Chicken Coop... The Build, Foundation

I've never done this before.  I can sit and plan for years and tinker with the concept forever and never actually build the structure.  With the looming deadline from the wife (not to mention egg delivery, incubation and the eventual hatching of chickens...in our living room), and the hole in the back yard, it's now time to make this work.

 

I ventured over to my nearest big box store to start pricing things out.  I knew that I needed to get concrete for the foundation and wood to form it.  Concrete can be purchased in a multiple of ways:  by the bag, by the truck, and individually by component.  Concrete is comprised of four basic components.  They being cement (glue), large aggregate (stones), small aggregate (sand) and water (catalyst).  Mixed together in different ratios and sometimes with admixtures (extra ingredients for slowing the chemical reactions) yield different strengths.  For a chicken coop, that's more than enough information without sidetracking to the engineering side of things. 

 

Purchasing by the bag, at the time of construction, was the most economical.  The other methods were either too costly (by the truck) or overly cumbersome (by the component) for my needs.  However, if one were to price compare, realize that by the truck method has two options.  Either, buying a minimum of 3 cubic yards from a drum mixing truck (typical concrete truck) and throwing away whatever wasn't used; or, hiring an onsite truck mixer which humorously sounds like a Willy Wonka machine.  The onsite mixer can deliver any quantity to your project, but the dis-advantage is the higher cost and a limit in cubic yard production, which honestly wouldn't be reached for a chicken coop.  Buying each component individually, combining them in the right proportions each time was just too cumbersome for a placement as large (small?) as my project.  Purchasing by the bag with all the ingredients mixed together already in the right ratio in bags that all weighed the same worked out just perfectly.

 

I was lucky enough to stumble upon a long-term sale at Home Depot for 80 pound bags of Quickcrete.  Quickcrete is a premixed bag of all the necessary components (minus water).  The sale had the bags at $2.88 each!  Normal pricing in my area is around $4 to $5 for each bag.  My Jeep can handle only so much weight so I could only purchase 10 to 11 bags at a time.  I computed the quantity of concrete needed, which at 0.60 cubic feet per bag required in excess of 50 bags.  Over the next few months, I purchased 60 bags making roughly 6 trips.  We returned the bags that we didn't use (probably should have kept them due to the affordability... oh well).

 

Next, I needed to form out the foundation for the concrete to be placed within.  I purchased about 10 sheets of OSD board and cut them to shape.  The below photo as the perimeter of the formwork installed.  I placed a width template made from a 2x3 with two OSD sourced scrap to make a hook.  The template kept the outer walls at a fixed distance while erecting. 

 

Side note, the Honda Odyssey's cabin is coincidently the perfect size to lay a full size 4'x8' sheet of plywood flat.  Just incase your looking to purchase a family vehicle and your wife doesn't consider a pickup truck as a "family" vehicle...

Due to the slope in my backyard, I also purchased six 8"x48" sono tubes (seen above).  Sono tubes are typically used as a cylindrical footing for decks or perhaps even small barns.  Dig a hole slightly larger than the sono tube with a post-hole digger to the depth required (for me, roughly 4' to 1.5' depending on location), insert the sono tube, place a couple inches of stone for drainage at the bottom, then concrete.  For my application, I wanted some additional support due to the slope of the yard.  Overkill, perhaps, better safe than sorry, right?



With the sono tubes and formwork in place, I put stone along the bottom of the form and compacted with a heavy rod.  I placed braces (they look like an upside down "L") around both perimeters.  The bracing was measured for the height of the form plus an extra foot to pound into the ground.  It was made up of 2"x3" lumber purchased with the OSD boards.  In hindsight, I should've made the bracing much stronger; concrete is heavy and the form will want to move as it is filled.  

As cost effective as it was to purchase the bags of concrete (seen under the blue tarp), renting a concrete mixer from them was a nightmare.  The tool department does not make reservations so first come first serve.  On a Saturday morning, these mixers apparently go rather quickly.  I arrived and was unable to rent the large sized mixer, instead, I was given a smaller one.  I didn't fret to much about it, I figured its better than mixing by hand.  Freshly mixed concrete has a limited time; it starts to cure as soon as it is mixed.  Within a couple hours, it sets up and becomes very hard to work with.  Having a mixer saves on the time.

