Want to look at a property for me?

[pitterwoo]

Anyone want to take a look at this house for me?  I'm working on plans to open a daycare.  I'm looking at some big houses, but this would be a center, not an in-home.

This house in around the corner from a big park and has a tax delinquent empty lot next door that I would like to get too for parking and expanding the yard.

Negatives are that it's zoned residential so I will need a variance or something and it needs a ton of work.  I don't even know, it's so overwhelming.  It's also a bit overpriced, I think.  But the area is getting better, so maybe that is market rate now.  It's just going to cost so much to rehab, I think it will be a stretch. 

Ok, give me all your opinions and ideas!

house

[moolarkey]

How would you use it? Would the upper floor/floors before classes/sleeping rooms? As a parent, I wouldn't be comfortable with my kid in a 2 story daycare center. If you are going to only have kids downstairs and your office upstairs then that wouldn't bother me.

As for the structure itself, I really like it.

[pitterwoo]

Ugh, yes @juno it looks like so much work. I haven't seen it in person yet, so maybe I will want to run away.

I don't have a contractor, but I have lots of good connections to ask about that. I also know several people involved in planning and development who will be helpful to talk to about zoning. Not helpful in a string-pulling way, but in information.

I don't really know what my chances are for this area. I think community engagement and support is very important and I don't know how receptive they will be. I'll just have to find out.

Great questions about liability and hazards. Well, all the walls would either be torn out or covered with new drywall to eliminate that source of lead. A lot of the woodwork isn't painted, which is good. I'll have to get a better idea of the condition of the wood that is painted.

I haven't found anything about the stairs being a problem. Minor requirements like non-skid treads and second floor window openings. I'm not sure how much we would use the second floor yet. Might want to expand eventually, but I appreciate the feedback moolarkey. Initially just office and breakroom space.

My budget isn't defined yet, but I'm thinking 200k to get started and running. As long as hazards are dealt with maybe the second floor and attic can get finish work later. Timeline is asap, because I can't wait to get started, but realistically 18months is what we're looking at.

[munkii]

At first glance, I say it's not worth it, but that's based on laws here and not there. Here, variances are used for building code and ADA, not zoning code. To propose what you're proposing here would require a request for rezoning, which is major work and will not win you many friendly neighbors if the neighborhood isn't interested in rezoning to mixed use.

Moving on to the building, there is a lot of work to be done, which you already know. Depending on how your local laws were written regarding existing buildings, commercial facilities, and, specifically childcare facilities, this could be a major pain or easy. WRT ADA, you will also need to know where you need to make the facility needs work and what can get by with variances. The thing with variances and the ADA is that many design firms will make you sign a waiver agreeing to not hold them liable if you get sued for not complying in making your building fully accessible. If this is something you really are interested in pursuing, hire a code consulting firm to do the legwork on what you need to do to CYA.

[lilac05]

Are there any commercial spaces that you could rent in a good location? You could get up & running and then purchase (or build, if there's land!) when you outgrow the rental space and/or you determine how big of a place you want to have.

DS1's school (Montessori) actually does this & I love it. There's a playground and yard in the back, which is probably difficult to find. But everything in the building can be configured to work for a pre-school. It might be worth considering.

ETA:  If you want to purchase, it'll be a million times easier (& possibly cheaper in the long run) for you to start with something that was commercial.  I think you will have to comply with ADA accommodations, so ramps or elevators available.  I don't know if there are any exceptions to ADA.

[pitterwoo]

munkii, I can apply for a use varience that does not change the underlying zoning here. So that is what I'd be pursuing.

lilac05, I definitely would like to look at something commercial. I just keep running into the fact that there doesn't seem to be a large area zoned commercial and all my agent is sending is houses. The storefronts are all tiny, like the traditional little bakery with an apartment above.

For renting, we are also a little hesitant because we plan to do a lot of gardening and investment outside. Definitely need to keep our options open though and we will keep looking.

[auntie]

DS attended a school in an old mansion when he was younger. Concerns I had were around things like the mitigation of lead paint and asbestos building materials. A least DS could physically manage steps and was past mouthing and crawling on the floor.

Even though the director of the school had all the proper variances and had been there since 1965, her neighbors resented the crap out of having 120 kids down the block and the traffic they came with. (Different situation, this school was in an area that's always been higher end- Millionaire's Row in Princeton) It got ugly at times.

[beanieweanie]

DD goes to a nursery (Montessori) school in a big old house. The stairs aren't a problem, and being right in the middle of a residential area is really handy - most parents walk the kids to school, so parking isn't much of an issue. It does look like a ton of work though. It has some gorgeous details, but are you going to want to spend the time/money on restoring those if the focus is as a business, not a home?

[AmyRI]

Here, the daycare rules are such that you can only have kids age 3+ on an upper level with no ground/handicap access. Evacuation plans of infant and toddler rooms are to put 4 kids in a special reinforced crib and wheel them out of the building. There is a center near me with a "gross motor" room (ie open space) on the 2nd floor but most of the center can't use it because it has no ramp access. I'd check into rules like that with daycare licensing before buying a multi level property.

[pitterwoo]

agree @domerjen, it's a HUGE house a lot more needed than our initial budget. It would allow for more expansion, but still way more than we could get into upfront. We're passing on it and going to keep looking. There isn't enough outdoor space to be the dream property.

I'm appreciating all the replies and perspectives.