So we bought a house...and it comes with this....

[gregtwojeeps]

Yep. this site is about garages and the stuff that goes in them. So the OP's thread is dead on in fitting the criteria for the forum and there is no question that he is extremely excited about the garage/shop, which is understandable. ..

So I am now going to be the proverbial, " turd in the punch bowl" and put a reality check in the mix. ....

It appears the OP has a young wife and it also appears to be his son standing beside the mower in the garage. Now I am no spring chicken, so I have seen a lot of marriages in my 62 years of living. I have seen what it takes to make them work , what will make them weak, or make them strong. ...

I have not met many women that felt HONESTLY that a garage/shop was more important than the house they live in. Most women are proud of their homes and want them to be warm/cool, inviting for their company and secure and not be embarrassed by the appearances of their home, either on the inside or out..

That being said, when a man buys a property and is fixated on the garage shop and puts it before his wife's needs, this can lead to problems...

I am seeing a home with 2 in. thick pink insulation nailed to the outside wall, (an effort to keep the heat in maybe ) wood burner stoves, old energy wasting windows and who knows what the insulation status is in the walls/attics. And a REALLY big pet peeve of mine... just one bathroom. The home I see is in Ohio, there are some tough, cold, winters in Ohio. ...

Just food for thought for the OP, but I see he has a long priority list to make and a lot of conversations to be held with his wife hopefully BEFORE, the first item is bought from Lowes to rebuild a garage. . It's o.k. if I get bashed here for my post, I am an old fart and can take it. Just trying to help but it probably will not be taken that way, as I am on a GARAGE forum.

 

[zkling]

I'm glad you're young, rich and handsome because by the time you get that place into shape you're gonna be old, poor and bent over.

Just kidding, I like the looks of the place. But that IS a lot of work to do. Keep us updated when you get in.

My thoughts exactly. Be cautious not to get burnt out.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Nice big garage with potential . . . but you've got some work ahead of you !

Start with SAFETY first like other GJer's have said . . .
a) Ensure beyond a doubt that buried gas station tanks are gone, gone, gone
(also that PRIOR OWNER is responsible for all future costs related to tanks . .
. . get that in Writing)

Forget safety (if the tanks are there, they are likely safe). The real problem is the EPA and you state equivalent. They can FORCE you to remove the tank IMMEDIATELY and remove 10-20' of "contaminated" soil around the tank. The contaminated soil must be disposed of in a toxic waste landfill. $$$ and MORE $$$$

 

[theoldwizard1]

Start by clearing all brush and grass back about 4'. You need to carefully inspect the foundation both from the outside and the inside. Also inspect the bottom plate on the walls.

No reason to fix anything above that until you get that right.

 

[TDWendt]

Yep. this site is about garages and the stuff that goes in them. So the OP's thread is dead on in fitting the criteria for the forum and there is no question that he is extremely excited about the garage/shop, which is understandable. ..

So I am now going to be the proverbial, " turd in the punch bowl" and put a reality check in the mix. ....

It appears the OP has a young wife and it also appears to be his son standing beside the mower in the garage. Now I am no spring chicken, so I have seen a lot of marriages in my 62 years of living. I have seen what it takes to make them work , what will make them weak, or make them strong. ...

I have not met many women that felt HONESTLY that a garage/shop was more important than the house they live in. Most women are proud of their homes and want them to be warm/cool, inviting for their company and secure and not be embarrassed by the appearances of their home, either on the inside or out..

That being said, when a man buys a property and is fixated on the garage shop and puts it before his wife's needs, this can lead to problems...

I am seeing a home with 2 in. thick pink insulation nailed to the outside wall, (an effort to keep the heat in maybe ) wood burner stoves, old energy wasting windows and who knows what the insulation status is in the walls/attics. And a REALLY big pet peeve of mine... just one bathroom. The home I see is in Ohio, there are some tough, cold, winters in Ohio. ...

Just food for thought for the OP, but I see he has a long priority list to make and a lot of conversations to be held with his wife hopefully BEFORE, the first item is bought from Lowes to rebuild a garage. . It's o.k. if I get bashed here for my post, I am an old fart and can take it. Just trying to help but it probably will not be taken that way, as I am on a GARAGE forum.

You are half correct, I am 29 and my wife is 43(birthday is today). We have 2 boys of our own, 3 yr old and a 10 month old. She has 2 older children (20-21 son and daughter) that live with us still . actually hoping move out to this little town away from the big city (toledo) will make them not want to drive the half hour/40mins back to toledo for work lol.

Yes the house is more important but she knows my want and need for garage. So she sees "my"garage as equally important. And knows that it will get the attention it needs over time.
I have projects on the car that need done so some of the work will happen on the garage faster than the house she knows that and actually suggested it, because she want it to be a safe area.

