is new.
Will you allow pets? Regardless of what you decide, put this info in the ad.
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Wow! so much constructive feedback! Thanks all.
Deb, you amuse me. This is the land of dead grass right now. I take no offense. You can't get a shot of property/landscaping this time of year without it being dead stuff. And yes, it is somewhat desolate. The "milk crate" you see is a lobster trap. It was part of the landscaping from the previous owner. I agree, it should go.
Bathroom and kitchen pics... nope. What am I going to go with? The upstairs half-bath that we all discussed at length because the roof lines are awful? The main floor bath in peacock blue? The kitchen which is currently gutted while it awaits doors and backsplash?
Today I got 7 replies to the ad, 3 of which are in earnest. We'll see how many show up on Saturday.
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You have seen my ad. Extreeeemely strategic photos of the parts of rooms that aren't stacks of boxes or obvious problems. Enough to not look sketchy, no more.
Granted, I have the luxury of living in the house that needs photographing.
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I would say 200 foot frontage or 200 foot wide lot, just to be clear. clarity is your friend.
Or say nothing, since they have to mow. Or just say large yard.
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I replied to everyone, and one of the keeners showing great interest got back to me nearly instantly. The conversation says this will not be my tenant of choice...
im interested in seeing this house where r u located?
To which I replied with my standard response:
Hi Stacey, Thanks for your interest in our rental.
Please complete the attached Rental application and bring it with you on Saturday. The house is at <Address>. It is accessed through the <new subdivision>. Please see the map below
Landscaping is to be completed this spring and interior renos are almost complete. We are currently refacing the kitchen and putting in new floors in the upstairs bedrooms.
I look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning. If you have difficulty finding the house, please stop at Convergys and ask for directions. It can be difficult to find the laneway.
And then her keener reply:
is there anywayi can meet u to get the application i wont be able to print this one off😕
What I'd like to send: "I believe there is a library in town. There is also a Staples. I am not your mother and I won't be printing the application for you. Buh bye."
What I will send: Nothing. Nothing at all.
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Picture of the tree with the swing looks dodgy because the swing looks really faded and the little kid yellow part is really high - pull it down and take the pic again without the mudbath and with the swing "set up".
Agreed that I want to see a photo of every bedroom, and at least 1 shot of the kitchen and 1 shot of the bathroom before I (as a reliable and awesome tenant) would view it seriously. I know you aren't done in the kitchen, though, so maybe just the bathroom? I'd also be wary of a landlord who promised the kitchen would be done before I moved in, but hadn't finished before holding a viewing.
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It seems like we have a bit of a disconnect in teh viewing audience here, and I am forced to forge ahead with what I think is best. Not so very long ago it was a chorus of "Get showing it - it doesn't have to be perfect and complete!!" And now it seems to be "You can't show it half-done!" and yet here we are facing the reality that I will be away for the next couple weeks and need to get processing applications so we can get income happening. If I wanted better pics, I would be waiting forever to get a listing up. The landscaping won't happen until June at the earliest. The floors will go in over the next couple weeks. It would be a glorious thing to have the luxury of waiting a month to list it, but the competition with other units then would be intense. Spring markets here can be crazy. Also, new pics as rooms reach completion means the ad pops back to the top of the list.
I do have a number of very interested replies to the ad - although some have that tone of desperation that sets off alarm bells. like this one:
I can give you 2000.00* asap I am so in desperate need of a place for now I don't even care what it looks like..could you please call me at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX
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*Note - first and last month's rent will be $3600, not good at math, this one is.
Reading on other forums, the whole prescreen process will take about a month, and getting the place tenanted usually takes 2. Getting the ad out now means I will have exposure as the season ramps up, and hopefully a tenant before too long. Hopefully.
I think this market does not have a lot of family homes to offer and I am in a good space to find a tenant regardless. We shall see.
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Um, weren't you going to have a property management company for the house? Or am I thinking of someone else? You are heading on vacation - is your time worth more starting to screen illiterate innumerate prospective tenants, or getting stuff done at the house? And leaving tenant screening to a company that knows how to do it?
Not snarking, just hoping you have thought your priorities through.
And feel free to keep yelling at me to get working on my own priorities.
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I think you've confused "Perfect and complete" with "functioning" :) eg it doesn't need a redesigned kitchen, but the kitchen needs cupboards/drawers :)
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When I rented, I viewed a place that had all the bits in the bathroom in a corner. When I got in a week later, it was all connected and working. I was not upset about the bits - it was obviously a complete set of bits. I wouldn't worry about a photo of a peacock blue bathroom.
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Just had about 10 families through. Got 4 applications and a couple 'we'll email it to you's"
Only one person vocally disinterested. One asked to come back this afternoon with his wife.
One wants to run a Contracting company out of the garage.
One is a DND transfer with a homeschooling wife.
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Just had about 10 families through. Got 4 applications and a couple 'we'll email it to you's"
Only one person vocally disinterested. One asked to come back this afternoon with his wife.
One wants to run a Contracting company out of the garage.
One is a DND transfer with a homeschooling wife.
Sounds like a good level of interest.
The one wanting to run a business from the garage concerns me..... They should be looking to rent commercial space. Could be zoning issues. But overall sounds like a cheapskate half-assed approach to running a business. But, I don't know enough about it.
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That is awesome and encouraging. This thing is going to work out, you know.
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I think so. There is a common air of desperation. It seems that 3 bedroom places are scarce. 4 bedroom unheard of. I was mobbed exactly at 10:00 when I said the open house would start. One family asked to move in before renos were completed (I said no) because they've been looking so long. Of course she was a single mom with 7 kids, a canso-corso and a Pitt bull.
