Al B's House rework

rox · Mar 4, 2008

lan,
I actually went looking for your topic since I must have missed it when you posted in February (tree prunning time). I was wondering if you were able to resolve the water penetraton in the basement? Also I took a peek at your prior home and it sure looks saleable, really nice. To bad the market is so tough right now. I also remember your whole story of what you went through to get this home. I bet it sure feels good now to be in and have all that land and space.

AlanB · Mar 6, 2008

It is nice Rox, thanks for thinking of us.

I would have told you last week that we have pretty much beat back the water monster in the basement.

Then it rained 3.5 inches Monday. Heck, the whole world around here flooded, and that included water across my basement floor. There are fans running, and de-humidifiers humming as I type.

I think the fix will be to dig the outside, and then put in a sump system, but the other part of the equation may just be that the house is too low, and the water table too high, and it will be a constant fight.

I may start digging one side of that this weekend. It is currently a matter of debate, but I am thinking of taking the spoils, to build up where my shop will go, and the sooner I get that done, the longer it will have to compact.

I feel fortunate in so many way's, and one way is I can afford at this point both houses. There are plenty of folks out there that cannot. The 101st will come home at some point, and the market will skyrocket on houses.

It has been incredibly nice to really be able to focus on just the one house now. (Although I had to rework the yard some in the old house last weekend)

EddieWalker · Mar 7, 2008

Alan,

The trick to digging a trench around your home is to make it ten times wider then you think you need it. If not, it will look like a moat!!! I had a similar problem and did the same thing. I dug my first trench wide enough to move the water, but that only worked for normal rains. On those extreme storms where inches and inches of water fell, my trench failed. I made it four times wider and another foot deeper. That worked, but it never looked very nice.

I sold that place and was talking to the new owner a week or so ago. He's not happy with the way it looks either, but is trying to figure out what to do with the dirt. I should have done a better job of it, but sort of sold the place before I was done with it.

Good luck,
Eddie

AlanB · Dec 12, 2008

Well folks

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I just closed on my old house, and closed out that chapter. If you look at the dates, you will see it has been a LOOOONNNNNGGGGGGGGGG time coming.

I was listening to all the gloom and doom this morning on the radio hoping the deal would not fall through again, and it held

Man, I am a happy boy, and have now graduated from flip this house 101 and 102 and could truly write a book on how to go about it. Unfortunately many chapters would be on what NOT to do, and whom NOT to trust.

I will write more here sometime about some of the adventures, but I guess the Third time that I "had a deal" was the charm and it is now closed.

Funny to look back and remember a bit, and scary how fast the time goes by.

rox · Dec 12, 2008

AlanB,
Trust me I can relate to what you are syaing. A BIG congratulations to you and your wife. Whew I really can feel your releif through your posting. Cross that item off your list!
~rox

AlanB · Dec 12, 2008

I have been following your story intently Rox, and I hope you know, I am really pulling for you.

It is not funny, per se, but I have danced to so many of the same tunes lately as you are, It really feels that we are at the same dance in some ways.

Hanna wants to know if you can send your Husband over to open a French resteraunt in Clarksville? She said,,, Ewwoooowhhhhhaaaaaaa,,,,, French guys are cute

Wonder if I should worry

EddieWalker · Dec 13, 2008

Alan,

Congrats on selling your old house. I thought you had done that months ago. The last spec house that I built went something like that. Lots of lookers and a quick sale that I accepted. Then it got delayed and then delayed again. They really wanted it, but I was making payments on it, which was have a big impact on what I was going to make off of it. I listed the house again, had allot of interest, but was really getting low balled on the price. Long story short, the original buyers got their stuff straightened out and ended up buying the house for the original price, nine months after I listed it. I was glad to be rid of it, but after all the interest payments, only made $7,000 on the place. It should have been twice that!!!

Sometimes it's better to be rid of a debt then to hold onto it and not know what's going to happen with it. I haven't built any more spec houses since then as I can make allot more money doing remodels without any of the stress or hassles of dealing with so many other people. Just me and the client, that's how I like it.

Eddie