bigmike4969 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 So I am about three days away from owning my first home (assuming attorney review goes without a hitch and I get the final mortgage approval) . I am very excited about it, considering I have been renting the past 6+ years and am looking forward to owning my own home (and getting some privacy, since my downstairs neighbor has pretty much turned into a jacka$$ with his loud music and starting his truck (equipped with loud exhaust) early in the morning and letting it run for 30+ min so I don't need an alarm clock anymore, but I am getting away from the point of this post. The home currently has a A/C unit built into the living room wall. The house has central air, and from what I can gather from the current residents was that the A/C unit was there when they moved in, and they do not even use it. I admit to having no handyman expertise, and I am wanting to remove this A/C unit from the wall. Has anyone here ever done such a thing? Or have you had it done professionally, and if so about how much I am looking to dish out to take care of it? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 if u have central air u should not need a wall unit ... A BFH will take it out ans just fill in the whole with duct tap and cal it good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Is it in a window or stuck in the wall? Removing it should be easy, fixing the hole will be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_bone65 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 if u have central air u should not need a wall unit ... A BFH will take it out ans just fill in the whole with duct tap and cal it good... 1311208[/snapback] Gud info hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmike4969 Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Is it in a window or stuck in the wall? Removing it should be easy, fixing the hole will be fun. 1311214[/snapback] It is stuck in the wall. I figured the removal part will be easy...and yukon has a good idea on how to remove it. But fixing the hole...yikes. that is why I am considering having someone come in and do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefjay Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Unplug it and pull it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 It is stuck in the wall. I figured the removal part will be easy...and yukon has a good idea on how to remove it. But fixing the hole...yikes. that is why I am considering having someone come in and do it. 1311218[/snapback] In my opinion, drywalling is the biggest pain in the ass in any home repair. Hire someone to patch it up. Just make sure they are there before removing the window unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 BFH1311208[/snapback] That was my first thought too. Get the sledge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 (edited) In my opinion, drywalling is the biggest pain in the ass in any home repair. Hire someone to patch it up. Just make sure they are there before removing the window unit. 1311228[/snapback] Yeah....but drywalling is the least of your problems. Matching your siding type on the outside will be the tricky part. For you.....I'd definitely hire a good handyman for this job. Oh...and since your papers aren't final yet.....see if the current homeowners will have it done for you. Edited February 7, 2006 by SteelBunz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Yeah....but drywalling is the least of your problems. Matching your siding type on the outside will be the tricky part. For you.....I'd definitely hire a good handyman for this job. Oh...and since your papers aren't final yet.....see if the current homeowners will have it done for you. 1311239[/snapback] Good info here. Might ask for $500 at closing. The homeowner might not have any problems with that. Won't hurt to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmike4969 Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Yeah....but drywalling is the least of your problems. Matching your siding type on the outside will be the tricky part. For you.....I'd definitely hire a good handyman for this job. Oh...and since your papers aren't final yet.....see if the current homeowners will have it done for you. 1311239[/snapback] So if I ask for the current owners to have it done, does that mean the paperwork gets re-submitted (with this request) then they have to approve the changes and then another three day review period? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 So if I ask for the current owners to have it done, does that mean the paperwork gets re-submitted (with this request) then they have to approve the changes and then another three day review period? 1311312[/snapback] Have you had a Home Inspection yet? Was your offer contingent on a Home Inspection? And it can, in essence, be construed as a counteroffer....but sometimes you can get something like this done more easily by just asking....and maybe offering to split the repair estimate. And all this depends on how good a deal you think you got on the house. If you got a really fair shake....just forget it and have it done yourself. But...I HOPE you've read any home buying threads here in the last few years....and got a home inspection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefjay Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Have you had a Home Inspection yet? Was your offer contingent on a Home Inspection? And it can, in essence, be construed as a counteroffer....but sometimes you can get something like this done more easily by just asking....and maybe offering to split the repair estimate. And all this depends on how good a deal you think you got on the house. If you got a really fair shake....just forget it and have it done yourself. But...I HOPE you've read any home buying threads here in the last few years....and got a home inspection. 