The Home Improvement Thread

[d00little]

How much would it cost to get somebody to run a c-wire for a smart thermostat installation?

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by d00little

How much would it cost to get somebody to run a c-wire for a smart thermostat installation?

pretty easy job probably 2 hours max charge. fish the wire down to furnace and hook up. Just had a friend do this for me.

[Iceman90]

Originally Posted by d00little

How much would it cost to get somebody to run a c-wire for a smart thermostat installation?

I don't have a "C" wire, and instead used the Fast Stat Common Maker which I bought on Amazon for $45. It let me get my smart themostat setup in 25 minutes. You can view the product here.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by d00little

How much would it cost to get somebody to run a c-wire for a smart thermostat installation?

Newer homes may have wire bundles about a foot or two down. I've heard quotes around $200 for inspection, wire pulling and hooking up the thermostat are not uncommon. At that price, does it make sense to risk a DIY?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

This is sort of tangential, but a question about a large coach house. I have a remote spot in BC that's pretty big (multiple acres) but owing to zoning can only have a single dwelling house on it, which it already has. But apparently, I'm also about to be allowed to build a second, guest-house-cabin sort of thing on the property, provided it doesn't exceed 1200 square feet. I want to do that relatively cheaply (without financing it), so I was looking at modular builders like this:

http://www.knottypinecabins.ca/

It's basically a home kit. Anyone have any experience with these sorts of builds? Some lessons learned would be nice from anyone who's gone through with something like that.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

I don't have a "C" wire, and instead used the Fast Stat Common Maker which I bought on Amazon for $45. It let me get my smart themostat setup in 25 minutes. You can view the product here.

I did this as well, not very hard.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

This is sort of tangential, but a question about a large coach house. I have a remote spot in BC that's pretty big (multiple acres) but owing to zoning can only have a single dwelling house on it, which it already has. But apparently, I'm also about to be allowed to build a second, guest-house-cabin sort of thing on the property, provided it doesn't exceed 1200 square feet. I want to do that relatively cheaply (without financing it), so I was looking at modular builders like this:

http://www.knottypinecabins.ca/

It's basically a home kit. Anyone have any experience with these sorts of builds? Some lessons learned would be nice from anyone who's gone through with something like that.

Prefab or modular stuff usually isn't any cheaper than traditional construction and is often more expensive. That said, if it's a really remote site and the labor costs of traditional construction would extremely high, or if it's a situation where prefab means you can assemble it yourself vs. paying a contractor to build, then you might save a bit.

But with these kinds of things you're really only saving labor on the framing and probably a little on the siding and roofing. You'd still need someone to do excavation, some sort of foundation, assemble the structure, install doors and windows, do electrical and plumbing, install HVAC, install the roof, do the finish carpentry and cabinetry, etc. That's still a lot of trades. It's not like full prefab, where they basically deliver a finished structure and you only need about a week or two of work to finish it off.

So really, you'd need to compare the cost of the package (looks like $80-100 per square foot once you add in doors, windows, and insulation etc.) to a similarly finished traditional structure. Material wise it's not even close. A framing, roofing, siding, door/window, insulation, and drywall package for a house is usually in the $25-35 a square foot range. So the question is will the labor savings make up for that.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Good to know.

It's not a very remote site, except that you have to take a ferry to get there. So the transport costs for materials will, presumably, be high. I'm just trying to get a structure up sooner rather than later for a more or less reasonable cost and it's proving to be somewhat unfeasible unfortunately.

[Fuzz]

I hear Midfield trailer park might be having some clearance sales...

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

This is sort of tangential, but a question about a large coach house. I have a remote spot in BC that's pretty big (multiple acres) but owing to zoning can only have a single dwelling house on it, which it already has. But apparently, I'm also about to be allowed to build a second, guest-house-cabin sort of thing on the property, provided it doesn't exceed 1200 square feet. I want to do that relatively cheaply (without financing it), so I was looking at modular builders like this:

http://www.knottypinecabins.ca/

It's basically a home kit. Anyone have any experience with these sorts of builds? Some lessons learned would be nice from anyone who's gone through with something like that.

Problem solved

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL...Sm8AlZyD3nQdBA

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Good to know.

It's not a very remote site, except that you have to take a ferry to get there. So the transport costs for materials will, presumably, be high. I'm just trying to get a structure up sooner rather than later for a more or less reasonable cost and it's proving to be somewhat unfeasible unfortunately.

Might not work for your current situation, but I have a cabin in Northern Saskatchewan that needs replacing in 5 years or so.

My brothers and I intend to get a garage package delivered up there and put that up, then make some interior modifications to it (add walls and windows, as well as a central wood stove for heat).

Not sure if you plan to do the construction yourself (we do), but this can offer pretty substantial savings, so long as the end result fits with your requirements.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

My brothers and I intend to get a garage package delivered up there and put that up, then make some interior modifications to it (add walls and windows, as well as a central wood stove for heat).

Definitely a really good idea, but probably a bit too far to the low budget end. I'm probably looking at spending more than $100k and less than $200k, if I can make that work on a 1200 square foot structure (which doesn't have to be finished all at once). But I'm definitely trying to end up with something that I'm going to enjoy spending a bunch of time in. It rains a lot out on the coast so you inevitably are inside quite a lot, and the spot I've got picked has an ocean view, so yeah, lots of windows.

The excavation and landscaping stuff isn't a big deal, site's pretty clear and I can do a bunch of prep work myself but would likely be hiring trades for much of the actual construction and electrical / plumbing.

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Definitely a really good idea, but probably a bit too far to the low budget end. I'm probably looking at spending more than $100k and less than $200k, if I can make that work on a 1200 square foot structure (which doesn't have to be finished all at once). But I'm definitely trying to end up with something that I'm going to enjoy spending a bunch of time in. It rains a lot out on the coast so you inevitably are inside quite a lot, and the spot I've got picked has an ocean view, so yeah, lots of windows.

The excavation and landscaping stuff isn't a big deal, site's pretty clear and I can do a bunch of prep work myself but would likely be hiring trades for much of the actual construction and electrical / plumbing.

Sounds awesome. Definitely above our price range. We have this as a place we spend a couple of weeks at per year, so not willing to put more than $25k into it.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

This is sort of tangential, but a question about a large coach house. I have a remote spot in BC that's pretty big (multiple acres) but owing to zoning can only have a single dwelling house on it, which it already has. But apparently, I'm also about to be allowed to build a second, guest-house-cabin sort of thing on the property, provided it doesn't exceed 1200 square feet. I want to do that relatively cheaply (without financing it), so I was looking at modular builders like this:

http://www.knottypinecabins.ca/

It's basically a home kit. Anyone have any experience with these sorts of builds? Some lessons learned would be nice from anyone who's gone through with something like that.

Could look into Karoleena http://karoleena.com/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real...ticle31078003/

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Page says they start at $450,000... yikes.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Page says they start at $450,000... yikes.

Where did you find that?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Where did you find that?

http://karoleena.com/contact/general-inquiries/

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

http://karoleena.com/contact/general-inquiries/

Oh wow, that's a much pricier minimum than I thought it would be.

[puffnstuff]

If you can track down the plans to this, its an easy build it yourself.

http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/sh...s-I-don-t-even

[Nufy]

Build a Yurta...

http://yurta.ca/pricing/