Room Additions

In My Humble Opinion
1

Does anyone think that $30,000 is a bit too steep for 3 room additions? I’m wanting 2 10x10’ bedrooms and a full bathroom built on to my grandmothers house. The first estimate I got was what I said above. Of course, that includes everything, from footers, drywall, roof, electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling, etc.

The only reason I’m doing this, is to keep her out of the damned nursing home. Her doctor diagnosed her with dementia last week and told me to get on the ball finding her a nursing home to be put into. Either that, or she must have 24/7 care, for the rest of her life. Insurance does not pay much for that stuff.

She’s 90 years old and in pretty good health, other than high blood pressure and the dementia thing. Sure, she’s a cranky, evil old gal. I’ve got issues with her regarding that aspect of it. Still, she’s my grandma. She’s helped me out an awful lot in my life. I should do this to help her out (and keep her out of the nursing home) when she needs it.

Since talking with our attorney, he tells me that the nursing home WILL take her house, her savings AND every single check she gets each month. I will NOT let that happen. Her house and her savings are something that my grandfather (who passed away about 10 years ago) worked his ass off for all his life as a coal miner. I will NOT let it ALL go to a nursing home. Our attorney told me that having the house and money in my name wouldn’t even help, because the nursing home will go back at least 5 years, to see how long the stuff has been in someone elses name…so they would be sure that it wasn’t done AFTER she was diagnosed. Anyway, it’s only been in my name since last November. Not nearly long enough, and they’d get it ALL. I don’t know why, but he said that they go back 5 years, at least, and no matter if it was already in my name before her diagnosis, the nursing home would still take it all. This really upsets me and I cannot let that happen! We even talked about putting it all into ‘estate’ and he said that it is very probable that the nursing home would still get it. He said there are ‘no magic answers’ for me regarding this. If she goes to a nursing home, they’ll get everything, as it stands now.

So, after talking with my mom (who has recently been told by her doctors that she will not live much longer due to diabetes/heart problems, who I am also taking care of, along with my grandma), who can’t take care of my grandma…and talking to my grandma (not that she’d remember much of what we said anyway), talking to my husband and our daughter about this, that we will have a contractor build these rooms onto her house, and we’ll move in with her, so I can take care of her for the rest of her life.

I’ve got 3 more construction companies in line for estimates this week, and maybe one of them will be a bit cheaper. I hope, anyway!

The town we live in, if you can call it a ‘town’ (more like Hillbilly Central, actually), is in west central Indiana, in a pretty rural area. The nearest large town is about 20 minutes from here. It’s not like we live in a cultural mecca or anything. I can’t imagine room additions, especially in this area, costing so much!

Am I trying to see the world through rose-colored glasses or what?
Please set me straight on this.

2

There are several possible responses to your dilemma. First, I would strongly suggest that you get, at least, a couple more legal opinions, I’m a bit skeptical about what you say the lawyer told you. Next, why shouldn’t your grandmothers assets be used in providing for her needs? Are you suggesting that she become a ward of the gov’t. and have taxpayer money support her, while you profit from her estate?
As to the construction, I don’t know about current costs, but several bids should settle that for you. ten by ten rooms are very, very small, if you going to spend that much, why not add a bit and do it right. If you expect to recoup the investment in the future, it doesn’t make sense to skimp too much, plus, if you’re going to live there, why not make it comfortable? Penny wise, pound foolish.
Is the house worth the investment of the addition? Can you reasonably expect to get the money back on resale?
Lot’s more considerations.

3

$30K is a pretty good price based on stuff I’ve heard. Where will she live while construction is under way? I’m sure it would be difficult for her to live with all that dust and noise for months and months at her age.

Yes, they’d take all of her assets. Just went through this with my SIL. If you have anything, they will suck that resource dry before they put her on the dole. The cost of a nursing home (in Illinois) is roughly $5200/mo. Not many people have that kind of money. If you’re prepared to care for her, more power to ya. However, my guess is that it will be increasingly difficult for you to manage her well-being and your life simultaneously. A full-time care-giver will run you roughly $3500/mo plus room and board. The level of care is much better with the private care-giver, but Medicaid/Medicare does not assist with that. You’re on your own.

Just thought I’d share.

4

A couple of things. Reverse mortgage might be helpful for the addition and/or long term care.

