Ms Ed the unappellated eohippus renovating her abode

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11581377

Oh my.

The head slut of Skins's island, among many other things.

Horse with no Name (30,245 posts)  Sun Nov 11, 2012, 10:13 AM 

Was waiting until after the election to do some renovations and now, going to do them.

Just got the bid back on my house.

It is a 1970's brick ranch and very dated.

I actually thought the estimate was going to be much more...but this is what we are doing.
 
The entire house is going to be covered in rock. White rock all around and river rock up the chimney.

Front doors are going to be replaced and an entryway taken out and opened up with pillars of river rock.

A new metal roof.

Sidewalk is going to have to be removed and there is a small dysfunctional room that is going to be removed from the front of the house.

A sliding glass door will be removed from the bathroom and a large frosted window installed.

Two smaller windows are going to be combined into one large window x2.

Solar screens installed and skylights updated.

Floors inside are going to be acid stained and stamped concrete.

Kitchen remodel with stone countertops.

Brick fireplace to be stoned in river rock.

The bid is $35k and my house is paid for.

So, basically we will be getting a brand new house for $35k.

The contractor said if I was willing to spend a full $50k that my house value will jump to $250k...but I am going to stick in my budget right now.
 
I was so excited because I honestly felt that the bid would be a lot higher than this!
 
They said it would take a month and a lot of is the demolition that will have to be done.
 
I hate starting the project going into the holidays but I guess if we have to do it that way, we will.

Sedona (1,423 posts)    Sun Nov 11, 2012, 10:24 AM

1. Get a highly reputable unbiased Realtor who's been in the area a long time to get an accurate reading of what the value of your improvements will be. The contractor has a dog in the fight. Web sites like Zillow and Trulia can not be trusted. They are simply algorithmic and do not consider things such as condition or views. Just FYI.

Horse with no Name (30,245 posts)    Sun Nov 11, 2012, 10:45 AM

2. I agree with his assessment

This is a very unique house with a lot of unique features and there isn't another house around like it. When I spoke to the bank president about the home improvement loan, he knew the house personally and was more than willing to loan the money. My advantage is that the house is 100% paid for.
 
It's value is already double what the rest of the neighborhood is, as it sits and the insured value is triple what the investment will be...as it sits without improvements.
 
I have no plans to relocate right now and seriously probably never. But if the time comes that I do, I will have some serious equity for whatever I need it for. I am looking forward to having a rock house--it is something I have always wanted...but without doing anything, I still can get my money back easily.
 
I appreciate your advice though, and understand where you are coming from since my Mom is from Arizona and has gone through this tough housing market as well out there. Thankfully we never had a real estate bubble out here.

Laurian (556 posts)    Sun Nov 11, 2012, 12:17 PM

3. I think that's a fantastic deal!

I would have expected that much work to cost much more. A kitchen renovation alone can often hit that mark. Have fun and enjoy your renovated home!

Warpy (65,590 posts)    Sun Nov 11, 2012, 04:03 PM

4. Sounds low maintenance and very nice

This dump needs massive updating but the thought of spending 6-8 months with noise, dust and workmen clomping through has been daunting. Moving most of my stuff into one room and myself and the cat into temporary digs might be the answer.
 
I, too, was waiting to see whether the country had gone stupid again.

^^^Well, the country did go stupid, so now what?

Horse with no Name (30,245 posts)    Sun Nov 11, 2012, 06:50 PM

5. I am really impressed with this guys work

He is really excited to get to do this house. I have a feeling it will be on their brochures and that could be why the price is so good. The funny thing is, the things that everyone loves about this house are the things that make it unlivable.

We were really reluctant to change some of the architectural details--which are very beautiful but not very functional-- of the house because when the neighbors got wind we were thinking about making those changes, they let their displeasure be known,lol.

