Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Household Management -> Finances
Building second floor
Previous  1  2



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 4:54 pm
amother [ Beige ] wrote:
We did that very recently in Brooklyn. Gutted second floor added a third total of around 2100 sq f. It cost us around $400k-450k. Don't regret it a second. The sz my house is I would pay alot more that what I bought it for including the renovations.


This is what we would do exactly. Why did it cost so much? I'm assuming a huge expense is re working the layout of main floor and putting in new bathrooms and new kitchen. Now I have bedrooms on main floor that I would incorporate into kitchen and open large den area. How much was your kitchen? Some things we can keep I'm sure like windows possibly even dining room...
Back to top

amother
Beige


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 5:27 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
This is what we would do exactly. Why did it cost so much? I'm assuming a huge expense is re working the layout of main floor and putting in new bathrooms and new kitchen. Now I have bedrooms on main floor that I would incorporate into kitchen and open large den area. How much was your kitchen? Some things we can keep I'm sure like windows possibly even dining room...

We did a total gut even windows. We got an estimate of around 350k. And then then you always always have to add to your estimate . There are ALWAYS changes. Even minor changes cost money. Kitchen you have to figure around 30-40k including appliances and countertops. We bought all new appliances for entire house. It could even go upto 50k. We took not the cheapest but the middle road. When we were doing our research we were told to figure double of our estimate but double is exaggerating. It's cost us around 100-150k more.
Back to top

amother
Babyblue


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 6:14 pm
Ruchel wrote:
wow I would just not accept double price for being jewish


They charge extra when people are Jewish.

Is that what you thought she meant?!?!?

That would be ridiculous.
To stereotype, as a community we tend to have fancier taste and put in more expensive finishings. Frum people tend to have much larger kitchens with higher end counters/cabinets/appliances, have more bathrooms, and so forth.
Back to top

amother
Beige


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 7:19 pm
amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:
They charge extra when people are Jewish.

Is that what you thought she meant?!?!?

That would be ridiculous.
To stereotype, as a community we tend to have fancier taste and put in more expensive finishings. Frum people tend to have much larger kitchens with higher end counters/cabinets/appliances, have more bathrooms, and so forth.

I disagree. I didn't do ANYTHING fancy. Nothing! All my tiles were no more than $3.40 p.sq.f with the exception of one bathroom where I allowed myself to go a bit higher cuz it's a very small bathroom and I didn't tile all the way up. No moldings whatsoever. Wood floors the very basic that builder included. Why the stereotype!? No fancy appliances at all self clean but the most basic. Not lrg kitchen at all. Some of my sibs have much bigger than me.
Back to top

amother
Babyblue


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 7:20 pm
amother [ Beige ] wrote:
I disagree. I didn't do ANYTHING fancy. Nothing! All my tiles were no more than $3.40 p.sq.f with the exception of one bathroom where I allowed myself to go a bit higher cuz it's a very small bathroom and I didn't tile all the way up. No moldings whatsoever. Wood floors the very basic that builder included. Why the stereotype!? No fancy appliances at all self clean but the most basic. Not lrg kitchen at all. Some of my sibs have much bigger than me.


Then you should not have paid a premium.
Back to top

Amarante




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 8:44 pm
I have never heard of Jewish remodeling being more expensive than remodeling done by secular people - assuming that it is apples for apples.

Remodeling costs are very location specific. Remodeling in New York City is extremely expensive because the cost of labor is higher than other areas. New York City also has very extensive Code requirements which must be met as well as expensive permits and inspections to make sure work is done according to Code. Logistically, depending on where work is done, it is more expensive for the work to be done - deliveries must deal with heavy traffic and limited parking. It's more expensive to have the trash bins set up for demo and other construction waste. There is generally no convenient place to store stuff while work is being done - all of this means that costs are higher for anything done.
Back to top

amother
Beige


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 8:50 pm
amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:
Then you should not have paid a premium.

