Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
Interested in following along with our most ambitious project ever (both online and in the real world)?
My wife and I are getting ready to tear-down and rebuild our personal residence, and we're documenting the entire process online. This includes live video streaming, time-lapse videos, detailed plans/specs, pictures, daily blog updates, budgets, schedules, contractor bids/invoices, and a whole lot more!
Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2013 · 27 posts · 5 votes
12y
This is pretty awesome!. I just checked out the cam and within a few seconds, saw a call drive-by and the cam quality was incredible. The frame rate had the car going by at real time speed. Therefore the demo should look pretty awesome! I'm going to mark my calendar (while on vacation @ Hilton Head Island) to make sure I catch the demo!
Although my start in REI is slow (still scaling back my lifestyle to get in a better position to invest), there is no doubt the generosity of your time spent sharing and documenting your experiences will help save me money hand over fist. A serious thank you from a small time newbie.
Good luck J and Carol -- Absolutely love TheScottPad!
All inspections (waterproofing, draintile, ground plumbing) passed, termite pre-treatment done and now ready to finish up concrete flat work (basement slab, garage slab, front porch and areaway steps). Unfortunately, our foundation company is slammed and I'm not their #1 priority (how dare them! :-), so I'll be waiting until later this week to start the backfill and prep for the final concrete.
Hopefully by the end of the weekend, the backfill will be completed and the big mound of dirt in front of the live streaming video camera will be gone... :)
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
12y
As hoped, backfill completed this week, and we're scheduled for final flat-work prep, insepction and pour by the end of this coming week. Assuming no bad weather, that would mean framing will start next week.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
12y
FRAMING DAY 1!
By far the most productive day I've ever had on any job-site. Here's a time-lapse video from just the first 5 hours (the crew worked an 11-hour day and completed the framing of the entire first floor and most of the basement):
Tomorrow they'll frame the second floor, Thursday is a day off (they have to finish another job), and Friday they'll put the roof on.
Looks like you'll be celebrating turkey day there!
I haven't sent out the invitations yet! We still have a lot of things that have to happen perfectly to get to that date, but at least we haven't ruled it out yet!
Professional · San Diego, CA · Member since 2014 · 232 posts · 20 votes
12y
@J Scott Interesting, actually I am looking at some infill opportunities utilizing modulars. will you provide insight? btw does your book provide insight for modular construction on raw land or previous tear down?
@J Scott Interesting, actually I am looking at some infill opportunities utilizing modulars. will you provide insight? btw does your book provide insight for modular construction on raw land or previous tear down?
I have no experience with modular. Where I live, there's still somewhat of a stigma with modular houses, and the sale price will reflect it...so I don't know anyone building modular in this area...
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
12y
Other than the interior stairs and the punch work, we finished framing today (after a 13 hour Saturday)...front porch is done, back deck & porch is framed, interior is complete, lateral bracing is done, blocking is in, etc.
Roofing starts Monday. We'll get the stairs in on Monday or first thing Tuesday (depending on when they're delivered) and hopefully get our sheathing inspection on Tuesday. Wednesday we'll wrap the house and get the windows and exterior doors in.
We're also installing a new water meter and running our water and sewer lines this coming week.
Everything was going smoothly until we ran into our first interesting problem today -- the foundation company forgot to pour one of the porch footers in the back of the house. In this picture, there is supposed to be one more footer/pier (you can look at the drawings to see where):
Nobody noticed (including me) that it was just plain forgotten. Luckily, based on the design, this appears to be the least needed support for the deck/porch, but I'm certainly not an engineer, so I don't know the best fix.
The area has been backfilled and the deck/porch are framed above where this pier is to sit, so digging down 8' probably isn't an option. Likewise, pouring a footer on backfilled soil probably isn't the right solution either. Anyway, I'm going to talk to my foundation company and my engineer on Monday, and we'll see what they come up with. Perhaps there's a cheap solution and I'll actually save some money on the concrete they didn't pour... :-)
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
12y
Finished the framing today, got the house wrapped and started installing windows/doors. The carpenters outlasted me at the house -- they're still working and who knows, they may finish the windows and doors this evening...
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
12y
As of two days ago, we're dried-in...
Ahead of schedule by a couple days and wasn't able to pull any contractors in, so nothing new has happened since Wednesday. Next week we do HVAC rough-in, plumbing rough-in and framing punch-list. Following week is electrical rough-in and sprinkler rough-in.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
12y
Passed our plumbing, electrical, HVAC and sprinkler rough-ins last week, and just passed our framing inspection today! I consider this to be the mid-point of the project...yay!
Investor · Peachtree Corners, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
That's great that things are moving right along. You seem to have some very professional people doing your work, which means you are doing an excellent job vetting them!
That's great that things are moving right along. You seem to have some very professional people doing your work, which means you are doing an excellent job vetting them
That's great that things are moving right along. You seem to have some very professional people doing your work, which means you are doing an excellent job vetting them
Or I'm just paying too much... :-)
Somehow I think you would have eliminated high bids when you did multiple bids for each part of the project!