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Out of context: Reply #63459
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- mg333
My wife and I are selling our condo in Chicago and shopping for a house in the suburbs. Considering buying a mid 1950s tri-level home that's about 2,600 square feet that needs some renovation: All 3.5 bathrooms need to be gutted and redone. Old tile torn out, new tile or hardwood floor put in, some walls closed off or opened up. New baseboards and cosmetic updates. Some minor kitchen work or a bigger kitchen overhaul depending on budget. Really excited to tour it for a second time tomorrow with a contractor we've used before. Needs circuit breaker brought up to code and possible new electric wiring throughout.
We weren't considering a significant rehab when we started our search, but it's really fun to think about customizing the hell out of a house that we want to be in for 20, 25, 30 years and still getting the whole thing for about the same price as a move-in ready home. We renovated our condo in the last 4-6 years, and lived through it for several months. We'd have to live somewhere else during a project like this, but it's super exciting.
- Sounds like a lot of work, how long for it to be completed?eryx
- Aweet! If you have the means to pull this off, go for it!monospaced
- congrats, sounds greatIRNlun6
- We have no idea yet. They are selling it for $50K more than they should be. It's not move in ready, unless you're cool with a poorly kept up house.mg33
- It's fun brainstorming it though. Actually hoping that it does need all new wiring, so I can have stuff properly set up for music equipment, Internet, etc.mg33
- It's currently a 3 bedroom place; we need a guest room and there's a dining room that can easily be converted to a bedroom, beside a bathroom.mg33
- Having studied architecture for a bit in college, it's a blast to think through all of this.mg33
- Congrats, that must be one of the coolest personal projects one can wish for.Maaku
- ^ Thanks! It definitely is. We've got one child who just turned 17 months old today, and hope to have another one eventually.mg33
- So the thought of settling down and having the best place we can is lots of fun.mg33
- And, selfishly, as a musician I've been dying for a space to myself for amps, guitars, recording gear, etc. Has room for all that, and would work tomg33
- get the room properly soundproofed, basically a nice den / music space for instruments, my records, whiskey, all that stuff.mg33
- congrats, be careful to budget out. old homes can surprise you in the renovation.yurimon
- 3 levels means basement, ground and 1 floor ?Bennn
- Damn, might as well build a new house!formed
- which suburb?kona
- Kona - Lincolnwood. We've been looking in that area for a while, another fully rehabbed house fell through.mg33
- 50K in ten years in nothing. don't let that stand in the way, if possible.Gnash