The house it self only needs updated windows which I will do myself with help from my father. I figure a couple a year.

Not sure why the pink boards were on the foundation when we went to look at it but we drove back past it today and the boards are no longer there, might be due to the foundation and supports being re done and updated. Electric and plumbing was also updated in both house and garage.

There were other houses she liked but with 1 car or no car garage I refused to look at them so she kept looking knowing I had to have a garage big enough for at least 3 cars.

 

[TDWendt]

Yep. this site is about garages and the stuff that goes in them. So the OP's thread is dead on in fitting the criteria for the forum and there is no question that he is extremely excited about the garage/shop, which is understandable. ..

So I am now going to be the proverbial, " turd in the punch bowl" and put a reality check in the mix. ....

It appears the OP has a young wife and it also appears to be his son standing beside the mower in the garage. Now I am no spring chicken, so I have seen a lot of marriages in my 62 years of living. I have seen what it takes to make them work , what will make them weak, or make them strong. ...

I have not met many women that felt HONESTLY that a garage/shop was more important than the house they live in. Most women are proud of their homes and want them to be warm/cool, inviting for their company and secure and not be embarrassed by the appearances of their home, either on the inside or out..

That being said, when a man buys a property and is fixated on the garage shop and puts it before his wife's needs, this can lead to problems...

I am seeing a home with 2 in. thick pink insulation nailed to the outside wall, (an effort to keep the heat in maybe ) wood burner stoves, old energy wasting windows and who knows what the insulation status is in the walls/attics. And a REALLY big pet peeve of mine... just one bathroom. The home I see is in Ohio, there are some tough, cold, winters in Ohio. ...

Just food for thought for the OP, but I see he has a long priority list to make and a lot of conversations to be held with his wife hopefully BEFORE, the first item is bought from Lowes to rebuild a garage. . It's o.k. if I get bashed here for my post, I am an old fart and can take it. Just trying to help but it probably will not be taken that way, as I am on a GARAGE forum.

No bashing what so ever from me. Very well said.

 

[TDWendt]

Start by clearing all brush and grass back about 4'. You need to carefully inspect the foundation both from the outside and the inside. Also inspect the bottom plate on the walls.

No reason to fix anything above that until you get that right.

It's on the to do list (probably for the spring now)

due to having to wait for the Contractors to get in and finished with the work that was deemed needed completed we've have to push back our closing date almost 2 month's, we're looking at actually getting keys and moving 3 days before Christmas. If there isn't snow on the ground yet by then I will start the clear out then.

 

[TDWendt]

Got word that the electrician finished up to day! Now we gotta get the appraiser out there then we can finally close

 

[bobemmerich]

Good luck! Looks to be a nice Craftsman style home. I like that style. They "don't make 'em like that anymore". Our last (1st) home was built in 1920, near Metro-North tracks serving a line to NYC (300' away) and left neglected for several years. We gut it, and in the end we had a nice place(still own it, its a rental now). Our current home was built in 1734.
Start slow, only do what's necessary. Get the chimneys inspected! Can't stress that enough. Also check with the county or city/town to make sure the tanks were removed.
Looks like a nice property, the garage and surroundings look like they were left neglected. You said you grew up near a train line, so you know after a while, you won't even hear the train noise.
Again, Congrats and hope everything works out well for ya.
P.S.-I'm so jealous of the huge shop...

 

[Kevin54]

Thank you. I'll consider the awning or eyebrow over top the doors.
House was built in 1910.

Due to having a fha mortgage the property had to be up to code before we close, so the electrical(in house and garage) was redone and brought up to code, was knob and tube wiring,,,, scary
Also the foundation for the house and plumbing was brought up to code also.

Very sorry to hear you have to go FHA. I'd rather take a serious *** whipping than to do that.

But I have been there. When the wife and I first got together, we rented until we found a decent house to buy. BUT.....with child support and alimony coming out of my paycheck, the only way we could afford it was to go FHA. Those bastards will have you jumping through hoops. But once you sign on the dotted line and you close on the house, you can do any damn thing you want. Go figure.

We had to have storm windows on the house because a couple other houses in the neighborhood had them, so the owner agreed to it. The dining room was in the process of having the wallpaper stripped off. FHA would not sign off until the walls were painted which we did. Then there were a couple outlets in the same room that didn't have covers on them. Those had to be put on. But every time something was found wrong, it was another week before an inspection could be done. The owner almost backed out of selling the house. And the house was empty as he had already moved, so we kept agreeing to make the repairs, although he did buy and have storm windows installed.

But for gods sake, one week for another inspection for two outlet covers. I finally told the inspector myself to walk through the house, make a list, and quit piece mealing the **** out like he was doing.

But like I said, as soon as we signed on the dotted line, we were now homeowners with a whole new credit history. Stupidest **** I have ever heard of.

