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Happy to be exhausted
Dec. 21st, 2014 08:35 pmI met with Jordan today around 3 - this post is mostly notes about that, with the intent of using it to cut and paste emails to a couple folks about some items, to update, and to keep track myself.
He gave me copies of the plans - they're being submitted now (the stamped versions), the last date on them is 12/18/14. Jordan said yes the delays were 3-4 months, and it was "on him," / his fault. He also noted that we were talking about a parking pad estimate - and he's just going to do the parking pad on good will (free, to make up for some of my loss). However, they don't expect the plans to be approved, or construction to resume, until February. I'm not sure why that is, though I think it's related to the 90 day waiting period. He explained they've been trying to pass various inspections to get work done, but they stopped allowing inspections on the separate units until the paperwork is accepted for the split of the unit into 2.
I looked over the plans, titled "EXISTING SFD conversion to 2-UNIT FLAT" and they are clearly a split into 2 units. Jordan says this is such a split I could SELL the basement, or the top, separately. Granted I would need to do something about HOA or address the shared lawn but otherwise the units are and will be separate. There is no real need to do the typical COO with requirements...when permitted, this unit is ready to roll - it's not a rental part of a house, it's a separate house.
Jordan showed me some things that had been done to pass inspection - added new ceiling joists, adding fire retardant between all the floors in gaps and holes, adding more fire alarms and suppressant system pieces, some hurricane brackets (that hold the roof down during bizarrely high winds). The plans now include things like the sump pump.
Basement - he also noted it's possible to make the place a 2br, and it wouldn't be that difficult to do. He also noted I didn't have to really decide; he could put piping etc. behind the walls and cap them so if I wanted the place to be 2 br I could convert it later. Hmm! I'm still thinking 1br, huge, but I'll check in with Scott and Jason just for input.
Separate and not:
A sofit along the top of the basement will contain the pipes for the kitchen and vents for the top floor hvac. The basement will have new joists - not attached to the original joists. This will prevent sound from vibrating between the floors/units.
Gas - moving the meter requires replacing it (they won't move it otherwise) plus redoing the main gas line - this brings the whole move to the tune of $1800. Fine.
Water - the water line is being split into separate meters. This makes the units 100% separate for utilities.
Utilities: he actually decided (and I love it) to ditch the hot water heater, to instead use gas tankless hot water for the main house, and 2 electric tankless hot water heaters for the basement - 1 for the laundry and kitchen, another for the bath only (so you'd never have too little hot water in the shower). This saves a lot of space in/from the utility room.
Windows: he agreed this was a good time to replace the windows. He estimated, while some windows in the basement would be done anyway, this is a really easy time to do windows. He ballparked materials at maybe $200 per window, $200 labor per window. I think I'll replace all the windows that aren't already being replaced.
Doghouse windows - we noticed one window doesn't open, 1 does, so there really is no reason to worry about whether the window could be opened. I might pull the screen out of the one that opens and just let it be.
Doors: He thinks we can get all the doors inside the house, wood, including the 8' ones for upstairs closets, for $500 total - not sure if that includes bartering the radiators. He also ... pointed out the radiator I thought was missing had been moved inside. Oops! Good!
Legal? Jordan warned me to really focus on the Business license now, consider a limited liability form of business or something to make sure...well if someone sued me and won, they could actually possess the unit because it's possible to own it independently of the main house.
General items (top floor only):
Window seat/box: confirmed
Kitchen - HUGE news, he thinks for only about $700 materials (labor not discussed, seems no increase though?) he can replace the back kitchen door...with french doors; 2 giant glass doors in the back of the house. My god yes. I thought it was too much to do and didn't even ask, but at this cost? Done and done. With that, it also makes sense to convert the other window into a shorter window to arrive at counter height. One minor point, this results in not putting the radiator on the back wall...but french doors? Who cares!
Stairs! Jordan, again for what appears minimal cost, wants to put in - instead of a closet - either drawers that pull out from under the stairs (sideways from the stairs), or bookshelves that are secret swinging doors with closet space behind each. Oh! He wasn't sure I'd want something that un-traditional. I convinced him that was well within my tastes.
Kitchen cabinets - he noted having cabinets that go all the way to the 9' ceiling would be expensive - he had some suggestions, but we didn't decide what to do. I decided they don't need to reach the ceiling, and he seemed to think there was simple things he could put up there. He also noted the kitchen cabinet plan would not have the bar - that was something he was going to build.
