Redoing a Badly Done Addition as Part of a Gut Renovation
We are looking at a 2 story, 2 family townhouse on a 20×97 foot lot that we believe has 3880 sf of buildable space but currently is using less than half of that. The owner had an addition put on to the lower floor to add two bedrooms but the owner did this using a family member contractor and it appears that it may need to be redone. Due to sealing or ventilation problems from the addition, the ceiling has some evidence of water damage ina couple of places which suggests possible mold. In addition, there are some cracks (maybe a foot long) in the walls that appeared after a building was demolished nearby. We’re trying to get a sense of how much it will take to fix this property up. It’s already a gut renovation, which I understand will likely cost at least $300k. I’m not sure about the range for fixing or redoing the addition and also for building up to the buildable square footage. Any input would be most appreciated!
julyfirefly
in Brownstoner Renovation 12 years and 5 months ago
7
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7 replies
julyfirefly | 12 years and 5 months ago
Thanks guys. I appreciate all your comments! Will definitely get an engineer/architect in there if they’re even willing to consider our price range (which is pretty far below list even assuming no structural problems, because of comparables and our financial limitations).
CGDad | 12 years and 5 months ago
July, the seller’s broker is an interested party and you should be wary of using him/her as a source of advice. The price you pay an engineer or an architect to advise you before entering this transaction is more than worth it.
julyfirefly | 12 years and 5 months ago
Update: the broker tells us that the extension is grandfathered in as an existing structure. The foundaton of the existing buildng is typical blue stone rubble wall that is found in all these building built at this time period (the house itself was built in 1899). The extension may have a newer method such as poured concrete. This doesn’t make sense to me because if the extension uses a new method, it seems less likely to be grandfathered. It does seem to leave enough yard space however. The broker worked as an architect and thinks redoing the place is $200K and 6 months. I think gutting and building up a floor or two (and possibly changing low ceiling heights in the process) to reach the FAR has got to be way more than that… I keep going back and forth on whether to consult an architect because they are asking so much more than I think makes sense given likely build costs. On the other hand, the price per square foot is lower than 2 comparables on the block that just sold, which were a bit narrower.
rodriguezstudio | 12 years and 5 months ago
not seeing any violations is not the issue, it’s not seeing any permits. i would wager it was illegal- just by the way you describe it being built and by how erecently it was done- because at least slopefarm’s was existing pre- 1962
slopefarm | 12 years and 5 months ago
We went through this. Wanted to fix up an existing extension. Found out it was little more than a masonry shed, with no real foundation and the masonry wall was made of flat, not regualr, cindre blocks. So when we tried to lower the ceiling, the whole thing collapsed in on itself. Don’t go half-assed on this in the hope of getting away with it. Kick the tires really hard on what you are dealing with, both as a physical as-built matter and as a legal matter. We were able to file rebuilding the extension as “existing” because the extension appeared on old maps. But we put in a real foundation and masonry walls. You will be sorry if you look for a cheap and easy solution on this.
julyfirefly | 12 years and 5 months ago
Thank you rodriguezstudio! I don’t see any violations on BIS about the addition but it is possible they didn’t get caught. I will ask about that and also how the addition was built and revert. It looks like they just tacked it on to the existing envelope (a very thick brick wall) but I can’t tell much beyond that from looking at it. The back wall of the addition is red brick.
rodriguezstudio | 12 years and 5 months ago
Cost aside for a minute, the fact that they altered the exterior envelope of the building (assuming without a permit) should give you some pause. First of all you need be ascertain whether or not you can actually legalize the addition. You mention that you you think you have enough FAR, that is a good first step, but you also need to be sure that the rear yard requirement is met (most residential zoning requires a 30′ rear yard) also you need to be sure that the open space ratio (built to open) is also zoning legal. in any case, it will require an allteration type 1 filing- which in Brooklyn means a lot of time and energy spent at the DOB. So, assuming that you can legalize the addition, you need to ask some questions about how the addition was built. What type of foundations (if any) were used, what type of insulation? these factoors will have an effect on whether you can re-use it or have to re-build it. Sounds like you have a foundation issue right off the bat because you are getting leakage where the roof meets the existing house- which probably means the addition is sinking in relation to the house (maybe maybe not). Anyway, it’s hard to say how much it would add, but it could be significant once you add up all the factors. hope this helps!