Is the back section of this house salvageable or should it be knocked down?

Question

My grandfather's house is getting to be in bad shape after years of neglect and more so the back section of the house is falling apart. Now the back section of the house, if I remember correctly, was added on after the house was built and I personally think it should just be knocked down because years of weather damage have taken a toll to an incredible degree and there are holes in the walls and the floor in the upper floor of it has fallen through to the first floor. In other words it's bad.

So the problem here is that my family is talking about repairing it and trying to save the back section but I disagree. In the end it all comes down to money so I was wondering what anyone that reads this would think, whether it would be cheaper to knock it down or repair it? Regardless of anything, we want to get this done for my Grandfather because he's getting older and he can't do it.

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Original gallery: http://rick89.imgur.com/all/

Answer 1

Rick, that is an impossible question to answer with the info you have supplied. The condition may be bad, but you need to access or have accessed the structural integrity of the shell. This doesn't sound like it's gonna be a DIY project, so my advise is to get some professional evaluation and a few quotes for a restoration and the demolition. Once you know what the real costs are going to be, it will be much easier to make a decision to repair or remove with your family. If you want to post some pics, it might make for some interesting comments.

After looking at the pics, my first impression is that the frame looks fair and built with decent sized lumber. It looks fairly straight on the back of the building. The is obviously a lot of water damage and the plywood floor has rotted as well as some of the framing in that area. I imagine the roof is shot as well. As a contractor, I look at it and see a fairly involved renovation. Now depending on what that space is used for and what it adds to the overall property would be part of the considerations. It obviously is gonna need some framing, new floors, roof, windows and siding. There will be some electrical work as well, I'm sure. I also see a fairly expensive demo job there. It is a large structure with a lot of wasted to get rid of.

If this space was important to the overall value of the property, I would consider a rehab. Like I said before, get a competent contractor or two over there and get some quotes. In my distant and still uninformed opinion, it looks like it might be worth saving.

Answer 2

Mostly everything can be repaired but as Shirlock pointed out it boils down to cost.

Also, if the structure is old enough(prior to post WWII construction boom), it might be worth repairing as it is most likely built out of higher quality materials by more skilled tradesmen.

I.e you get strong old growth lumber vs crappy pine sticks+ glued up sawdust of today. If it is a masonry structure than you won't even be able to rebuild it with brick again for a reasonable cost.