need help on a renovation in Greenpoint
Hello. Me and friend of mine are considering purchasing a brownstone in Greenpoint. It is a two family two story brownstone with a unfinished basement. It is in total about 2700 sq feet. The building was built in 1899 and would need at minimum a thorough renovation and possibly a full gut renovation. We would…
Hello. Me and friend of mine are considering purchasing a brownstone in Greenpoint. It is a two family two story brownstone with a unfinished basement. It is in total about 2700 sq feet. The building was built in 1899 and would need at minimum a thorough renovation and possibly a full gut renovation. We would not be interested in living in the property in its present sate. My question is…..what would be the logical next step? We need to understand what the possibilities are for the property. Do we need to have an architect look at the property? A contractor? Could anyone recommend a contractor/architect/firm that could come look at the property at give us a legitimate idea what is possible for the space and a ballpark estimate on price? How long could we expect such a project to take? If we get someone out to look at the property, should we pay for such a service or should said party provide the information for free in an attempt to bid for the contract? I own a condo in Greenpoint, but have never tackled such a project. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
many architects will provide a complimentary visit, or walk thru. The one I work for will also provide a free proposal/estimate; for each phase of construction/demolition, etc. that provide not only fee information, but time frame/scheduling information.
our website is http://www.aeiArchitect.com, if you are curious. another good source is http://www.aia.org; national listing/association for professional architects in good standing
hope this helps – good luck with your project!
Thank you all so much for thee feedback! I really appreciate it. Your advice is invaluable to me because from a knowledge and experience standpoint I am really starting from scratch. Al I would be very interested in speaking to you. I will give you a call. My name is Mike, so when I call you won’t think I’m nuts. Once again, thank you all for the help, I am very grateful. Regards -Mike
It’s a really great idea, if you are able to set up the legal mumbo-jumbo about the joint tenancy with a friend, you are probably going to be able to afford a more dramatic space for yourself. If you are willing to put up with a renovation, you are likely going to add value to your investment.
In answer to your question about what to do next, yes to everything if you are confident you want this property. Have an architect walk through it. Two or three. Have a contractor walk through it, and then a few more. Your cousins and your niece. The more opinions the better, and you’re work cut out for you could actually best described as an intensive self-education process. As long as you have the energy and time for it, build up a reasonable understanding of what you’re in for by broadening your experience as well as deepening.
Don’t limit yourself to a single expert until you have to, in my opinion.
Now doing this for multiple properties is more of a problem, but you should be able to get experts out for free at least once to a property to help evaluate it if you are offering them work. Good luck!
I was like you two years ago, many questions and few answers. I also gut renovated my Brownstone in Brooklyn and lived off-site for 10 months. I did all the research, one some and lost some in the renovation game. I’ve got some good contractor stories as well. Give me a call at 646-207-6940 or email me at mr_tico@yahoo.com if you want some advice.
Al S.
Sorry for the faux pas.
I meant To 8:01am
To 8:01pm
Smart answer.
Easy to underestand.
First, talk to your real estate lawyer about all possible future scenarios of owning a property with a friend. Then go to the basement of the house with a flashlight and start making a list. Make sure you go into every room and open every door down there and uncover any floor coverings you can. Look for signs of water damage.How many amps are there (you may need to upgrade$$) Look at the pipes. Are they lead or brass and can you see decay? How old is the roof and what shape is it in? What kind of boiler and how old is it? Are the outlets grounded? Then start to estimate. The guts of the house should be attended to first. I would never hire an architect unless I had a ton of money and wanted to rearrange
the layout in a big way. I also wouldn`t hire a contracter but would contract out each job myself when I want and how I want.
thanks! how long should we expect for this kind of renovation? six weeks? six months?
The guy from Prospect Architecture will do one free walk through and his work is amazing but expensive. Pietro at All Renovation is really good as well and a little less expensive. There are definately cheaper guys out there but you might as well do it right the first time and these guys will do that.