View Full Version : Has anyone ever knocked down a house?
I feel slightly crazy. But we are demolishing a perfectly good house.
It is a small (2400 SF) ranch in a GREAT neighborhood, surrounded by midwest mansions ranging from 800k-many millions.
We spent too much on our house and large (one acre) lot at the peak of the market in 1996:(
So the house is fine but doesn't work for us, and several realtors told us we are sitting on lot value only. We are 4 days away from moving into a rental, and a couple of weeks away from demolishing our home and rebuilding.
The contracts and leases and building loans are signed, there is no going back.
My question is, is there ANY WAY to get any kind of money out of this house? We are about to spend another $10,500 just to knock it down.
We have some wonderful rooms with high ceilings, wood beams, good windows. We have some nice lighting fixtures, a few antique/custom items (vanity/doors), some great tile work, slate...Who do I call before this all goes to the dump? Even if I only got a few hundred dollars, it would be better than nothing.
It feels like SUCH a waste.
No idea, really. What about offering it up on CL for someone to come and strip? (I am assuming there's nothing in the contracts you signed giving the demo people rights to the contents? I have no idea what those contracts usually look like.)
Catherine
elephantmeg
01-03-2012, 01:23 AM
for donating I would check with habitat for humanity. Otherwise yes Craigslist would be my vote too after checking your contract
solsister
01-03-2012, 01:24 AM
Hab itat for Humanity?
kellij
01-03-2012, 01:33 AM
Did you check to see if the fire department could use it to burn it down for training or something? I would definitely put it on craigslist. My dad has tons of rental properties and he's always looking for good deals on things so he can use them in his rental houses. Also, I would call habitat for humanity. I think a lot of times they will come and strip things from your house if they can, so they can use them.
I would be so frustrated if I were you too! It seems so wasteful. There is a neighborhood in Norman that has exactly the same thing going on as you do. People are buying perfectly good, nice houses that sit on 1-2 acres and knocking them down to build giant gorgeous million dollar homes. They are selling the older homes for 300-400k though, for the land. So the only other option I can think of for you is if you could sell yours for 300-400 (just because someone wants the land) so you could make money on it and then buy something that's already built. It seems like there are some deals to be had on homes that have been on the market awhile. We bought an awesome house this summer and the people we bought it from had to bring a check to closing, they lost 300-400 on the house, but it's still top dollar to build here.
Good luck, I don't envy you, but it will be awesome when you're done.
HannaAddict
01-03-2012, 02:04 AM
In our city there are places called "Restore" or "Reuse" that sell older things salvaged from houses. Most are from craftsman style or other older homes (not ramblers) but it would be worth a shot to see if they want anything. If they come and do it, they don't usually pay, but you can sometimes get a tax deduction and know that you just didn't waste it all. The fire dept. has way, way more people who want them to take down their house for "training" than they need, so that is a long shot. Pretty exciting stuff though, good luck on your new construction!
wellyes
01-03-2012, 09:50 AM
Holy moly, where do you live that 2400 sq ft is "small"?
Anyway, demolishing and rebuilding is very common around here. It feels like a crazy thing to do but you'll end up happier. I don't think it is common to get the house stripped prior, because the effort involved in stripping the house, transporting the stuff, storing it and reselling is not an inexpensive endeavor. I've heard of contractors doing it for their own property, but no so much for other's, especially in this lousy economy where there is not a huge demand for new construction.
Green_Tea
01-03-2012, 09:55 AM
Holy moly, where do you live that 2400 sq ft is "small"?
That's what I thought, too! I live in a house that's half that size - and it's not even the smallest house in our neighborhood! 2400 sq ft sounds positively palatial! :rotflmao:
No idea, really. What about offering it up on CL for someone to come and strip? (I am assuming there's nothing in the contracts you signed giving the demo people rights to the contents? I have no idea what those contracts usually look like.)
Catherine
The demo people have rights to the contents AFTER it is knocked down, I assume that is to protect them from crazy lawsuits. They have no interest in anything in the house though, and encouraged us to remove/gut/strip beforehand.
bekahjean
01-03-2012, 10:29 AM
I remember on planet green there used to be a show about "reclamation auctions.". There are companies that come into the house and auction off whatever they can (doors, windows, lights, etc) and they have until the end of the day to clear it out. I have no idea if you could find someone like that??
egoldber
01-03-2012, 10:52 AM
We are about to do something similar. We are very interested in a property that has a house about that size on it, and we also plan to knock it down and build new. Even though the house is "large" it is in terrible shape and poorly maintained and there is no way to renovate it to make it livable. But it's on an acre lot in the school pyramid we want and meets other criteria. So down it goes.
