Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[skialpy]

Needing to leave the water main closed for a few days with the cold line drained. Can I leave the gas water heater turned on if I don’t touch the hot valves?

[m2711c]

can you trust that no one else in your house will forget and try to use the hot water anyways?

[Vt-Freeheel]

Sure you can leave it on. But why? Just turn it off.

He's afraid to light the pilot?

[californiagrown]

He's afraid to light the pilot?

When i was a kid fresh out of college, me and some buddies moved into a really shitty house and the furnace wouldnt start. We called the landlord and instead of sending someone out there she told us to just light it ourselves. We knew nothing about anything so we started turning knobs until we smelled gas, and then grabbed a lighter from the weed table and tried to light the area where the gas smell was strongest. The whole fucking furnace went up in a blue flame as the gas and cobwebs all lit up at the same damn time.


We tried to close all the knobs and immediatley called the landlord back and told her she needed to get someone out there ASAP or we would accidentally blow the house up.

[Stuntmonkey]

Coming to the side of a local ski hill, fall 2025.

[dan_pdx]

Coming to the side of a local ski hill, fall 2025.

Nice house and that looks like an awesome garage. Just curious, do you know about how much construction will cost per square foot?

[Foggy_Goggles]

Nice house and that looks like an awesome garage. Just curious, do you know about how much construction will cost per square foot?

I see houses in the Colorado mountains get built for between $300 and $1200 a square feet. What that does not include is the land, water and sewer taps, delivery of any utilities to the street and so on.

A very large percentage of the cost is driven by homeowner design and finish selection. A good GC can self estimate your project and provide cost control. Most homeowner suck at cost control. Usually, you can manipulate the budget spreadsheet to a number fairly easily. But sticking too it is very difficult. It is maddening way to build a house and one of the reasons that customs get very expensive.

I bet that between the communication and handholding piece and customer driven inefficiencies, the build cost on a custom is 20% higher that a spec.

Just one data point: "Your plumbing fixture budget is $25k, your wife spent $50k"

[::: :::]

Radical thought: perhaps these scope decisions should be made before a construction contract is signed?

[Foggy_Goggles]

Would be nice. Doesn't happen in my world. Colleen from Highlands Ranch is not picking out carpet 24mo out. The whole finish schedule is done on an allowance basis. Add a designer or two in the mix and that's my party.

Sent from a 6 m/s face melting thermal

[XXX-er]

I see houses in the Colorado mountains get built for between $300 and $1200 a square feet. What that does not include is the land, water and sewer taps, delivery of any utilities to the street and so on.

A very large percentage of the cost is driven by homeowner design and finish selection. A good GC can self estimate your project and provide cost control. Most homeowner suck at cost control. Usually, you can manipulate the budget spreadsheet to a number fairly easily. But sticking too it is very difficult. It is maddening way to build a house and one of the reasons that customs get very expensive.

I bet that between the communication and handholding piece and customer driven inefficiencies, the build cost on a custom is 20% higher that a spec.

Just one data point: "Your plumbing fixture budget is $25k, your wife spent $50k"

my BIL was into building and flipping and so I asked how did you do on this house that you knew you were planning on flipping to move away and he said sold it to a RE company owner who was gona live in it, house was $2K under budget obviuosly cuz nobody changed anything

when they built their own house even tho he knew better they put in so many pot lights, 9 ft ceilings, my sister changed this n changed that yadyada it went WAY over budget but when it was business there was no emotion

[Core Shot]

Would be nice. Doesn't happen in my world. Colleen from Highlands Ranch is not picking out carpet 24mo out. The whole finish schedule is done on an allowance basis. Add a designer or two in the mix and that's my party.

Sent from a 6 m/s face melting thermal

Epic signature. Face melting thermal dealing with Colleen and her change orders

[nickwm21]

Would be nice. Doesn't happen in my world. Colleen from Highlands Ranch is not picking out carpet 24mo out. The whole finish schedule is done on an allowance basis. Add a designer or two in the mix and that's my party.

Sent from a 6 m/s face melting thermal

This happens in my world of $500m hospitals, airport terminals, and office towers as well….


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[adrenalated]

This happens in my world of $500m hospitals, airport terminals, and office towers as well….


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Colleen from Highlands Ranch is in charge of decorating both so that makes sense

[Stuntmonkey]

Nice house and that looks like an awesome garage. Just curious, do you know about how much construction will cost per square foot?

Unfortunately in our area the foundation requires about $50k of rock and excavation before I can even pour footings, so we are looking at $450~ sq/ft. Garage is sauna/shower/boot room plus solid 2 truck garage. House is ~1800 sq ft.

Anxious to get started that's for sure.

A very large percentage of the cost is driven by homeowner design and finish selection.

This really is where the money is for us. There's a portion of the work I'm not touching, and there's a lot that I will be touching. I have a specific taste, and I can't afford someone who meets those standards. Kitchen is about 40% finished in our garage right now out of hardwood. Should be done by end of summer ready to go in early June 2025. I'm saving a solid $50k this way but fuck it's a pain in the arse.

[old goat]

With one of our additions we had the contractor do foundation, framing, roof, and rough plumbing and electric. We did the rest ourselves or subbed it out. Quality is probably not as good and I doubt we saved much money, but it sure made the process easier. I can't imagine contracting a custom house. Way too many decisions for my old brain. Neither one of us has enough design sense (or money) to contract for something that would impress people.

[Shredhead]

so we are looking at $450~ sq/ft. Garage is sauna/shower/boot room plus solid 2 truck garage. House is ~1800 sq ft.

That's one thing I wish my house had. My garage is a kind of small two car with a mud room.
I'd like a shower/dog wash and a stackable washer/dryer for muddy bike clothes. Kitchen right off the garage to shorten the grocery schlep.

[nickwm21]

^I’ve never thought the dedicated W/D in the garage but that’s a great idea. I stayed in a hotel in Tokyo that had a mini all-in-one W/D in the room. One of those in the garage would be dope.

Also the garage urinal hidden in a cabinet is 100% on the list if I ever have a garage with plumbing.


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[RootSkier]

That's one thing I wish my house had. My garage is a kind of small two car with a mud room.
I'd like a shower/dog wash and a stackable washer/dryer for muddy bike clothes. Kitchen right off the garage to shorten the grocery schlep.

Yeah get that carbon monoxide directly into the kitchen as quickly as possible.

[californiagrown]

Yeah get that carbon monoxide directly into the kitchen as quickly as possible.

Garages are for toys/storage NOT for cars.

It is the shop, gym, toy storage space. You and my wife have been brainwashed into believing garages are for parking your cars.

[RootSkier]

That is a fair call out. No car has been parked in our garage since we moved in 2016.

[old goat]

You guys might think differently if you lived in Truckee.

[skaredshtles]

Garages are for toys/storage NOT for cars.

It is the shop, gym, toy storage space. You and my wife have been brainwashed into believing garages are for parking your cars.

That is a fair call out. No car has been parked in our garage since we moved in 2016.

Tell me you don't get hail where you live without telling me you don't get hail.

[californiagrown]

Tell me you don't get hail where you live without telling me you don't get hail.

Hail? You mean like hail satan?

[skaredshtles]

Hail? You mean like hail satan?

[Shredhead]

You guys might think differently if you lived in Truckee.

A warm garage and a good snow removal company is something they'll grow into.