I’m depolyed in Kuwait. While here, we purchased my next door neighbor’s house under foreclosure. I return home in two months and want to remodel/upgrade it. The house was built in 1929. I am more interested in upgrading electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling and insulation systems. My original thought was to gut it to the studs and start from there, but I have read some differing thoughts on that approach. House is located in the Kansas City Metro area. What I am looking for is some guidance on planning this project. Thanks.
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gb
Thank you for your foreign service.
Gutting to the studs might be a bit too much in many circumstances. While it makes putzing with the services easier, it often increases the workload in other time consuming jobs. You can often insulate with more care and detail, but............
If the plaster is sound, the trim in good shape and no structural changes are to be made, you might want to work around the structure as is.
Rewiring with a basement or decent crawl is difficult but surely not impossible. Where you need access to continue runs upstairs, you can open the wall and patch.
You can provide a chase for plumbing/electric and heat ducting to get the bulk runs up to the second floor.
If the plaster is in poor condition, then I might opt for the more drastic operation.
Thanks for ideas
I'll probably modify my plan once I'm in the structure. I'm hoping it's pretty sound, I've seen the exterior, looks good, but my wife has been inside and says it looks like a wall is sagging. Could be a foundation problem, don't know. I got into the property for less than $10,000 so there's not alot at risk. Thanks again.
Can the wife, take some pictures, and measure a floor plan?
Would it be possible for the wife to take some pictures, and measure out and sketch up a floor plan?
Maybe one of the guys in the KC area could voumteer to help with some prework legwork, planning and advice. Any body out there?
There are three guys locally who are deployed, and I and one of the local plumbers, replaced a toilet at one of them's house. I guess that's easier in a small town where most everyone knows each other. But, I know there are some frequent visitors in the KC area.
Depends on the condition of the place, and the style. Some houses built in that timeframe have lovely Craftsman details (or another classic style) with wood trim, et al, still in good conditon and floor plans that are suitable to a modern lifestyle. Others were never really "classic" to begin with and have plaster falling down, trim that's flaked, gouged, and split, and and floor plans that suck.
Also, some have basement and attic space that allows relatively easy upgrade of electrical and mechanicals, while others will fight you running a new doorbell wire.
thanks for info
Appreciate the information. I've got two months for planning, so I'm just starting to chew on this. Per my wife, it's in fairly sound shape except for some structural sagging on a south wall, may be due to foundation problem. Don't know yet. It does sound like Craftsman style, I'll probably modify my plan once I get inside the structure. Thanks again.