"New everything" in a duplex

[TreeWeezel]

I'm looking at very cheap duplexes and trying to decide if renovating is too expensive.  What I would really like is 100% function, good energy efficiency, and decent sound deadening in a property, something fixed in a correct and enduring way.  Since half of a plumber or electrician's job is trying not to mess up the drywall, I'm thinking I can get a better deal if the walls are knocked down and the workers can do everything at once. 4 beds 2 baths 2 kitchens, about 1500 sq ft.  How are these repair estimates?

Add HVAC ducting and heat pump - $5000, probably no diy option
Replace any iron supply plumbing with PEX, 2 new water heaters, toilets ,and showers - $3000, mostly diy with room for consultations and inspections.
Upgrade power boards, replace 12-16 outlets/switches, add 2-4 overhead fixtures, wiring as neccessary - $2000
Insulation and drywall -  great insulation, repair previous damage and a soundproofed dividing wall - $4000

Double-pane vinyl windows (6-10) - $2000, DIY
Kitchens - add hood vent, dishwasher, cheap/used range, simple shelves and drawers - $4000
Finishing/painting - $800, DIY
Flooring - as much carpet as possible then some kind of floating laminate for the rest - $2500

The real question is, can $20-$25k transform a house if there aren't structural problems? 

[Greg]

I'd recommend trying to do more DIY, the mechanical, plumbing and electrical areas are where you'll save $$ if you tackle it yourself.  For a few hundred bucks you can buy a propex tool and Pexsupply.com has the bits.

But to answer your question, $25K can surely transform a place.

[Cassie]

It can as long as you are not hiring it out but doing it yourself.

[ncornilsen]

Make sure you local laws allow you to work on a house intended for rental. In Oregon, at least in Portland, you're not allowed to do electrical or plumbing for a house you intend to sell or rent out in the near future.

Of course, who's to say your intent when you started wasn't to move in?  Just sayin.

[ritchie70]

I know this has come up elsewhere, but why is everyone so hot for PEX?

It's just hard for me to get too excited about hiding plastic hoses inside walls and floors and expecting them to last 50 years or more.

Has copper gotten that expensive? It isn't that hard to do and it's known to age well.

[Greg]

I know this has come up elsewhere, but why is everyone so hot for PEX?
It's just hard for me to get too excited about hiding plastic hoses inside walls and floors and expecting them to last 50 years or more.
Has copper gotten that expensive? It isn't that hard to do and it's known to age well.

1/2" x 10' Type L copper pipe 13.98 or $1.40 per foot. (home depot)
1/2" x 300' Aquapex $106.95 or 36¢ per foot (pexsupply.com)

So, copper is nearly 4x the cost of pex. 

Less heat loss, less reactive to slightly corrosive water, etc.  Smoother insides mean better flow, not as susceptible to freeze damage because of high burst pressure rating.  Pex will deform/blister rather than split in freeze conditions.

[Argyle]

Why do you need new windows?  Vinyl windows are not very durable compared to older windows.  If you're worried that they're not double-paned, only 3% of the heat lost in a house happens through the glass.  Most of the heat lost because of windows is because they don't fit tightly in the frames, and so remediating that with the various products available is the answer.  If this is an older building, putting in vinyl windows will actually lower the value to those in the know.  Not to mention that a $2000 savings is significant.

[geekette]

I know this has come up elsewhere, but why is everyone so hot for PEX?

It's just hard for me to get too excited about hiding plastic hoses inside walls and floors and expecting them to last 50 years or more.

Has copper gotten that expensive? It isn't that hard to do and it's known to age well.

Some friends, whose house was built in '79, had to replace much of their copper pipe due to pinholes in various places, so sometimes it doesn't age all that well either.   

[Milspecstache]

I just built a house doing every trade and PEX water supply lines was the easiest part.  Very simple and hard to screw up.  Can't say that about any other part of building the house.  Definitely do the PEX!

HVAC - where do you live?  If you are considering AC for HVAC and are looking to open the walls, consider going ductless.  I have the ductless.  With ductless you can place the slab, indoor unit(s), and refrigerant lines yourself and hire out only the final connections ($300 or so).

Wiring outlets is also extremely easy.  Adding overhead fixtures is easy.  Hardest part is doing 3 way switches where I still struggle sometimes and have to look at a book (and also have to remember to label it well before drywall).

[ritchie70]

Some friends, whose house was built in '79, had to replace much of their copper pipe due to pinholes in various places, so sometimes it doesn't age all that well either.

Oh fantastic. My house was also built in '79 and seems to have been built very poorly. :)

[Weedy Acres]

We're redoing an entire 940 sf house DIY, and making it functional and beautiful, and our total budget is $10K.  So I think you can do it for $25K.  We're doing it super-budget though, including building our own kitchen cabinets (buying doors and drawer fronts).

Our budget is $1000 for complete replacement of rough plumbing, $1000 for complete re-wiring and we're close on that.  I'm not sure why you've got several multiples of that for your place unless you're hiring help.

I wouldn't tear out all the drywall unless you need to get behind every single wall.  It's still cheaper/faster to patch than replace whole walls, unless you've got 18 holes in one wall or something.  If you need to insulate, I understand, but I wouldn't go crazy ripping out stuff for no reason.

Are you replacing kitchen cabinets?  It's not completely clear from your post.  If so, then $2K for cabinets plus appliances for each kitchen is lowish.

You've not mentioned the bathroom other than plumbing and toilets.  Are you leaving them alone?