Re: Solar sham

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Re: Solar sham Terryc 01-29-2008
Posted by Terryc on January 29, 2008, 2:23 am
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J. Clarke wrote:
> Terryc wrote:

> No point in insulating the walls if the insulation is going to get
> soaked the first time it rains.

Err,sounds like you've just posted your major problem. Obviously you fix
the roof first. Caveat, if you are replacing timbers, make sure it s
adequate for the final load; ie, corrugated iron, versus tile, vs PV
installation, etc

> Which is beside the point. Maybe you are wealthy enough that moving
> all of your possessions out of your house, tearing it down, rebuilding
> it according to your ideas, and then moving back in is an option. If
> so I'm happy for you but you are decidedly in the minority. Most
> people take what's on the market at the price they can pay.

Well, the banks view was 6x times what we felt comfortable borrowing, so
I guess I'm not most people.

Over here, peep just build the new house around the old as they demolish
it, bit by bit. frankly, few people do that as they either lack the
skills or confidence.


Posted by J. Clarke on January 29, 2008, 6:54 am
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Terryc wrote:
> J. Clarke wrote:
>> Terryc wrote:
>
>> No point in insulating the walls if the insulation is going to get
>> soaked the first time it rains.
>
> Err,sounds like you've just posted your major problem. Obviously you
> fix the roof first. Caveat, if you are replacing timbers, make sure
> it s adequate for the final load; ie, corrugated iron, versus tile,
> vs PV installation, etc
>
>> Which is beside the point. Maybe you are wealthy enough that
>> moving
>> all of your possessions out of your house, tearing it down,
>> rebuilding it according to your ideas, and then moving back in is
>> an
>> option. If so I'm happy for you but you are decidedly in the
>> minority. Most people take what's on the market at the price they
>> can pay.
>
> Well, the banks view was 6x times what we felt comfortable
> borrowing,
> so I guess I'm not most people.

The bank doesn't pay for your house, you do. If you weren't willing
to borrow the 6x then what you did borrow plus what cash you spent was
what you could pay. So you are most people.

> Over here, peep just build the new house around the old as they
> demolish it, bit by bit. frankly, few people do that as they either
> lack the skills or confidence.

Are you saying that one builds a shell that has all the insulation
that one wants and then tears the old house down inside it? Seems to
me that it would be rather difficult to deal with issues like
foundations and ceiling and floor joists.

Or are you saying that they knock down part of the house and build new
where it was?

And where exactly is "here"? How deep is the frost line where you are?
Did you dig your basement with a shovel or rent a backhoe?



--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)



Posted by Terryc on January 30, 2008, 12:21 am
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J. Clarke wrote:
> Terryc wrote:
>
>>J. Clarke wrote:
>>
>>>Terryc wrote:
>>
>>>No point in insulating the walls if the insulation is going to get
>>>soaked the first time it rains.
>>
>>Err,sounds like you've just posted your major problem. Obviously you
>>fix the roof first. Caveat, if you are replacing timbers, make sure
>>it s adequate for the final load; ie, corrugated iron, versus tile,
>>vs PV installation, etc
>>
>>
>>>Which is beside the point. Maybe you are wealthy enough that
>>>moving
>>>all of your possessions out of your house, tearing it down,
>>>rebuilding it according to your ideas, and then moving back in is
>>>an
>>>option. If so I'm happy for you but you are decidedly in the
>>>minority. Most people take what's on the market at the price they
>>>can pay.
>>
>>Well, the banks view was 6x times what we felt comfortable
>>borrowing,
>>so I guess I'm not most people.
>
>
> The bank doesn't pay for your house, you do. If you weren't willing
> to borrow the 6x then what you did borrow plus what cash you spent was
> what you could pay. So you are most people.

Err no. We borrowed what WE wanted to buy a beginner house that we were
happy with. When we asked for $50K, the bank guy said "you can have
$300K if you like". It took about 2 minutes to explain to the wife that
$300K meant definitely having to wotk for the next 25 years, no year off
for study, long holidays, etc, etc, before we continued with the request
for $50K.

It weasd a wise move as in a few years were were paying 18% interest
rate no problems, although the bathroom remodel was put back five years.


>>Over here, peep just build the new house around the old as they
>>demolish it, bit by bit. frankly, few people do that as they either
>>lack the skills or confidence.
>
>
> Are you saying that one builds a shell that has all the insulation
> that one wants and then tears the old house down inside it? Seems to
> me that it would be rather difficult to deal with issues like
> foundations and ceiling and floor joists.
>
> Or are you saying that they knock down part of the house and build new
> where it was?

Any way you can get away with really. You are really "renovating your
existing property" whch local government can not stop you doing. It is
the add-ons/changes that you have to be approved on.

So if people want to radically alter the house, yep, they build a tarp
tent and virtually tear it down wall by wall. This may include redoing
the foundations or just re cladding.
>
> And where exactly is "here"? How deep is the frost line where you are?
> Did you dig your basement with a shovel or rent a backhoe?

Not, Australia where peeps unfortunately do not have basements. They
make a lot of sense to me. The big problem here is rock floaters in clay
which requires a competent backhow/jackhammer operator. Yes, I have done
that, by hand, when my father decided to excavate a bigger garage under
our house on the side of the hill.