 

After roughly 20 bags, the mixer died.  Not wanting to loose time, I pulled out my wheel barrow and started mixing by hand.  My wife called Home Depot's rental department and I had to relay the issue while I was mixing and pouring the next load.  The gentleman (let's call him what he was, the manager) said that there are no other mixers on reserve.  He drove out to my home and proceeded to diagnose the mixer as inoperable.  I helped him load it back onto the Home Depot rental pickup truck that he drove to our home and he proceeded to leave.  As he was leaving, he asked how long I used if for.  Despite the hardship I was about to endure, the manager felt compelled to charge me a half day's rental, instead of a full day as initially rented.... gee, thanks Mr. Manager, how kind.  I didn't finish my little pour until 12 hours after starting with the mixer. 

By night fall, I was done.  Along he way, I inserted 12 anchor bolts, troweled the exposed top level and smoothed over everything for a clean finish.  I washed up my tools, placed the wheel barrow and horses as support for the tarp, covered the concrete, showered and passed out.

The next morning...it rained.

The following week was very humid and muggy... PERFECT weather for the concrete to slowly cure to full strength.  Typically, you can wait 24 hours to remove the formwork, however, with the amount of moisture in the air, the concrete was too "green".  The form needed to stay in place until the concrete reached that pale gray color.  Besides, I had plenty of time before the flock moved in, so I waited until the following weekend to strip the forms.

 

Here are shots of the form in place just before being stripped.  In the following photo, you can see that the form did move slightly out of square due to the inadequate bracing used.  This would eventually lead to a slightly out of square coop.

 

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Chicken Coop... the Beginning

It's been my wife's ambition over the last few years to have a chicken coop installed in our back yard.  After the birth of our son, the idea had started to percolate.  When she was diagnosed with Lupus, our priorities changed drastically.  After her health stabilized, our second child was born.  Things have been rolling along smoothly (well, as smoothly as possible with a 3 year old and baby), when one of my wife's co-workers brought in a carton of fertilized chicken eggs from their home.  She called me VERY excited and asked, no, correction, she stated that we are getting chickens.  There wasn't any point in arguing, her voice was unapologetically happy.

So the research was restarted.  Chicken habitats, housing, feed, water, predators and winter protection were revisited.  I contacted our Town Hall's Building and Engineering Department to inquire about any issues.  I'm glad I did.  There is a permit required for having an accessory building, which a chicken coop classifies as (I suppose it's the same as a garden shed).  Regarding a location for the coop, there are no regulations limiting owning chickens in our town, so long as the accessory structure is located behind the back plane of the house, at least 10 feet away from the property line and is less than 200 square feet in size; a permit consists of $50 with a one page application (name, address, description = Chicken Coop) and a plot plan was all that was required.  

The Town Planner was excited about the prospect of chickens, yet realizing that people like to complain; the following advice was given from her experience, not due to any current regulation requirements, but just as a courtesy.

1.  Avoid getting roosters as they tended to be the main complaint that the inspectors get.

We don't want a wild cock chasing us around our own property and didn't see the need to have fertilized eggs on a regular basis, so that aspect wasn't an issue.

2.  Place the coop in the center of the property, as far from neighbors as possible.

The location, however, is an issue.  From our research, chickens need a certain amount of sun light for egg production.  There's no sense in having chickens that don't produce eggs, so consideration for sunlight overshadows (haha) the neighbors' needs/wants.

3.  Hide the coop using landscaping (bushes, trees, etc).

If there are funds left over, I don't mind beautifying our property.