While he was there my car alarm went off - I went out and some kids were running and ditched down the alley. Nothing was broken or missing.
He gave me copies of the plans - they're being submitted now (the stamped versions), the last date on them is 12/18/14. Jordan said yes the delays were 3-4 months, and it was "on him," / his fault. He also noted that we were talking about a parking pad estimate - and he's just going to do the parking pad on good will (free, to make up for some of my loss). However, they don't expect the plans to be approved, or construction to resume, until February. I'm not sure why that is, though I think it's related to the 90 day waiting period. He explained they've been trying to pass various inspections to get work done, but they stopped allowing inspections on the separate units until the paperwork is accepted for the split of the unit into 2.
I looked over the plans, titled "EXISTING SFD conversion to 2-UNIT FLAT" and they are clearly a split into 2 units. Jordan says this is such a split I could SELL the basement, or the top, separately. Granted I would need to do something about HOA or address the shared lawn but otherwise the units are and will be separate. There is no real need to do the typical COO with requirements...when permitted, this unit is ready to roll - it's not a rental part of a house, it's a separate house.
Jordan showed me some things that had been done to pass inspection - added new ceiling joists, adding fire retardant between all the floors in gaps and holes, adding more fire alarms and suppressant system pieces, some hurricane brackets (that hold the roof down during bizarrely high winds). The plans now include things like the sump pump.
Basement - he also noted it's possible to make the place a 2br, and it wouldn't be that difficult to do. He also noted I didn't have to really decide; he could put piping etc. behind the walls and cap them so if I wanted the place to be 2 br I could convert it later. Hmm! I'm still thinking 1br, huge, but I'll check in with Scott and Jason just for input.
Separate and not:
A sofit along the top of the basement will contain the pipes for the kitchen and vents for the top floor hvac. The basement will have new joists - not attached to the original joists. This will prevent sound from vibrating between the floors/units.
Gas - moving the meter requires replacing it (they won't move it otherwise) plus redoing the main gas line - this brings the whole move to the tune of $1800. Fine.
Water - the water line is being split into separate meters. This makes the units 100% separate for utilities.
Utilities: he actually decided (and I love it) to ditch the hot water heater, to instead use gas tankless hot water for the main house, and 2 electric tankless hot water heaters for the basement - 1 for the laundry and kitchen, another for the bath only (so you'd never have too little hot water in the shower). This saves a lot of space in/from the utility room.
Windows: he agreed this was a good time to replace the windows. He estimated, while some windows in the basement would be done anyway, this is a really easy time to do windows. He ballparked materials at maybe $200 per window, $200 labor per window. I think I'll replace all the windows that aren't already being replaced.
Doghouse windows - we noticed one window doesn't open, 1 does, so there really is no reason to worry about whether the window could be opened. I might pull the screen out of the one that opens and just let it be.
Doors: He thinks we can get all the doors inside the house, wood, including the 8' ones for upstairs closets, for $500 total - not sure if that includes bartering the radiators. He also ... pointed out the radiator I thought was missing had been moved inside. Oops! Good!
Legal? Jordan warned me to really focus on the Business license now, consider a limited liability form of business or something to make sure...well if someone sued me and won, they could actually possess the unit because it's possible to own it independently of the main house.
General items (top floor only):
Window seat/box: confirmed
Kitchen - HUGE news, he thinks for only about $700 materials (labor not discussed, seems no increase though?) he can replace the back kitchen door...with french doors; 2 giant glass doors in the back of the house. My god yes. I thought it was too much to do and didn't even ask, but at this cost? Done and done. With that, it also makes sense to convert the other window into a shorter window to arrive at counter height. One minor point, this results in not putting the radiator on the back wall...but french doors? Who cares!
Stairs! Jordan, again for what appears minimal cost, wants to put in - instead of a closet - either drawers that pull out from under the stairs (sideways from the stairs), or bookshelves that are secret swinging doors with closet space behind each. Oh! He wasn't sure I'd want something that un-traditional. I convinced him that was well within my tastes.
Kitchen cabinets - he noted having cabinets that go all the way to the 9' ceiling would be expensive - he had some suggestions, but we didn't decide what to do. I decided they don't need to reach the ceiling, and he seemed to think there was simple things he could put up there. He also noted the kitchen cabinet plan would not have the bar - that was something he was going to build.
While he was there my car alarm went off - I went out and some kids were running and ditched down the alley. Nothing was broken or missing.
