Minneapolis Duplex Owners Answer “D: None Of The Above”

Sometimes I think I should write questions for “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”

See, I get a lot of questions I can’t answer in my job. They range from, “Why did the seller think put a toilet in the closet?” (Answer: “I dunno”) to “How much does it cost to put a new boiler in a 4500 square foot triplex?”

While I don’t think I’ll ever have an answer to the first question, from time to time I’ve been able to answer the last by calling a contractor friend for a favor…or 12. I swear, sometimes I can (understandably) actually hear them roll their eyes over the phone.

In an attempt to answer without using my “Phone A Friend” lifeline the other day, I stumbled on one of the most useful websites I’ve ever found.

It’s actually called Whatitcosts.com.

Need a wedding dress? They can give you a ballpark idea of what you’ll need to spend. But more importantly, to this conversation anyway, they can give you ranges for any kind of home improvement you could think of.

While not exact, the prices the site provides are in keeping with figures local contractors have shared.

How much for the boiler? Now I can answer. Anywhere from $3500 – $7000 (dependent on energy efficiency, BTUs, etc.).

I don’t think, however, I’ll ever have an answer as to why some owners make some of the “home improvements” they do.