On the construction costs, make sure when you are getting estimates for the addition, that they are the exact same specs. Same bathroom fixtures, same style of finishing on the interior, light fixtures, etc. Oftentimes the low bidder is cutting costs on the materials, or hiring unskilled, inexperienced cheap labor. Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints, the Department of Commerce for licensing and/or complaints, is he a member of any builders association, (NAHB, etc.)and if he is, check with them as well. In the county in which the business is located check for any lawsuits, including small claims, get at least three references from people who have had similiar work done by the contractor. If at all possible talk to his subcontractors, his plumber, his electrician, his carpenters, (does he pay on time, how long have they worked with him, do they like him,) and perhaps go to the local lumber yard, ask who they’d recommend, it’s a very good source for reputable contractors. How long has he been in business?

Speaking as a licensed contractor, it is imperative that you do your research on your contractor before you hire one. Consider the time and the pain in the butt it takes to assess his company a worthy investment on your part. This company is going to rip open a house, tear it apart, put it back together and be underfoot for several months, do the legwork now. Expect the costs to be 20-30% more than quoted, especially in a remodel, anything, and I mean anything, can turn up when you start to open walls.
Have a contract written up specifying that certain monies shall be paid upon a certain percentage of completion, i.e. framing is completed, electrical inspection is approved, etc. DO NOT pay a high percentage of the cost up front. If he says he needs money for materials, get a different contractor. Most reputable contractors have money, or a line of credit at the lumberyard, bank, to cover their expenses while they are awaiting payment. ON the other hand, pay promptly when required.

Treat your contractor right. Once you have done your research, have faith in his professionalism. Make all your decisions early in the process, then *do not change your * mind. It’s frustrating, time consuming and expensive when you do.

Donuts, homemade cookies, pizza, subs, maybe even a case of beer on a hot Friday afternoon goes a long way for homeowner/contractor relationships. Mmm, homemade warm cookies. Mmmm, beer. Where was I again? Compliment the subcontractors, the contractor if you are happy with the work. Conversely, if you aren’t say that right away, too.

$30,000 is not out of line, not by any stretch of the imagination.

5

Thanks, A.R.Cane and Kalhoun.

Well, she gets United Mine Workers pension and insurance, and I know that they cover just about everything, except the nursing home. She is refusing to go to a nursing home anyway, so I don’t know how we’d get her there to begin with, even if she was forced to live out the rest of her days. She’s very upset about that.
Besides, I know she’d get proper care here at home, rather than just being a name and number at some nursing home.

As for the cost of the construction, I figured it might run close to $20,000 or so, but I wasn’t expecting it to cost us as much as this. My grandma will live with us until the construction is completed, by the way. We’ll put her in our room, and we’ll sleep on the floor, I guess. So, she’d be safe here while her house was being fixed up. We don’t have the room to build on at my house, which is why we’re doing it to her house, instead.

Out here where we live, I don’t think any home is really worth the investment! Our neighbor was trying to sell her beautiful little cottage for $85,000, but she can only get offers of $45,000 or less. She’s still waiting to sell, and she will be, until she decides to drop her hopes of getting as much as she wants from it! My great aunt is selling her house, and she only got $40,000 for it. So, nothing out here in our area is selling welll, and probably never will! It’s a dead, old coal mining town in the middle of nowhere. But, we like it here and it’s where we’re going to stay.

As for the size of the bedrooms…We really don’t need to have huge bedrooms. After all, we just sleep there. It’s not like we’re going to hold parties in them or anything. My grandmother has a larger bedroom that suits her and her needs nicely, and she will keep that room as her own, while we will take the smaller ones.

6

Thanks for the input, dahfisheroo. I’ve checked out this first contractor, and have heard nothing but praise for him and his workers. He gets the job done within a very reasonable amount of time, is prompt, and very conciencious. He does great work and is proud of the work he does. He is licensed, insured and bonded, and all that other stuff. He does some great work, as 3 people here in our town has hired him for various things, and it all really looks great!

Now, I need to check out the other 3 contractors I’m getting estimates from.

7

EDIT: Make that ‘conscientious’. Damnit.

8

Proper care for someone with dementia can be very exhausting. I suggest you guys get a back-up plan in place so you have time for your relationship. Places like Catholic Charities and other local services can provide you with assitance with bathing and day-sitting, so you can maintain your own life. Look into them now and see what’s available in your area.

9

If housing values are depressed in your area, it might be easier all around to move into a house that fits your needs. Granted this isn’t “Grandma’s House” but for expense and pain in the buttedness, it might but something to consider.

10

Thanks, I’ll consider all these things and give it some more thought.

11

No it’s not to much.

