All Forum Posts by: Randy F.

Richard,

I understand your concern for not wanting to take advantage of someone in a bad situation. I cant tell you how many times I have essentially given away money I rightfully deserved for my hard work and expertise, out of my desire to be "fair" and to use the gifts Ive been given to help others. But sometimes "helping" someone out only minimizes the sting of a lesson they need to learn. While it isnt my place to judge what lesson they should learn or what it should cost them, it is my place to ensure that i take care of me and my own so that I AM in a place to give back and help those who need it.

It appears that your friends made some poor decisions and if they were in a place to remedy the situation on their own, they would do so. That said, any assistance you give them is "help" and your time and money is worth what its worth. Dont sell yourself short. Youve been given some great advice as to the options. I would choose a path that presents the least risk to your hard earned money, and approach it as a business transaction, looking for an acceptable ROI and what is left for them to recover will be FAR better than loosing both the cash and credit in a foreclosure.

A couple of thoughts...

One of the most important parts of the process is finding a trusted contractor that knows his shtupf! Finding him is definitely worth the spending a few buck for initial estimate. If your numbers are too far off and you end up backing out of the deal, all those involved whom you also want to build good working eelationships with will have wasted time as well and although they know that can be part of the game, it doesnt begin those relationships on the best footing.

If you pay a contractor for estimates, you can let him know upfront that you plan on doing alot of rehabs and would like to be able to pick is brain thru the estimating proces. Also, being that you dont need a super detailed estimate pre-purchase, how close his ballpark is to the detailed estimate should you close on the property, will clue you to how well he knows his stuff.

As far as books, they can give you some idea of costs, but without experience you may not know what all to look for. Every property can present its own challenges and many times those are unseen. An experienced remodeler woll recognize many of the symptoms of deeper problems that you may miss, and what might be expected based on age, location, and style of property.

Knowledge is power. The more detailed and thorough we are in every step of the process, the more we limit risk and stress and can proceed with confidence. If you go into it willing to spend a bit more upfront, the better you'll likely come out on the other end.

You're right, David! Baseboard is generally more comfortable than forced air. Infrared photos of a typical heated room show highest concentration of warmest air delivered by forced air is in the upper third of the air column. Baseboard shows in the middle third, while infloor radiant the bottom third. Where the the recovery makes the difference is that a thermostat doesnt call for heat until the temp hits 3 to 5 degrees below set point. A slower recovery, especially when hindered by drafts/excessive heat loss, can double that temp drop before the upward swing back up to satisfy thermostat.

I understand that you pay the heat and want to save money, but hot water baseboard recovery time is quite slow, and depending on the thermostats differential/ heat anticipator setting, with a 71 degree max it may get down in the mid to low sixties at the bottom of the heat cycle.

Youll have to weigh tenant comfort against the cost until upgrades are made. It wouldnt be good if they start running space heaters. A little caulk and weather stripping can go a long way to reducing drafts and letting them know you are interested in their welfare and may buy you some time.

If the ad mentions "basement", it's not slab on grade!

HEY!! What else could I offer? I was even slower on the draw!!

I'm not into contemporary either.

Most stair guys that have been around awhile are craftsmen... Stairways being a major focal element in many a home, the hacks dont last long. I'd call one out who's well established and see what options they give you. Ask him to bring portfolio. If they're anything like me, they will be enthusiastic about the challenge and solving the problem for ya.

Have you considered using paint to change the feel of them? For example, if they're black, painting them white may shift focus or "soften" them a bit. Could be a good stop-gap measure untill youre ready to have them rebuilt.

Do spindles run into a wooden handrail on top, and directly into treads on bottom?

If so, it shouldnt be too spendy if the layout can work with holes from old ones. If it cant, and/or the top rail needs replaced too, it could get spendy.

I doubt anyone would give you credit for the old ones but you could list them on Craigslist and you might find a buyer.... Patience may be required!

"scared out of my pants" and "busy street"!

Problem solved!! Think Steve Martin in "The Jerk"! THAT would be an attention getter!

Curb appeal!!
If you havent already, I would allocate funds to the exterior paint job and landscaping, to ensure that it pops enough to "one-up" the other homes on the block.

So its hardwood? Or is it laminate? Either way, if there was a moisture problem you'd know it... Buckling or swelling joints.

So... If its laminate or engineered hardwood, and you are considering an area rug, it may help with insulating but the majority of cold being on grade, is coming from the perimeter so wouldnt adequately be addressed with area rugs. You would want wall to wall carpet with a good pad.

Attaching tackless thru laminate wouldnt be a good idea because it would significantly reduce the laminates ability to move with the changes in humidity and could cause buckling under carpet. And yes, it would pretty much destroy the laminate later when pulling tack strips.
If its real hardwood, it would just leave holes than can be filled and hardwood can be refinished.
Since there are so many questions, you might just call a dealer. They usually send out a salesman or installer to look at your needs and do a measure... Often at no charge.