It would actually be better for us if the house were smaller, because then the demo and removal costs would be lower.
ETA: There is really nothing in this house worth re-claiming.
Momit
01-03-2012, 10:58 AM
We went to an estate sale once and it included mouldings, fixtures, doors, windows, cabinets, plumbing etc. People brought tools and took whatever they wanted - even if it was still attached to the house. Maybe contact an estate sale or auction professional? Or just list on Craigslist if you need it done quickly. It would be great to save the potentially useful items from ending up in a landfill.
That's what I thought, too! I live in a house that's half that size - and it's not even the smallest house in our neighborhood! 2400 sq ft sounds positively palatial! :rotflmao:
:yeahthat: Ha ha, me too! Our house is about 1100 (after renovation; it used to be 860 or so for the first year we lived here) and 2400 sounds just enormous to me.
BeachBum
01-03-2012, 11:16 AM
The demolition people didn't have a recommendation for you? In our metro area there is a large demo and salvage place that runs a large "junk yard" for all things home. There are some great finds from historic homes, but lots of average stuff too.
Our metro area also has a Habitat Restore, which is a store that sells the exact type of stuff you are talking about....Light fixtures, door knobs, cabinets, windows etc etc.
I called Habitat for Humanity (thank you)! and they said to call them when we have a demolition date scheduled. A couple of days prior to demo, they will come strip the house of EVERYTHING usable (windows, doors, cabinets, lights, plumbing) and itemize everything on a receipt for a tax deduction.
I called a couple of salvage companies, and they don't come strip the house themselves, so that is out.
I think I will put an ad on CL in the next week about a demolition sale: bring your cash and your crowbar, and snap a few pictures.
After that, HFH can get everything that's left! :cheerleader1:
Binkandabee
01-03-2012, 11:34 AM
We've donated to habitat for humanity's restore when we've done a remodel. It's great!
http://habitat-tulsa.org/restore/
Snow mom
01-03-2012, 11:36 AM
I think habitat is a great idea and I'm glad to hear they are interested. I would be careful about letting strangers strip things from your home. I imagine there would be liability up the wazoo if someone came into your home with tools in hand and then injured themselves.
kristenk
01-03-2012, 11:44 AM
I think habitat is a great idea and I'm glad to hear they are interested. I would be careful about letting strangers strip things from your home. I imagine there would be liability up the wazoo if someone came into your home with tools in hand and then injured themselves.
:yeahthat: I also worry that the random strangers could destroy some of the stuff in their zeal to get the things that they want. I'd let Habitat at the house and not deal with random strangers.
WatchingThemGrow
01-03-2012, 11:47 AM
I called Habitat for Humanity (thank you)! and they said to call them when we have a demolition date scheduled. A couple of days prior to demo, they will come strip the house of EVERYTHING usable (windows, doors, cabinets, lights, plumbing) and itemize everything on a receipt for a tax deduction.
Yay! I was going to suggest that. Our friend worked for our ReStore and they had a service where they stripped the place, then demolished it. How exciting for you! Have you mentioned this before?? Too cool. My brother's street is one with tear-downs replaced my $$$$ mansions and pre-tear-downs, although he plans to add on to his eventually.
The demolition people didn't have a recommendation for you? In our metro area there is a large demo and salvage place that runs a large "junk yard" for all things home. There are some great finds from historic homes, but lots of average stuff too.
Our metro area also has a Habitat Restore, which is a store that sells the exact type of stuff you are talking about....Light fixtures, door knobs, cabinets, windows etc etc.
No, but that's a good idea. I'm going to call them to see if they have any recs.
Yay! I was going to suggest that. Our friend worked for our ReStore and they had a service where they stripped the place, then demolished it. How exciting for you! Have you mentioned this before?? Too cool. My brother's street is one with tear-downs replaced my $$$$ mansions and pre-tear-downs, although he plans to add on to his eventually.
I just called HFH Restore and asked them if they did demo, and the lady laughed at me. :32: It would be great to save some of the demo money, but I guess we'll recoup some in tax savings.
