Friday, March 20, 2009

Sunday

That's the day we meet about the house- at 1 in the afternoon.  It seems so far away.  Of course, I work all day tomorrow and V is driving half way across the state to pick up our friend Jim and drive him home from his father's funeral in the afternoon :(     So the kids are home alone with J14 in charge.  Not a problem, she'll keep them in line.
We were pricing things like insulation, stain for the siding, replacement fascia boards, etc last night in order to get a bit more ammunition for our side of the bargaining.  Does anybody know what labor for such things is worth?  We have never hired anything out so I honestly have no clue.  V jokingly said that he charges $50 an hour but I want this to be an accurate reflection.
Since we will also need to replace the stove (the one there is an electric, glass top one that I can't can on) I was looking at those online. We're thinking about putting in an island with the stove in it (if we get this place).  Who knows.  I don't want to get too wrapped up in planning- yet- but I really can't help myself.

4 comments:

  1. Have you had a building inspector go through the place yet?? They can often give you an idea of what things cost to repair.
    I hope Sunday goes well for you all!
    Kris

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  2. I live in West Virginia and the rule of thumb here is the amount of the materials and you double it...We have bought 2 investment properties and that is what we paid. I did find however, a fella that did better on that. Usually the Realtors can give you a few names. Don't forget to get a termite inspection. With the creeks nearby it can be a possibility - and I agree with hickchick, get an inspection. As a retired realtor I can tell you when I had farm property and the house was in bad shape, it really was not counted in the price per say...it is mostly the property and buildings more than likely. Did your realtor find comparible sold properties that you can get an idea from?...just a thought...debbie

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  3. Thanks for the ideas. No, we have not had an inspection yet. Here, it is customary to have all the inspections done after the deal is 'sealed'. All agreements are contingent on the place passing inspection. We have to pay for all the inspections out of our pockets so we don't want to commit to anything until we're sure we can agree on a price. We will have the septic inspected (one of our major concerns) as well as the house (general inspection, well testing, radon and pest). The problem with the 'comparable' properties nearby is that the houses were all in much better shape. Our realtor actually sold at least one of the comparison properties for the appraisal so he has first hand knowledge. We're fortunate that we have a fabulous realtor who has done lots of work for us already.
    Debbie- thanks for the 'double the materials' rule. That would be pretty easy to estimate. Except for all the work in the basement where we will need to 'deconstruct' lots of walls, electrical and plumbing work.
    Judy

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  4. Buying a house is so stressful and buying an older one is even more stressful because you have to be careful and make sure you get the inspection and that the sewer and well are ok..electric, plumbing, lead paint..ugh. Keep us updated!

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