as some of you know i've purchased 2 distressed buildings on commercial property.
i'm close to finishing the small one (to live in).
the big one was gonna be for the bakery...but it needs everything...
the building itself is straight...2700 square ft....but it needs new roof, floor, windows, doors plumbing. electric..(other than this its perfect...lol).
my sons came in last week from out of state to help me finish up the house so i could get in it.
they had a little "pow wow" together and decided i just need to demo the big building....and put up a metal building....
i got rather attached to the old place, but i've learned you can't run a business on emotions.
my oldest son did some checking, i can get an unfinished 1500 sq ft one for about 7K....
course thats just the shell.....but that would leave more room for parking....the old place pretty much takes up the whole lot.
any thoughts?
It sounds like you are going to have to spend almost as much as a new building to get the other one ready so a steel building may not be a bad idea.
Have you checked into the cost of the framing, insulation, & sheetrock work for the steel building?
What is the demo & removal cost of the existing building, sometimes that cost alone makes people reconsider starting from scratch.
Best of luck!
where you live....steel building will need LOTS of insulation....or else you will fry in summer and freeze in winter.
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another option....a modular building -- traditional wood...more expensive to start, but would already be insulated, sheetrocked, etc. --- would get from company that builds modular homes. they could take existing home plan and modify it. In your case would probably go down in price vs. home as you'd want mostly open space w/ just rooms for storage, etc.
avoid moble home style -- look for true modular that has to be bolted to a standard foundation. ( you are after all in twister territory!)
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re: current old building....floor: does it need new joists or is it just the surface you walk on? joist may not need replacing but only "sistering" -- a second piece of wood attached to strengthen. if just surface...and lay down new over old using OSB or plywood and then roll out the linoleum (use commercial grade in large sheets for fast coverage).
roof: if rafters still good then should be able to just resurface -- I'd choose metal standing seam...faster and longer lasting than asphalt shingles tho' more expensive. Also metal can go on over many old roofs without need to remove old roof! rafters can also be sistered if some are sagging (like who of us isn't in our old age!)
plumbing -- yep -- might as well rip it out and put it where it really needs to be -- of course it will be modern PVC which is easy for a talented handyperson to do by him/herself.
electric -- call in the pros.
and remember --- steel building is just that --- think BARN. no electric, plumbing etc. so those items have to be done no matter what!
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odd idea- depending upon layout of existing building punch hole in wall to make entrance for a garage???
or blow out end wall and move it further in toward center of building to create a covered parking area in the front of the building.
the building was built in 1900...
so the wall studs are hard as a rock, and straight.
in one room the floor has fallen thru...the others...not so bad.
the roof leaks in three places....
but most of the joists are good...the places it sinks in...the joists have cracked...not rotted.
i guess i'm just confused because EVERYONE THINKS I"M NUTS.
i did most of the work on the house myself ...(i'm a pretty good woodworker)...but it took 18 months of days off...but its almost finished and i don't owe a dime on it.
people do freak out about it needing a new roof and floor...but if i get a new one...they'll have to put a roof and floor in that too.
the front looks pretty good...the back and inside look like freddie krugars house.
i guess i'll know more when i call to see how much demo is.
i mean if its 10 K to tear it down...i might as well put a new roof on it and go from there.
oh yeah, combine the cost of demo and new building vs the cost of new roof and floor and you may decide to refurbish your old building.
you may even get away with just a roof patch job on the three leaks!
the building was built in 1900...
does it qualify for listing on National Historic Register?? If so, certain loans for restoration become available.
so the wall studs are hard as a rock, and straight.
great....tho' you may have to predrill to mount anything to them
in one room the floor has fallen thru...the others...not so bad.
ok...so then most likely only one area that needs total replacement and others need some sistering then new underlayment and then final finish
the roof leaks in three places....
but most of the joists are good...the places it sinks in...the joists have cracked...not rotted.
great....one area to jack up and put in new joists...and if only three leaks...then new metal roof should cover nicely.
may look like crud now, but then how did the house look when you first moved in? any better??? amazing what cleaning, sandblasting and paint can do.
btw: you didn't mention the windows... what about them? do they need replacing???
and is the building insulated? -- that should be done too....brick alone is no longer good enough.
