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Home Owner Thread

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
I'm turning my garage into a work space. It's 2 story and there upper party will be my office and the bottom is going to be a pre school for my wife. Getting closer. Need insulation and dry wall now.

It will be livable when we sell, but in the meantime it will be making money instead of housing cars.

If housing keeps getting more expensive like it did between my parents and me, my daughter will have to live there lol.

I don't really care what raises the home value. I'm staying as long as I can, hopefully until I need a smaller house when I'm old. I luckily got this place before some guy flipped it. It's wonky in places, but I prefer that over faux wood for that is grey
 
Lee said:
Even if cash, its money you dont get back when you sell, very few upgrades actually add much money to value.
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Should have clarified.

Speaking not from ROI, but more so, it is unwise financial planning to purchase a home and then not have the liquidity to make necessary upgrades.
 
Are solar panels worthwhile to lower utility bills and improve house value? Just starting to think about this.
 
wuck said:
Are solar panels worthwhile to lower utility bills and improve house value? Just starting to think about this.
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Not really. The cost of the panels, but it could be close to a break even while helping the envirnment.

The issue I dont like its a lien on the house and it doesn't seem to increase the value enough. There is a Tesla program where you lease the panels and the new owner leases the panels. Instead of a electric bill, you have a more consistent solar bill. My ex wife bought a house with the tesla panels on them and seems to like it.
 
Well, interesting - but no way I could sell this house ever with its current hvac. It was going to need replaced.
 
wuck said:
Are solar panels worthwhile to lower utility bills and improve house value? Just starting to think about this.
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Some of the problems with solar panels is there is no assurance that utility companies will offset your power bill at the same rate as today into the future. Even with states that have laws on the books for offsets, some have change them when the utility companies weren't happy with the offset rates. You can calculate it based on today's rates then they could lower the rate and completely ruin your pay back. Then you might have to buy batteries to regain your solar electricity offset.

If you want to make your house more green, I would improve your windows and insulation if it's an older home. Then you can reevaluate your heating system to an electric version like an air source heat pump or geothermal which allows you to cut your gas bill and the monthly fee with that. Then you will have a higher electric load and be able to install more solar panels if you have the room. Then the math might work to have both solar and batteries to offset your electric bill since it will also have your heat as part of it.
 
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@Lee What's a mortgage rate that's worth considering right now?
 
I intended on posting this to Reddit but after typing it all out I'm getting an error...looking for advice.

Pictures -
I am paying to have a 12x16 shed installed. I am also paying for "site prep" that included "leveling" but when they came out, I found out digging was not part of the contract - just building "up" with presumably crushed limestone (and weed barrier, and wooden perimeter barrier). This would have resulted in the front of the shed being like 18" off the ground. I told them to come back next week...

The back left corner is really only the significantly out-of-level spot. About a foot difference between back left and front right. Here is a crummy "before" picture https://imgur.com/a/mpxxs31

The stakes and string are approximately square and level. If back left corner is "par" then front left is about -8", front right -12", and back right -8".

My thought was to dig out back left corner maybe 8" (in process) and fill in front right corner a few inches with the dug-up dirt, cutting the sod from the dug-up dirt, and renting a compactor. I did not plan on tearing up the whole 12x16 sod, including where I am adding dirt. It would go on top of sod.

The intent would be to get it "pretty close", everything within a couple inches of level, and then the subcontractor will get it fully level with the crushed limestone.

The gravel foundation will be oversized by 1' around perimeter, eg 14x18' for the 12x16' shed. It will be contained presumably with 4x4. I do not know if they will stack and pin 4x4's if needed, eg around the back left corner.

Questions...

- Does this all generally seem like a good plan? (I hope so because I'm halfway done, lol)

- I am adding dirt on top of sod then compacting. Should I remove the sod first? I do have a tiller so it wouldn't be a huge deal. (Should I remove sod from EVERYTHING and compact...? or till it up and compact?)

- At the back left corner I'm going to go about 8" down. In theory this should make the final shed level with the ground (4" gravel and 4x4 runners) but I am not responsible for the gravel and I don't know what it will actually end up being. I think there is a chance the shed would be below grade in this corner. Should I add extra reinforcement around the perimeter where it might be below grade - like a ground contact rated 2x12?
 
Changing my question, I've decided that since I'm this far into it, might as well do it right and minimize the height of the shed floor as much as possible, meaning the back left corner will definitely be below grade. Any concerns with this...? It probably won't be a TON below grade...but enough where I will need some sort of retaining wall made from pavers. But now I'm wondering if I need a french drain and/or gutters to route water away from shed.

To be clear, there will be 4" of gravel, then 4x4 runners under the shed, then the shed. And a 1' perimeter of gravel. But the shed itself (and the gravel, and the runners) will still be below grade in that corner.
 
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make sure any water buildup has someplace to drain off to otherwise you're going to rot out your shed. this is the reason that most sheds are above grade

edit even with a crushed Limestone base you're still asking for problems especially from termites and other wood eating insects
 
I know trench drainage is available through Home Depot. I agree with Bob about prevention of rotting out the shed over time.
 
That's about 200 feet away, so that isn't realistically going to happen :(

So you really think rot will be a potential problem even if there's a 1' perimeter of gravel, a 4" gravel base, and the shed is set off the gravel with 4x4 runners?

It would be fairly easy to run a gutter out behind the fence, or even build some sort of overhang from the shed roof to over the fence.

This is kind of what I was going for -

1683376901114.png

The entire yard slopes away from this area too, it is definitely not a "wet" location.

Maybe I will increase the perimeter from the below-grade location to two feet instead of one...pulling it forward would also effectively make it less below grade.

More digging...

Thanks for the feedback!
 
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