We sat down and considered the sunny and shaded areas around our property as well as distance from our neighbors.  We took to forums and have found that the three main concerns with the location (after installing the coop) were long walks during the winter, flooding and utilities (water and power).  It would seem that most owners placed the coop as far as possible from the home and did not consider the need to maintain the flock year round.  Access to the coop during the winter and heavy rain is important for feeding and collecting eggs.  Also, an area in the property with a high water table can lead to flooding of the run and potentially health problems for the chickens.  Power is highly recommended for providing minimal heat to keep water liquid for the chickens during the winter and running water would be for cleaning out the coop on a regular basis.  Which, by the way, seems to be the cause for any smells from the coop.  A periodic cleaning should keep the coop comparatively smell free, thus negating the need for the coop being as far as possible from the home.  So, we chose a location that was in partial sunlight, near our rear door and has access to a powered receptacle for an extension chord as well as a water spigot for cleaning out the coop.  The location is also not in a watery area and not at a bottom of a hill.



Plot plan somewhat as submitted to Town Hall

The plot plan was approved February 17, 2016, by the Town Planner.

With the location settled, we looked into various other coop designs to find the one that best suited our needs.  We do not have a fully fenced in back yard.  As much as we would like the flock to roam freely, for their safety, we would have to keep them secured in the run. 

If you are new to this venture, the coop is where chickens sleep, roost and lay eggs.  The run is a protective enclosure for the chickens to somewhat run around in outside of the coop.  Chickens need to be protected from predators such as hawks, eagles, raccoons, foxes, etc.  There are a number of installations that help in preventing predators from harming the birds.  These range from using concrete blocks around the perimeter of the base, a poured concrete foundation, gravel and hardware cloth.

The size of the run and coop both depend upon the number of chickens that you plan on keeping and the type of chicken species as well.  I've also found that it is recommended to plan a little bigger on the coop/run just in case.  As far as the size goes, the square footage varies from one source to another; where one source will indicate ten square feet per bird and another will say that four is a general rule.  Whether or not the chickens free range is important as they'll need more or less room in the coop/run.

Looking at BackYardChickens.com, we had hoped to find detailed plans indicating "what and how much".  Unfortunately, such plans are nearly impossible to find unless you're willing to settle for a lousy shack or pay for the several advertisements available.  If we were so inclined, we could also purchase a kit and assemble it.  As easy as that would be, I'm not too keen on paying $500+ for a kit with lower quality wood.

Continuing our search for samples, we came across a couple that built an impressive coop/run combo.  The couple manage a website called steamykitchen.com.  They called their coop design the Palace Chicken Coop and they detailed the construction of it here:  The Palace Chicken Coop.  They have a link for a Google Sketchup plan (very useful) and plenty of photos showing how they built it.  My wife and I do like the appearance and the size.  However, the issues that have me somewhat concerned are Scott's justifiable disclaimer (being not an architect nor an engineer) and their location, Florida.  Reading their posting and the numerous comments that followed, I was concerned that living in Florida would have a vastly different weather cycle than living in New England, where we are.  Their foundation was also not very deep, practically at ground level, which would lead to frost heaving issues in the north.  The lack of snow in Florida also has an impact on the structural supports were it to be in our area.  This is not a negative to Jaden and Scott, the post creators, they live in an area that is completely different than our own and likewise, our coop would have to be modified to reflect that.

SteamyKitchen.com - The Palace Coop

So, using the conceptual plan from steamykitchen.com, we know which way we'd like to go for our flock.  Due to our different locales, I've tasked myself with fully designing the coop and run based on my location, taking into account the snow and wind forces that are common in New England.  I also felt sorry for my unused, old and dusty engineering manuals from college and thought, why not?

Future postings will update the design and construction phases of our Chicken Coop.

 

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Structural Repairs, Part II

Our contractor was busy at work each day until the October snow storm. On most days, they called giving me an update. Most of the time, though, the update was to inform me of "something" they found. His phone calls eventually turned into a fear of answering the phone. I'll be honest though, after he would mention that "something", he would add that it'll be either a small fee or nothing at all. He said that he was once my age and he knew that it was hard on the pockets when buying the first home. That's nice and all, but it means nothing when that same person throws it in your face that he did "extra work" while also throwing a hissy fit after I gave him a two item punch list.

The freebies that he offered were the removal of the plumbing that interfered with the beam replacement (that he did not put back into service), removal of a concrete threshold under the coffin door (which he left for me to dispose of) and a couple of other things that at this moment escape me.