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Are DND jobs in that town longer-term (i.e. they won't be likely to move after a year or need to break the lease suddenly due to a transfer)? At least you know paycheques from the federal government will always clear (as long as he hasn't been screwed by the bungled Phoenix pay system).
What's your criteria for picking? Do you think this means you priced the rent too low?
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I think so. There is a common air of desperation. It seems that 3 bedroom places are scarce. 4 bedroom unheard of. I was mobbed exactly at 10:00 when I said the open house would start. One family asked to move in before renos were completed (I said no) because they've been looking so long. Of course she was a single mom with 7 kids, a canso-corso and a Pitt bull.
Gee, what could go wrong? LOL
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I think so. There is a common air of desperation. It seems that 3 bedroom places are scarce. 4 bedroom unheard of. I was mobbed exactly at 10:00 when I said the open house would start. One family asked to move in before renos were completed (I said no) because they've been looking so long. Of course she was a single mom with 7 kids, a canso-corso and a Pitt bull.
Is a canso-Corsica an Italian Mastiff?
With two big dogs and 7 kids - plan on replacing the flooring when a family like that moves out!
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No No No! Just say No.
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Are DND jobs in that town longer-term (i.e. they won't be likely to move after a year or need to break the lease suddenly due to a transfer)? At least you know paycheques from the federal government will always clear (as long as he hasn't been screwed by the bungled Phoenix pay system).
What's your criteria for picking? Do you think this means you priced the rent too low?
If the DND family gets transferred before the end of the lease, DND will cover lease breaking costs.
When we rented our suite, we preferred DND tenants for their steady paycheck, ability to cover lease breaking costs (aka unlikely to disappear in the night) and the fact that DH is also DND and likely outranked them.
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No No No! Just say No.
But her odsp gets deposited straight into my bank! And she had a deal with her last LL where if she overpaid the rent, they'd split the extra so she could get a little spending money. So you know, if I raised the rent by, like, $500 on the application, she'd kick me back an extra $250.
I can't see why you'd say no to this.
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Are DND jobs in that town longer-term (i.e. they won't be likely to move after a year or need to break the lease suddenly due to a transfer)? At least you know paycheques from the federal government will always clear (as long as he hasn't been screwed by the bungled Phoenix pay system).
What's your criteria for picking? Do you think this means you priced the rent too low?
If the DND family gets transferred before the end of the lease, DND will cover lease breaking costs.
When we rented our suite, we preferred DND tenants for their steady paycheck, ability to cover lease breaking costs (aka unlikely to disappear in the night) and the fact that DH is also DND and likely outranked them.
Yes. I was hoping for a DND family. He was an airframe mechanic. I don't know how often those guys move around.
The challenge with them is that they want a very quick move in date.
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It seems like we have a bit of a disconnect in teh viewing audience here, and I am forced to forge ahead with what I think is best.
I'm kind of amazed at how picky people are being in re: the listing; I've been renting since 1999 and have never toured - let alone rented - an apartment that I'd seen pictures of beforehand. In high-demand markets, people are desperate to find anything that ticks off most of their boxes for a reasonable price. By the time you saw a nice-looking listing with pretty photos, and called to see the place, it had been taken off the market.
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A town employee just ran over my house number sign. He is now standing at the end of the driveway with it clamped in the vise on the back of his truck trying to bend it straight. I feel for the guy.
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Are DND jobs in that town longer-term (i.e. they won't be likely to move after a year or need to break the lease suddenly due to a transfer)? At least you know paycheques from the federal government will always clear (as long as he hasn't been screwed by the bungled Phoenix pay system).
What's your criteria for picking? Do you think this means you priced the rent too low?
If the DND family gets transferred before the end of the lease, DND will cover lease breaking costs.
When we rented our suite, we preferred DND tenants for their steady paycheck, ability to cover lease breaking costs (aka unlikely to disappear in the night) and the fact that DH is also DND and likely outranked them.
Yes. I was hoping for a DND family. He was an airframe mechanic. I don't know how often those guys move around.
The challenge with them is that they want a very quick move in date.
As short as every 18-24 months, or as long as 10 years.
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With this level of interest you can be picky. 4 bedrooms, and easy for DND personnel means you are perfect for DND people. Plus you can always complain to their commanding officer if issues. ;-)
How is DND doing with the Phoenix mess? (thank you Stephen Harper for that mess, even thought the Liberals are having to deal with it now). Sorry, didn't mean to get political but it is a big deal in Ottawa. And you want your tenants to be getting paid properly.
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https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/remuneration-compensation/paye-centre-pay/tableau-phenix-phoenix-dashboard-eng.html
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https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/remuneration-compensation/paye-centre-pay/tableau-phenix-phoenix-dashboard-eng.html
That looks, um, not good.
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Yeah, hard to believe they are posting these updates - like it's a good thing or something.
I'm on the overpaid side, just waiting for them to figure that out. It's only been a year...
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Being around Ottawans, I hear it all - overpaid, underpaid, messed up mat leaves, messed up raises, messed up contract renewals, messed up computer authority. Basically, if what I have heard is correct, Phoenix had never been used on this large a group of employees before, and it wasn't up to it.
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Posting to follow (again)! It was worrying to see that ARS locked the previous thread, but then I got to the posting issues. Phew!
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So I've been installing a floor all day. The first day back after vacation is not proving to be particularly productive. Hoping to have all the bedroom floors in by this time tomorrow.
We'll see if I am up to the goal.
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Master bedroom mostly floored. As the day went on I had a headache of increasing intensity set in. By about 6:00 all I could do was stand, so I put myself to bed. I blame the saw dust off the laminate. Today I'm setting up the saw outside and wearing a respirator.
If I can get the front room done this morning, I'll be a happy guy.
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Master floor all done but for a 1" strip which shall cause much grief.