A couple of weeks ago, we removed all of the bushes and shrubs around the house--took 3 men and 2 tractors and 3 dump truck loads and 10 hours. There were some nice bushes and stuff but the problem was, the drought got some of them and it was more of a mess to fix than it was just to start over and honestly, will make it a lot easier for the stone masons to have them gone. It was pretty intimidating though to watch the neighbors sit on their porches and watch the plant demolition,lol. But, it ended up looking so much better and even the Mailman stopped me and told me how nice it looked. Of course we are in the planning stages of the landscaping, which will be completely different than what we had and much more low maintenance.

All of the other bids on my roof have been over $12k for a composite roof. I didn't want to spend that much and really was considering a metal roof--and when he priced it at less than $4k, I was all over that.

With the stone, we are opting to go with just an industrial grade aluminum roof--not using a color is saving us $2k which puts enough money back in the budget to change out the skylights.

It will also save us money on our insurance.

I feel really lucky to be able to do this. I didn't want the debt but I feel that now is a really good time to do it since I have been pretty sick and may end up not being able to work in the next few years. Kind of like, now or never.

Warpy (65,590 posts)    Sun Nov 11, 2012, 09:42 PM

6. I had my place restuccoed soon after I moved in and as luck would have it, I was making a deal with a little guy who showed up with a chainsaw an hour before the stucco crew did to take out the overgrown shrubs around the house. I know how much getting rid of overgrown plants can do for a house and mine were 40 year old arborvitaes, just huge.
 
They might not approve of all the rock if it's an all brick, cookie cutter neighborhood. That will be their problem.

sinkingfeeling (26,363 posts)   Mon Nov 12, 2012, 11:15 AM

8. It is always advisable to allow an extra 10-15% for over-runs on the estimate.

[GOBUCKS]

Whoa!! Wait just a minute!

More proof that DUmmies lie, all the time they lie.

You may recall that DUmmy Horse with no Brain is the DUmp's self-proclaimed dick inspector, having checked out thousands.

Not long ago, she was complaining about life in her dusty, crappy Texas trailer park and her shiftless, obnoxious neighbors.

Then very shortly after that, she described a plan to move from the single-wide into an ancient, decrepit, abandoned farmhouse.

This was around the time she started, then dropped, a promising storyline about her slutty daughter.

Now, she never updated the storyline about the abandoned farmhouse, so it's possible this current tale has to do with that, but there was no way whatsoever she could have actually bought a house. It was a rental deal, or simply squatting on someone's abandoned property.

Horse with no Brain described herself as penniless while living in the dusty, crappy trailer park.

Now she can borrow $35K? No way.

[I_B_Perky]

Whoa!! Wait just a minute!

More proof that DUmmies lie, all the time they lie.

You may recall that DUmmy Horse with no Brain is the DUmp's self-proclaimed dick inspector, having checked out thousands.

Not long ago, she was complaining about life in her dusty, crappy Texas trailer park and her shiftless, obnoxious neighbors.

Then very shortly after that, she described a plan to move from the single-wide into an ancient, decrepit, abandoned farmhouse.

This was around the time she started, then dropped, a promising storyline about her slutty daughter.

Now, she never updated the storyline about the abandoned farmhouse, so it's possible this current tale has to do with that, but there was no way whatsoever she could have actually bought a house. It was a rental deal, or simply squatting on someone's abandoned property.

Horse with no Brain described herself as penniless while living in the dusty, crappy trailer park.

Now she can borrow $35K? No way.

That's what I was thinking GB. So is she lying now or was she lying then? Unless a relative died and left her the house. Something tells me this is a new type of bouncy. I'm betting the stories will start trending toward how much better things are now the obumbles has been reelected and the dummies will be swimming in money.

Either that or she found a sugar daddy. 

[Randy]

OK it wasn't just me then. I was reading the renovation story wondering the whole time how the hell you could spend 35k redoing an Airstream.

[GOBUCKS]

This is a pretty transparent fourth quarter push for DOTY votes by the dick inspector.

[Karin]

I'm betting the stories will start trending toward how much better things are now the obumbles has been reelected and the dummies will be swimming in money.

I suspect this is exactly what's going on.  Happy days are here again!  Ain't we got fun! 

There is no way the described renovations are $35,000.  The kitchen will top out at say, $50K, and that's just the start.  I know she's probably telling a tall tale, but fiction should be at least grounded in reality. 

