[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 19, 2007 - 12:02 pm

Hi me
I will try to give a weekly total expenses, but probly not a detailed breakdown until the  end, mostly because I don't want to type it all out every week. Have to be careful not to become so engrossed in PI.com that the rest of life suffers.
So maybe a running total of the reno cost so far, and the total hours so far.
A couple of days ago the total was about $11,700, and the hours were 321. I will update this in a day or two.

HI Coralie. Thanks for stopping by. I did get a renderer to do the front of the house. He seems to have done well so far. Final coat very soon. Pretty cheap too I thought. $1400 +GST for the whole front of house round to the porch.

Apparently the roof tiles got spray painted today. Can't wait to see it and get a photo for you all.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 18, 2007 - 1:58 pm

Hi Tina
If the numbers don't work, definitely don't go ahead anyway.
Those formula's don't work on every house. That's why they are there: to quickly rule out the majority of properties so that you only spend lots of time on the ones that might actually work.
Also, don't just ask for the agents opinion on what the end sale price would be. Get some hard evidence. eg actual sale prices of freshly renovated homes in the nearby area in the last 6-12 months. Ideally you want to see photos of the homes as well so you can see the type of  reno, and the type of quality that needs to be produced to expect a similar result. And don't rely on just one other sale, because sometimes a buyer pays too much, but that doesn't mean all the buyers will. I would say at least 3 very recent sales, very similar to the property you are researching, and in very near vicinity. Same neighborhood, not just same suburb.

Also, I personally find it hard to look closely at numerous suburbs at the same time. I like to focus on just one for a few weeks until I feel like I know virtually every house that comes on the market, and can take a good guess at what it will sell for. Then I start looking at another suburb, preferably one that is neighboring.
Hope this helps you.
Cheers.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 18, 2007 - 1:43 pm

Sat 18th Aug
Another productive working bee. Together me and all the helpers:
-finished staining front fence
-nailed balusters onto deck handrail
-troweled base coat onto blueboard joints
-did 'no more gaps' over whole house
-2nd coat of render on front wall
-undercoat to the remainder of arcs and skirts
-took off the balustrade from front porch
-started sanding all the plaster patches

I have put a few more photos up here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9273576@N06/?saved=1

Hi Don. The market in our area is quite strong. When we started this deal we had a best case, worst case, and likely case sales price in mind. It now seems that we have a great chance to get the best case or better. This is partly due to the market, and partly that the reno is going to be a bit nicer than we originally thought. Because this is our first attempt, we were not confident of the quality that we could produce, and so based our predictions on a good but not great final product. Now that we are halfway through the job, we can see the end product more clearly (in our heads that is), and it is looking lovely. Can't wait to make the vision reality and show you all the photos!
However, we are doing what we can to get the house finished and sold ASAP so that we don't miss out on the current strong market.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 17, 2007 - 9:51 pm

Ozboy wrote:

 Hate to boast but I did a BETTER job than the original carpenter/builder of the back decking, including erecting a laserite cover/canopy.

(by the way I don't do stuff that is illegal – e.g: electrical; although I could do wiring, installation low voltage lights, etc. if I so chose)

Did you know only a licenced plumber is allowed to do roofing? eg lazerlight

BTW good tips on the handles and taps etc. Think I might use those

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 17, 2007 - 12:47 pm

Fri 17th Aug
-replaced all the dodgy architraves that I had taken off earlier
-did some more plaster patching
-a roof restorer came and did all the repointing. ( I was going to DIY, buy decided to get some help to speed up the process. I found a quote that is still under what I had budgeted for to DIY, so that's great. I had allowed $1500 for roof re-paint, and this guy quoted me $950. Awsome. I have already pressure washed the roof, so saved him some time. But I had 2 other quotes that were $2250 and $1200 even though I already washed it, so this guy is very cheap. And he was recommended by the paint store that sells roof paint as "the only guy I would trust on my roof", so I think he will be ok quality.
-had a visit from another fellow investor. Hi Troy, good luck with that unit.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 16, 2007 - 12:00 pm

Thurs 16th Aug
-put top coat on all plaster patches inside
-installed 2 bits of cornice
-sanded all the cornices
-sanded some ceilings
-bought all the materials to texture coat blueboard

Didn't get a chance to spray ceilings. Much more prep still to be done than I thought.

