The Renovate Otis's New House Thread (2 Viewers)

[glock]

Oh good lord.

Weren't you just complaining about the chaos at home, and now you want to build a home?

If you're serious about it, don't turn your nose up at modular homes. They're built in factories and are as good if not better than a stick built home. We built modular back in 2008 and haven't had a single problem with the house. Super solid construction, faster, and good pricing. People that come to our house are shocked it was pre-built in a factory. I'll stop here since I have a feeling I'm wasting my time, but I'll answer questions if you're really curious about the process.

"They" won't allow modulars where Oats wants to build.

 

[OC Zed]

Oh and theres no chance your wife doesn't become a construction-zilla once she is able to pick and choose every little detail about your house. When she sees there are 20 different types light fixers and she is not budging from the most expensive option...good luck.

My wife isn't big on details. There are a few things either of us care about, and I don't expect to have her attention beyond that. If anything I'll be the one obsessing over the details, and barely.

If details aren't a big deal, why build?

Exactly. Buy a place that's already been remodeled or spec built.

 

[eoMMan]

You forgot "nerds" in the thread title.

 

[McGarnicle]

My dream would be to find a house with historical significance that has fallen into disrepair and restore it completely true to period on the outside and main common areas, but have all the modern conveniences in the kitchen and baths, walk-in closets, etc. The ultimate home with character that no new house could ever come close to matching.

 

[BroadwayG]

Is scratch slang for money?

 

[coyote5]

Oh, HELL yeah.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

From scratch???

Naked and Afraid or Dual Survivor may give you some tips

 

[glock]

Screw that build ####. I have a neighbor moving out two doors from me. Don't know them real well, but these people are over the top anal about their home. Gorgeous backyard/pool on a manageable plot. One minute to LIRR on the Huntington line. 50 minute express to Penn.

I'll show you how to clean that pool...

 

[jon_mx]

I have built over a hundred homes, but only a couple that would be comparable to what Otis would be looking for here. A standard home is a pretty easy thing, where the only real decisions are flooring, cabinets, wall color, light fixtures, and siding/brick selection. You get into a 7 figure house and the amount of details expands enormously. If you could really keep it simple, it is not a huge headache and can be done economically, There is no way Otis's wife will keep it simple. You will be designing features in every room, driving up costs and expanding the schedule.

 

[glock]

I have built over a hundred homes, but only a couple that would be comparable to what Otis would be looking for here. A standard home is a pretty easy thing, where the only real decisions are flooring, cabinets, wall color, light fixtures, and siding/brick selection. You get into a 7 figure house and the amount of details expands enormously. If you could really keep it simple, it is not a huge headache and can be done economically, There is no way Otis's wife will keep it simple. You will be designing features in every room, driving up costs and expanding the schedule.

Agreed.

 

[Brony]

This is the same guy that had the retaining wall, privacy bushes fiasco, right?

 

[Otis]

Oh and theres no chance your wife doesn't become a construction-zilla once she is able to pick and choose every little detail about your house. When she sees there are 20 different types light fixers and she is not budging from the most expensive option...good luck.

My wife isn't big on details. There are a few things either of us care about, and I don't expect to have her attention beyond that. If anything I'll be the one obsessing over the details, and barely.

Hardwood floors --- you want drop in vents or floor level vents?

Your call, contractor guy!

 

[Otis]

Oats important question?

Do you want your doors to open left or right handed?

Wait, this is a serious choice?

 

[McGarnicle]

So two-way mirrors in every bathroom and guest room is a given, right?

 

[Otis]

This is the same guy that had the retaining wall, privacy bushes fiasco, right?

On man's fiasco is another man's entertainment.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I believe Otis when he says that his wife wouldn't mind not making decisions.

My bet though, is that she would find lots of things to not like over the next several years and Otis would be looking at upgrading houses again within 3-5 years.

 

[Otis]

I believe Otis when he says that his wife wouldn't mind not making decisions.

My bet though, is that she would find lots of things to not like over the next several years and Otis would be looking at upgrading houses again within 3-5 years.

I doubt it if we build the house we have in mind in the location we have in mind. The catch is that in the neighborhood we're looking, you have to pay a pretty penny to buy the "knockdown." And then knock it down, despite having paid all that money for it. And then when that's done, rebuild a house there for the same amount of money you just spent to buy and knock down a house in the first place.



On the bright side, it's all monopoly money from the bank.

 

[Otis]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

 

[El Floppo]

If/when this goes from crazy talk to nutty talk- feel free to buy me lunch and I'll talk you out of it.

 

[krista4]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

 

[Otis]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

We made an offer, and then the sellers did this and we got pissed and did this and then we all got everyone walked away.

On the bright side, Mrs. O much prefers UglyHouse because it has a kitchen like in all those morning breakfast cereal or household products commercials, where you look at it and think "bullcrap, nobody has a kitchen like that." So Mrs. O is stoked. I half am thinking she stoked the fire of my anger to deep-six the deal on the other house because she wanted the backup house all along.

Well played, Mrs. O. Well played.

