Enough with the tear down lovers. In our close in desirable neighborhood, we have one tear down and the new owners paid $800k for the crappy house on a smallish lot. Not everyone sees rip off after $300k.

Agree that if the reno estimates are over $300K it's time to tear down and start anew. You'd actually get a cheaper house that way. A lot more work goes into renovating than building from scratch at times. Once you hit the $300K mark, all bets are off. It's no longer worth trying to maintain the integrity of older structures/systems. You're pretty much ripping it all out any way.

Anonymous wrote:We did similar work about 5 yrs ago including kitchen and spent about $325k in McLean.

very close to getting ripped off hopefully all metals are solid platinum and diamond counters

We did similar work about 5 yrs ago including kitchen and spent about $325k in McLean.

I really think it depends on your contractor. We talked to a reputable contractor in Anne Arundel County, MD who works in the DC area. The estimate for what described above was about $200K. We know he's good b/c my dad is a brick mason in AA County and they do a lot of work together. We had a stone fireplace (huge) put in in Chevy Chase, MD for $7K using a AA County brick mason. Look farther than DC Metro area for a contractor.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I don't know the specific area, but that seems crazy high to me. Friends built a 3500 sf house in Vienna (on a tear down lot) for $350k, excluding the cost of the lot.

Exactly and you will make more money

We are in AU park and are budgeting about 350$ K for something like this. In a related question, how far in advance do people start planning (getting quotes) for something like this?

Wow, I don't know the specific area, but that seems crazy high to me. Friends built a 3500 sf house in Vienna (on a tear down lot) for $350k, excluding the cost of the lot.

Anonymous wrote:250 per sq ft, $300 more likely, kitchen extra. Add in a good chunk of existing sq ft tht needs work too since you can't just tack on.

Ballpark, its $300 to $400.

For anything over 300k I, would tear down

250 per sq ft, $300 more likely, kitchen extra. Add in a good chunk of existing sq ft tht needs work too since you can't just tack on.

Ballpark, its $300 to $400.

We did this recently and it was $400k. We got six bids from reputable contractors and they were all the same ballpark.

300k?

Anonymous wrote:200K?

Wouldn't the kitchen alone be $100k+, the mbr suite bath be $35k--excluding the cost of constructing the new space?

200K?

We live in a modest colonial in the Bethesda/Chevy chase area. We'd like to do a 2 story bump out (family room and kitchen on the first floor, master suite on the second). Don't need high end finishes/fixtures. How much do you think this would cost in 2013?