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Some interesting finds under the front bedroom floor.
An original receipt from Eatons for the "Enamelon" floor for a total of $9.45.
And under the floor, a 1949 Toronto Star protecting the old pine plank floor.
Cool to find treasures.
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Will you keep the newspapers?
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Will you keep the newspapers?
Probably not.
I'll stuff them into a wall cavity or something for someone else to find.
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Will you keep the newspapers?
Probably not.
I'll stuff them into a wall cavity or something for someone else to find.
LOL! DH and I approve. (I'm guessing old newspapers aren't worth much, if sold.)
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Sometimes along the path to mark things right, you find a lot that's wrong. The floors of this closet was a piece of panelling. Under it were a few flooring scraps and a big hole. When they ran heat ducts in this place they really buggered up the old floors.
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Renovating old houses is the adult version of a prankster Easter Egg hunt. Sometimes you find cool prizes (the newspaper) and sometimes you find dog kibble (the hole in the floor!). It's always an adventure.
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Well, I'm calling the weekend complete. Had a couple prospective tenants through and a couple no shows. The floors are in upstairs, and there are windows in the living room for installation next week.
The Chestnut canoe is on the car. I'll send it over to the in laws to return it to the cottage.
Tomorrow it's back to work at the office. I can't hardly wait.
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Yay! Floors are done.
Any good prospective tenants? Did any from the first showing follow through?
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Yay! Floors are done.
Any good prospective tenants? Did any from the first showing follow through?
One that came through was interesting, the other less so.
DND guy has backed out.
I’ll run the add for another week and then reevaluate.
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Sad how that 1" strip will probably take longer than the rest of the room - much grief is right on the last row! Floors look really good. I think it's hard for tenants to commit when they can't be sure of a move in date. Most people want "ready now" for rentals. Are you installing your windows? We're at that point still and stalled, stalled, stalled at our FIRE house.
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The windows are stacked against a living room wall.
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Personally, as a renter I'd be very leery of an incomplete reno. I'm sure you're reliable, but from their point of view once you've secured a renter your motivation to finish quickly drops. I had one place promise that they'd be done before I moved in, but predicting how long these things take is kind of tough for anyone, so I never have much faith in construction schedules. Especially not my own.
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Personally, as a renter I'd be very leery of an incomplete reno. I'm sure you're reliable, but from their point of view once you've secured a renter your motivation to finish quickly drops. I had one place promise that they'd be done before I moved in, but predicting how long these things take is kind of tough for anyone, so I never have much faith in construction schedules. Especially not my own.
Thanks carless - I appreciate the tip. Maybe I'll let the ad sink into the abyss of kijiji and bring it back to the top once the windows are all in. The floors are just about done already.
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Why do you use glossy exterior paint on indoor trim? Is it more durable?
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This weekend has been frustrating. I put in the front entryway floor and it took longer and more swearing than I had expected. Oh well, it's done now.
I am now wasting my afternoon waiting on people who aren't showing up to see the place. I swept and cleaned at 1:00 to have it ready for a 2:00, 2:30, and 3:00 showing. So far no one has come. What a waste of time.
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Have them all come at the same time. They can start a bidding war if necessary. 😎
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Have them all come at the same time. They can start a bidding war if necessary. 😎
I tried that the first time. One guy was very vocally negative and chased off the whole crowd.
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Vet big mouths prior to the showing. Have two - one for all the big mouths, and one for the others.
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I'm sorry it was a frustrating weekend, Prosp. I hope the week is better.
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Ugh - no shows. When you could have been moving things along! This week will be better - sending positive vibes your way!
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And it's Friday night again. What is happening at Barnhouse this weekend? Besides praying the basement does not flood.
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Hopefully Windows and some trim work.
The floor has wet spots, but not full scale flooding. The pond across the road is draining out its overflow. Fun times.
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Trying to install window(s) today. It is already not going well. I should have either tore out the whole old window frame and started from scratch, or hired a pro.
There's going to be a whole lot of rework on this.
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Trying to install window(s) today. It is already not going well. I should have either tore out the whole old window frame and started from scratch, or hired a pro.
There's going to be a whole lot of rework on this.
Do you have any helpers? Many things are so much easier if there is someone to at least help lift in and hold things in place while you fasten things in place.
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Trying to install window(s) today. It is already not going well. I should have either tore out the whole old window frame and started from scratch, or hired a pro.
There's going to be a whole lot of rework on this.
Do you have any helpers? Many things are so much easier if there is someone to at least help lift in and hold things in place while you fasten things in place.
See if Sam is available?
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It's cutting out the old stuff that's problematic. Not a spot where a helper would make a difference.
And if Sam came to help I would consider it a high honour no matter what her condition.
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I put an ad on Kijiji today... 6 views in the first hour. Not bad.
Is this where the ad used to be? I can't see what everyone else is talking about.
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How did your weekend go? Did the window situation get resolved?
Did you try turning it offand turning it on again? That helps when I am installing Windows.
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I took the link to the ad off.... its expired anyways.
We managed to get one window in, after much swearing. The good news part of the story is that we now have a plan for installing the rest of the windows. Hopefully they go faster. The bad news is that we will have to take out the existing framing and the trim we put up to do it. Parts of the old window frames that we thought were nailed in were actually a single board that had been cut to a profile. Damn those craftsmen doing quality work. This means that rather than using a prybar and popping out nails, we had to carve/chisel to get the opening size we were after. This was much work.
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That sounds difficult and frustrating. You are getting thwarted a lot. How is morale?
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That sounds difficult and frustrating. You are getting thwarted a lot. How is morale?
I just want upstairs rented. That's what morale is at.