One major call was to notify me that an additional length of sill required replacement. A length equating to over $3,000 in additional work, that's $3,000 missed that his son, the estimator, did not account for during his walkthrough. As we're funding this work through negotiations from the seller, we have a fixed amount to spend based on what his son estimated. Anything additional, we pay for out of pocket.

The work was just about complete when the October snow storm hit. I notified the two man crew that they will be unable to work at our home since there is no power to run their equipment. They understood and requested an update when power was restored.

A day or so before the power was restored; I contacted them with news that I purchased a 5,000 watt generator (see No Power, No Heat.) which would allow them to continue working. Their reply was to give the power company another day, which coincidently, came on the following afternoon.

Work commenced and was primarily a finishing task. The final beams were placed and the sill mortared. Temporary support columns removed and angles with bolts screwed in to reinforce joints were installed.

I walked through the basement a couple nights before completion and noticed my oil tank still disconnected. The plumbing removed was not apparently going to be replaced. Specifically, plumbing required to fill and vent the oil tank as well as a spigot for the outside water. There was also an electrical box left unsecured (not really a big deal).

I sent an email to the owner to make sure that "we" didn't forget to put back what was taken down. After all, winter was approaching and the oil tank will need refilling eventually.

His response was not something I would have expected. He suggested that I should contact my oil supplier to re-install the pipe (which would cost me money) as he did not want to assume any liability for an incorrectly installed pipe that he removed. I obliged, contacted my supplier who replied that if our contractor would drill the hole through the sill, they'll re-thread the steel pipes and install them at no charge. The oil company added that they would assume the liability since they're making the connection. Otherwise, having the oil company do the whole job would cost me $100 to $200, plus tax. Having already paid thousands extra, I was running short on cash and wanted to reduce expenses. It made sense to have my contractor drill the hole. He's onsite with a drill. He is also familiar with the structure and would know precisely where to drill without affecting the structural integrity of a brand new sill that he just installed. Plus, his cost is negligible as he's already there whereas the oil company would have to mobilize to visit our property.

Playing the middleman, I relayed the suggestion to my contractor. Yet again I was surprised (perhaps I should stop being surprised...). My contractor lost his composure and literally began yelling at me over the phone. He must have misunderstood me as he became irate stating he (the contractor) shouldn't take the liability, that I should treat my contractors better, that we (the clients) are all the same, if we only knew the work that he did... etc. it was a very long winded, one sided conversation. The discussion became offensive with the contractor unwilling to reason. He then started to reveal a convoluted final thought.

According to his "professional" opinion, technically, I owe money back to the seller. Citing that (and this is the best part) the overall cost of work in the initial estimate was less than estimated so I ought to give 'X' dollars back to the seller. Wow... not that his son failed to properly estimate the cost of repair which forced my wife and I to pay out of pocket an extra $3,000 above the monies we received from the seller means anything...

Our phone conversations abruptly ended after that last call. By the time I got home from work, the contractor had packed things up and left.  Don't get me wrong, he was scheduled to leave that day anyway, but the remaining details showed their ill-placed frustration. The clapboard siding that was replaced lacked adequate caulking. A junction box by the coffin door was not secured properly. The interior wall by the coffin door was miss-aligned. The main power feed to the home was improperly secured after completing investigative work leading to the water in my electrical panel (see Water in my electrical panel). One section of flooring depressed in the old kitchen where they replaced the sill. Though our contract with him stated that we are responsible for waste removal, he told me (and I have it recorded) that he would remove the debris for us free of charge as our project is very small. I still have several construction bags in my backyard with wood, concrete, etc. inside after dumping quite a few already.

I hate fighting with contractors. I do it at work; I don't want to do it at home as well. I tried being the "bigger" man and mailed them a "thank you" card with the remaining balance due. I was planning on putting in two $100 bills for the father and son team as a "thank you" tip. After being treated the way I was with degrading comments and mild stupidity, I changed my mind.

If you're reading this Mr. G., you should treat your customers better.  You never know when they may be a repeat customer. I and my 250 year old home will not be.

Enough with the rant, so what was done and how much did it cost? 

