"Boring Test"

So here is another update. Finally, right?  I really do look forward to the updates from post-demolition where we can speak of design and furniture and other exciting things. But for now we are just becoming more accustomed to the bureaucracy of NYC.

We are apparently very close to having the permits needed to start "rebuilding" but there have been a lot of questions along the way and the permits have taken much longer than we expected...

We respect the details needed in consideration of all the building but..

We proceed...

Here are the initial results of our newly needed boring test ($1500)

Our house - Flashback to 1940!

So here we are again several weeks (a couple months?) from my last update. Again, not intentional and not due to lack of interest. The delay is again simply from the fact that this is how long it takes to get the proper permits. It's amazing to me how quickly in the past year other friends of ours have simply moved into homes right after closing, or built new homes from the ground up in a shorter amount of time than our permit process....

To give an example of some of the questions/ requirements that the DOB poses - since some of the structure of our building isn't up to "current code" or technically allowable, we had to request pictures from the City from the 1940s and 1980s to prove that the structure has been like this since before the current code was in place...

Still waiting on the 1980s pictures, but here's a nice flashback to 1940. Forgive me for whiting out the sign in front - it marked the BBL of the property which might give some strangers out there a little too much information about ourselves.

Note the hopscotch on the street in front of the house!

Floorplans!

I realized that something we haven't shared are floorplans - one of the most exciting parts of the process!

While you are constrained by certain dimensions and codes, you still have a lot of flexibility when you are doing a gut renovation to decide where you want everything. It's very exciting and empowering to design your home! However, you also have to decide where you want everything, so there is element of stress involved as well. Making decisions isn't always easy!

One thing I'm thankful for is the good taste of my husband. I think the fact that I'm not very picky and generally like his style has made this process a lot easier than it might be for other couples. I generally let him lead the design and offer suggestions where I have a strong opinion.

The first thing we both agreed on was that we wanted an open floor plan. We want everything to have clean lines. We want Modern yet Classic at the same time.

I think the biggest challenges were deciding sizes of bathrooms, bedrooms, and closets.

We were asked by a lot of people why we didn't design a separate apartment downstairs. Remember, this was a two-family property already, but we wanted to convert it into a one-family. "Why not rent out the space?" a lot of people asked.

While there is definitely income potential to at least offset the mortgage payments, this is also our dream home and where we want to raise our family. We do not want to share our backyard or be landlords in our own home. Others probably would have an opposite stance and think about the money involved, and while we are counting every dollar as well, we are happy with our decision to keep this place a one family.

Without further ado, please find our current plans of the house below. Guess which closet is mine? :)

Permit Progress!

Again, we have been waiting the last few months for any word from the Department of Buildings on the permits we applied for.

Even with an expeditor, getting permits approved in NYC requires a large degree of patience! Things move slowly and your timeline gets more and more hypothetical as time passes.

Our bank has been extremely understanding (remember that a 203k project should take only 6 months according to the requirements!) and realizes it is out of our hands.

Also, you obviously never want to begin work without the proper permits. If there is something the city does quickly, it is find out who is doing work without permits! This can mean considerable fines, denial of permits, and more time wasted.

However, this week we hope to have progress. We received the following notice from the DOB:

Please join my meeting:
      http://www.gotomeeting.com/join/blahblahblah:)

      Meeting Method: Virtual-GoToMeeting
      Scheduled For: 7/23/2013 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
      Toll-Free: (877) XXX-XXXX
      Participant Code: XXXXXX
      Meeting ID: XXX-XXX-XXX

      Host Code (DOB Use Only): XXXXXX

      Booked By: John Doe

Thank you for your interest in the NYC Development Hub. This meeting is scheduled in response to your recent online consultation form submission to determine if your project will be accepted.

This meeting is to discuss any major issues on the project. This meeting usually takes about 10-15 mins. If you cannot join us virtually, please dial in on the conference call.

NOTE: Applicant of record or a representative from the applicant’s office must attend the meeting.

Please have the following items readily available to discuss during this meeting:

1. Description of Proposed Work (Existing vs. Proposed: use, # stories, floor area)
2. Code review this project will file under; 1938 / 1968 / 2008 Building Code
3. Anticipated issues and obstacles
4. Other Agencies involved
5. Project timeline

***This is scheduled as a virtual meeting, if you would like to come in person and expect to bring in more than 5 people, please contact us immediately to confirm a conference room***

So after months, we have a "10-15 minute virtual meeting".

I hope this means approval within a month of that. We are so anxious to get started.

