My New Studio Build (perhaps overly detailed)

[silky smoove]

It's been said, one way to wind up with a small fortune in the studio business is to start with a large fortune.

This seems to be true in my newly acquired experience.

They probably wouldn't balk at a new car loan.

Not at all. I'm a very good customer for anyone wanting to lend money. I have a steady job with a decent income, a high credit score and I always pay my bills on time. They'll make money, there will be little to no risk involved, and everyone will be happy. I'll find a different lender without that particular hangup and will happily move forward with them instead.

If it doesn't work out as planned, you can avoid paying them interest if you decided to do the remaining work in stages funded by future savings. The facility can still be used even though it isn't fully realized. You will still achieve your goals, just on a slightly extended schedule.

While this is definitely an option, there is an external impetus to get this completed on a more expeditious timeline, hence the pursuit of lending options. My wife and I moved into this house in the summer of 2015, so closing in on two years ago. Despite that timeline There is a small mountain of boxes underneath the stairs in the basement, right next to where our TV is setup, that's blocking a set of really cool built-in shelves. Additionally, there are two large boxes still in our master bedroom that have effectively turned into beds for our two cats.

What does all this have to do with studio building you ask? The back bedroom currently occupied by me for interim studio work is the future home for all of the aforementioned boxes. In addition to running her business which occupies half of our finished basement; My wife is a photographer, runs a small vintage jewelry business, and really enjoys sewing, crafts, etc. The boxes largely contain items for those pursuits. She currently doesn't have a space for this in the house since the aforementioned back bedroom is currently in use by me for interim studio work. Once the studio is complete she can move all of those boxes into that space and begin using it for her own pursuits.

Essentially financing the remaining portion of work allows us both to have more space to do the things we want. We're both of the mindset that living life and enjoying the time we spend on our various pursuits is more important than money, so we're fine with incurring the interest costs. To further neutralize that risk, a portion of the interest paid on a HELOC, which is the financing method I'm pursuing, is tax deductible, making it an even more attractive option. I've used a HELOC before at my first house and liked how it all worked out with the tax deductions making it nearly cost-free money. Not 100%, but I was shocked by how much of the interest paid came back to me on my taxes.

hey man at least you can get working on the first 2 while the 3rd is ironed out. great news

Indeed!

 

[beans-on-toast]

Two years waiting to unpack has a way of slipping by in the blink of an eye.

It's better to enjoy life rather than plan to live it later and never get to it as I see so many people do.

 

[silky smoove]

Today was the day! Motivation had returned, a solution to an insulation problem I was having had come to me yesterday, I bought all of the stuff to fix it this morning, and I was ready. I got to it and finished off the ceiling insulation at the south end of the building (the gear storage partition). I was just about to start on the north end when I got a text message. A guy who was buying some monitors from me had arrived, so I had to take a brief interlude from working to go and unload some gear for cash. I finished up, grabbed lunch, and then headed back out to resume my task. With a little luck I was going to have the insulation finished today and would call in for what will hopefully be my final STFI permit inspection on Monday. All was looking great...

Right until I discovered that I had locked the studio keys inside the studio.

Looks like I won't be getting things wrapped up this weekend after all. The door contractor will be back on Friday to replace the door slab with the correct one, as well as switching out the hardware. Hopefully they'll have a means of removing the door slab regardless of the handle lock being engaged. Thankfully it's not the deadbolt, which I imagine would complicate things. If they can't remove the door I'll have to get a locksmith out to do it in advance. I'll be calling the door contractor on Monday to get that sorted out. Fingers crossed that it's an easy solution. I'm feeling like a genius right now, haha.

 

[beans-on-toast]

We all do bone headed things from time to time. Maybe being locked out prevented you from whacking your thumb had you got to the insulation.

Speaking of monitors, they just keep getting better. I had a chance to audition some products from Adam Audio. The S5H is pretty impressive. It goes so low, I wouldn't need a sub. The price is well up there. But I found that their more affordable products really stood out as well when compared to other products. The last time I went looking for monitors, They brought up a pair of top of the line B&W monitors. everything else paled in comparison. They were also totally unaffordable. The Adam Audio speaker line sounded so good. I came away feeling much like I did when I heard the B&W's, only convinced that an affordable model would be seriously considered.