Funny story. While entering some receipts onto computer last night I noticed that a large order of timber from last week had one item that cost $717.13. Problem is the item was 2 bits of 70x45mm treated pine, 5.4m long each. Seemed a little expensive. I had not noticed it at the time of ordering material because it was a fairly big order for the carport and all the timber for the deck handrail and blueboard framing etc. Total order was $1944, seemed a little expensive, but I just thought that's what it was.
So I went back to the timber yard and showed them the receipt. The very embarassed salesman explained that it should have been 3.75 per metre, but had been typed in at $75 per metre. So I got a refund of $684, and my budget is looking much better.

Speaking of budget, for everyone's interest the reno cost is so far $11,689.99. And we have done a total of 321hours work, excluding subcontractors.
I think we are about halfway there on the time, and running pretty close to budget overall.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 15, 2007 - 1:15 pm

Hi crashy
The wagner seems great. It does say "Not for Professional Use!" on the instructions but I am not really a pro painter and will only use it for one house every couple of months, so should last me a while.
It is made as a very good DIY tool, works almost as well as a $2k+ machine, but doesn't have any pressure adjustment. Just fixed pressure, so can't turn it down for doing small intricate work etc.
Today it took me an hour to read instructions and assemble, then at least half hour to clean it out at end of day. Once I am used to it, probly a total of half hour down time each day that I use it, so not good for just little bits of painting.
Tomorrow I hope to spray 2 full coats on the ceiling. I still have to do some prep to the ceiling, and mask up a few places like wardrobes so they don't get sprayed. I reckon it will take only 1-2hours to spray whole ceiling, each coat. I will let you know tomorrow.
One good thing, is that you can leave paint in the machine for a few hours. So I can spray 1st coat in morning, then wait 3-4 hours and spray 2nd coat, then clean out machine at end of day. That is the plan anyway.
I also got a roller attachment for it so I can roll on paint without having to re-fill the roller all the time. Just start the machine and roll roll roll. I will probly do this on walls.

I shopped around a bit, and everyone was the same price – $695. I found a Syndey shop selling online for same price but they had about $250 of extras included, so I got it from them and bought some more accessories as well. Total spend was $869.35. The cheapest professional model is about $1500+. The place I got it from is here: http://www.airless.com.au/
Not sure if they still have the same deal, but they were quite helpful. I called them to place the order, and they talked me through the product and helped me select extras like different size tips. Then I got the package next day, which was very fast service. It was free postage too (for orders over $250 I think). So I would use that shop again if I need anything.

Not sure what else to tell you. I guess after I use it more I will have a better idea.
The rafters were quite easy because the existing fibre glass roof sheets are still in place, so I could just spray all rafters from standing on the deck, and any overspray hit the roof sheets. We are changing the roofing anyway, so it is a useful "dropsheet".
It did waste a bit of paint doing it this way, but I sprayed the whole roof structure in less than 30 min each coat. It would have taken probly at least 2 hours per coat by hand.
I will get a photo tomorrow if I remember.
Cheers

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 15, 2007 - 10:28 am

Wed 15th Aug
-painted 2nd coat on the handrails around deck
-tried out my new Wagner Paint Crew (spray painter) and sprayed 2 coats onto the rafters etc of the deck
-started repair work on the gutters
-did a bit of patching holes in the ceilings
-inspected another house

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 14, 2007 - 9:49 am

Teus 14th Aug
-finished nailing on blueboard
-called some more trades to get quotes
-had a visit from another PI.com member
-a glazier came and replaced glass near front door. (Changed it from frosted to clear.)