If any of this is the slightest bit true, the contractor will demolish the house, and then things will start to fall apart there.  I think I know what I'm talking about vis a vis renovations. 

[Randy]

Now Karin sure it does, he told her so. All he needs is the 32, 000 for materials up front and in 2 weeks when it's done he''ll collect the other 3k for labor. She knows she can trust him, he's got an Obie/Biddy sticker on his Nissan hardbody.   

[GOBUCKS]

I was sort of giving the dick inspector the benefit of the doubt (as I always do with DUmpmonkeys), but on second reading this is one of the funniest DUmp fabrications of the year.

Even considering that she actually lives in a singlewide in a dusty, crappy Texas trailer park, her wildest dream would be to live in a tiny little DUmphut in a crappy, dusty Texas tract development. That said, who would she talk to at the bank?:

When I spoke to the bank president about the home improvement loan, he knew the house personally and was more than willing to loan the money.

The bank president (who wears a suit from Mens Wearhouse and sits at a little desk in the middle of the lobby) was more than willing to lose the money.

I am really impressed with this guys work. He is really excited to get to do this house.

He's excited to tear off the roof and install a metal roof, then rebuild the entire DUmphut inside and out, all for 35K.
I didn't know Goodwill had a general contracting department.

Front doors are going to be replaced and an entryway taken out and opened up with pillars of river rock.

Near and dear, not long ago I spent nearly 7K just to replace an entryway door. Nearly died from sticker shock.

Kitchen remodel with stone countertops.

Also near and dear, just spent over 1K for a new top installed on a 48" guest bathroom vanity. Never did a kitchen remodel, but I shudder to think what it would cost.

Even for a DUmmyhut, 35K for what the inspector describes is ludicrous.
 
Horse with no Brain is pushing really hard for DOTY consideration, but her fantasies are as pitiful as the things Pam Dawson comes up with.

[Tucker]

I suspect this is exactly what's going on.  Happy days are here again!  Ain't we got fun!  

There is no way the described renovations are $35,000.  The kitchen will top out at say, $50K, and that's just the start.  I know she's probably telling a tall tale, but fiction should be at least grounded in reality.  

If any of this is the slightest bit true, the contractor will demolish the house, and then things will start to fall apart there.  I think I know what I'm talking about vis a vis renovations.  

Totally agree. The kitchen, with stone (corrian?) countertops, flooring (not tile) and cabinets will be close to 20 grand. Large kitchen with island with sink and the price skyrockets. This doesn't cover appliances. My stove (Dacor) was 2.400.00 by itself.

The house is a brick ranch but she is going to cover it in rocks. Well, the brick facade will need to be removed.

She doesn't mention windows.

Personally I think that Horse with no brain got some bad dick and it's doing an Al Capone on her, slowly rotting what little brain she has left.

ETA:

I redid my kitchen about 15 years ago. Just checked. Dacor prices have shot up.

[wasp69]

OK it wasn't just me then. I was reading the renovation story wondering the whole time how the hell you could spend 35k redoing an Airstream.

Same here.  I was wondering if she was putting rims on the trailer.

[Karin]

"Bank president."       I have guys crawling around on my roof as we speak, the clock ticking away.  Anybody who bought her story over there is DUmber than we realize.  "Pillars of river rock."   

GOBUCKS, my new front door gave me sticker shock as well.  I had to have it custom made, with old world craftsmanship.  Yeesh, big bucks. 

[shadeaux]

What's wrong with you people ?  Horse is RICH !!!!

Horse with no Name (30,248 posts)    Wed Nov 14, 2012, 11:17 AM

Well I guess I lost my star overnight. Crap.
 
I have ads all over my page and I am not liking it at all,lol.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021815733

So what if she found food costs high, almost too high a mere 4 years ago.  So what if she could barely afford her electric bill 7 years ago.  Her house from the 50s has now become a 70's version and is THE house of her neighbor's envy. Heck, the whole town knows her house !! No expense should be spared in making it a showcase home.   

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5104224#5104275

That woman tells some whoppers.