Invalid Link Removed

 

[silky smoove]

Funny you should mention it. I have a set of their F5s en route to replace my Equator D5s, and was considering the A7X and 7Sub combo for the finished studio.

 

[silky smoove]

The door contractor confirmed this morning that a locksmith will be needed to get into the structure, unless I'm cool with them basically wrecking and replacing the door jamb and trim to get the door open. The locksmith was the much less costly option, so I have one scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Still a boneheaded move on my part, but at least it's getting resolved quickly so I can keep marching forward.

 

[beans-on-toast]

It's scary to see how fast someone who knows how to pick a lock can gain access.

 

[silky smoove]

It's scary to see how fast someone who knows how to pick a lock can gain access.

There's a one hour window where my wife will be around to sign for the work. When I mentioned this to the locksmith he just chuckled and said "It won't take anywhere near that long."

 

[Ulf_Hansson]

All was looking great...

Right until I discovered that I had locked the studio keys inside the studio.

As previously noted, this really is the mother of all threads...

 

[silky smoove]

As previously noted, this really is the mother of all threads...

Locksmiths are showing up at 10:00am to correct for my absent mindedness. The only complication will be if they can't pick the lock and have to drill.

I should also note that when the correct hardware is installed there will be zero chance of me ever doing this again since there's no handset lock, and the door can't be closed while the deadlock is in the locked position. It's thread-starter-proof!

 

[silky smoove]

Studio is unlocked!

I'm not there, but my wife just called me with a report and said that it took the guy about a minute to get in.

 

[TedH]

Studio is unlocked!

I'm not there, but my wife just called me with a report and said that it took the guy about a minute to get in.

I locked myself out of a new place once and the locksmith had it open in a flash. They all seem to have a big SEG on their face given the skill they possess, and the massive amount of trust required on the part of the general populace.

 

[pnchad]

get a security system and video cameras - it's cheap & you can monitor everything from your phone - well worth the peace of mind

 

[silky smoove]

get a security system and video cameras - it's cheap & you can monitor everything from your phone - well worth the peace of mind

I've mentioned this previously in the thread; I already have a security system up and running in my house complete with cameras. I'll be extending that system out to the studio once it's complete.

 

[silky smoove]

Just confirmed with the door contractor that they'll be bringing the correct slab/glazing and hardware out on Friday morning. Anyone want to take some bets?

Will they bring the right slab/glazing?
Will they bring the right hardware line?
Will they bring the right hardware finish?
Will I actually get the insulation done over the weekend now that there's literally nothing holding me back?
Will a city inspector be out next week, or will it take longer?

 

[beans-on-toast]

I've seen bump keys being used. It takes literally seconds to open just about any typical hardware store lock. They sell key sets on the internet to anyone. A bumpless lock costs more but is still pickable if it has a key entry.

I think that the type of lock that you are buying is well worth it. I wonder if you can get a discount on insurance if you are using a high security lock.

The contents of a studio is another story. My insurance broker said the everything beyond my standard home policy would have to be documented and added as separately insured items. In the end, with a lot of vintage stuff, it wasn't worth it. I value the equipment and gear as irreplaceable, way more than they would pay out.

 

[silky smoove]

I wonder if you can get a discount on insurance if you are using a high security lock.

I already get discounts for the security system. Couldn't hurt to ask about the lock, but since it's an off the shelf item, I doubt it would qualify for anything.

The contents of a studio is another story. My insurance broker said the everything beyond my standard home policy would have to be documented and added as separately insured items.

Even then the replacement procedures for most home, renter, or auto policies is atrocious. This is specifically why I carry a highly detailed MusicPro policy (have heard similarly good things about Clarion as well).

 

[ahc]

Anyone want to take some bets?

As Frank Zappa said, "I figure the odds are fifty-fifty."

 

[silky smoove]

New door is installed!

...and they got the hardware wrong!

At this point I can only laugh at the situation. The installer was told to switch out the handset, but leave the existing Schlage Connect Camelot deadbolt in place, as opposed to switching it out for the matching Schlage Connect Century deadbolt that I indicated, and included a link to in my emails with their rep. They'll be back next Thursday with the correct hardware. I'm still so happy with their build of the door, the jamb, the frame, etc. that the hardware debacle isn't really bothering me.

 

[ahc]

May I refer you to post #1218? Glad the door and it's etc. worked out.