Awesome project.

I see these buildings when we drive around the States, and I’ve often commented in my travel threads about what awesome projects they are.

For us poor schlubs down under (where a building like that costs in the millions of dollars) do you mind letting us know how cheap it was?

I’ve seen some in my travels that were ludicrously cheap ... well, compared to what we pay down here.

I’m currently restoring a 1919 3 story timber house near the centre of Auckland. I started late January and happy to say that the main 2 levels are almost done. Just painting the inside now. It’s been my full time job all year. Can’t fathom how you could do this if you’re working full time as well. It’d take 20 years.

rd

Before: turned into 3 flats, unpainted for 60 years, original 100 year old roof broken and leaking, house on an angle. Lol.

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Now: house not on an angle, repainted outside, turned back into one 350sqm (3800sqft) house, removed chimneys, installed 2 giant AC units, new roof, new skirting, architraves, moldings, windows ... etc etc

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Me neither!

So get this ... above where the kiddie pool was, the previous owner (owned from 1980-2020 and did bugger all to the place) had gone to great lengths installing scrap timber and black polythene and a bucket up in the ceiling to stop the leak.

The bucket was a typical 50c plastic bucket, and he had drilled a hole in the side near the top, installed a metal thread with nuts holding it in, and popped a washing machine waste pipe on the end of it.

The waste pipe drained straight into the eaves. Causing more damage.

All that effort - he could have replaced the cracked tile in 20 minutes. Or worst case, epoxy the old tile up. Would have worked better than what he did.

Just crazy shit.

I’m currently outside rebuilding the large elevated double garage on the site. The section is very sloped - the place is built on the side of Mt Eden, a dormant volcano (Auckland is built on top of like 50 dormant volcanos)

The roof was shot ... so bad in one place, the guy had taken off the garage door (!) and placed it on top of the roof to stop the leaks! (!!)

I started last Monday - it was going to be a tidy up and a reroof ... but the structure was so bad it just started falling down. So I ripped it all down and built a new one.

Had to drop a huge tree branch that sorta went through the wall of the shed. Should have seen my stunts with the 4 metre long pole saw.

rd

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Lol! So cheap!

That’s what I always say in my USA road trip threads. Why aren’t people buying these empty places and living in them?

$8000 is probably like a years rent in a small town there .. $660 a month x 12 months = $8000.

Why rent when you can own that huge place for $8000?

I’d buy up the whole town centre for $100k and call it RDville. Haha!

rd

Instead of replastering the brickwork, have you given any thought to blasting it all off and having just the raw bricks?

Such a cool look .. the old bricks against white painted wooden windows and plasterboard walls and black steel beams (if you need beams ...)

Actually that’s another thing we need to consider down here with projects like yours ... we need to make all buildings earthquake proof. Which would mean building a big steel cage inside the building and tying it to the external walls. It costs $$$$$$.

rd

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Not mine unfortunately. Just some stock photos.

I don’t own any brick buildings like that ... but if I did that’s the way I’d go (if it was possible) ... it’s a very attractive look for prospective commercial tenants. Or to live in!

I have had to earthquake strengthen a couple of my older places (1960/70s commercial buildings) to bring them up to code. Had to build a cage like that to hold onto the old concrete tilt panel walls. So they don’t fall down and squash people outside during an EQ. NZ has a lot of EQs.

rd

Your warehouse is the shit!

What a cool space.

rd

Man, I’d live in that warehouse in a heartbeat.

Soooo cool.

Is this the place?

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Also ... isn’t Google maps amazing? I can explore your whole town, lying in my bed, 9,000 miles alway on the other side of the planet.

Found your bank in the Main Street too.

rd

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Won’t be any time soon unfortunately, with no international air travel to speak of.

This is the first time in 6 years we haven’t been in the States over Xmas.

rd