Ah, yes, the important stuff…

The two man crew did work long and hard while they were on site. Each piece of timber beam had to be custom fitted and hoisted into position. This is not like having a couple of 2"X10"'s nailed together and plopped into place. No, each beam and sill's depth was cut to fit into position. The sill is placed on top of an uneven stone foundation. Like a puzzle, each segment had to fit.  The home had to be lifted a fraction of an inch to allow the removal and installation of the new beams and sills. How they lifted the home is the secret as is how they lifted the heavy beams into place.  Mortise and tenon connections were also created.  The notches for the tenons were made using a circular saw and a large chisel.  Specifically how, must also be a secret.  Though to be quite honest, most methods can be researched online via youtube.com.

The initial estimate was $13,320.  For the:

1.      Removal and replacement of 26 linear feet of sill.

2.      Removal and replacement of 23 linear feet of beams at 6” x 6”.

3.      Remove temporary supports and replace with permanent Lally columns.

4.      Install a 2” x 6” oak to reinforce the beam under the old kitchen’s fireplace.

5.      Install additional horizontal and vertical support beams and posts on the right side of the chimney base.

6.      Reinforce the diagonal braces under the kitchen hearth.

The following was added:

7. Additional sill removal and replacement, $3,135.00 (labor expense).
8. Investigative work to explore a trouble area:  $85 for one hour of time.
9. Additional material and Permit, $2,478.81.
10. Additional material, $89.60 (clapboards).

So, this all cost a whooping $16,468.41.

But, how much did we pay?

We received three checks from the seller’s attorney totaling $13,320 based on the estimate.

We received a $250 discount for scheduling before a set date.

Out of pocket we paid $2,898.41.

Nothing in the attic was done.  No ventilation, no additional supports.  It was a disappointment for me, but I did not want to continue the relationship plus, having paid more than what we had expected to pay, our finances were short.  I’ll have to save the work in the attic for another day.

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Structural Repairs, Part I

As I sit here writing, I am torn between being brutally honest and abiding by my word.  You see, I made an agreement with the contractor who completed the structural repairs on our home.  My original idea was to document all the work being done with photos depicting the staged repairs.  I always believe in being honest with people and explained to the owner that I have a blog and would like to have his permission to post pictures of his equipment, etc.  My thoughts were, well, it's my home, I am vicariously paying for it and it's absolutely free advertising for their company.  I was a bit shocked to hear his response.  I'll paraphrase:

1.  Anything on the internet is there forever.

2.  We don't know how you'll depict our work.

3.  Our methods are proprietary.

4.  ...so is our fee schedule.

These are all valid points (I guess).  I responded to the owner saying that I agree with them 100% on the proprietary part.  They worked for 'X' number of years "perfecting" their methods, who am I to post pictures of their secret ways?  It was quite understandable, however, my goal with this blog is to be honest with all costs involved with the work on this antique home.  So, I made a compromise.  I countered saying that I will not post the name of the company or pictures depicting their means and methods.  The owner grudgingly agreed, with the exception of wanting to review my post as a courtesy on my part, which I can only gather for editing purposes. Like I said, I want to be honest about everything that occurred, but for reasons which are to follow, I will forfeit that courtesy and post away with my first amendment rights.  Mind you I will stick to my word.  The name of the company, the crew and their methods will NOT be discussed.  Regardless, brace yourself, this will be a long post.  I will try to break it up over a couple of posts.

On July 24, 2011, I came into contact with this contractor through a quasi government related group listing (really advertising) contractors working to rebuild and repair historic structures.  In the initial post, I described the issues with the seller; how she was unwilling to hire a proficient contractor specializing in post and beam repair.  When she finally caved in to hiring a qualified contractor, we split the cost for this particular contractor to come in costing us a combined $345. The contractor came in to produce an estimate of structural repairs in the basement.  This estimate would be used to negotiate with the seller.

The contractor was on site for a couple of hours where they and I went over the basement pointing out the locations indicated in the report from our inspector.  The support structure in the basement was covered with insulation but the contractor viewed what he could and took measurements.  I took him to the attic as I wanted him to produce a secondary estimate for vents to be installed (that I asked to be kept separate from the sellers estimate).