WatchingThemGrow
01-03-2012, 12:21 PM
I just called HFH Restore and asked them if they did demo, and the lady laughed at me. :32:
I'm so sorry! I'm guessing you aren't in my area, then! Sounds like you've got a good plan in place, though. I think they did charge property owners for labor/liability/cleanup, so it wasn't totally free.
AnnieW625
01-03-2012, 12:26 PM
That's what I thought, too! I live in a house that's half that size - and it's not even the smallest house in our neighborhood! 2400 sq ft sounds positively palatial! :rotflmao:
:yeahthat: The benefits of living in the mid west I guess. Before we moved here DH was on a fed. job list for a job in SW OK and I remember the smallest house we saw was like 1800 sq. feet and maybe just $100k (this was in 2004). Absolutely crazy seeing that we paid 4x that for something 700 sq. feet smaller.
My first thought was to call the fire department.
mackmama
01-03-2012, 12:41 PM
Look for a "salvage yard" in your area. You can google or check your yellow pages. A salvage yard will often come in and take any fixtures, moldings, architectural elements such as cornices, toilets, tubs, etc and re-sell them. Many salvage yards will also conduct house salvage sales at homes that are slated for demolition.
Yeah prices in the MW are way different than say NYC or CA.
We started out in NYC, where under a million dollars would buy you a shack in the suburbs. Literally 2 bedroom SHACKS on Staten Island (in not-so-great neighborhoods) sold for 800k and up.
Then we moved to WV, where a fraction of that bought us a 3500 square foot mansion on 12 acres with indoor heated pool (20x40), and a 2 BR in-law apartment over the detached garage.
The midwest is in the middle, financially. In my town (and my area) land is VERY expensive, but building costs are pretty low.
The house is an okay size, but has zero resale value due to the neighborhood. It is also drafty, stuff is breaking down right and left, it has a weird layout...I could go on and on.
It is one of the last few ramblers on the hill...all but a few have been torn down and replaced with big, gorgeous houses. We plan on building a modest home, in comparison to our neighbors. But we were faced with the decision to sell for lot value only and move on, or tear down and rebuild. We chose the latter because we adore the area, the schools, our neighbors, my garden, and so on.
I am just trying to figure out how to squeeze a few dollars out of it and keep some good stuff out of the landfill.
Look for a "salvage yard" in your area. You can google or check your yellow pages. A salvage yard will often come in and take any fixtures, moldings, architectural elements such as cornices, toilets, tubs, etc and re-sell them. Many salvage yards will also conduct house salvage sales at homes that are slated for demolition.
Really?
Off to call them too! TY!
Kindra178
01-03-2012, 12:51 PM
I think habitat is a great idea and I'm glad to hear they are interested. I would be careful about letting strangers strip things from your home. I imagine there would be liability up the wazoo if someone came into your home with tools in hand and then injured themselves.
Agree with this. I wouldn't worry about trying to get some extra money from the fixtures or moldings. A lawsuit would negate all of that. Just let HFH do their thing and be happy you will be getting tax deduction and helping others to boot.
twowhat?
01-03-2012, 12:57 PM
No advice, but how exciting!!! I would love to build a home exactly to my specifications on an acre of land!!! I'm sure it'll be stressful, but I think I would have so much fun being involved with building my own home!!
Really?
Off to call them too! TY!
I just called three local salvage yards, and there is so much demolition/surplus in the area that they only take disassembled goods delivered to their door. They don't come on site anymore, and no one knows anyone who will, other than Habitat.
Oh well, it was worth a try.
lowrioh
01-03-2012, 02:18 PM
I second the PP about calling your Fire Department. My dad had a property and he offered it up to the fire department for training purposes and they razed it. Our town recently bought and burned down a distressed property.
It's worth a call anyway.
Okay I will call the fire dept. But we also need trees, foundation, driveway taken out...will see if they do that. I hope they don't laugh at me. I am tired of being laughed at.
The demo company got back to me and said the ONLY place they know of in the area to salvage home stuff is Habitat for Humanity. Otherwise the slvage yards are full and not interested.
Got two voice mails (!!!) for the local fire departments. I refuse to leave a message. If they want to laugh, they will have to laugh at me in person (sort of).
mommy111
01-03-2012, 03:52 PM
Got two voice mails (!!!) for the local fire departments. I refuse to leave a message. If they want to laugh, they will have to laugh at me in person (sort of).
