Approximately how much would it cost and how long would it take to renovate this Chevy Chase home?

[Anonymous]

For 300k I would think about teardown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For 300k I would think about teardown

agreed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what's funny to me, as someone who lives two blocks from this address but who as has lived here for 15 years and thus didn't need to spend $1.3m just for the entry ticket? It's funny that absolutely NO ONE posting has said "hey. You can buy it and live in it like it is."

Do you guys imagine that the existing windows are going to slash your throat? That the working appliances are going to attack your dog in his sleep? No?

Did aluminum siding kill your mother?

nobody said it because spending 1M and live in that house would be stupid IMO

Would you be willing to give us your zip code anonymously, to provide context?

I think it's terrible that people spend $2 million to live in a closet in the center of Tokyo and Hong Kong, but I don't go on their local fora to tell them they are stupid because 1. I don't know what the hell I'm saying since I've never been to either and 2. Clearly, that's the price the market will bear.

[Anonymous]

never been to Tokyo or Hong Kong (although I would love to). I have a much less adventurous life unfortunately and my zip code is (guess what?) 20015.

I doubt this house will sell at this price (but I am no expert and the market has been crazy in the past year with the low inventory). I have a friend who is looking for exactly this type of home (price/location) who did not even bother go see this house because of the price/amout of work (he can spend 1M and even a little more but he would not live in that house for that price).

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the input - I am not handy at all and from what is described I think I will pass! I am curious - how can you tell by looking that it needs new wiring?????

You can't. But you assume the wiring is shot and maybe you get a happy surprise, but those are rare in the renovation business.

[Anonymous]

one strange this about this home is that it appears it had a 2 story addition made in 2004. I find strange that owners spend $$$ to add a 2 story addition to a house, and after just 9 years the house looks in such bad shape. was the addition done on the cheap, or maybe the owners failed to maintain just in the last few years?

[Anonymous]

I'm the "kitchen is $100K easy" poster and I also live in 20015. We have done substantial work to our house.

Other things came on the market at that price point that were a lot nicer and they were gone pretty quickly. People don't seem to look for a house to work on anymore. They want it "done". Op indicated that she is such a buyer and wants the bulk of the work done before she moves in.

[Anonymous]

I just did my entire hall bath for like 2k 800 for labor which included installing a bathroom fan with venting to the outside. The toilet and sink was like 800 tile fan paint was 400 how are people spending 18k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just did my entire hall bath for like 2k 800 for labor which included installing a bathroom fan with venting to the outside. The toilet and sink was like 800 tile fan paint was 400 how are people spending 18k?

It's a different market. They are using high end finishes. A Hansgrohe showerhead, for example, is $400. Add to that faucets for two sinks and tub, towel racks, toilet handle and you you've spent more than what you spent on your whole bathroom. An 18K bathroom could actually be on the modest side.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/30127101-toto-ms854114sg-01-ultramax-one-piece-elongated-toilet-in-sanagloss-cotton-white-with-softclose-seat-ms854114sg-01/;_ylt=A0PDtsBZ3Z9RBGgAfAlv4rsF

http://www.faucetdirect.com/rohl-wa652l-wave-single-lever-deck-mounted-bathroom-faucet-with-fixed-spout-and-metal-lever-handle/p1042385

ww.faucetdirect.com/kohler-k-14273-g-vintage-24-undermount-bathroom-sink-with-overflow/p218087

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just did my entire hall bath for like 2k 800 for labor which included installing a bathroom fan with venting to the outside. The toilet and sink was like 800 tile fan paint was 400 how are people spending 18k?

The rich in this area are stupid

[Anonymous]

Well, in 5 years, when you want to sell your renovated house for $1.8M, I'm going to look at it. And I'm going to see that you did a half assed job on the windows and I'm going to factor that into my offer. And I'm going to look at the Ikea kitchen you put in and think "this kitchen isn't a $1.8M home kitchen, it's a $1M home kitchen" and I'm going to factor that into my offer. And then I'm going to wonder what else you skimped on and wonder if I really even want this house that was so poorly maintained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that kitchen is $100K easy and I think the entire thing needs a ton of work. I don't think it would be done by September, either, unless you know that you could close next week, find a contractor and get your permits on some kind of expedited basis. I think that is unlikely. You will wait at least a month for your permit.