Hi debra, thanks for the tip. I will go have a look.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 13, 2007 - 12:57 pm

Mon 13th Aug
Not much done today. Only 2.5hrs spent at the house.
-got into roof and moved insulation away from where all downlights will be. (the sparky said he could do it for $40per hour, or I could do it for him)
-worked on the blueboard cladding a bit more. Only 2 sheets more to put up.

Also went to a Property Investors Network meeting. Very educational.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 12, 2007 - 2:40 am

Hi nicole
The render is going to cost me about $1540 for 2 base coats and 1 top coat which is coloured already so I don't need to paint over it. I am not sure how many square metres is being rendered so I can't tell you the per metre rate, but it is the front of house right around to the edge of the porch. I will try to work out the metres this week – if I remember that is!!

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 12, 2007 - 1:53 am

Hi crashy
We are making the deck into an almost fully enclosed outdoor living area. It will have rendered walls, a bar overlooking backyard, bistro blinds, and be fully private from street. The house itself is not huge, so we thought this would be an economical way of increasing living area.

Hi rbooth
No probs mate.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 11, 2007 - 12:43 pm

Sat 11th Aug
Hi everyone
Re: the wraps, sorry I know nutting.

Re: working hours: I am currently a subcontractor, so I can sort of choose my own hours. So since July 16 I have decided to work full time on this house. I have some other work coming up in about a week, so that will slow down the progress a little, but I still hope to do at least 3 days per week on this reno.
If I was still working full time this reno would take a very long time. My business partner still works full time though, and helps at the house on w/ends, so spare a thought for him.

Today we had heaps of helpers- total of 47.5 man hours done on the house today, excluding subcontractors. We:
-got most of the cement sheet cladding done on the deck.
-undercoated the rest of the arcs, skirts & doors
-2nd coat on the balusters
-1st coat on the deck handrail
-started staining front fence
-started sanding outside window frames
-looked at 2 more houses

Also sparky's came and roughed in; renderers put on first coat.
A couple of progress photos are uploaded now http://www.flickr.com/photos/9273576@N06/?saved=1

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 10, 2007 - 10:01 am

Fri 10th Aug
-replace and repaired all rotting timber on handrails around deck. This took me longer than expected because the rot was worse than I thought. I had to do a lot of cutting out rot from the posts, shaping new timber pieces to fit the holes, glue and nail them in, then builders bog over it all. I used about 3/4 of a 1kg tin of builders bog. I love that stuff. Ended up replacing almost all the railings, and repaired the posts.
-filled nail holes etc and sanded so the railings are ready for paint now
-cut to length timber for the balusters
-bought all the cement sheet and blueboard that I need for tomorrow.

Also had some helpers who:
-painted 1st coat on the balusters
-sanded almost all the arcs, skirts, and doors
-started undercoating the arcs etc.

Hi John, come by anytime. Call me on 0411 424 871 if you want to check that I'll be there.

Big day tomorrow. Lots of helpers.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 9, 2007 - 10:25 am

Thurs 9th Aug
-finished pressure hosing the roof
-cleaned gutters also
-started framing up for cement sheet cladding on deck area

RE: pressure cleaning roof and gutters
I had an unexpected problem when the hose hit the gutters. I suddenly noticed a series of small holes in the bottom of gutter. Guess there was rust under all those rotting leaves!
At first I thought I would have to replace all gutters (ouch!) but spoke to a plumber mate and he suggested look at bitumen paint.
So went to Bunnings, found several brands, and selected one that says it is designed for metal roofs and gutters. The instructions also said to get some rust preventing primer if the surface was rusty. Also got some bitumen putty.
So plan is to pressure clean gutters thoroughly to remove all loose rust (already done), then after gutters are dry apply a coat of the rust preventing primer, then bitumen putty over all holes, then 2 coats of bitumen paint over entire inside surface of gutter.
This should make gutters quite water tight, and I think it will last for a few years at least.
At first I thought it was a dodgy idea, but after seeing that there are products designed for it I think I would do the same thing to my own home, because all the materials only cost me $76, so to extend the life of the gutters for a few years that is quite good.

elkam wrote:

Excuse my ignorance as it's a long time since I did any hands on renovations. 