Awww:hug5:
But how exciting to be able to build the house of your dreams in the neighborhood that you adore!
infomama
01-03-2012, 04:07 PM
I don't know what kind of action your firemen/women see on a daily basis but our small town FD burned down a vacant home that was purchased by our town for green space and they were like kids in a candy store (we have a friend on the FD). No one trapped to worry about, completely organized burn.
They had a photographer (fiancee of one of the guys but she is semi pro I would say) come in and photograph them and those who weren't working the fire were milling around with coffee just watching the house go up..like they were watching a nice big ol' bonfire.
I wouldn't be concerned in the least about someone laughing at you. Most guys/gals love to train in that profession.
Agree with this. I wouldn't worry about trying to get some extra money from the fixtures or moldings. A lawsuit would negate all of that. Just let HFH do their thing and be happy you will be getting tax deduction and helping others to boot.
While I like this idea in theory, RIGHT NOW we are BLEEDING money and would rather have $100 NOW than $300 tax deduction next year.
I just sold a bunch of stuff (window treatments, kitchen cabinets, our a/c-heat unit) through word-of mouth. Ka-CHING. No problems yet.
I am about to list everything that is left on CL. I hope to make several thousand dollars more. Between selling and the HFH tax deduction, I think my demolition might be MORE than paid for! :cheerleader1:
While I like this idea in theory, RIGHT NOW we are BLEEDING money and would rather have $100 NOW than $300 tax deduction next year.
I just sold a bunch of stuff (window treatments, kitchen cabinets, our a/c-heat unit) through word-of mouth. Ka-CHING. No problems yet.
I am about to list everything that is left on CL. I hope to make several thousand dollars more. Between selling and the HFH tax deduction, I think my demolition might be MORE than paid for! :cheerleader1:
Hey, that's great! Money for you, less stuff in a landfill somewhere. Win, win.
Catherine
JBaxter
01-11-2012, 02:12 PM
Dont forget your copper pipes!!!!!
misshollygolightly
01-11-2012, 03:15 PM
Dont forget your copper pipes!!!!!
:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat:
Dont forget your copper pipes!!!!!
From everything I can find out, scrapping copper is just not worth it unless you are an avid DIYer, very handy, or very ambitious. The average house has 400 pounds of copper (which sells for around $4 per pound). Now, $1600 might not sound like spare change, but consider the work involved in removing ALL of the pipes from a home and cleaning them of solder, connections, etc. Dave and I don't have the skills or the time to do that, and can't find anyone else that wants to either.
I did have several buyers and a builder come by my house today though and remove every single doorknob, most of the remaining lights, some window treatments, a few doors, and all of the sinks/faucets/shower heads. Someone even bought a toilet and our garage door opener. :thumbsup:
I have does and don'ts from what I have learned from this experience.
DON'T put an ad on CL inviting the public to strip your demo. You will get 160 emails from people all wanting one faucet. NOT WORTH IT. If you do place an ad, make sure to note that you will have ONE open house, list the day/time and the items that will be sold. Tell people to call the day of the sale for the address. People can bring cash, their own tape measures, and their own tools. Do not drive yourself crazy running around measuring for people in advance. If they are interested, they can come measure for themselves. Also, make sure the shots that you post on CL are clear and include ONLY the items for sale. I took a picture of our back windows, and out of them you can see the CORNER of the kids' play set, and I had four people that wanted to buy the play set. Yikes.
All in all it worked out, because I turned away people that only wanted one or two little things. Live and learn.
We made several thousand dollars that we will put toward demo cost, so all told it has been a successful week.
maestramommy
01-14-2012, 11:37 PM
congratulations! Sounds exciting!:bighand:
bekahjean
01-15-2012, 07:16 PM
We made several thousand dollars that we will put toward demo cost, so all told it has been a successful week.
Awesome! Here's hoping the demo goes smoothly!
craftysierra
01-15-2012, 07:33 PM
From everything I can find out, scrapping copper is just not worth it unless you are an avid DIYer, very handy, or very ambitious. The average house has 400 pounds of copper (which sells for around $4 per pound). Now, $1600 might not sound like spare change, but consider the work involved in removing ALL of the pipes from a home and cleaning them of solder, connections, etc. Dave and I don't have the skills or the time to do that, and can't find anyone else that wants to either.
I know here in California my Dad's plumbing business had someone who came around to collect metal for scrap. If you still have the patience trying a plumber to find someone willing to collect it may be possible.
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