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I am interested in buying a 100 year old vacation home in the north (Midwest).
The house will need major renovations before my wife feels comfortable in it.
The delema I am faced with is that the structure will need to be expanded both up and out. The basement is new and was added under the existing house with upgrades in the heating system, so I don’t need to do anything to the basement other than extend where we intend to add on to the house structure.
My questions.
1) Should a general contractor be in a position to give me a good idea of changes that will modernize this house, or should I hire an archetect? Please note that I will want this review before I buy the house and I don’t want to spend say $10 to $20 thousand for an archetect and find that I wont use his plans.
2) Any rule uf thumb on remodel vs. knock down and rebuild?
Can any of the existing lumber be reused and how can I put a value on that?
Any help would be appreciated.
Len
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Len -
What you need is a designer/builder. A well-qualified designer/builder can answer all your questions, help to determine what is most cost effective, and will be cheaper than an architect. Keep in mind a few things:
1) Up to a point, money spent on design is well worth it. A few grand on design can save many thousands in mistakes and poor planning.
2) It is almost impossible to get an accurate estimated budget for a job until it is designed. Per-square foot numbers and ballpark guesses are not accurate, and a significant portion of the budget will be determined by choices made during the design process. Give the designer a figure to work with and let that help shape the design.
Rebuild vs. remodel is a question of cost and whether the existing house has features that you want to preserve or whether it is mainly the lot you want.
I would not count on recycling the lumber in the house. Unless there is something worth saving, like old beams and timbers or beautiful old floors, it is not usually cost effective to re-cycle, and very difficult to predict how much will be salvageable.
*.......amen to everything Nick said....another consideration is preserving any right s you may have with an existing structure...a lot of houses exist on lots that would be unbuildable today because of Zoning, Wetlands, Septic System design, Coastal Feature setback, you name it, someone is regulating it....if you come under any of these restrictions, you need some good advice.. there is usually a trigger formula that invokes new regulations.. like if you add 50% to the footprint , you have to bring everything up to code....or if you add a room with 100 sf and a closet, you have to have the septic system re-engineered and rebuilt....or if you tear it down and you're within the setbacks, you may need a variance to rebuild it ...unless of course , they won't let you rebuild it..check it out ..but I do agree, you have to invest in some analysis or design so you can determine the cost of what you propose to do....and Estimates are not Contract Prices...
*Excellent points, Mike.
*L. R.,You've got two people here giving you very good advice.Note this "Designer/Builder".......very important.No offence, but most architect/designers don't have a clue as to the cost of building.....they are "artist" (said with an accent).For what you want, it may be cheaper to scrape the lot and start over.......maybe not. Don't salvage anything except decorative or historical items. It will cost less to by new 2x4's and mouldings than to try to use the old ones.Good luck,Ed. Williams
*I agree fully with Nick and Mike. There is another big advantage to remodeling besides grandfathered zoning and code requirements though. Style. Old building have style. If the original house was well designed, and you add onto and remodel it in such a way as to highlight and preserve that original style, you will end up with something special. At least, you will have the opportunity to do that.
*Look and see if this home is in any type of historical district. That may limit your options.Rick Tuk
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I am interested in buying a 100 year old vacation home in the north (Midwest).
The house will need major renovations before my wife feels comfortable in it.
The delema I am faced with is that the structure will need to be expanded both up and out. The basement is new and was added under the existing house with upgrades in the heating system, so I don't need to do anything to the basement other than extend where we intend to add on to the house structure.
My questions.
1) Should a general contractor be in a position to give me a good idea of changes that will modernize this house, or should I hire an archetect? Please note that I will want this review before I buy the house and I don't want to spend say $10 to $20 thousand for an archetect and find that I wont use his plans.
2) Any rule uf thumb on remodel vs. knock down and rebuild?
Can any of the existing lumber be reused and how can I put a value on that?
Any help would be appreciated.
Len