All Forum Posts by: Charles Goetz

@Alan Taylor

I think @Matt R. pretty much explained it. I'll second the idea of having a plan B for a night. This may not be a one afternoon job if you've never done it before. And you don't want to rush it. I also doubt a plumber would assist. You may pay them to check out your plans and let you know if you're on the correct path. For instance, the slope of the horizontal drain should be somewhere like 1/4 inch per foot, not anything dramatic. 

Also, it may be different where you're at, but some places will let the homeowner pull a permit, but may require a licensed plumber to do some of this. You could call and ask the city first. I'll add too that if you use PEX, get the metal connectors instead of the plastic. 

Good luck with it.   

@Mike Jones I would probably keep looking. You don't have to replace the plumbing, but you will have problems with it at some point. There just sounds like too many issues plus if the dollars don't make sense it's just not worth the hassles. 

The guy may not have all those other buyers lined up and if he does, that still won't make it a good deal for you.   

@Mike Jones  Why do you need to replace the plumbing system? The polyethylene (PEX) is very common. It's used in most new construction. PolyButylene (BP) is the stuff you don't want. The spot on the ceiling may just be a small repair. I would call around and get some other estimates on the HVAC. 

On the other hand, not knowing about the house, is it on land or in a park? While mobile homes are easy to work on, their value goes down real quick. I personally wouldn't be afraid of buying a mobile home, but be sure the deal is good. I would not spend that much for one in a park, but that's just me. Just because you've been looking a long time, don't but a deal you don't feel good about just to get something. Don't get backed into a corner by the seller telling you he has more and better offers. 

@Julia Lennon

What @Theresa Harris said is correct. There is a sensor on the camera that pinpoints the location of the damage. Otherwise, are they just digging holes all over hoping to find the problem? Also especially because you're not there, most machines have the ability to insert an SD card to film what they find. Get that emailed to you. If it's roots or whatever, you'll see them. 

Get other opinions. Even if it costs for a service call. You need to be satisfied with the explanation before you spend that kind of money. 

@Ethan Teuscher

Not all contractors do this, but some do. Some will give a low ball bid to get the work knowing that it will be a lot more. That's not cool either, but in this case, it sounds like he just sprung it on you. I agree with Matthew that you should have him explain in detail what happened and why. I rarely go into great detail on my bids or invoices where every dollar went, but this is different. He should have communicated with you at the first sign of a problem. His explanation should be clear to you. 

As far as what to do after that, well that depends on how you feel after you talk about it. Was the first estimate in writing? I'm betting he knows he handled this wrong. Maybe some kind of compromise on price. Not knowing the numbers, but what will he do if you don't have the money? Surely you didn't budget for this. Things go wrong on jobs sometimes, but that's what change orders are for. Regardless, unless it's a small amount, you're not overreacting.  

@Allen L.

I would be a little worried and I generally don't get scared by much of anything I see in houses. 

The issues I see are that mold is a problem, but it's a sign of a bigger problem. I would want to make darn sure that what caused the water in the crawl space is just grading. Is there a possibility of reoccurring flooding? Also if the mold got through the floor to the cabinets, I'd be willing to bet that it's in between the subfloor and probably a bunch more places you can't see. You or an inspector can look under and see if there is any damage to the structure. Like has this been going on a while?

If you go through with it, I've seen a vapor barrier used on top of the soil, but that doesn't sound like it would help you much. Putting it on the underside of the floor joists is possible, but not until everything is dried and the mold is taken care of where it won't continue to grow. In addition, make sure there is plenty of ventilation in the craw space. I see sometimes the vents covered up because I guess so cold air won't get in, but you need air to be able to get in under the house.

@Justin Todd

I don't really like this either. Maybe I'm just not completely understanding this, but is this GC using his crews or subs and running the job and paying everything or is there already the subs that you're paying and he's supervising? If that's the case, it's more of a project manager type role. 

I would think you would want the GC to have a reason to not drag things out and to be responsible for the project. I worked with a guy that had me run rehabs for a bunch of bank-owned houses. He paid me a fee plus I also billed for any work I did. He paid the painters, flooring, roofers, etc. I was responsible for keeping things on schedule. The problem was that these guys knew I wasn't writing the checks for them so when issues with the quality or time came up, it was a problem getting on the same page. With my own crews, things were a lot smoother. 

This set up may well work, but I believe there are better ways for you to go about getting the project done. It sounds like a pretty big rehab. I would hate to see a post in a couple of months about how you are having issues with this house. Personally, I would check around a little more.

Good luck with it.

@Riley Holt

Asking about lead paint is like starting a discussion about politics. You will get 30 different views. There is a point where you decide what you are supposed to do, can do and should do. Did the contractor test it and determine its lead-based? If it is you are supposed to have a contractor certified to work with lead paint. If it's a small area that may not be required. I carried a certificate for lead paint but did not renew it a couple of years ago, so some stuff may have changed.

If you decide to do it and there is not a lot of loose paint to be scraped, I would lightly scrape and use a good exterior primer on the house. Not paint and primer in one, but a quality primer first. Don't let the paint chips fly all over and contain them in a drop cloth. 

If you go the LP Smartside route, do you think you could apply it over the siding that's there or will it need to be removed? I use it a lot and really like it. Also if you do this yourself and use the 12' lap siding, there is a guide you can get that will allow you to hold the siding is place if you do this alone. 

I wouldn't get too discouraged, this is all part of the deal.   

@Dante Foreman  If your contractor has done this type of work before, I'm referring to working with investors, they should know the drill. They may want some money upfront, but maybe you could set up a deal where the demo is done and then you'll give him a check. You may have to front some money to get things started, but the lenders are going to make sure that things don't get out of hand and more money is paid than work done. 

At some point, there will need to be trust on your end and his. You need to know they will show up if you give money to start the job and they need to understand that they will be paid after agreed on tasks are completed. Personally, as a contractor, I like this set up especially if I don't know the other person really well. The lender is protecting all involved including themselves. 

As far as the conversation goes, just be straight up with the guy. He shouldn't be offended. Don't present it as you don't trust him, but as this is how the lender is doing it. It should be fair for everybody.  

@Alfonso Aramburo Zepeda  You may already have your answer to this, but yes you need to check with the city. Mainly to make sure you can do it and to make sure it's to code. I have encountered many that were just done with no permits. 

Some things to consider are that the garage floor is sometimes sloped toward the driveway. This most likely will need to be addressed. The garages are not generally insulated in the walls or ceilings when the house is built. The electric supply will need to be adequate to allow enough outlets and lighting. A/C and heat is an issue unless you will use a window unit. Running a vent for central air is not a problem, but you will likely need a return air as well. You will need a window and a closet. An outside shed would be nice as well.

I'm not sure if this is what you were asking for, but it's a few things to think about.