1311337[/snapback] What's a home inspection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 So if I ask for the current owners to have it done, does that mean the paperwork gets re-submitted (with this request) then they have to approve the changes and then another three day review period? 1311312[/snapback] If it were me....I'd ask for money at closing instead of getting the soon-to-be-gone homeowners to do it. They'll do it the cheap way I'd fear, instead of the right way. Call a handyman, ask for a guesstimate and ask for some cash at closing. You may not get it, but it won't hurt to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Have you had a Home Inspection yet? Was your offer contingent on a Home Inspection? And it can, in essence, be construed as a counteroffer....but sometimes you can get something like this done more easily by just asking....and maybe offering to split the repair estimate. And all this depends on how good a deal you think you got on the house. If you got a really fair shake....just forget it and have it done yourself. But...I HOPE you've read any home buying threads here in the last few years....and got a home inspection. 1311337[/snapback] Good info! Brick, wood, or vinyl/alum siding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefjay Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Good info! Brick, wood, or vinyl/alum siding? 1311446[/snapback] Very good info from the Steel one. Inside shouldn't be too big of deal but the outside could be a hugh issue. Now that I think about it, I had one in my living room when I moved in. What the hell did I do? It must have been in the window so it wasn't that big of deal. If it's in the wall, that sounds rough. You might be in for other surprises down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBalata Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 I purchased a new wall unit last summer. Old one slid right out. Had to give it a push from the outside to get it started, but once two of us could get a grip from the inside, it slid right out, and slid the new one in and done. Fixing the hole in the wall is going to be your only problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Bill Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Most of those wall mount AC units have a cabinet that is permanently mounted. The AC unit should have a couple of retaining screws holding it in place. Once those are removed, it should slide right out. Make sure you have help (especially the compressor side) or you may have a hole in the floor to fix next. Once the AC unit is removed, the housing that held it should be easy to remove (probably held in with wood screws within a wood frame). So now you have a gaping hole in your wall. Unless you hire a professional to facilitate the repairs inside and out, it'll end up looking like a hack job, and will be very noticeable. I wouldn't leave it to some buddy that says he can do it for a couple hundred bucks. You get what you pay for. Hire a pro. Just do the monkey work (removing AC) yourself to save some cash. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Most of those wall mount AC units have a cabinet that is permanently mounted. The AC unit should have a couple of retaining screws holding it in place. Once those are removed, it should slide right out. Make sure you have help (especially the compressor side) or you may have a hole in the floor to fix next. Once the AC unit is removed, the housing that held it should be easy to remove (probably held in with wood screws within a wood frame). So now you have a gaping hole in your wall. Unless you hire a professional to facilitate the repairs inside and out, it'll end up looking like a hack job, and will be very noticeable. I wouldn't leave it to some buddy that says he can do it for a couple hundred bucks. You get what you pay for. Hire a pro. Just do the monkey work (removing AC) yourself to save some cash. JMO. 1311837[/snapback] Great info, Deacon. Honestly, if the inside walls are sheet rock (aka drywall or wallboard) patching that isn't too hard. More of an art form in getting it look right than anything else. But you've got sooo many other things to deal with, plus the ones you don't even know about yet (trust me, they crop up), that you're better off not messing with this on your own. The inner wall will likely have to be insulated. You don't know what kind of wiring/electrical issues you may have to cap off. (And if you don't know about hanging drywall yet, I don't advise you to fool around with anything electrical yet). Plus, there is the exterior wall that'll need fixin', which is probably your biggest issue. I also agree that asking the current owner to have it fixed is a mistake. Instead, ask for a repair allowance, or a reduction in purchase price. (The former being more preferable than the later, but if they won't go with an allowance, take the reduction in price). However, this close to closing, the seller may not be happy with that. $500 or so isn't unreasonable. If the exterior is like hardiplank (a composite that looks like wooden planks), wood shingles, or stuff like that it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to fix. But if the exterior is brick, masonry, or stuff like that I'd expect it to cost a little more. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmike4969 Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 Thanks for the input so far. Yeah, it sounds like it's gonna be a job for a pro. To give some background (or put you to sleep), we (my girlfriend and I) met with our realtor tonite to review the contract. Tonite starts the attorney review. Friday at midnight, should there be no issues, the place is ours. Next week (Monday) we visit the mortgage office to begin the approval process. We were already pre-approved, and the mortgage officer seems to think we should have no problems with the actual approval, but I am still nervous. The sellers requested a May closing, and we were OK with that cause we are month to month on our lease, and it gives us time to save up more $$$. We came in a couple thousand short of the asking price, and asked for them to pay 1/2 of our closing costs, which they accepted. The sellers also requested a home inspection within 2 weeks of the completion of attorney review, and while we are OK with that, we are going to get another inspection done a month or so before the May closing (that one is being taken care of). Cause who knows what can go wrong between this upcoming inspection and May. While we are at the first one, I am gonna bend the inspector's ear about the wall unit, maybe he may suggest it get removed before we move in. If that is the case, then we will just ask for the repair allowance since I agree that I would rather hire someone myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 I wouldn't waste your money with 2 home inspections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Thanks for the input so far. Yeah, it sounds like it's gonna be a job for a pro. To give some background (or put you to sleep), we (my girlfriend and I) met with our realtor tonite to review the contract. Tonite starts the attorney review. Friday at midnight, should there be no issues, the place is ours. Next week (Monday) we visit the mortgage office to begin the approval process. We were already pre-approved, and the mortgage officer seems to think we should have no problems with the actual approval, but I am still nervous. The sellers requested a May closing, and we were OK with that cause we are month to month on our lease, and it gives us time to save up more $$$. We came in a couple thousand short of the asking price, and asked for them to pay 1/2 of our closing costs, which they accepted. The sellers also requested a home inspection within 2 weeks of the completion of attorney review, and while we are OK with that, we are going to get another inspection done a month or so before the May closing (that one is being taken care of). Cause who knows what can go wrong between this upcoming inspection and May. While we are at the first one, I am gonna bend the inspector's ear about the wall unit, maybe he may suggest it get removed before we move in. If that is the case, then we will just ask for the repair allowance since I agree that I would rather hire someone myself. 1312247[/snapback] Sounds ok, but the seller is doing an inspection? Why? I haven't bought a house in 16 years, am i out of the loop on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmike4969 Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 (edited) Sounds ok, but the seller is doing an inspection? Why? I haven't bought a house in 16 years, am i out of the loop on this? 1312256[/snapback] I'm sorry, the sellers requested that WE get a home inspection done in the next two weeks so they can get an idea of what they would have to fix, if anything, before the closing. CD, the only reason why we are getting a second one is if in case, for ANY reason, something happens between the first inspection and closing. And the second inspection does not come out of our pocket... Edited February 8, 2006 by bigmike4969 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 I'm sorry, the sellers requested that WE get a home inspection done in the next two weeks so they can get an idea of what they would have to fix, if anything, before the closing. CD, the only reason why we are getting a second one is if in case, for ANY reason, something happens between the first inspection and closing. And the second inspection does not come out of our pocket... 1312264[/snapback] Gotcha! I guess my town took care of that in a way for the buyer. They have a law that requires an inspection (free) by the town to make sure the sellers house is at least up to minimal code (No BX, No plastic pipes except for drains, No Romex, GFI's where required, railings w/ more than 2 steps, etc.). Good luck, BTW! And enjoy. Nothing like having your own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmike4969 Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 Gotcha! I guess my town took care of that in a way for the buyer. They have a law that requires an inspection (free) by the town to make sure the sellers house is at least up to minimal code (No BX, No plastic pipes except for drains, No Romex, GFI's where required, railings w/ more than 2 steps, etc.). Good luck, BTW! And enjoy. Nothing like having your own! 1312313[/snapback] Thanks for the well wishes! My girlfriend and I are sooooo looking forward to it. Not neccesarily the payment part but finally getting the privacy, no one living below us playing loud music, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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