Good Luck, and hang in there. If it is truly what you want, don't let the bastards beat you down. The owners may very well be willing to work with you, as FHA is just as aggravating to them as what it will be to you.

 

[Bib Overalls]

The first thing that I noticed about the shop/garage is how close to the ground plane the concrete floor is. That can give you real water intrusion problems during rain storms. Rain water flowing off the roof only aggravates the problem.

As noted above, you need to clear back away from the walls and very carefully inspect the plates (horizontal boards in contact with the concrete) and the first couple of feet up the vertical posts and studs. Also check the condition of the sheathing from the plate upwards a couple of feet.

The best tool for this work is an ice pick. If you can push it into the wood structure or sheathing you have problems. If the wood is sound it will resist the pick. If you find compromised structure you need to fix it before you start making improvements.

 

[mikec35]

No clue but I have lived by trains all my life so they don't bug me.

I also like that stang!

Haha- didn't mean to steal any thunder from your post. You'll just have to put an old Mustang on the list of things to do after you get the garage the way you want it. Still working on my garage after 3 years or I'd be further along on the car. Patience is key.

 

[metalhead212121]

Cellar entrance that is sealed off ( will get proper doors for It to make it useable again

Let me just state for the record that I'm 34 and to date I've only seen 2 houses with cellar doors like that. One being the house that I live in now and the second would be my neighbors. Every now and again people have told me that they've NEVER seen that before. Maybe those people live sheltered lives??

Looking forward to updates.

 

[TDWendt]

The first thing that I noticed about the shop/garage is how close to the ground plane the concrete floor is. That can give you real water intrusion problems during rain storms. Rain water flowing off the roof only aggravates the problem.

As noted above, you need to clear back away from the walls and very carefully inspect the plates (horizontal boards in contact with the concrete) and the first couple of feet up the vertical posts and studs. Also check the condition of the sheathing from the plate upwards a couple of feet.

The best tool for this work is an ice pick. If you can push it into the wood structure or sheathing you have problems. If the wood is sound it will resist the pick. If you find compromised structure you need to fix it before you start making improvements.

I will definitely look at this more closely once we take possession.

 

[nolimits76]

Basements aren't huge here, but I've seen doors like that before. I would make sure to get something secure and lockable.

Also, in regards to the exterior siding on your garage, it looks like it could contain asbestos. I looked at an older home years ago when I purchased my first home and encountered that issue. Doing almost anything can disturb it, and cost you big bucks to have professionally removed.

The sellers should have disclosed that fact to you, but when you do your home inspection, it would be a good question to review.

Best of luck on the new project. The good news is you have some serious space and will give a few guys garage envy. Just take it slow and do it right. I agree about the whole wife and the house being primary thing. They say "this" but many times mean "that". You know your lady the best, but be mindful of their "logic".

 

[TDWendt]

Haha- didn't mean to steal any thunder from your post. You'll just have to put an old Mustang on the list of things to do after you get the garage the way you want it. Still working on my garage after 3 years or I'd be further along on the car. Patience is key.

Already looking for a solid body/frame. Something for me to build with my boys. I love my imports, but nothing beats an old muscle car like a 60's Era fast back mustang or a 70 ' s Era mopar. I figure if I'm gonna teach em I might as well do it proper....

 

[TDWendt]

Let me just state for the record that I'm 34 and to date I've only seen 2 houses with cellar doors like that. One being the house that I live in now and the second would be my neighbors. Every now and again people have told me that they've NEVER seen that before. Maybe those people live sheltered lives??

Looking forward to updates.

You definitely don't see them often, it's actually sealed off in the basement with some wood I believe but we want it to be a functional cellar so we will open it back up..

 

[TDWendt]

As far as everyone knows the garage and house are asbestos free.

As for fha we had little to no issues as far as getting approval ( I've had to fix a few things on my credit but that isn't necessarily a bad thing) our biggest problem has been the old lady that's selling it. She's won't budge on anything be she agreed to the repair cost for everything so we are winning in that regard. We actually added $5000 to the cost to help with the repairs, did we have to? No, but she's old and has no help from her kids what so ever and it didn't change our payment for each month.

Our first offer we made was actually accepted then recinded because she didn't understand the whole adding 3% of the closing cost to the loan so instead of closing with only $6000 down we are closing with the full $9000 up front which ***** but oh well. We're getting a hell of a deal and a house that will be good for years to come minus replacement of windows over the next few years. The furnace, roof on house, plumbing and foundation, and electrical are all completed. Roof and furnace + water heater were all replaced with in the last 5 years

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Let me just state for the record that I'm 34 and to date I've only seen 2 houses with cellar doors like that. One being the house that I live in now and the second would be my neighbors. Every now and again people have told me that they've NEVER seen that before. Maybe those people live sheltered lives??