I got 2 really good applications on the weekend. A young couple - very young... early 20's starting out. Mom is on disability, dad works in a family construction business. They have a baby, and want to get set on their own.
Application 2 was 4 friends in their mid 20's looking to move in together. Excellent money numbers since they are all working, but I have concerns with partners showing up etc. OTOH, with only 1 full bathroom, I don't think 8 adults in the house would be very comfortable. AND... if it was uncomfortable, then just about the time the basement suite is done I could port them down there. Also - dust and construction noise is easier for 20-somethings to put up with than a 20 yr old stay at home Mom with a baby.
This coming weekend will be short because of Mother's day. I'm hoping to get at least another window in. If I get angry at the window, I'll switch to floors. I have one more floor to do and a runner to go up the stairs.
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Promising tenants are promising. One day this will be done and it will feel SO GOOD.
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Promising tenants are promising. One day this will be done and it will feel SO GOOD.
Speaks the voice of experience.
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I spent time at lunch watching videos of installing stair runners. I also priced a stapler and a knee kicker, and a stair tool. As was pointed outon here, Home Depot prices are beatable. With a little ingenuity, I think I can install the stair runner on my own and put in more of the vinyl laminate I used on the entryway as a floor for the upstairs landing. I need to put in a backsplash for the kitchen still. Once I do that, we will have reached substantial completion on this project. And with substantial completion, we will be able to turn to small repairs and patches.
This weekend my goal will be to get as many windows in as possible. It is also Mothers' day and I will have to return home on Saturday night. This means I will not have time to fart around with details. The plan at this point is to cut out the top and port side of the existing window frames, chisel out the high points on the sill and starboard side, and install the new window. If the fates smile upon me (I suspect they won't) I hope to get one window opening prepped on Friday night and a second on Saturday morning. Then I can turn to installing the new windows.
Between now and then, I will need to read up on stair runners. I have never installed carpet before, but this doesn't look at all complicated. The only part of it that scares me at all is that I don't know what staple size to use, or what gun to buy. Online there seems to be a big air vs electric debate, and a 22 ga vs 18 ga debate. I have no idea. We have underpad and tack strips from tearing out the carpet in the boys' room. I know you aren't supposed to reuse this stuff, but it all came out in a sheet, and reuse is easier than shopping.
So high priority work right now:
- - install 3 windows
- - carpet stairs
- - Kitchen backsplash
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Parts of the old window frames that we thought were nailed in were actually a single board that had been cut to a profile. Damn those craftsmen doing quality work. This means that rather than using a prybar and popping out nails, we had to carve/chisel to get the opening size we were after. This was much work.
Can you speed things up by using a power tool (reciprocating saw or circ saw, if it's shallow enough) to make those openings larger? You're going to use shims and then it'll be all covered up with trim, so the opening doesn't need to be all that straight.
Alternatively, go even larger (brute force rip out stuff right to the studs) and then use 2x4s or smaller dimension wood to shrink the opening size back down? I like doing that because it simplifies things, even when I'm not resizing the window. Otherwise, I'm trying to install flashing tape on 100 year old wood with peeling (probably leaded) paint and dealing with various other annoying things.
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Parts of the old window frames that we thought were nailed in were actually a single board that had been cut to a profile. Damn those craftsmen doing quality work. This means that rather than using a prybar and popping out nails, we had to carve/chisel to get the opening size we were after. This was much work.
Can you speed things up by using a power tool (reciprocating saw or circ saw, if it's shallow enough) to make those openings larger? You're going to use shims and then it'll be all covered up with trim, so the opening doesn't need to be all that straight.
Alternatively, go even larger (brute force rip out stuff right to the studs) and then use 2x4s or smaller dimension wood to shrink the opening size back down? I like doing that because it simplifies things, even when I'm not resizing the window. Otherwise, I'm trying to install flashing tape on 100 year old wood with peeling (probably leaded) paint and dealing with various other annoying things.
Yeah, I'm using a multitool and recip saw to try and open things up. Its great fun. Its not fast though.
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Such is life with an old house. You could take consolation in the fact that you're doing a better job than some rando contractor who will probably install the windows in such a way that results in water leakage in a few years. Or that if you keep the house long enough to need to replace the windows again, that the next time will be much easier.
I have a friend whose house had a leak in their kitchen ceiling when it rained. After ripping out a bunch of drywall, they tracked it down to window (it only leaked when it rains sideways, which was a good hint). I looked at the window - improperly installed by a contractor.
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A couple just came through the house. They want to move in in 2 days. They are so desperate, they’ll take the house as is.
They say they just don't like where they are, and they gave notice 4 months ago that they're moving, now they are down to the wire and have nowhere. This is a bad sign.
Mom, dad, 3 kids. The smallest is a baby who is disabled. I didn't am what was wrong with her, but she looked palsied. Tiny limbs, all twisted.
Mom stays home with the baby. Dad is a roofer. Both are covered in tattoos (including face and neck) . Half of the family income is the baby's benefits. If the kid doesn't make it, they have nothing. The other half of the family income is from roofing... which is seasonal.
Credit score is 700 for mom, 500 for Dad.
I think I'm filing this one under "nope", am I being judgy?
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A couple just came through the house. They want to move in in 2 days. They are so desperate, they’ll take the house as is.
They say they just don't like where they are, and they gave notice 4 months ago that they're moving, now they are down to the wire and have nowhere. This is a bad sign.
Mom, dad, 3 kids. The smallest is a baby who is disabled. I didn't am what was wrong with her, but she looked palsied. Tiny limbs, all twisted.
Mom stays home with the baby. Dad is a roofer. Both are covered in tattoos (including face and neck) . Half of the family income is the baby's benefits. If the kid doesn't make it, they have nothing. The other half of the family income is from roofing... which is seasonal.
