So we are looking at buying a home and we had the home inspection today. The house for the most part is in good shape. Few small things here and there as you would expect from any older home.
The garage on the other hand is not in good shape. It needs a new roof. The electrical is poorly done. It is all non grounded except the plug for the garage door. Also there is an old fuse box in there but when you turn it off only one outlet is turned off everything else is still hot. It needs new windows. The roof is not correctly braced in the attic. The sink does not work and it in really bad shape anyway. The landscaping needs to be worked on to direct water around the garage. A few questions, would I need to get a building permit to be able to do all this work? How difficult is it to install windows? And how hard is it to do a metal roof? I want to DIY all of this except the electrical.
Metal roof is pretty easy, arguably easier than a shingle job. Permits are going to depend on the area.
BrokenYugo wrote:
Permits are going to depend on the area.
this... check with your local town/community
Many times if you are the homeowner you can diy on the downlow,especially in a mancave. Just don't make it look like a construction site. (Rural property owner here)
How big is the garage? If its small, you might be better off knocking it down and starting over. Use the chance to go bigger.
Gearheadotaku wrote:
How big is the garage? If its small, you might be better off knocking it down and starting over. Use the chance to go bigger.
Knock it down and start over? What kind of idiot would do that.
A lot of what you can do depends on what is allowed in your area. I could rebuild a whole building without anyone caring while friends 13 mils away need to get their shingle color approved by a committee of busy bodies.
Not much is technically beyond what a single person can do if they care to learn. Ask a lot of questions, be careful, and don't be afraid to do it over again if you do it wrong.
Gearheadotaku wrote:
How big is the garage? If its small, you might be better off knocking it down and starting over. Use the chance to go bigger.
35x15 with an attic space above. There isn't a lot of room to go bigger. I could go maybe 5 ft back and maybe 5ft wider but that would mean a larger pad would be needed and a new fence. Honestly with the space I have that should be enough room for me. I can only really see myself adding one car from where I am now in terms of number of cars so the space I have now, as long as I am smart with it, should work well.
HOA? How nosey are the neighbors?
Can you shut the electricity off and rip it all out to pass that part of the inspection? Then you can redo it correctly later.
First, establish a budget. Its easy to get lots of big ideas and spend more than you need. Go for the best 'bang for your buck' and try to plan for what you want to be able to do in 5 years down the road.
When you say 'new roof' do you just mean shingles etc, or trusses / rafters?
How high are the walls? If your are constructing a completely new roof, you could add a 'knee wall' atop the existing for more ceiling height. Then do 20' of roof with scissor trusses for maximum clearance for a hoist and the rest in attic truss for extra storage. Metal roof is a good idea.
If you can go 5ft deeper, I would. That will allow 2 cars end to end easily. At 35 you can do it but not much 'working room' left.
Electrical is pretty easy, if its in bad shape, start over. Its not worth band-aiding on most cases. Plan your future needs (Welder? Big compressor?)Run 240v now, its not much more than 120v and you can split it up at the box.
Don't think there is money for expanding the garage. The rafters are ok except for missing the cross brace at every four feet.
I would add 220V. Starting over with the electrical would be the only way to deal with it I think.
Is the garage attached to the house or completely separate?
Is the "non fuse box" controlled electrical work tied to a breaker in the house panel?
How far is this garage from street view?
All of these answers make a difference
itsarebuild wrote:
Is the garage attached to the house or completely separate?
Is the "non fuse box" controlled electrical work tied to a breaker in the house panel?
How far is this garage from street view?
All of these answers make a difference
Not sure on the electrical yet. I didn't test it.
Completely detached. Can be seen from the street.
I will need a building permit I have found out.
Sounds like a lot of the garage is not permitted (permits = inspections = sub panels that arent just for decoration). Most of what youre mentioning sounds like it would likely fail any kind of pre-sale home inspection.
If doing some DIY stuff doesnt scare you, that bag of fail in the garage might be a good bargaining chip in getting the price down on the house.
Windows arent tough (and can be cheap if the openings are the right size, or you know how to make em the right size...but then you get into filling in the siding and such, which can suck).
The roof isnt really tough either - metal roofs are pretty easy, just wear THICK gloves, and have a bunch of batteries for your drill/driver on hand. The interweb will be your friend for this.
Electric in and of itself is not tough, but bringing stuff out of the stone age can be tricky. If you "know a guy", you might get around permitting. Sometimes though, its worth paying a few bucks to sleep at night.
If you can get an image of the fuse box that would help.
Believe it or not fuses, of correct type and size, are more reliable than breakers.
93EXCivic wrote:
itsarebuild wrote:
Is the garage attached to the house or completely separate?
Is the "non fuse box" controlled electrical work tied to a breaker in the house panel?
How far is this garage from street view?
All of these answers make a difference
Not sure on the electrical yet. I didn't test it.
Completely detached. Can be seen from the street.
I will need a building permit I have found out.
