Greetings,
This is my first post on Breaktime, I’m usually over at Knots, but I need your expertise.
I’m a first-time homeowner — bought a small fixer upper two years ago — and I’m considering an addition to add a full bath and a new staircase to replace the existing one that goes from the main floor to the lower level. The existing stairs are way too steep and would never meet code if it weren’t built 50 years ago. Plus, the one bathroom in the house is actually below grade and was grandfathered in when we bought the house.
What I want to do is build the new stairs and bathroom off the side of the house. It means pouring a foundation of about 200 square feet and then putting the addition up. I plan on doing a lot of the finish work myself.
My Question: Is a $20,000 budget realistic or should I just continue daydreaming until I can move into a bigger house?
Thanks for your help
Replies
It's hard to say. If you have a contractor pull permits, do all the excavation, concrete work, framing, and are including the cost of all your finish materials but do it yourself, you could conceivably come close to this but as a contractor I would not take the job as it would not allow for me to make enough money to schedule it.
So, you could end up with a contractor who is more hungry, or more of a hack. Or maybe you live in an area where things are built for less money than Wisconsin, which includes a vast number of places.
You could put a bathroom in your basement with no structural work at all and easily spend $20,000. No stairway, foundation, nothing.
You'd have to get a lot more specific to get a realistic answer here but it is pretty dreamy on your part!
I will come do the job if you give me the rights to Abbey Road, your drumset and a weekend with Barbara Bach. Deal?
Edited 3/20/2005 9:01 am ET by Mad Dog
Thanks for the reply. I had a feeling my budget was tight. I think I'm going to look around for a contractor in my area (western connecticut) who can give me a realistic assessment of the job -- like you say, easier to do when they can see the site. Abbey Road is off limits, but if you're willing to make the commute I might be able to get you a few autographed copies of my new book (http://www.ringostarr.com/postcards.html)cheers
Western Conn.???
KACHING!!!
not for 100$/#ft...
I'll do it tho for the barbara bach part!!!
:P
Mr T
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Since you're in Ct., I can almost assuredly say that you'll never get a contractor to even give serious consideration if you mention your budget beforehand......I'm from upstate NY (way upstate, moved to Oklahoma a couple years ago) and with the cost of living being as cheap as it is there, you couldn't get it done. Used to be in the Marines with a buddy whose dad was an Architect, down in Guilford and I know the cost of living there was bad back in the early 80's...Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, SHOW NO MERCY!!!
The others are right. Your location will put a big crimp on the budget. Western CT is beautiful; I once nearly moved there, but the housing costs and other costs of living were unrealistically high, and I had heard that it was really tough to find a good contractor or subcontractors.What town are you in or near?
I just priced out a 14x16 addition in Southern Oklahoma, the first 2 bids the woman got was 25k and the next 30k, this is with a slab substantial enough to support the new addition already in place. It's all haunched at the edges, ready for building, a simple 1 story addition...I estimated my costs and even if I charged half I'd still make a nice buck for a weeks worth of work.....than again, I just charged 3700 bucks for a tub removal and tiling in a shower with seat and the woman was overjoyed at the low price...so it's hard to say, but depending on where you live, 20k won't get you much, (at least around here)...re-reading your post, I think that 20k is too unrealistic for the work at hand...but I'm waiting to see other's thoughts....
by the way...if I charged her 20 k for the addition, after all expenses and paying myself to boot....I'll make about 9-10K on the job....
Ringo,
Try this link:
http://www.myremodelingproject.com
You can search by zip code, detail out a whole project, and it gives you rough estimates for free. It's really worth a look.
Justin Fink
FHB Editorial