 

[Otis]

If/when this goes from crazy talk to nutty talk- feel free to buy me lunch and I'll talk you out of it.

We maybe should do this GB.

 

[krista4]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

We made an offer, and then the sellers did this and we got pissed and did this and then we all got everyone walked away.

On the bright side, Mrs. O much prefers UglyHouse because it has a kitchen like in all those morning breakfast cereal or household products commercials, where you look at it and think "bullcrap, nobody has a kitchen like that." So Mrs. O is stoked. I half am thinking she stoked the fire of my anger to deep-six the deal on the other house because she wanted the backup house all along.

Well played, Mrs. O. Well played.

Are you guys going to have to rent for a while in any case, or could you move into UglyHouse right away? If you have to rent, why not wait until the exact right thing comes along? Setting aside the ugly issues with UglyHouse, IIRC it had some other problems that were a bigger deal to you, like the street it is on.

 

[GroveDiesel]

When even krista is telling you that maybe you should slow down and take your time before buying a house, I think it's time to reevaluate.

 

[krista4]

When even krista is telling you that maybe you should slow down and take your time before buying a house, I think it's time to reevaluate.

Better at giving advice than taking it, I guess.

 

[Christo]

Glutton meet punishment

 

[tommyGunZ]

If I had Oats loot, I'd go this direction. Buy an older, urban box and transform the interior, while keep the exterior as non-descript as possible.

 

[James Daulton]

Just buy Carmela's Spec House.

 

[Slapdash]

Good thing you didn't want to rent while making improvements to the house you just sold too cheaply.

 

[massraider]

Oh and theres no chance your wife doesn't become a construction-zilla once she is able to pick and choose every little detail about your house. When she sees there are 20 different types light fixers and she is not budging from the most expensive option...good luck.

My wife isn't big on details. There are a few things either of us care about, and I don't expect to have her attention beyond that. If anything I'll be the one obsessing over the details, and barely.

If details aren't a big deal, why build?

 

[Otis]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

We made an offer, and then the sellers did this and we got pissed and did this and then we all got everyone walked away.

On the bright side, Mrs. O much prefers UglyHouse because it has a kitchen like in all those morning breakfast cereal or household products commercials, where you look at it and think "bullcrap, nobody has a kitchen like that." So Mrs. O is stoked. I half am thinking she stoked the fire of my anger to deep-six the deal on the other house because she wanted the backup house all along.

Well played, Mrs. O. Well played.

Are you guys going to have to rent for a while in any case, or could you move into UglyHouse right away? If you have to rent, why not wait until the exact right thing comes along? Setting aside the ugly issues with UglyHouse, IIRC it had some other problems that were a bigger deal to you, like the street it is on.

Possibly could move direct into UglyHouse. With TerrorKids in tow, that's a big time value proposition.

My only gripes with it were that it's near a busy street and I'd have liked a bigger yard/more distance from neighbors. Agent yesterday suggested it will still be a newish house in a few years, we could always move then if we are unhappy. But she also is the one who suggested the idea of building. She doesn't want us to settle. The realist in me says there are no new houses coming on the market after Memorial Day weekend, and this house checks most of the boxes, so just get it done. Gives us a chance to get in and settled and get to know our new town better, and maybe in a few years we know exactly what we want and what part of town and make a move then.

What we like about the knockdown prospect the broker sent us is its right in the central part of town, walking distance to everyone, almost like city living in that sense, which Mrs. O in particular loves. Then again she'd be thrilled with Ugly House, and we are barely staying afloat with these kids without having the pressure of building a house. Maybe that's something better for us to do down the road when we know the town better, have more money, and don't have babies everywhere ruining us.

Hell if I know. I just want a comfortable couch and cold beer. And silence.

 

[Otis]

Oh and theres no chance your wife doesn't become a construction-zilla once she is able to pick and choose every little detail about your house. When she sees there are 20 different types light fixers and she is not budging from the most expensive option...good luck.

My wife isn't big on details. There are a few things either of us care about, and I don't expect to have her attention beyond that. If anything I'll be the one obsessing over the details, and barely.

If details aren't a big deal, why build?

Because there is no house a available in the area we like that has exactly the right combination of block, lot size, and interior. I don't mean down to the glazing of the toilet in the third bathroom, but high level stuff.

 

[GroveDiesel]

No new houses after Memorial Day? Don't people start putting their houses on sale when the kids get out of school?

 

[Otis]

When even krista is telling you that maybe you should slow down and take your time before buying a house, I think it's time to reevaluate.

Hfs good point.

 

[Otis]

No new houses after Memorial Day? Don't people start putting their houses on sale when the kids get out of school?

Not around here. Season ends around now. Of course there are outliers. Most people go to contract by now to target an August closing and move. My kid starts preschool in September, and so we need to be in by then.

Anyone who was planning to put their house up has already done so. Only thing left are surprise moves, job relocations, etc.

 

[Otis]

Paging Mrs. O.

 

[tommyGunZ]

No new houses after Memorial Day? Don't people start putting their houses on sale when the kids get out of school?