I can understand peoples disinclination, but after seeing what a paid
builder did to a roof replacement, I would not have done any worse.

Posted by J. Clarke on January 30, 2008, 7:11 am
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Terryc wrote:
> J. Clarke wrote:
>> Terryc wrote:
>>
>>> J. Clarke wrote:
>>>
>>>> Terryc wrote:
>>>
>>>> No point in insulating the walls if the insulation is going to
>>>> get
>>>> soaked the first time it rains.
>>>
>>> Err,sounds like you've just posted your major problem. Obviously
>>> you
>>> fix the roof first. Caveat, if you are replacing timbers, make
>>> sure
>>> it s adequate for the final load; ie, corrugated iron, versus
>>> tile,
>>> vs PV installation, etc
>>>
>>>
>>>> Which is beside the point. Maybe you are wealthy enough that
>>>> moving
>>>> all of your possessions out of your house, tearing it down,
>>>> rebuilding it according to your ideas, and then moving back in is
>>>> an
>>>> option. If so I'm happy for you but you are decidedly in the
>>>> minority. Most people take what's on the market at the price
>>>> they
>>>> can pay.
>>>
>>> Well, the banks view was 6x times what we felt comfortable
>>> borrowing,
>>> so I guess I'm not most people.
>>
>>
>> The bank doesn't pay for your house, you do. If you weren't
>> willing
>> to borrow the 6x then what you did borrow plus what cash you spent
>> was what you could pay. So you are most people.
>
> Err no. We borrowed what WE wanted to buy a beginner house that we
> were happy with. When we asked for $50K, the bank guy said "you can
> have $300K if you like". It took about 2 minutes to explain to the
> wife that $300K meant definitely having to wotk for the next 25
> years, no year off for study, long holidays, etc, etc, before we
> continued with the request for $50K.

In other words you decided that the payments on 50K were what you
could pay. Just as everyone else decides what payment they can afford
to make. Or do you think that you are the only person on Earth who
actually considered the cost of repaying the loan before he decided
how much he wanted to borrow?

If the bank decided that they would loan you a billion dollars does
that mean that you could afford a billion dollars?

> It weasd a wise move as in a few years were were paying 18% interest
> rate no problems, although the bathroom remodel was put back five
> years.
>
>
>>> Over here, peep just build the new house around the old as they
>>> demolish it, bit by bit. frankly, few people do that as they
>>> either
>>> lack the skills or confidence.
>>
>>
>> Are you saying that one builds a shell that has all the insulation
>> that one wants and then tears the old house down inside it? Seems
>> to
>> me that it would be rather difficult to deal with issues like
>> foundations and ceiling and floor joists.
>>
>> Or are you saying that they knock down part of the house and build
>> new where it was?
>
> Any way you can get away with really. You are really "renovating
> your
> existing property" whch local government can not stop you doing. It
> is
> the add-ons/changes that you have to be approved on.

So explain how fixing things without making changes saves energy. It
sounds like you're also blessed with regard to building inspectors.

> So if people want to radically alter the house, yep, they build a
> tarp
> tent and virtually tear it down wall by wall. This may include
> redoing
> the foundations or just re cladding.

Here, if you're going to do that you need to get down and back up in
one season or your tarp tent is going to be flat the first time it
snows.

>> And where exactly is "here"? How deep is the frost line where you
>> are? Did you dig your basement with a shovel or rent a backhoe?
>
> Not, Australia where peeps unfortunately do not have basements. They
> make a lot of sense to me. The big problem here is rock floaters in
> clay which requires a competent backhow/jackhammer operator. Yes, I
> have done that, by hand, when my father decided to excavate a bigger
> garage under our house on the side of the hill.

Here you pretty much don't have any choice but to have a basement--the
foundation has to go below frost line and plumbing and whatnot has to
have a space to run through that doesn't freeze.

> I can understand peoples disinclination, but after seeing what a
> paid
> builder did to a roof replacement, I would not have done any worse.

He didn't do it to code?

Most kinds of work I'm happy to do. Roofs with more than 30 degree
slope though, my balance isn't what it used to be.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)



Posted by Terryc on January 30, 2008, 8:40 pm
Please log in for more thread options
J. Clarke wrote:

>>Err no. We borrowed what WE wanted to buy a beginner house that we
>>were happy with. When we asked for $50K, the bank guy said "you can
>>have $300K if you like". It took about 2 minutes to explain to the
>>wife that $300K meant definitely having to wotk for the next 25
>>years, no year off for study, long holidays, etc, etc, before we
>>continued with the request for $50K.
>
>
> In other words you decided that the payments on 50K were what you
> could pay. Just as everyone else decides what payment they can afford
> to make. Or do you think that you are the only person on Earth who
> actually considered the cost of repaying the loan before he decided
> how much he wanted to borrow?
>
> If the bank decided that they would loan you a billion dollars does
> that mean that you could afford a billion dollars?

This is getting OT, but it seems to be a difference between Australia
and USA. Over here, the Aus banks only loan the amount they are happy
that you can repay. You have to demonstrate this from providing income
details. They then make their decsion based on your declared income and
current conditions.

So the bank was saing "based on your combined incomes, we are happy to
loan you up to $300K". But we knew we didn't want to be wage slaves for
decades and just said "no thank you, just the $50K for the fixer-upper".

So we definitely were not like most people who maxed what they could afford.





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