Do you have an idea how contractors work? There are 2 ways to do it 1. Cost + 2. Lump sum.
Cost + ppl say you can save sometimes in ten long run but every tiny thing, plumber, electrician, what kind of insulation etc is your headache. 2. Lump sum is contractor does everything besides the painting. All you have to choose is tiles, vanities etc . Of course he asks you what you want along the way, but the headache of everything is on him.
Most contractors have their way of doing business. Most you don't really get a choice. Some of them if you ask them they'll do it the other way around.
Back to top

Amarante




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 8:59 pm
amother [ Beige ] wrote:
Do you have an idea how contractors work? There are 2 ways to do it 1. Cost + 2. Lump sum.
Cost + ppl say you can save sometimes in ten long run but every tiny thing, plumber, electrician, what kind of insulation etc is your headache. 2. Lump sum is contractor does everything besides the painting. All you have to choose is tiles, vanities etc . Of course he asks you what you want along the way, but the headache of everything is on him.
Most contractors have their way of doing business. Most you don't really get a choice. Some of them if you ask them they'll do it the other way around.


I think you are not describing this accurately.

If you hire a General Contractor, they coordinate everything so all "headaches" are on him because he is being paid to make sure everything is done according to the specifications. When the inevitable glitches happen, he is the one who takes care of the problem.

The scenario you seem to be describing where stuff if the homeowner's headache is when the homeowner decides not to spend money on a General Contractor but instead hires the various tradespeople directly and theoretically saves what would have been the General Contractor's fee which is generally a percentage of the budget.

In my experience (and opinion) anyone who acts as their own General Contractor who isn't very experienced in construction has a fool for client because a good General Contractor earns their money. I just finished a gut remodel and I can't imagine what it would have been like if I had attempted to act as my own GC. As the saying goes, most people don't know what they don't know and it winds up causing them more money in the long run as well as a job that isn't done as well as it should be.

If you are having a relatively small job done - e.g. changing your flooring, then you hire the tradespeople directly.
Back to top

amother
Honeydew


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 11:22 pm
Jewish people tend to build nicer than others. When you talk about plain vanilla bedrooms, the costs for a box are the same.

You need to learn about what is going on to learn where you can save and how to price the job. Giving the GC a percentage of what the job costs gives him a disincentive to bring the price down. The more he spends, the more he makes.

There is a lot of fat in construction. Our house is luxurious and cost $90 a sq ft including painting and trim.
Back to top

amother
Salmon


 

Post Sun, Aug 04 2019, 11:51 pm
amother [ Honeydew ] wrote:
Jewish people tend to build nicer than others. When you talk about plain vanilla bedrooms, the costs for a box are the same.
.


Do you seriously believe this? Have you ever seen the beautiful upscale homes inhabited and built by and for non Jewish people?

What homes are you comparing because based on homes I see for sale in Monsey and Lakewood, they are in general pretty ordinary middle class homes and there are much lovelier homes in other places as well as homes that are comparable.
Back to top

amother
Honeydew


 

Post Mon, Aug 05 2019, 12:05 am
amother [ Salmon ] wrote:
Do you seriously believe this? Have you ever seen the beautiful upscale homes inhabited and built by and for non Jewish people?

What homes are you comparing because based on homes I see for sale in Monsey and Lakewood, they are in general pretty ordinary middle class homes and there are much lovelier homes in other places as well as homes that are comparable.


It doesn't matter what I believe. It is what is. It certainly doesn't matter what you think. That's the cost for Jewish home construction.
Back to top

amother
Salmon


 

Post Mon, Aug 05 2019, 8:37 am
amother [ Honeydew ] wrote:
It doesn't matter what I believe. It is what is. It certainly doesn't matter what you think. That's the cost for Jewish home construction.


To paraphrase Senator Moynihan - You are entitled to your beliefs but not the facts. Very Happy

You stated that Jewish people tend to build nicer than non-Jewish people and your comment is completely not based in the reality of remodeling and homes.