Credit score is 700 for mom, 500 for Dad.
I think I'm filing this one under "nope", am I being judgy?
That's a tough one, but I just don't see them being able to pay.
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You need to have a good feeling about your tenants.
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If they gave notice without arranging a new place, it points to their inability to plan. We have thought of moving to that area in the next year, so I've looked at rental listings for BHT and the surrounding towns (we're not sure if we want to rent or buy). They are few and far between, which is why they don't have a place. Two minutes on kijiji would have shown them that a lot of the apartment listings are "looking for", not "offer to rent". Landlords will choose the ones with good credit scores and references, and they are lacking the first, and probably don't have the second either.
You want good tenants like Snacky.
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Do all tenants live off government money?
I am down to 3 viable contestants.
1. Kids on disability.
2. Family with palsied daughter - living off sick benefits. (I don't like them, but their numbers work)
3. Grandparents raising grandkids as crown wards.
This begins to feel like I'm getting my taxes back as a rent cheque. At least it's guaranteed income?
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Do any of these have rent paid directly from the funder to the landlord?
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Do any of these have rent paid directly from the funder to the landlord?
Now there's a holy grail...
Alas, these peasants are all heathens.
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Worked around a ton of different carpet guys over the years and have never seen anybody use an air stapler for carpet. Lots of air for stapling subfloors down with 1/4" crown staples, and finish nailers for things like shoe molding, but never carpet. Seems like all the pros. stick to Roberts brand tools in this area.
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Thanks hat. On YouTube it seems to be a mix of the hammer-style stapelers, electric, and air.
I like my air tools, but I can do electric.
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Do all tenants live off government money?
I am down to 3 viable contestants.
1. Kids on disability.
2. Family with palsied daughter - living off sick benefits. (I don't like them, but their numbers work)
3. Grandparents raising grandkids as crown wards.
This begins to feel like I'm getting my taxes back as a rent cheque. At least it's guaranteed income?
Some viable tenants live off government money. MIL had a tenant for years that was on some sort of rent assistance/disability. She was low maintenance and paid her rent via 12 post dated cheques mailed to MIL once/year. When we wanted to raise the rent, we just notified her, she notified the agency that subsidized her rent and her assistance went up by the same amount as the rent increase. Easy peasy.
Check out TheGrimSqueaker's blog. Its about how to rent out rooms in your house to people on disability. A lot of the logic will also apply to renting your SFH.
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Do all tenants live off government money?
I am down to 3 viable contestants.
1. Kids on disability.
2. Family with palsied daughter - living off sick benefits. (I don't like them, but their numbers work)
3. Grandparents raising grandkids as crown wards.
This begins to feel like I'm getting my taxes back as a rent cheque. At least it's guaranteed income?
Some viable tenants live off government money. MIL had a tenant for years that was on some sort of rent assistance/disability. She was low maintenance and paid her rent via 12 post dated cheques mailed to MIL once/year. When we wanted to raise the rent, we just notified her, she notified the agency that subsidized her rent and her assistance went up by the same amount as the rent increase. Easy peasy.
Check out TheGrimSqueaker's blog. Its about how to rent out rooms in your house to people on disability. A lot of the logic will also apply to renting your SFH.
My parent's best tenants were single mothers of only 1-2 children with subsidized housing benefits. They put in inspection provisions and lived right next door in a duplex. The type of single moms applying to live right next to the owner were the ones who wanted safety, not scamming. The HUD program paid their rents directly, so they were never late. My mom loved playing surrogate grandma to all the children. More than 2 kids, and it seemed like the moms weren't that involved. (As a mom of 3, I can say that the 3rd throws things into chaos fairly often.)
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Did you say done?
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We are nearing the end for the barnhouse renos upstairs. Not that everything I want to do is done though, more that enthusiasm has waned to the "fukit-I'm-done-with-this" level. The main floor is liveable. That's good enough for me. I'll spend about another month on it and then be done.
This past weekend I put in the rest of the windows in the living room. Things went more smoothly with the last one. The second to last, I thought I was being clever with but ended up with some major hackery. C'est la vie. That's what trim is for. Overall I am pleased with the windows. I now need to hire someone to do aluminum trim around the outside to make them watertight. In the interim, I've left the old storm windows on the house over the new windows. Youtube videos show how easy it is to apply aluminium, but I have no desire to keep learning stuff. And leaking flashings would be disastrous.
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I also pulled up the floor in the upstairs hallway. Similar to Snacky's project at the manse, the floor was a buildup of:
Layer 1 - Carpet tiles (thankfully not glued down)
Layer 2 - 6" Plastic peel & Stick Tiles
Layer 3 - 1/4" Luan ply nailed at 3" intervals
Layer 4 - original Pine floors
My goal was to remove everything down to the pine, then lay in... something. I have some laminate flooring left from the bedrooms, as well as some vinyl left from the front entry. Either one would be fine.
Removing the carpet tiles was done some time ago by the kids. It was super easy. The peel and stick I only removed where it was already lifting. Using a skil saw, I scored up the luan into about 36" pieces and set to work with a Johnson bar and a hammer. It was tough work, and I now feel buff. I knew it would be hard work, and I learned a few things.
- When the tiles bind against each other, it makes things incredibly difficult. This was easy to fix though, as soon as they started butting against each other, I'd pop one off and they'd slide rather than binding. This allowed the luan to flex, popping the nails.
- Squatting and pulling up hard can pop a whole sheet at once once the edge lets go.
- If all else fails, brute force wins. Ripping apart sheets of luan covered in plastic tiles can be strangely satisfying - and if the top ply tears away from the sheet, taking the tiles with it, you can pull a motherlode of nails out making things easier.