+10
Builder here...couldn't agree more...kitchen - 30-35k cabinets,15-20 appliance,5-7k countertops, plus lighting, plumber, demo, new floor - there's your hundred...hall baths figure 15k, master bath figure 30-50k.

btw, I do not live or work in your area but I like the house...do yourself a favor find someone you can trust and not recommended by the realtor to take a hard look at the house - the mechanicals - are they original, electric, how may amps, HVAC, etc...windows - houseful of windows is could be another 50k...the deck in the back has to go...nice patio is more $$$....again like the house but it is a project...and if you are like most folks I meet and I mean this respectfully I tell them the numbers - they look at me like I am crazy and tell me that I only do high end really nice work (which is true) then come back after about 6 months of doing there homework and tell me I was right....I look at that house and 200-300k is my visceral reaction...kitchen/baths/paint/etc...and I'm thinking closer to 300k..and btw you will by September just not this year....now if you are handy and want a three-five year nights and weekend project that is a different story...

WTF. Seriously? 30k for cabinets? 50k for windows?!?

Our kitchen was renovated when we moved in, but there was one empty wall begging for more storage. We ordered a floor to ceiling pantry which was 2 feet wide, a set of cabinets, and a set of drawers to match everything else, plus a granite slab. We had our handyman and his carpenter friend install it. We installed the hardware ourselves. Total cost: $2200 including installation. (march 2013)

We also had 15 windows replaced. High quality windows. That was 7k. (sept 2011)

Original Builder here: There are Hondas, Lexus, and Maseratis. I like to build the equivalent of Lexus'. For a 1M house in that shape, if its fairly priced, tells me its in a decent neighborhood. So, if you want a nice Lexus ES330 type job - yes nice custom cabinets start at 30k. Custom - made in a shop for your kitchen. Then installed and ideally finished in place. Four coats of lacquer. 3/4 cabinet grade birch - respectfully can you look at a piece of birch plywood and tell the difference between the 45.00 sheet from China and the 85.00 cabinet grade from Canada...well there is a real difference. Hard maple 5/4 drawer fronts - 5/8 dovetail drawer boxes - self closing slides...trust me you can feel the difference...sure you can just as easily buy 1/2 birch ply or particle board...you can buy anything you want - but it you want to do it right - then do it right the first time. Nothing says you cannot go to the Big Box stores and buy one of their kitchens. But that buyer is probably not the buyer for an older home that is going to be remodeled into something elegant. 750 each for a window replacement is low - sounds like you did well. Did you replace the sashs or the frames ? Clad with a nailing flange or wood with casing ? If I replace your windows I either do wood or custom order from a company like LePage a wood frame with a clad sash. Why ? So I save on painting the sash (the real time killer) and get the look of a wood window with the depth/shadow line of the casing. Solid wood frames - no finger joint. Can't do pine anymore for exterior trim so either use mahogany or PVC. Even if I an clean in cutting the siding I still have siding work to accomodate flashing. I wrap the opening with grace ice and weather, you can use some bevel siding on the bottom to get some pitch. Then put in a nice copper cap. Need to patch the siding and paint. Inside I wind up recasing the inside windows. I prefer poplar to finger jointed pine - and in truth I can custom mill it for what you buy finger jointed pine at the lumberyard. For the foursquare it would be flat stock but you could do a window head and then paint...do I do that for 750 a window...no. And I nice Anderson 400, Marvin, Pella, Koble, or LePage window is going to cost you 750.00 all day long....someone who is doing the install properly is going to want at least 400.00 a window for install...puts your cost at 1150.00 plus demo and demo fees, casings, etc.. And respectfully, buying a cabinet and screwing it to the wall is not the same as doing a custom kitchen...it reminds I use to go the local yard and they would try and sell me finger jointed pine for exteriot trim - it was marketed as Windsor One. I'd tell them that I am not putting that crap on my houses. Well, they said I was nuts. Well, Windsor One is bankrupt, caused by class action lawsuit because of premature failure due to rot (from the finger joint)...and I have nice little business replacing exterior trim..and I get alot of it because folks know I never used the fj crap...like any other business a smart consumer always gets value when they get what they pay for...

Any chance you are located in Massachusetts? I need to do some reno work there and you would be perfect.

Close - Connecticut - don't normally work in MA but could be talked into the Islands ?

[Anonymous]

You could more than live in that house as is and I would.....nice way to get into a decent neighborhood with a large house and a yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could more than live in that house as is and I would.....nice way to get into a decent neighborhood with a large house and a yard.

is not the house, is the combination of house and price. I bought recently (although not in the past year) in CC and bought a house that needs some works (old kitchen, old bathrooms) but is perfectly livable, and we have been living in it. we just did not pay 1M.