Take a look at real estate listings in non - Frum upscale neighborhoods or open design magazines or go on websites where people show their remodels and new homes and educate yourself to the world outside your limited knowledge.
Back to top

amother
Honeydew


 

Post Mon, Aug 05 2019, 9:12 am
amother [ Salmon ] wrote:
To paraphrase Senator Moynihan - You are entitled to your beliefs but not the facts. Very Happy

You stated that Jewish people tend to build nicer than non-Jewish people and your comment is completely not based in the reality of remodeling and homes.

Take a look at real estate listings in non - Frum upscale neighborhoods or open design magazines or go on websites where people show their remodels and new homes and educate yourself to the world outside your limited knowledge.


You are the one who is clueless. You aren't educated because you browsed a couple of websites. Big whopping deal. You browsed some websites. You are still ignorant and don't know the industry. People like you don't realize how painful you are to deal with.

$200 a sq ft is the going rate for Jewish homes. Because I wanted to help out OP, I asked DH who is in the industry 40+ years. That's the bottom line. If she is building simple boxes like bedrooms, the costs are comparable to non-Jews.

I am not wasting my time with you anymore.
Back to top

amother
Mint


 

Post Mon, Aug 05 2019, 9:14 am
amother [ Honeydew ] wrote:
You are the one who is clueless. You aren't educated because you browsed a couple of websites. Big whopping deal. You browsed some websites. You are still ignorant and don't know the industry. People like you don't realize how painful you are to deal with.

$200 a sq ft is the going rate for Jewish homes. Because I wanted to help out OP, I asked DH who is in the industry 40+ years. That's the bottom line. If she is building simple boxes like bedrooms, the costs are comparable to non-Jews.

I am not wasting my time with you anymore.


Maybe in your area.
Back to top

amother
Salmon


 

Post Mon, Aug 05 2019, 9:32 am
amother [ Honeydew ] wrote:
You are the one who is clueless. You aren't educated because you browsed a couple of websites. Big whopping deal. You browsed some websites. You are still ignorant and don't know the industry. People like you don't realize how painful you are to deal with.

$200 a sq ft is the going rate for Jewish homes. Because I wanted to help out OP, I asked DH who is in the industry 40+ years. That's the bottom line. If she is building simple boxes like bedrooms, the costs are comparable to non-Jews.

I am not wasting my time with you anymore.


I have no idea what a "Jewish" home costs and it's ridiculous to say that a Jewish home costs $200 simply because it's Jewish and Jews want more upscale designs.

There are many Jews who live in homes that cost less than $200 per square foot and many non-Jews who live in homes that cost MORE than $200 per square foot. The majority of expensive upscale homes are not built in or inhabited by Jews. If only Jews lived in upscale expensive homes, the housing industry would collapse since Jews are a small part of the market.

You have a myopic view of the housing and remodeling industry if you think that "Jewish" homes are the pinnacle of expense Very Happy My attempting to illustrate the ridiculous nature of your economics was to point out that even a cursory glance at homes for sale or design magazines shows that there are many many expensively remodeled homes that are not owned by Jews Banging head
Back to top

imasoftov




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 05 2019, 9:36 am
amother [ Honeydew ] wrote:
It doesn't matter what I believe. It is what is. It certainly doesn't matter what you think. That's the cost for Jewish home construction.

Could one save money by selling one's home for the duration of the work, like chametz on Pesach?
Back to top
Page 2 of 2 Previous  1  2 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

Related Topics Replies Last Post
No pesach kitchen, one fridge on kitchen floor, when do you
by amother
4 Sun, Mar 17 2024, 3:28 pm View last post
ISO Second hand lawnmower
by amother
1 Sun, Mar 17 2024, 10:05 am View last post
second hand bike stores
by amother
1 Sun, Mar 17 2024, 9:37 am View last post
Building lessons /tools/woodworking Monsey
by amother
0 Fri, Mar 15 2024, 9:56 am View last post
Kitchen floor vinyl tiles 0 Wed, Mar 06 2024, 9:46 am View last post