On August 13, 2011, the evening after the visit, the following was submitted:

1.      Remove and replace up to 12 linear feet of front left sill.

2.      Remove and replace up to 14 linear feet of left side front sill.

3.      Remove and replace two joists in this area that run parallel with the street (6x6x~12’).

4.      Remove and replace up to 9 linear feet of beam in this area (running perpendicular to the street).  Install footing and vertical where the new beam joins the old one.

5.      Set up supports and remove two existing screw jacks in the cellar near chimney. Dig new footings and install concrete filled lally columns.

6.      The beam on the back side of the chimney has sagged and there is separation between it and the beam it intersects with. Install 2x6 oak underneath it.  Dig two footings and install concrete filled lallys.

7.      The chimney beam on the right side is rotted and broken over the opening. We will attempt to replace but if it becomes apparent that this will cause damage, we will put a horizontal and verticals underneath it. 

8.      The diagonal members supporting the hearths have damage. Either sister or install verticals as needed.

The cost of labor for the above work is $10,680.00.  Materials and supplies are extra and should be about $2,640.00.  A deposit of $1,100.00 is required to be scheduled.  Payment is to be in two parts with final payment due in full upon completion.  See conditions.  Any damage to the chimney/hearths is not included and is the responsibility of the homeowner.

This work totaled $13,320.  A second estimate was given for the work in the attic:

1.      Install square gable end vent on each gable end of the house as discussed.

2.      Sister two tie beams in the attic. 

The cost of labor for the above work is $835.00.  Materials and supplies are extra.  Payment is due in full upon completion.  This estimate is only valid if done in conjunction with the structural work. 

Since we were dealing with the seller's money, I was unable to personally provide the full $1,100 deposit.  I suggested that instead, we use the labor cost of $835 for the attic work as the deposit since that work is coming out of our pockets.  They agreed and we were scheduled for an October start date.  Since we sent in our deposit before a set date, we were given a $250 coupon.

A couple weeks passed and I hadn't heard much from the contractor.  I took a couple photos of the home's exterior and emailed it asking if they wanted me to trim back the bushes or tree allowing them more working area.  Their response was simply that if we did not want to, they don't mind.  And only that the EPA requires a 10 foot plastic ground cover around all areas exposed to construction for lead protection.

By this point, however, I still haven't heard anything about a start date.  I was beginning to get worried that their schedule wasn't keeping in mind that I have checks made out in their company's name that have an expiration date.

(Name),

I may be mistaken but I don't think you told me when (company name) plans on starting.

Due to the negotiations and to make the bank happy, as well as to allow you full access to the property, (company name) has priority. And because of that, we'll have two other contractors waiting to start after you finish. All contractors are being paid via checks issued by our lawyer. Checks expire... So, please kindly advise me as to your anticipated start date.

Thank you,

Steve

I relayed this to them on October 12 and I did not hear back until October 17, when they wrote:

Hi,

We will be there Thursday morning. We will be bringing our trailer which will be staying there for the duration of the project. Please leave room for us to back it into the driveway. Thank you. (name)

I guess money talks...

Here are photos of the condition of the beams in the basement prior to the contractor's work:

1.  Overall view of the floor structure below the future library, viewing southeast.

2.  Overall view of the floor structure below the future library, viewing south.

3.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged joists, viewing east.

4.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged joists, viewing northeast.

5.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged joists, viewing east.

6.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged joists, viewing northeast.

7.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged joist connecting to the sill, viewing northeast.

8.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged joists, viewing southeast.

9.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged sill, viewing east.

10.  Closeup of rotten and insect damaged sill, viewing south.  Notice the rat poison white bag peaking out by the wire, behind the brick.

11.  Closeup of a prior repair showing the lally column supporting a hearth support beam and joist with the mortise and tenon visible, viewing east.

12.  Diagonal support for the old kitchen fireplace above, viewing south.

13.  Overview of chimney foundation showing existing lally columns, viewing northeast.  The black columns to the right are temporary supports.  Temporary really means non-existent.