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sounds like it has good "bones" but really needs a make-over
i was going to eliminate all the windows, but the ones in the front....(to keep the robbers out.)
it was just a regular house at one time...but as the town progressed it ended up being on one of the main streets in town.
i'm guessing around the 30's they poured concrete and added on 900 sq feet on the front for a store.
part of the back of it is a 2 bedroom apt....where the people lived....the place i fixed to live in was a little building behind it that they used to sell bar b que out of as well.
i'll see if i can attach a picture i took before i bought it when it was still full of junk...
it looks pretty rough....it was a steal...i paid cash for it.
Oh Little cake that place is begging you to restore it... If it was me I would do my best to keep the building and work with it. Oh and from what I have seen of your pictures, you can make this work. Promise to post the new pictures if you decide to save the old guys (building) life and work with him. 
Oh, it's so cute! I love old places. If it's possible to fix it I would. Is is so charming. I could just see some cakes in the window! Good luck! 
Not only would I keep it, but I would keep all of the windows as well. The windows on the sides will give a great view of your cakes to traffic as it comes and goes, instead of just the head-on shot. A demo probably seems like a simple solution to what I am sure is an overwhelming task of overhaul, but if it's that old and still standing, then you know it had good initial construction (and I'm from a hurricane prone area, so I know the value of that). As others have said, you will have to wire, insulate, plumb and everything else for a new buidling, so you might as well do it for this one. Good luck.
that building is going to make such a cute bakery. i'd stick with the redo. i hope you post pictures as you go along
My heart is saying to fix up the ol' girl and restore her back to glory, but my brain is saying to add up costs for everything. The restoration on one side and the demo plus new building on the other. I love the look of set up of the place right now though.
my brain is saying to add up costs for everything.
Pay attention to your brain. I live in 150+year old home which I have renovated into 21st century. So I am not opposed to old. However, there are advantages to new which can counter balance the charm of old. Consider all your costs and your needs. Do you actually need 2700 sq. feet, do you want to heat it, does the layout conform to your needs, etc?
can you subdivide the 2700sf???
maybe someone else would rent out half for some type of shop/business.
might be able to rent that part for enough it would pay cost of mortgage you take out to make repairs. so you end up only having to pay the utilities, insurance, etc. for your side.
i made a decision today...i'm keeping the old gal.
thanks for all the input, it really helped me make up my mind.....after everyone acts like you're crazy, you start to wonder.
the back has a nice sized apt....i'll fix that later and rent it out.
i don't think i'm gonna tell anyone else....i'm kinda tired of hearing it....
i guess you guys are visionarys too being in this line of work....plus it takes an artists eye to see what "can be"...thanks guys!
littlecake~~everyone is right!! That is such a charming place! I can totally see cakes in the windows!!! Just think of everything you would have to do to a metal building just to make it charming!! Not just new and finished....but charming!! I think you made the right decision!! Would love to see pics of the finished place!!!!
I'm happy for you little cakes. So what are you doing w/ the old shop? I say spend that 7K and fix it up... that building could be so much.. just think of the cake dummies you could put up in all of those windows... you could even put a little seating area for people who drop in to have a quick snack and coffee or something... that way you have foot traffic in and out.... I think you have made a great decision in the purchase and you should use your heart this time... anyone can buy a metal storage building.. but for me, I would rather enter this bones of a building to buy a cake, because I know it will have character and someone put a lot of TLC into it.. Congrats on your success and keep us posted!
i'm just renting the place i'm at now...if that's what you mean by "the old shop".
if you mean this ole gal....in a former life i was a woodworker and decorative painter/calligrapher...
so i have the tools to make victorian gingerbread....and i can paint murals.
i've aleady bought some antique leaded windows off ebay....and some cool old stained glass ones from england.
i'm gonna make this place so over the top ginger bready...it's gonna make grown men cry....window boxes with roses painted in them...gingerbread on every piece of wood i can reach with my air hammer....then when i can't reach any more...i'll go rent some scaffolding to reach the rest.....
then.....
when everyone thinks they can stand no more....I MAY JUST PAINT IT PINK!
i may do some cool looking murals in a couple of the windows....theres so many.
in my shop now i bought a very expensive (for me) front door....it has a big oval leaded window in it...i'll buy a cheaper but nice one when i leave....and i'll take that one with me.
HA HA HA HA>>>> 
NO ONE CAN STOP ME NOW!!!!
Oh, I can't wait to see what it looks like when you are finished with it. I bet it will be so cute. I think you made a wise decision.
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