Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
Our price for 19 hurricane rated impact windows and 5 French doors, came in at a 27% discount from the Bid Room at HD.
This beach-side rehab is one house away from the inter-coastal waterway of Florida, and a handful of blocks from the ocean, in a high-end neighborhood. It sits on a double lot. We bought it for the price of the land, and are rehabbing it. Price $620,000, appraised at $646000 as is; $716900 once developed. Comps are in the $880s, with a fine finish, a pool and on a single lot.
Please chime in. Both of these prices are for impact rated windows, given this house is in a hurricane zone.
A. Andersen: $64,505 (at $23000 discount). Mahogany wood trim matches the interior mahogany wainscoting and wood floors. Install extra.
B. Florida specific brand white PVC windows: double-hung, and fiberglass doors, including taxes and permit. $26,496.
This house is a conundrum to me because it is in a prime location, on an outstanding lot. And it has a farmhouse finish. Will expensive windows matter?
Ormond Beach , FL · Member since 2015 · 345 posts · 223 votes
9y
Try Window World....I just went through this at a beach side flip in Ormond Beach. We eleedtd to not get hurricane rated windows, but instead provide window coverings. Yes, the difference is huge!
Ormond Beach , FL · Member since 2015 · 345 posts · 223 votes
9y
Try Window World....I just went through this at a beach side flip in Ormond Beach. We eleedtd to not get hurricane rated windows, but instead provide window coverings. Yes, the difference is huge!
Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
9y
$64k for windows not including install. Yikes. I'd go for option B. They difference will most likely be negligible, and that money could be better spent elsewhere. As Eugene alluded to, if you put on shutters you don't have to get hurricane rated windows.
Real Estate Investor · Encinitas, CA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
9y
Kerry Baird Two things:
1.) Tour other new-builds (or builds in the last 5 years) in the area. See what is commonly used. Slab granite for a countertop is overkill, unless 95% of the neighboring properties have it. The same likely applies to windows.
2.) This is a personal perspective but I think most people know what the cheap PVC "builder-grade" windows look like. You see them everywhere. However, I don't know how to differentiate a $40K windows from $60K windows. I would venture to say more buyers will look at (focus on) a set of Viking appliances than the windows.
Again, I could be 100% wrong on #2. Maybe when you're in a storm-laden area you care more about windows than the brand stamp on an appliance.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
9y
There is a lot of space between 65k and 26 k ..... sounds like you need to shop more... People will notice really cheap in a higher end home but that doesn't mean they need mahogany.
Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9y
Thanks, All. I appreciate the variety of opinions. In 31 houses, I have only had to replace windows once, and at that lower price point the decision was easily dictated by budget.
Are you mandated to install hurricane impact windows or is it a voluntary upgrade on your part. Based on the value it is obviously not going to be a rental so the question is what is the standard in the community.
Flipper/Rehabber · Sugar Land, TX · Member since 2015 · 142 posts · 64 votes
9y
In the words of the late Michael Jackson... "you are not alone... I am here with you, although I'm far away!" - LOLLL
I too have a house near the beach and we are solving this issue as we speak! You have also gotten a TON of great feedback on this tread. I will add my $.02 -
Shutters are good solution but in our area you can't take them off and re-install and we have found that many people have had issues getting insurance when they didn't have impact windows.
On our high end rehabs we use Jeld Wen windows commonly so I am hoping we can use those rather than impact windows. Let me know what you come up with @Kerry Baird
Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9y
The houses on the riverfront are range between $1-3 million. The houses behind are in the half million range and then next street down is in the $300-400k range, in the interior of the barrier island.
I was wavering because I wasn't sure whether the higher-end windows are expected at my projected price point. These were hand crafted by the previous owner, and have single panes of glass which rattle on a mild breezy day. No insulation or sound-proofing, and water intrusion plus plaster damage from deterioration.
So, I re-read our appraisal. And the book, Flip. Both sources talk about the finish expected at a certain level of rehab. This might be instructive.
Our house is currently Q4: dwellings with this quality rating are residences of higher quality, built from individual or readily available designer plans in above-standard residential tract developments or on an individual property owner's site. The design includes significant external ornamentation and interiors that are well finished. The workmanship exceeds acceptable standards and many materials and finished throughout the dwelling have been upgraded from "stock" standards.
I'm aiming for Q3: Dwellings with this quality rating are often custom designed for construction on an individual property owner's site. However, dwellings in this grade...are constructed from individual plans or from highly modified or upgraded plans. The design features detailed, high quality exterior ornamentation, high-quality interior refinements, and detail. The workmanship, materials and finishes throughout the dwelling are generally of high or very high quality.
As for our purpose for the house, well, we bought for the price of the land, and the house was "free." I love the mahogany! We lived in England for 16 years, and this house reminds me of my other home. We will owner-occupy, rehab over time, and sell at some future date (when kids are out of the house). The house was hand-built with solid mahogany floors and doors, copper roof. Really, the kitchen and windows are the major visible points to upgrade. We have added A/C and are doing electrical panel upgrades this week.
Here is what we are doing. I went back to HD. Requesting a bid for 400 series, impact, but not the Architectural series and in pine. We can paint white for upstairs and stain mahogany downstairs.
I don't think we will push the house up to the next higher Quality level, no matter what we do (Q1= unique, exceptionally high quality, architect designed, etc).
@Tyron McDaniel those JW windows and the higher-end Pellas are similar. We need the impact or shutters because we are on the water. I am thinking I wouldn't want to do shutters on the second story of a house, when a hurricane is coming. No thanks! It was a selling point for us when we bough our current house, which is the next Quality rating down from this rehab house.
@Andrew Johnson, great idea. I need to tour some similar houses. I should save dollars on the windows and instead focus on getting a Memorial Day sale on a Viking set! :D
Thanks all for your well-reasoned responses (except plywood...we really do need windows!).
Bottom line: I'm used to a lower quality rehab "cookie cutter" house, and haven't learned the finish at the higher levels. Grateful for your cumulative experience!
Ormond Beach , FL · Member since 2015 · 345 posts · 223 votes
9y
Kerry,
I believe the plywood suggestion was intended as a suggestion to use wood as protection, vice boarding up your windows! :-) This is a perfectly acceptable solution. You buy anchors to put around your windows and have plywood cut to size for each window and when a storm is coming, you attach via the fasteners that are pre-located. This is what I elected to do, and the inspectors are fine with it.
Your new house looks like a great find! I get the nostalgia for your "other home". We discussed this once long ago. I was there for 17 years total until retiring back here 3 years ago. I miss it terribly too! Will be going back for a visit in Sept. Hubby make Chief?
Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9y
@Eugene Kemp, ahhh, you understand! 17 years...you beat us! September would be grand.
As for my hubby, yes, he made the score but decided to let someone else take the line. We received word that we would have been moved to Omaha. That would have brought on the lengthy deployments again. He was done.
Thanks for explaining about the use of plywood. I didn't understand.
Ormond Beach , FL · Member since 2015 · 345 posts · 223 votes
9y
Kerry,
Would love that...we are moving south to Ormond Beach if I ever get this house finished! 😁 Too bad about the promotion scenario.... I understand. He paid his dues. Also, wanted to let you know that my son is a contractor down your way if you are ever looking for resources. He works in Titusville, Merritt, etc. He just sold a 4,000 sq ft flip he did in Titusville.....knows the ropes. Bravo Construction is his company. Keep in touch.