Looking forward to updates.

The cellar access doors the OP will need can be purchased in all metal, hinged and lockable, although not cheap I feel sure. These are fairly common doors used in the New England states where they call basements,
" cellars". ...

Down here in the south, a cellar is a detached underground building that we use the same door access to, as seen in the OP pic. We used cellars for vegetable storage over the winter, general storage for things we wanted to keep but never used, and primarily a storm shelter. Any "stand up " space below the first floor under the house where we live, we call a "basement'". Odd how ones topography changes how items are labeled.

 

[dubber]

That is quite the project. God speed, tons of potential though for someone to roll up their sleeves and have at it.

 

[MacTexas]

Is there another way to get to the cellar? If not how can the house be inspected?

On one hand I envy you. My first house was built in 1919 and my second house was built in 1923. I know all about knob and tube wiring, be thankful they updated the wiring. Old houses are neat but the house I live in now was built in 2006, great for retirement, all on one level and no little "things" to fix.

If I was 29 I would buy an old house again. Anxious to watch your progress.

 

[TDWendt]

Yes, there is basement access from Inside the house also. I'm excited

 

[metalhead212121]

Is there another way to get to the cellar? If not how can the house be inspected?

Yes, there is basement access from Inside the house also. I'm excited

I have to imagine that by building code that if you have cellar doors you would also have to have access from INSIDE the house as well. Figure if you're in the basement and there's a fire RIGHT by the cellar doors you'd be screwed. That's why I assume you need an alternate exit.

 

[bobemmerich]

Those doors are common up here. Do a search for Bilco doors. It's considered a "bulkhead" here. I live in Ct, and we call them cellars or basements. Depends on who you talk to.

 

[Kevin54]

Those doors are common up here. Do a search for Bilco doors. It's considered a "bulkhead" here. I live in Ct, and we call them cellars or basements. Depends on who you talk to.

^^^^This^^^^

Around here, those style of doors are all called Bilco, although I imagine by now there are other manufacturers other than Bilco.

 

[454cid]

I too thought that siding looked like asbestos. That's what's on my great grandmother's house.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I too thought that siding looked like asbestos. That's what's on my great grandmother's house.

I have asbestos shingle on my house. Under 1" of foam board and vinyl siding.

Don't mess with it !

 

[mikec35]

More than likely the siding is asbestos, but usually not an issue unless disturbed. The home inspector for the FHA loan is supposed to note any asbestos safety issues if suspected and a further investigation would be required by an asbestos professional. I'd check to see what the report says. Most cases you can cover the siding up with new siding and not worry about it. Before doing so I would research local codes.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Do a Google search for "Basement Bulkhead Door." Lots of options available. Precast concrete stairs with side walls are also available.

A feature generally associated with older houses that had large basement boilers for heat. A modern gas, fuel oil or electric heating unit will go down a set of stairs so the bulkhead doors are not needed.

Bulkhead doors are sometimes specified as a fire egress in homes with finished basements.

 

[CNGsaves]

Recently there were episodes on both This Old House and Ron Hazelton where they replaced bulkhead doors. One used a steel door with strong cylinders to lift, while the other door was plastic.

Key concern with "door" like that (when they go bad), effectively they become funnel for water & all that water goes right into the basement. Make sure it gets sealed up to prevent water intrusion, with whatever door you choose.

The Ron Hazelton episode also had perimeter drains around interior edge of basement that all emptied into sump pump.

 

[bobemmerich]

We had a FHA loan the very 1st time too. Believe me, if it was asbestos, they would have made sure it was removed or covered.

 

[Mavawreck]

^^^^This^^^^

Around here, those style of doors are all called Bilco, although I imagine by now there are other manufacturers other than Bilco.

Yup, there are other manufactures and Bilco is getting upset about the use of their name.

 

[taumac]

Congrats on your first house and garage. They both have alot of character. Looking foward to seeing your process on both.

Have a good one, Gerard

 

[PugetDude]

Congratulations on your first home. Great character in the house, and you get to finish the garage the way you want. Keep us posted!

 

[TDWendt]

We had a FHA loan the very 1st time too. Believe me, if it was asbestos, they would have made sure it was removed or covered.

That's what I thought, though the inspector didn't seem overly concerned about the garage due it it being a detached. But yes I think a inspector should be able to tell if it is or not. Who knows guess if it is I'll have to deal with it after we get in.

 

[bobemmerich]

IF it is (it DOES look like it) easiest way is to either paint or cover it. Abatement would be $$$$$

 

[TDWendt]

Abatement? ? I assume that is removal?

 

[bobemmerich]

Yes, it is removal and disposal

 

[NUTTSGT]

Sweat equity will be your friend on this place. Trust me, I've been there.

 

[Madhatter10-6]

Nice....so much potential with that garage