Cost of renovations - contractor recommendation

[Satha Palani]

Hi All,

My wife and i moved to Newark 6 month ago. A house recently came up for sale right around the corner from where we live and I am very keen and buying it. We love the neighborhood. The issue is the house is old and has been a rental for ages and needs work. I am trying to get feel for who much this "work" will cost so that i can decide what price to offer. The house is a duplex; (upstairs/  downstairs setup).

How much do you think it would cost to add approx 300 sqft to the upstairs unit. The extension would go over an existing extension that already exist downstairs.

also part of the upstairs (about 300 sqft) has a very low ceiling; I think it is an add on to the original house. Will it be very costly to have the ceiling raised together with the extension work?

Also any recommendation for  a reputable GC, local to Newark who has experience handling these types of renovation would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

satha

[Mike Frost]

The true cost of ANY renovation to a house will only be known when you add in the costs associated with things you don't know. Have someone qualified to do a thorough inspection to see if the structure on the first floor can support a second floor. If you want to raise the roof in part or all of an area, see if the rafters are stick built or trusses. 

Don't believe what an agent tells you about any condition inside or outside the house or what was recently done. Get that information from a qualified inspector. BTW, a GC who is not known to you may not give you a good inspection. Best to spend the money for a qualified home inspector and let him know what type of work you are thinking of doing. Wiring may have been replaced but was it done safely and to code? Was it permitted and inspected? 

You didn't say how old the house was. Some plaster was applied over gypsum wall board but some was over wood or wire lathe. Big difference is cost to remove. When you remove plaster from old house walls, nothing fits easily back on because the lumber used may be dimensional. Wood close to a true 2" x 4" and adding drywall to both sides will not accept a standard prehung and cased door. Old door may not go back on either.

If the house was built before 1978, you will need to follow EPA RRP rules when working in the house. So will ANY contractor you hire. If you don't know what those rules are, look them up. Fines, if caught, can run $32,500 per infraction PER DAY.

Be careful, Satha. This is how even seasoned investors get in trouble. What you don't know about conditions AND what it takes to repair/replace can cost you big time. Its things like I just mentioned that show up in your mailbox as expensive change orders that will suck the profit, and more, out of your project.

One bit of advice to anyone purchasing a property for any reason: go to the jurisdiction's Building Office, or online if you can, and find out if there are any outstanding issues with the property. You need to check for permits that were never finalized because they will need to be done before you can any pull other permits. You would be surprised at what it may cost to fix something that you thought was good and the AHJ will probably put the burden on you to make it right..