Not around here. Season ends around now. Of course there are outliers. Most people go to contract by now to target an August closing and move. My kid starts preschool in September, and so we need to be in by then.

Anyone who was planning to put their house up has already done so. Only thing left are surprise moves, job relocations, etc.

That's why the fall/winter is traditionally a buyers market. Hold out and scoop your dream spot when you have the leverage Oats.

 

[Otis]

No new houses after Memorial Day? Don't people start putting their houses on sale when the kids get out of school?

Not around here. Season ends around now. Of course there are outliers. Most people go to contract by now to target an August closing and move. My kid starts preschool in September, and so we need to be in by then.Anyone who was planning to put their house up has already done so. Only thing left are surprise moves, job relocations, etc.

That's why the fall/winter is traditionally a buyers market. Hold out and scoop your dream spot when you have the leverage Oats.

As I'm picking up chicken bones in the back alley behind our rental which caused us to move an extra time.

Such a hard choice. We could be waiting forever. But you're right that's an option.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Do a two story basement. It's the future.

McBunker?

 

[Rohn Jambo]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

We made an offer, and then the sellers did this and we got pissed and did this and then we all got everyone walked away.

On the bright side, Mrs. O much prefers UglyHouse because it has a kitchen like in all those morning breakfast cereal or household products commercials, where you look at it and think "bullcrap, nobody has a kitchen like that." So Mrs. O is stoked. I half am thinking she stoked the fire of my anger to deep-six the deal on the other house because she wanted the backup house all along.

Well played, Mrs. O. Well played.

Can we step back a little. Why did you sell the old house? Do you need more space or did someone you don't like move in next door?

 

[Otis]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

We made an offer, and then the sellers did this and we got pissed and did this and then we all got everyone walked away.

On the bright side, Mrs. O much prefers UglyHouse because it has a kitchen like in all those morning breakfast cereal or household products commercials, where you look at it and think "bullcrap, nobody has a kitchen like that." So Mrs. O is stoked. I half am thinking she stoked the fire of my anger to deep-six the deal on the other house because she wanted the backup house all along.

Well played, Mrs. O. Well played.

Can we step back a little. Why did you sell the old house? Do you need more space or did someone you don't like move in next door?

Water under the bridge friend. Onward and upward.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

But to GD's point, the house we are considering buying as the alternative may well be one that won't last us more than a few years.

And besides krista already said it is butt ugly

Sorry. :( What happened to the other one? Did it go off the market? It looked very nice.

We made an offer, and then the sellers did this and we got pissed and did this and then we all got everyone walked away.

On the bright side, Mrs. O much prefers UglyHouse because it has a kitchen like in all those morning breakfast cereal or household products commercials, where you look at it and think "bullcrap, nobody has a kitchen like that." So Mrs. O is stoked. I half am thinking she stoked the fire of my anger to deep-six the deal on the other house because she wanted the backup house all along.

Well played, Mrs. O. Well played.

Can we step back a little. Why did you sell the old house? Do you need more space or did someone you don't like move in next door?

Water under the bridge friend. Onward and upward.

I see.

 

[The Z Machine]

BTW, you're effing insane, Oats.

 

[Mister Martie]

I can't believe you launched your other house with basically no plan.

 

[gianmarco]

Currently going through the process. Our builder is fantastic. At this point, I can't imagine trying to buy a current home on the market because we were never able to find something we liked completely. And we've been looking on and off for the last 2 1/2 yrs.

Our builder can do as much or as little as we want. We can have input in every single selection or he can pretty much recommend a couple options and let us decide. We sat down and gave our thoughts of what we liked and what we didn't like (which we learned a lot from looking at so many homes) and within a few days had a floor plan that pretty much nailed it. A couple back and forths and the final floor plan was done. Within 2 weeks, we've selected exterior, flooring, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, and appliances. We'll have a detailed budget within 4 weeks of our first meeting.

We will be paying cost + 15%. The timing is about 7-8 months after closing (1-2 months for permits and demo then a 6 month build). We get to decide where we want to spend more money (i.e. the kitchen and master bath) and where we don't care as much and can save some money. This process has been completely painless. That said, I know we've lucked into an incredibly good builder as we already met with one earlier that, while he built nice homes, was just completely nebulous and we never had a good feel.

Bottom line, if you can find a good builder, it can be incredibly easy and rewarding. I would imagine in NY, there has to be at least one guy that can provide that kind of service.

 

[Otis]

I can't believe you launched your other house with basically no plan.

Safety nets are for wussies.

 

[Otis]

Interview question #1 for the builder: Does your crew like Nintendo Xbox?

lol

 

[Otis]

Ef this. Putting in an offer on UglyHouse tomorrow. This sounds like a nightmare.

 

[gianmarco]

Ef this. Putting in an offer on UglyHouse tomorrow. This sounds like a nightmare.

Congrats on settling.

Let me know if you want to see pictures of CustomHome

 

[El Floppo]

Ef this. Putting in an offer on UglyHouse tomorrow. This sounds like a nightmare.

Building the dream home or settling. Pond will be good for you, though.