14.  Overall view of the old kitchen fireplace supports, viewing northeast.

15.  An old exhaust flue or perhaps even a makeshift fireplace.  The wood beam above it runs through the brick/stone foundation as one solid piece of wood.  The beam is weakened and is sagging.  Viewing south.

Click HERE for Structural Repairs, Part II.

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Welcome!

My wife and I just purchased this beautiful center chimney colonial.  Our move-in date was October 1st and I've only now had the chance to start this blog.  My intention is to document our struggles, sweat, tears, blood and joy with this home while not only being a novice in antique homes but also first time home buyers.

We started our search after taking a tour through a local historic museum.  We just fell in love with the amount of character present in the home and the amount of history.  There is something vastly unique about an antique home that you just cannot find in the money making developments of today's homes (aka "cookie cutter").  These antique homes were built to last for the family, not necessarily to make money.  And since they are still around after 200+ years, you know that it was built quite well.

Like most couples, we were glued to HGTV watching shows like Holmes on Homes, House Hunters and First Time Home Buyers.  We learned a bit from these shows, especially from Holmes on Homes.  We kept seeing the horror stories of freezing pipes, leaking windows with numerous water problems, ripped off home owners, etc etc.  And all this from brand new homes with no character.  That's when we started to think, what is the point?  You invest money in a home that should be perfect, only to find that not only is it not perfect, it's going to cost you more to fix.  Sure, you can have the developer fix their mistakes, but hey, they're in it for the money, right?  Besides, why would I trust them to do it right a second or even a third time when it should have been done right the first time.  Unfortunately, cutting corners is the game plan and finding a reliable contractor is hard to do.  If we're going to be spending money eventually, why not spend it on a building that is apart of history?

So our search began.  We looked at several homes throughout the New England area.  Though the market is ripe for buyers, sellers are unwilling to sell or settle due to being "underwater" and the selection of historic homes are few.  We saw immaculate homes, homes needing restoration, and ones that should have been torn down years ago.  One particular was the "Rose Red" of antique homes.  This home was an 18th century colonial with the interior stripped and 60's pine paneling put up with floor boards that were obviously from the same period as the "new" walls.  Room after room after room was added.  It actually sickened me.

We first saw our home online back in February of 2011 and it was listed at $289,000.  We put in an offer in March which was rejected.  Then the home owner took it off the market in June and re-listed it in July with another agent for less than what our offer was.  Go figure?  I saved the real estate listing photos from both realtors, the photos can be seen here.

We later found out that this home was on the market, on and off, going on three years with a starting price in the $360,000 range.  Each re-listing was less than the previous.  The home owner was in her late seventies and wanted to downsize but was unable to find a buyer, until we came along.  After seeing the professional photos taken by her new agent, we jumped on the chance to make an offer again.  Our offer was finally accepted at 5:54 PM on July 8th and here we are!

We knew that an antique home required special eyes and we used a home inspection company with expertise in antique homes.  According to them, our home was in good condition (for its age) with a few issues standing out. 

1)  There is radon in the basement that had a reading of 5.0, 4.0 is the federal EPA limit.

2)  There is evidence of current Powder Post Beetle damage in the basement.

3)  There are several beams that require replacement due to the Powder Post Beetle activity.

We asked the seller to bring in a licensed contractor who specializes in these homes to create an estimate for repair.  We gave her a list of contractors supplied by a state funded historical society, which she ignored.  Three weeks later, an estimate was given in the amount of $2,800 that was made by a contractor that does not have true experience with post and beam construction.  We were quite shocked at the estimate and  requested a contractor of our own choosing to come in (from the same list we sent her).  Our chosen contractor charged a $345 fee to view and estimate the property, which was split with the seller.  This final estimate was $13,320.  Sometimes it pays to spend a little to get the right person.  After much negotiation, the final was:

$275,000 selling price with the seller paying for:

1) Repair of damaged beams in basement.

2) Installation of a radon mitigation system in the basement.

3) The spraying for powder post beetles.

History:

The home was built in circa 1760.  I do not know more than that at this point since the local historical society is lacking in specific documentation for this home.  We plan on making a trip to view the original records in town hall when time presents itself.

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