Medicad has allowed elderly to keep their housing until they and their spouse die, so as not to make one homeless. The amount comes out of the assets, mainly the house after both have died. This has been going on for a long time and is fair to the public. Before this method the house value could not be defered till after death of both people, and the other spouse had to live impoverished. The childern may not like not getting a house in the end, but though. The cost of long term care above the S.S. benefit has to be paid, and sould come from the estate of the person that got the care.

12

What about a mobile home, or travel trailer. If you think it’s only for a few years, that might be cheaper and you could sell it when the situation changes and recoup some of your investment.
I have some understanding of your situation. I’m getting ‘up there’ and I’ve pondered what might happen to me and my assets. I’m single and my brother will probably be the one to sort it out if I am unable. He lives about 700 miles away, so it wouldn’t/won’t? be easy.
As we get older the attitudes of our family members seems to change. A person who is self sufficient and strong willed, becomes cantankerous, uncooperative and a pain in the ass. Personality traits, that were once admired, become liabilties and problems that must be ‘dealt with’. Personally I’d rather die 5-10 years earlier, rather than spend those years being fed gruel and restricted in my freedom.

13

Safety of the person needs to be considered here. You don’t want to find out grandma burned to death in a gas explosion, because she is not right. I found a neighbor’s house filling with gas three times, because a burner was left on a bit.

14

I understand what you are saying totally, A.R. Cane! I don’t want to have to live so long as to make everyone around me miserable or uncomfortable. I’d much rather die earlier, before it gets to that point.

No. No mobile home. I can’t see living in one at all. Especially with the storms we get around here. With my luck, I’d be in Oz the first big wind we have!

15

Harmonious Discord, I understand what you are saying. My grandma isn’t that bad. Yet. Although her short-term memory is just about shot, which could very well lead to what you are talking about!

I would just prefer to care for her my self, because I know her well. I would know when something is wrong with her, whereas in a nursing home, they might not catch the little signs early enough. No matter how good the nursing home is, or how well they care for the patients, the ones in our area, anyway, are just too understaffed. They can’t keep nurses or aides for very long. There is always a high turn-over rate. With that happening all the time, the nurses and/or aides don’t get to know the patients well enough, and they could likely miss something that I might not. I couldn’t be at a nursing home with her all the time to make sure it didn’t happen. It’s just better if she lived with us, where we could keep an eye on her at all times.

16

Dangit. My thumb went off. Make that ‘myself’. Crap.

17

Well don’t be skeptical any longer…It happenes every day in this country.

My husband and I lost everything because of his need for nursing home care. They even tried to get the homes we bought and fixed up for our kids as wedding presents. When I say they left me with nothing I mean nothing, they even took the SUV we bought three years before he went into the home.

If you care about the care your loved one gets, you can’t win. Am I bitter? You bet.
Do I know who to be pissed at? No.

18

Now to answer the OP…lol

As others have said 30k sounds about right for any part of the country.
Care for your grandmother for as long as you can, but don’t feel too bad if there comes a day you can’t do it anymore. Dementia is a thief, it steals not only memory, it steals time, energy and resources.

Good luck to you and good on ya for caring about grandma.

19

Thank you so much, DrunkOnion.

The situation you went through is one that I’m trying to avoid. I do hope you are doing better, and I’d like to add that your anger is very understandable! Right now, I don’t know who to be angry with myself…the doctor for wanting to put my grandma in a nursing home, or to the nursing home that will take everything she has!

After all her money and home are gone, they would still end up putting her on welfare. The admin. at the nursing home told me this. So, why bother going that route in the first place? She was never on welfare in her 90 years of life, and I’ll be damned if she goes on it now!
I’ll do everything I can to keep her at home and care for her myself! I think it is a much better solution than putting her on welfare when everything she has is spent and gone.

20

Small bedrooms may be okay for you, but you still should think about re-sale. When I was house-shopping, I rejected several homes because of the tiny bedrooms. (I want to be able to at least fit my furniture in there and still have room to walk around.)

If you can’t afford to put in nice, spacious bedrooms, you might want to think more on other options. An addition is a permenant alteration to the house and if potential buyers think that it’s too small, it will ruin the whole house for them.

Yes, the market sucks right now, but you have no idea what it may be in ten years. Perhaps a factory will go in nearby, bringing prices back up. And if it goes further downhill, you may end up wanting to stay in the house and you’ll want to be comfortable.

Another idea might be to design the addition so that you can remove the wall between two of the bedrooms to make it into one large room. If the bathroom is adjacent, you’ve got yourself a “master suite.”