My wife and I just purchased some farm land in Maine. We're considering this as a retirement destination which if all goes well should happen in about 10 years.
The property has a small cabin that I'd guess to be about 25 years old. The cabins dimension is approx. 20x30 and is built on block piers. It has no running water no electricity and has what almost certainly is a sub-code septic system.
It's not clear to me whether I'd be better off scraping the structure and starting fresh or improving it over time. It's not enough room for us so we'd have to add on either up, down or out (maybe all three).
I'm considering what it would take to replace the block pier system with a full or partial basement. I've been looking around the web for ways to do this myself. It looks daunting and dangerous. The cost of contracting the job out gets me back to whether the structure is worth the investment. Can anyone get me in the ballpark for what it would cost to replace the foundation system?
I've had experience with a major addition project before doing some of the work myself (including some foundation work) and using contractors for major framing and finish work.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
The property has a small cabin that I'd guess to be about 25 years old. The cabins dimension is approx. 20x30 and is built on block piers. It has no running water no electricity and has what almost certainly is a sub-code septic system.
It's not clear to me whether I'd be better off scraping the structure and starting fresh or improving it over time. It's not enough room for us so we'd have to add on either up, down or out (maybe all three).
I'm considering what it would take to replace the block pier system with a full or partial basement. I've been looking around the web for ways to do this myself. It looks daunting and dangerous. The cost of contracting the job out gets me back to whether the structure is worth the investment. Can anyone get me in the ballpark for what it would cost to replace the foundation system?
I've had experience with a major addition project before doing some of the work myself (including some foundation work) and using contractors for major framing and finish work.
Thanks in advance for your comments.