So, I went and looked at this house today. Not too bad, mostly cosmetic. It’s the outside that I have a question on. It appears to be a brick home that has had stucco put over the brick. It’s not pretty and looks like they just applied concrete over it. I would want to have it vinyl sided.
How difficult is this project? How much do you think it will cost? I will, of course, contract this job out. The house is 996 sq. ft. Small…oh, I mean, Cozy! lol
What about adding central air? Expensive? I hate the look of a window AC hanging out a window! The realtor said that they probably had it in the front window. Nice.
Just want some opinions from people who have been there…thanks in advance!
I would get a few contractors over to the house and have them give you a bid to put up the siding. This will assist you with your numbers.
As far as HVAC – this can be expensive. I just had a new 4-ton system put into a 2000+ square foot house. This was a replacement, so the duct work was already in place. My bids ranged from $2,995 to $5,400 (in Georgia). The job was originally bid for a 3-ton (those are 3-ton prices), but the guy upgraded for me without an extra charge. Make sure they also check to see if your electrical can handle the system.
I found a great website where you can purchase HVAC systems and they deliver for free. Their prices were great too. The problem I had was finding any HVAC contractor willing to install it – they all wanted to install their own system (and always claimed they could beat the price I had – they never did). I went with a local contractor, who actually turned out to be great and fair. But I sure wish I was able to take advantage of those great prices on the website LOL.
If you do get a quote on the siding, I would be interested in hearing what it is…I have a couple of properties that could use siding (both just a bit larger than yours)…
I would get a few contractors over to the house and have them give you a bid to put up the siding. This will assist you with your numbers.
I can do this before making an offer on the house?
If you do get a quote on the siding, I would be interested in hearing what it is...I have a couple of properties that could use siding (both just a bit larger than yours)...
It’s a lot easier if the house is empty But yes, you can definitely get a quote. The house is on the market, it’s a reasonable assumption that anyone interested in the property would want to know what the costs of repair would be. Contractors should be most happy to bid the job – if they aren’t interested in assisting you, you don’t want them.
When I know a house needs tons of repair, I bring my contractor with me for the initial look. That way I know what I’m up against cost-wise (always knowing it will be more).
"I found a great website where you can purchase HVAC systems and they deliver for free. Their prices were great too. The problem I had was finding any HVAC contractor willing to install it – they all wanted to install their own system (and always claimed they could beat the price I had – they never did). I went with a local contractor, who actually turned out to be great and fair. But I sure wish I was able to take advantage of those great prices on the website LOL. "
The Reason you will not find a contractor to install your system is because they do not want to be liable if the thing is defective. Would you pay the installer to take it apart and crate it back up? Would you still pay the HVAC installer for installing it, even though it was bad?
What if the company selling you the equipment said your installer did it wrong? Now you end up in a bad and costly situation. Best to aviod those. Saving a few bucks might end up costing you tons. Installers like working with manufacturers and distributors they can trust. They know what will work in your system and what will not. A good deal is only good if it will work.
I entirely agree with you Dan – which is why I gave up my search for an installer and went with a contractor who could take care of the whole package for a reasonable rate and he’ll be around to fix it should something go wrong. I consider that a lesson learned on my part – trying to save a few bucks can be intriguing, however, if no one is there to back the product up, you can end up spending a lot more in the long run. Thanks for your reply.
Dee,
Please ask a contractor how to fix the appearance of your ugly duckling rather than asking him for a bid to add vinyl siding. A decent stucco job MAY be less expensive
than plastic. Siding will probably require wood strips to be nailed to the brick/concrete before the vinyl can be attached, which makes fitting neatly around windows and doors a bit more difficult. Well-applied stucco looks better next decade without paint & lasts much longer. (I have a 50-year old concrete-stucco crackerbox which has been repeatedly powerwashed and never painted. )
After all this gratuitous jabber, the point I’m trying to make is: ask the guy who does the work how to fix a problem. He may give you a better solution at a lower cost. At least you get a knowledgeable second opinion.
You probably figured out that I don’t like vinyl.
If your house is in a hot climate, adding central AC can
make a bigger profit. Some houses are easy to add it to and some are difficult. Where/if ducts can be added depends on the layout of the house. Upgrading electric service, if necessary to support the AC, is not terribly expensive and adds a selling point.
Good luck,
Ray
Please ask a contractor how to fix the appearance of your ugly duckling rather than asking him for a bid to add vinyl siding. A decent stucco job MAY be less expensive
Well, 2 houses to the left and the one on the right of the “ugly duckling” all have vinyl siding, so it would blend in better. Right now it stands out like a sore ugly thumb. lol The street it’s on is very short, maybe 7 or 8 houses total. So the neighbors would probably be very glad to see the stucco go.
If your house is in a hot climate, adding central AC can
make a bigger profit.
The house is about 50 miles west of St. Louis and yes, it’s HOT here! It got up to 100 degrees today. Even right now at 11:30 pm it’s 88 degrees. Tomorrow they said the heat index will be 100 to 105.
I could buy a new window unit. A 10000 BTU unit at Walmart was 194.00. That would be enough for a 996 sq. ft. house, right?
Thanks for all the replies. I am so glad to have this forum to bounce ideas off of others who are doing the same thing I hope to do. ;D
This past winter I had an all electric central unit put into a 960sq ft house for 3k from scratch. I hate those damn window units. I told the guy that I was looking at rehabbing many more houses and he was glad to drop the price from 3.6k to 3k just to know that he may get a lot more business from me. He even upgraded the unit to a mid/upper line Amana so that I would pass the word around about how great of a unit I had and who installed it. Plus I had him do some work on my house central unit just 6mo prior. Good luck with your project and I would definitely recommend adding central A/C.
