Looking for Advice on Apartment Demolition Costs

[LuckyLuke]

Thank you for explaining that. I can see how lighting is a very personal choice.

The process of rehabilitating my new home has proven to be quite different than I expected—not that it’s a surprise.

On one hand, materials, fixtures, and appliances are all more expensive than I anticipated. However, paying in cash does help with securing a better price. Labor costs are manageable for most things, but I’ve learned that it’s definitely worth getting multiple estimates and seeking referrals from reputable sources.

The metal work for the windows, gates, entryways, and curbside trash container is nearly finished. I’m now diving into plumbing—everything from basic fixtures and water heaters to installing a new bidet and sink. Not to mention, the water tank needs to be replaced along with the network of pipes and pumps on my roof. I’m already past $3k and expect the plumbing to top out around $5k when it's all said and done.

What’s fascinating is how I can trace the house's expansion over time, room by room. The age and direction of the repairs or replacements needed reveal the layers of history behind the house’s growth. While this is routine for those who’ve lived here for years, it’s all new and quite interesting to me, coming from the States.

I've found very similar things at my property. Be very careful with the electrical and have it reviewed thoroughly. Argentines take a very casual approach to electrical for a country using 220V. Electrocution is sadly very common. Even in newer parts of my property where I would expect better quality work, we found multiple shorts with screws passing through cables and malfunctioning outlets. Tons of issues were found in the oldest part of the property from inappropriate gauges, fire hazard placements and just downright bizarre solutions they made with random bits and ends they had laying around the house. Not a single breaker box had a disyuntor diferencial (residual-current circuit breaker) to prevent electrocution and there were no ground wires anywhere on the property.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I'd just suggest to be very careful to check the credentials of anybody you hire to do demolition work; whether or not you are in the role of employer or if you are hiring a company, what insurance they carry etc etc. You could end up responsible if somebody else's structural integrity, gas, water or electricity is compromised.

I know it's not quite the same but people are demolishing the house next door to our apartment building to make way for yet another apartment building. No architect's name or permit posted on the site entrance; no hard hats, no safety boots, no harnesses. I'm not there at the moment and didn't see it for myself but yesterday one of the team slipped and fell from the roof. It would have been a 10m fall but he was brought to an abrupt halt, astride a beam about half way down. Ouch!! Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade all attended (our upstairs neighbour saw it happen and called them at once.) The poor guy is still being treated in our local hospital and no further work has taken place at the site. Whether this is because an official investigation into the accident is taking place or because the workers have just fled and can't be traced I really don't know.

 

[sdsurfista]

anyone know is asbestos building materials were prevalent in Argentina like they were in the states prior to the 80's?

 

[Alex Miller]

anyone know is asbestos building materials were prevalent in Argentina like they were in the states prior to the 80's?

Yes, asbestos materials were common here, asbestos plaster was actively used in the houses of strangers in the 80s

 

[Alex Miller]

Yes, asbestos materials were common here, asbestos plaster was actively used in the houses of strangers in the 80s

"built in the 80's"

 

[Sammi]

I've found very similar things at my property. Be very careful with the electrical and have it reviewed thoroughly. Argentines take a very casual approach to electrical for a country using 220V. Electrocution is sadly very common. Even in newer parts of my property where I would expect better quality work, we found multiple shorts with screws passing through cables and malfunctioning outlets. Tons of issues were found in the oldest part of the property from inappropriate gauges, fire hazard placements and just downright bizarre solutions they made with random bits and ends they had laying around the house. Not a single breaker box had a disyuntor diferencial (residual-current circuit breaker) to prevent electrocution and there were no ground wires anywhere on the property.

disyuntor diferencial (residual-current circuit breaker)
You have such an impact on my building / construction vocabulary. I am feeling the less than subtle electrical buzz in my lap top's case regularly these days. I finally concluded the house lacks any grounding. I need to read up on how that is done.

Grounding follows the plumbing panic I am currently wringing through. In Puerto Madryn we also have an every third day water ... holiday , where they can cut off your water for 24h through till well into fall. I have the days marked down but the reality is its intermittently enforced. I race out to open my yard spigot that goes from street up the wall to the water tank on those days. Thing is there are no set times that they deny or reopen my tap.

Where are the cutoff valves I have come to know all my life? What to do if a toilet sink or house has a large leak? A water cut off to the street perhaps ? Nope. If there is it is not accessible to me. No cutoff below my sinks though they pipes are not visible in all those thick bricks anyway. My pump had no sensor and burnt to death when the water was not coming through to be pumped on the day I moved in. The green pvc pipes balanced on bricks on the roof collapsed in post mortem heat stroke.

Good news is we fixed the hot water heater over the kitchen sink ourselves. The other water heater works, i think, but it all needs replumbed. Daily cold showers are my reality , ...temporarily . Yep, Im getting quotes. Growing up surfing and washing off at outdoor showers (from my prior life in California) can be credited for my adaptation to that.

My whole life is a huge learning curve, so till its done, Ill just keep scraping thick skins of pink orange and blue paint off my walls, and hire out when it comes to the Revoque !!

 

[LuckyLuke]

disyuntor diferencial (residual-current circuit breaker)
You have such an impact on my building / construction vocabulary. I am feeling the less than subtle electrical buzz in my lap top's case regularly these days. I finally concluded the house lacks any grounding. I need to read up on how that is done.

Howdy Sammi,

Happy I can help in some way. I am in the same learning curve, which is makes DIY a little daunting. From what I understand, grounding the wires in the house would require rewiring the whole house in a 3 wire format (hot, neutral, ground). Many wires go through channels in the walls and trying to pull the wires out and replace it could be risky (the cables could get stuck, break, etc. and you are left with opening up the wall to sort it out). You can ground the fuse box instead to protect against lightning or municipal surges. It will not ground your outlets, however if your outlet is electrifying appliance surfaces, that's probably indicative of an active short, which a disyuntor should detect once installed. If you're handy with a multimeter you could test various surfaces for charge as well.