In the beginning the extra time was almost nice - more time to plan, finalize details, save a little more money before it goes into walls and floors and finishes....

Now, it's more the thought of "maybe we can host next Christmas" turning into "maybe by the spring" to "maybe a July 4th party?". 

So July 23rd is the day! 

At least it's progress!

Renovation Status!

We have not provided updates to the blog in a while. This is not due to loss of interest or forgetting about the blog – unfortunately, it is because there is not much to provide an update on! We wish that we had a lot more to talk about, but over the last few months, most only thing going on is crossed fingers that our permits get approved.

The original permit applications to do the gut demolition of the inside of the building were approved very quickly. Then demolition was over in the blink of an eye – two weeks included full demo and clean-up. Since then, our architect and engineer have submitted the plans for reconstruction and alterations of the building. There has been a little back and forth between them, with requests for additional exhibits and information, but here we are in June still without proper permit approval to proceed.

While each month that passes means another month postponement until we finally have a dream home to move into, the biggest issue with the delay is with our bank.

When a 203(k) loan is made, the bank expects work to be complete within a 6 month period.

Here we are at 6 months and we have barely started, because of the permits!

While it’s more paperwork, extensions are allowed, particularly when the cause of the delay is out of your control.

Will update later this week on other interesting topics from the last few months, including the insurance we recently renewed for an under renovation home as well as fun with the utility companies!

Gut Renovation Inspiration

I can't admit that it was the actual reason for us to take the leap to do a gut renovation, however I will readily admit that we spent (and still spend!) hours and hours, probably years, watching a variety of HGTV and DIY network programs that inspire us to continue with our project in Brooklyn.

While we are inspired, most of these shows also leave us frustrated.

It's no fault of the networks, since we assume they are trying to capture the average audience, but frustration is usually immediate with prices. I understand that NYC is an expensive place to live but there are some issues when we watch the show:

- Home prices are often the amount of our down payment. Yes, this is the why most NYCers don't purchase, but watching someone buy a five thousand square foot luxury home for $300k with no indication of income is frustrating. For us years of working 18+ hours a day allowed us to earn downpayment for a Brooklyn home... $300k though? That would be maybe a two-hour commute from this awesome city and something not in our consideration.

- Permits are at significantly high prices for almost everything in NYC except for cosmetic changes like wall paint color. Want to move your bathroom? Fah-getta-bout-it.

- Unless you are as fortunate as us to buy an entire building (rare) in NYC, then you also have to spend time and money to have the board of the condo/coop building to approve your plans

We are so early on in our construction but remain scared reading other experiences. Please reach out with comments- both if you have questions or went through similar experiences.

Second Opinions: Be Aware of Your Engineering Requests

The irony of this this post is that I come from a family of engineers. I never thought that I would complain about them or their intent, however after recent experience I do have to share the following disclaimers:

Do not automatically trust the opinion of an engineer.

This is probably common sense, or should be, but again, this is a blog written by novices.

Recently we were researching with our contractor whether or not it would be necessary for us to reinforce the existing foundation of our house, considering that it was 100 years old and we would be adding an additional story.

Our initial meeting with the engineer was pre-closure with the bank. As previously mentioned, our house purchase was through a 203k loan, and being such we had to have several inspections of the home, most importantly to prove that the house was capable of withstanding a gut renovation.

At this time, we were told with a signed paper that the house was indeed capable to withstand extensive renovation.

Flash forward four months later when we start to consider whether we will need any structural improvement. We consult the same engineer and suddenly receive a very different opinion. Suddenly we need to consult him for much more detailed plans and decide to dig into our foundation to replace pilings that 'might' be deteriorated to a cost of close to $45k.

Should we?

Shouldn't we?

We are not engineers. We are first-time homeowners. We have barely been responsible for the gas and electric cost at our previous residences so how are we supposed to know what should be paid in a situation like this?

In this type of situation we actually relied heavily upon on our contractor and his experience. We were readily told how manipulative the engineers' requests could be - not of our particular engineer but in general. And again, being from a family of engineers I mean no offense of anyone in particular.

Still I would like to point out that it is a good idea to get an engineer to inspect your home if you plan to do extensive renovation.

In our personal experience, certain signs (for example our floors were slanted left to right, but we had structure issues from front to back) are not imminent proof that you need structural work.

However, to date we have decided not to do any additional exploratory work of the wood pilings in our foundation. I hope that this will not be a regret of ours, but I have to admit, there is much more ahead of us to be concerned with...