Another challenge I faced was that the "reading nook" - a bunch of built-in bookshelves - as well as the hallway closets and bathroom wall were all built on top of the luan/tile layer of floor. This would have normally been a dealbreaker for tearing this stuff out, but luckily, I had bought an oscillating multitool a while back for other jobs and it proved its worth for slicing through the luan/tile. Made things go super easy. Although the battery life on this thing is incredibly bad, its been a great tool for cutting out outlets from drywall, cutting away window trim, and general detail work all over the place. I think I'm pushing it too hard since I can kill its batteries in about 10 minutes.
Once the ply was up, the floor actually looked really good beneath it. I had to repair a few busted boards around a cold air return, and there were some marks from my prybars etc. But the floor looks mostly OK. I may just paint it instead of laying a new floor.
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The third major task for the weekend was giving the stairs a facelift. I have been fearing/avoiding this job for months. My plan was to remove the existing linoleum and then carpet the stairs to hide whatever ugly was hiding below. then I got the price to lay carpet and decided I would just put a runner up them. Runners are not available to match the width of the stairs, and the linoleum wasn't laid tight in the corners, so I was going to have to take a more "enthusiastic approach." I have been unenthusiastic about this.
Step 1 was removing the linoleum. It peeled away in a single sheet from top to bottom. The backing of the linoleum was some sort of fibre - maybe hemp, maybe coconut fibre. It was a course organic material which remained glued to the steps after the lino was gone. I let out a deep sigh and envisioned myself hand scraping every step so that I could sand them down.
I did that with the bottom stair, and then sanded it to reveal really nice pine under the glue. The pine looks nice enough that I thing an ebony stain would really look great on the treads with a traditional white riser. With this new plan in mind, I went ahead and removed the metal band that was used to edge the bottom step when the linoleum went on.
Then I sanded down a second step, and found that it was dotted with roofing nails. There must have been 15 roofers stuck in the tread. Ugh.
On closer inspection, the roofers were holding down a sheet of 1/4" ply that had been overlaid onto the step. I grabbed the Johnson bar and lifted the ply. Beneath the plywood there was about 1/8" of a mixture of paint, glue, and some kind of shellacish-elephant snot that was hardened into a glazed shell.
I was using my mini-belt sander (I made a youtube review here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NJqwcZfnEo) back when I thought I could get rich blogging) and with the coarsest grit of belts available, it did a good job of eating through the crap and raising the wood. Elation! There were still challenges though, first the belter couldn't get into the corners of the stair at all; second, the belt wore out after a single step; and third, the belter would heat up so hot that I couldn't touch it. it was literally burning my hands by the time a stair was done.
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I started a rotation of jobs. I would Sand down a stair until the sander got too hot to hold, then go and cut away a window frame until my arms were tired from holding the recip saw overhead, then go and cut away at the hall floor until the charge gave out on the oscillating tool, and then pull up hunks of luan until it felt like my arms/shoulders were going to give out.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
By the end of Sunday, I was sore and tired, but things were really coming along. I was also out of sand paper.
On Monday I use the oscillating tool with a detail sanding attachment to try and clean the elephant snot out of the corners of the stairs that the belter couldn't reach. It did a semi-adequate job of it. I wasn't pleased though, and the sanding pads wore out way too fast. I may hit them again with a rasp attachment instead. I now have half of the stairs stripped to raw wood.
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In order to have some fun, I started a fire to let burn while everything else was going on , and by the time I left for home on Monday afternoon I had burnt up a massive pile of scrap lumber from the garage. This is a huge relief. Next weekend I'll do the same with a second pile. As we've worked on the house, everything I tore out from beams to rafters, to studs to trim, to offcuts has been thrown in 2 bays in the garage. The piles have gotten big enough that I can't work around them anymore. So, when I felt like I needed a break from the work rotation, I'd go to the garage for fresh air and cut the scrap into 18" lengths to fit in the chiminea in the back yard.
That fire was damned hot. And flames were flying about 6' out the top of the firebox. Lucky for me the neighbours never said anything. I kept it pumping all day Sunday and Monday.
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On Saturday night I went to visit a family in town. I had mentioned them earlier - a pair of grandparents raising their 4 grand-kids as crown wards. Grandma works as a PSW in a nursing home that you can walk to from Barnhouse (its on the other side of the pond) in a Union position with 15 years seniority. Grandpa is up for surgery next month and stays home with the grandkids on a combined income of disability and payments from the government for fostering the grandkids. The family income puts them nicely in 40% bracket for rent to income ratio. When they came through to tour the house, Grandma showed me their gov't cheques as proof of income and offered to sign them over to me for first and last month's rent. I declined until I had a decision made. When we met, she handed me the first and last in cash money. I don't know how to deposit that to Tangerine. I haven't actually had to deposit that much cash to the account yet.
Together we went over the lease agreement and cleared up what they expected of the house. Grandpa asked if it would be OK for him to finish some jobs - he likes to tinker, and has a full tool set, which he proudly showed me. So he will be refinishing the built-ins in the kids' room, dealing with the landscaping work out back, and doing some painting and refinishing the kitchen cabinets. Perfect. He can't fuck things up any worse than I have, and if he does he has to live with it. On their reference check, the previous landlord mentioned the improvements these two had made to the houses they had rented from them (15 yrs in house 1, 2 years in house 2) and they seemed happy with the work.
As I left the grand kids came running in from the backyard. I was walking to the car and heard cheering and yelling "We got it! We got it!!" The kids sounded thrilled. I warmed my cockly heart.
The family will have access to store stuff starting on June 1, with a move-in date of June 15th. On June 2 we will do a walk-thru to figure out what I need to complete by the 15th. Three weekends to wrap everything up. The end is in sight.