Does the turps work as a drier for the linseed oil. Is that it's intention? 
I used to use 10% Terebin (I don't know if this is how it's spelt) which is/was a paint drier for this and it was great . 
I used to paint 1 or 2 coats on woodwork which I had stripped of all paint (in terrace houses) and it really brought up the grain a treat without being oily.

Hi elkam,
I don't really know for sure. I just heard from somewhere ages ago that a 50/50 mix of linseed and turps was an oldschool method of weather proofing timber. I often use it for handles on garden tools etc, and anything else that is not good quality furniture. It lasts about a year.
I think the turps makes it soak into the timber more, and possible helps with drying too.
I know people use straight linseed oil on cricket bats too.

Hi crashy
Sorry, I don't really know what goes into normal deck stain. If it is a water based product then it would not have linseed oil or turps in it, but if it's oil based then who knows? Maybe we're onto their big secret recipe?!

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 8, 2007 - 11:05 am

Wed 8th Aug
-replaced some rotten fascia
-pressure washed 3/4 of the roof
-took delivery of timber for carport etc
-had another agent do an appraisal
-electricity got turned on
-a sparky came to quote on downlights etc

Hi bpudadera, No, I didn't sand the fence first. The stain just soaked right in.
I did apply straight linseed&turps (no oxide) to the base boards around bottom of deck, and I sanded that first because it had green algae on the timber. Just a quick sand to take off the mould, then the linseed made the timber look darker and fresher. We also put the linseed on the cubby. It had previously had a stain, but was starting to fade and looked dry and grey. The linseed made it much fresher. You can probly see it in the photos.
We tried the straight linseed&turps on the fence as well, but it didn't make a big enough impovement, so that's why I added the oxide to give it more color. The fence looks good even up close. I have rubbed my hand over the timber and no stain came off on my hand, so it seems to have soaked right into the timber.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 7, 2007 - 10:01 am

Tues 7th Aug
Thanks Mrs Bushy! And Mr too!
-ordered timber for carport and deck handrail etc
-bought new arcs, some cornice, plaster etc
-replaced a rusted downpipe
-patched up holes in plaster
-framed and plastered the fridge opening (it was too short, so made it higher)

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 6, 2007 - 10:24 am

Mon 6th Aug
-bought the paint for inside.
-borrowed a pressure cleaner
-booked the renderer, roof sprayer, glazier
-applied for bunnings account
-took off some architraves that were on backwards
-measured up a materials list for all deck repairs, handrail repairs, cementsheet cladding on deck, fascia repairs, new arcs to replace what I took off, and a couple of doors to replace
-met an agent to discuss the appraisal she did last week. The sale is looking good. Hi demand, low supply, and coming into spring which is historically the time in Melb when property heats up.

Hi crashy – I really don't know. Linseed oil and turps is a very oldschool method of weather proofing timber. I have just added the oxide powder. I know from experience that once oxide gets on something, it stains it for good. So I guess time will tell. I wouldn't use the stain on anything too important, but an old fence is worth a shot.

Hi Peter
No probs mate. Drive by whenever it suits you. If I am there just come find me. If not then grab my number off the sign and give me a call. I should be there every day this week, unless I duck out to grab something.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 5, 2007 - 10:06 pm

crashy wrote:

not if you go to Bunnings!

I was at Bunnings. I am there almost every day. It only takes about 3 minutes to mix up stain anyway.

[Jase and FlicParticipant@jase-and-flicJoin Date: 2004Post Count: 190]

August 5, 2007 - 1:12 pm

Hi nicole
Thanks for ideas on the fence. The stain on the BBQ fence is actually a homemade brew, so reasonably cheap. I will probly use it on front fence as well. I just mixed 50/50 linseed oil and turps, then added some brown oxide powder, usually used to color concrete. I can get 8 litres of this mix for about $36. The cheapest ready made stain I could find was about $40 for 4litres.
I have sent you a PM about balancing work and family.