Once the family is in, I'll take the summer off. In the fall I'll be back to deal with the basement. I'll need something to do over the winter!
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WOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!
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Awesome news! It's wonderful you found a family who needs a nice place to live and will keep it nice, and doubly wonderful you get the summer off from reno work.
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Wow! That is an amazing amount of effort, and a really wonderful outcome. The new family sounds great.
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WTG, Prospector! Those sound like great tenants.
Not that everything I want to do is done though, more that enthusiasm has waned to the "fukit-I'm-done-with-this" level.
Pretty sure most of life works like that. The grandpa sounds like he'll help out and probably appreciates the improvements you've made (who doesn't love a newly-done place?)
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Yay a family!! Congrats on the renting. I hope you had a cold beer* in celebration.
*Or your drink/dessert/treat of choice.
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Aw, who knew your barnhouse story would have such a sweet ending? Nice, very nice.
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Awww. So cute.
You go to a Scotia machine and follow instructions. Possibly break it up into a few deposits. The envelope free machines are crazy new science. They can even take a picture of your money, and print it on the receipt.
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Such great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Woohoo - renters! And it sounds like they don't move every year.
Maybe the guy can help you with the downstairs reno! Maybe only while you are there working, at least at first.
Congratulations!
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As I left the grand kids came running in from the backyard. I was walking to the car and heard cheering and yelling "We got it! We got it!!" The kids sounded thrilled. I warmed my cockly heart.
nice! congratulations
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Super news! Good for you, good for them - who could ask for anything more?
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Woohoo - renters! And it sounds like they don't move every year.
Maybe the guy can help you with the downstairs reno! Maybe only while you are there working, at least at first.
Congratulations!
The liability of this makes me cringe. If he hurts himself while working on his own space without me there, it seems less likely to end in a lawsuit against me. If he picks up my tool and slices his leg, I seem to carry more liability.
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Woohoo - renters! And it sounds like they don't move every year.
Maybe the guy can help you with the downstairs reno! Maybe only while you are there working, at least at first.
Congratulations!
The liability of this makes me cringe. If he hurts himself while working on his own space without me there, it seems less likely to end in a lawsuit against me. If he picks up my tool and slices his leg,
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Yay! They sound like good tenants. Congrats--- you have worked hard for this! (I say that as someone who has been helping my husband convert a duplex into a SFR only 2 miles from our home--for the past year.)
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Sweet! So much never ending work has ended! Beautiful!
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Hooray!!
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It's Official - you are now a Landlord.
https://youtu.be/SGx3IA7oXho (https://youtu.be/SGx3IA7oXho)
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We're nearing the end of the barnhouse renos. This weeeknd I got trim around the new windows (I had to tear out the trim we had put in around the original windows). The tenants stopped by and I gave them keys - they can start bringing stuff over this week with occupancy on the 15th. This was important to them so they could get heavy stuff moved before the husband goes for a surgery later this month.
We walked through and made up a must-do list for me. I was surprised by how short it is, and by what they are willing to do. I need to make up a handful of panels for the kitchen, put in heat vent covers, finish trimming the windows, get the stairs painted and hook up a couple electric outlets.
They want to do the heavy work of installing a kitchen backsplash, finish the landscaping in the yard, etc. I am a little concerned with the quality of work, but really... even if they screw up everything, its all stuff that I plan on ripping out and redoing before the next tenant anyway. It will all be OK. Even the landscaping is just moving dirt around.
I have 2 weekends to paint a staircase, install some electric outlets, and trim windows. Should be do-able.
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I have 2 weekends to paint a staircase, install some electric outlets, and trim windows. Should be do-able.
You will be done by noon Saturday next weekend. Seriously, after all you have done at Barnhouse, this is almost nothing.
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WOOOOOOOOOOO!
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Ooh wow so freaking close! These tenants will hopefully be as awesome as they seem to be (pay rent on time and not cause a fuss).
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Yes - it is getting close. And it will be nice to get the summer off. I have to remind myself though that come fall it will be back at 'er, and phase 2 will be just as onerous. Minus the drywall dude and plumber.
Last night I stood in the basement looking at the mess left by the plumber and trying to figure out just what I was supposed to make of it all. The waste lines for the tub, sink, and toilet are all about a foot apart, without a hookup for the kitchen sink at all. I am not sure what I am supposed to do with this, but I suspect reworking the plumber's efforts is in the cards. If a tradesperson is available and cheap, you probably can't afford them.
I won't be hiring a drywall guy for the basement unit.
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You are making me afraid of the HVAC guys (or gals to be fair) tomorrow....I reglazed a tub/shower today...HVAC redo tomorrow? (I hope not.)
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Do you have PEX for plumbing in Canada? If you do, I highly recommend running any water supply lines with it. It's so easy *I* can use it.
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Do you have PEX for plumbing in Canada? If you do, I highly recommend running any water supply lines with it. It's so easy *I* can use it.
We do have PEX... but I am still nervous about using it. This basement unit would actually be a good test though. My concerns with the plumbing are all on the waste side. I gave our plumber a layout drawing but I don't think he paid much attention to it.
Oh well, "make it work" is my middle name.
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Do you have PEX for plumbing in Canada? If you do, I highly recommend running any water supply lines with it. It's so easy *I* can use it.
We do have PEX... but I am still nervous about using it. This basement unit would actually be a good test though. My concerns with the plumbing are all on the waste side. I gave our plumber a layout drawing but I don't think he paid much attention to it.
Oh well, "make it work" is my middle name.
There really is not need to be nervous. It makes plumbing 1,000,000% easier. It should make plumbers a little terrified because DIY is getting simpler all the time.
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Do you have PEX for plumbing in Canada? If you do, I highly recommend running any water supply lines with it. It's so easy *I* can use it.
We do have PEX... but I am still nervous about using it. This basement unit would actually be a good test though. My concerns with the plumbing are all on the waste side. I gave our plumber a layout drawing but I don't think he paid much attention to it.
Oh well, "make it work" is my middle name.
There really is not need to be nervous. It makes plumbing 1,000,000% easier. It should make plumbers a little terrified because DIY is getting simpler all the time.
My concerns with it are that in 10 years California will discover that leachate from the PEX causes cancer or that in 10 years the gasketed connections start failing. I've taken a wait-and-see approach on the technology for the past 15 years, but I'm starting to come around to it. This would be a good project for it because...
1. my plumber used PEX to tie the new city water supply to the existing so there is already some in the house
2. The suite will be a "wet-wall" design where all plumbing for the suite is in one wall. If it fails, the sump pit is adjacent to teh wall, so everything should drain to the sump.
3. The suite will be removed if/when we move into the house, so any problems will be torn out in the future anyways.
Its worth considering. OTOH... if I solder copper connections and burn the house down from the basement, insurance pays for replacement.
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We used PEX on our sailboat to completely replace the old freshwater system and proceeded to travel 1,000 miles on it. No leaks. Do it! DOOO EEET!
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My concerns with it are that in 10 years California will discover that leachate from the PEX causes cancer or that in 10 years the gasketed connections start failing. I've taken a wait-and-see approach on the technology for the past 15 years, but I'm starting to come around to it.
+1 I wonder sometimes if PEX isn't this generations version of aluminum wiring, asbestos or lead paint.
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My concerns with it are that in 10 years California will discover that leachate from the PEX causes cancer or that in 10 years the gasketed connections start failing. I've taken a wait-and-see approach on the technology for the past 15 years, but I'm starting to come around to it.
+1 I wonder sometimes if PEX isn't this generations version of aluminum wiring, asbestos or lead paint.
I keep thinking of UFFI.
https://torontoism.com/real-estate/2015/11/uffi-foam-insulation
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Hey Prospector congratulations!!!
Haven't had time for the journals in a while but just caught up on this one and I am so happy to hear that it is rented!
What a relief! Just reading about all that work made me exhausted! You are a rock star.
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Hey Prospector congratulations!!!
Haven't had time for the journals in a while but just caught up on this one and I am so happy to hear that it is rented!
What a relief! Just reading about all that work made me exhausted! You are a rock star.
Well... if you say so. I guess I'll go put on my stage makeup. Its almost time to drop the kids at school.
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I would dearly love to see that.
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My house in NM was plumbed in polybutylene pipes, it was a leaky mess. We had the house replumbed in PEX for about $6k USD. We didn't do the main line... it ruptured around a year later and cost an additional $1k to replace. Plumbing is no fun, but the PEX was good for us.
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It's mid-afternoon - progress?
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I'm home.
The tenants have started moving in. I find this satisfying. We have almost completed our punchlist items for before the tenants move in. All that remains is a second coat of paint on the stairs, one electric outlet to be hooked up, and a couple dump runs to get rid of the remaining construction debris.
Next weekend I'll head back up to finish things off and then we'll be done.
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Fantastic!!!!!
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Woot! Way to go with hitting the finish line!
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I just realised. Today is FRIDAY where you are. You didn't even put in any of the weekend there. What will you do with your weekend?
I thought you were working there this weekend and taking next weekend off to go to Butter tart festival something special.
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Today is/was Saturday. Tomorrow I'm taking the boys to see Captain Underpants in3D.
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So done that you're successfully weekending tomorrow. Yayayayayay
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I get thoroughly confused at times - between being retired and not caring what day of the week it is, and having different days of the week to all of America, it just isn't fair. Sorry about accusing you of not doing any work on the Barnhouse this weekend.
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Great news! I am sure your garden will be happy to have you home too.
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Doing Barnhouse banking this morning, and for the first time ever, I don't need to do a funds transfer to cover carrying costs...
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Doing Barnhouse banking this morning, and for the first time ever, I don't need to do a funds transfer to cover carrying costs...
Let the good times roll....Congrats on having paying tenants and only one more major Barnhouse weekend. I'm going to miss the construction updates.
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Doing Barnhouse banking this morning, and for the first time ever, I don't need to do a funds transfer to cover carrying costs...
Now that sounds like progress!
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Doing Barnhouse banking this morning, and for the first time ever, I don't need to do a funds transfer to cover carrying costs...
Let the good times roll....Congrats on having paying tenants and only one more major Barnhouse weekend. I'm going to miss the construction updates.
Same - it was fun watching the transformation.
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My concerns with it are that in 10 years California will discover that leachate from the PEX causes cancer or that in 10 years the gasketed connections start failing. I've taken a wait-and-see approach on the technology for the past 15 years, but I'm starting to come around to it.
+1 I wonder sometimes if PEX isn't this generations version of aluminum wiring, asbestos or lead paint.
I keep thinking of UFFI.
https://torontoism.com/real-estate/2015/11/uffi-foam-insulation
From the last paragraph of the UFFI article: However, UFFI myth needs to be destroyed. It is not nearly as dangerous as it was presented in the 1980's. Homeowners shouldn't have to carry the "UFFI stigma" when there is no good reason for it. Bob Aaron said it in 2007 and here we are at the end of 2015 and still, nothing has changed.
Anecdotally, we have three 15+ year old houses in a harsh desert climate that all have PEX run through the attic and we knew it when we bought them. So far, so good. Fingers firmly crossed. BTW, PEX is not stigmatized here in CA the way UFFI apparently is in the other CA.
And your siggy line stirs up fond memories. My Dad went to Cambridge High and Latin School. That adage was a favorite of his.