Returning house back to normal after In Wall?

[bchbum189]

We are in the process of having a house built, which is great, because I get the chance to start a tank from scratch again, along with prepping the house prior to. I have lost alot of sleep over whether to go inwall with the tank or just take the easy way and set up a normal system. Ive been reading alot about what it takes to create an in wall set up, however, I have not found any info on what happens when it comes time to sell the house and theres a 8 foot long hole in the wall...

How difficult is it to return the house to normal after its been set up for a large, 300-450 gallon system? im having it pre wired for 4 20 amp circuits right by the tank, but I wont be worried about removing those as they will be wall mounted outlets.
The tank is going between the office wall and living room, with all equipment in office side. I plan to have a utility sink installed in that room also. Next owner probably wont see much use for a sink in their office, so how hard is it to remove, without knowing it was there, the sink?

Basically, in 5 years we will probably sell the house to start a new home somewhere else, so I want to be able to leave the house looking unmolested, no matter how much I do molest it creating these tanks.

[BFisher244]

I just saw someone with an in wall sell his house. When he setup the inwall he had it spaced perfectly between the joists. Once the tank was out he created recessed shelves. The small roomi n the back was cleaned out and turned into a regular storage closet.

[bchbum189]

hmmmmm. thats quite the good idea, Im building the tank so Ill have to take that into account with the studs.

Any pics of this?

[melev]

Just restud the wall, re-sheetrock it, and then decide if you want all that power to be capped off or left for the next buyer.

Or sell them the tank, with a free house thrown in. :D

[BFisher244]

sorry..too late to grab some pic. he's moved already.

he gave the buyer two options, either bookshelves, or a slight recess to mount a flatscreen.

either way it only took him a few hours over 3 days to get it done. it's not a huge task to seal it off, even if you just fill it in with a flat piece of sheetrock

good luck with the build and please post pics :)

[ionredline0260]

I would be more worried about moving a 300-400 gallon system to a new house then filling in the hole it caused.

[Coral Dilema]

It depends on how your wall is finished, if its just sheetrock then its no problem . . well, if you know how to hang sheetrock it isnt. I have a 75 gallon in my living room wall right now that I will be pulling out and taking with me when I move (hopefully in 2-3 months). To repair the hole im just gonna put in new studs butted up against the pieces of the old ones, put the electrical outlets back in, hang 3 or 4 pieces of sheetrock and throw on some white paint . . simple as that, probalby wont cost $50 to do it all either. You will never be able to tell there was a tank there.

[motlot77]

how is your house textured? texture is sooooo hard to match, unless you get the person who did it in the first place. if the area is large enough and out of eyeline and the person texturing it is good, you may not notice too much.

also, your electrical can't simply be covered up i do believe. i know you're not allowed by code to cap wires and bury them in the wall. you either leave them, or put a solid plastic plate over it, or remove it entirely back to the panel, etc.

not a big cost though if you're not up to doing it yourself, compared to what people spend on their tanks, even if you had to hire someone.

[bchbum189]

great everyone thanks for the posts. We just closed on the property yesterday so Ive got a ways to go before the house is even built. But I like to have it all planned out way in advance.

It seems that the common consensus is that it isnt hard to replace it all.

[LeeMc]

I think the key here in home design is to create a space that may have multiple uses.. If you design the space so that the new owner can convert it to a closet, entertainment nook, cabinets, etc. then you have not designed yourself into a corner. The drain and plumbing lines should enter via the common wall and be connected same as a bathroom or kitchen sink. If the new owner opts to remove it they need only cap off the pipes and bury it into the wall; however, I suggest you design the plumbing such that it may become a wet bar complete with an under-counter fridge. If you are using an architect have them draft the area on your plans to provide your agent when you go to sell the property. That way prospective buyers have a visual tool to understand what they can do with the space – it’s not just an unusable hole in the wall.

[LeeMc]

PS - power strips are a safe and easy way to expand power needs vs. installing a bank of plugs a new buyer will not appreciate. If the bank is hidden by cabinets (i.e., the wet bar idea) then less a concern. I would install a dedicated 20 amp feed with a GFI at the breaker vs. GFI at the termination point split into two double gang boxes. That way if the new owner wants to convert it to an entertainment center there are 8 outlets to power equipment. Last comment - install a whole house surge suppressor at the panel.

[savethereef]

wow good luck

[skydvr]

How about just building a small room behind the wall without sheetrocking the wall the tank is on? Set everything up in there.
When you sell, buid a cabinet/shelving across that wall and finish off the storage behind.

You could even build the shelving, but have it so that the section where the tank is can be removed, and build a new section that blends with everything that is already there.

I missed the wetbar option, that's good. Then you could throw up some sheetrock and a mirror where the tank was with shelving for liquor bottle storage.

[davocean]

Not a real big deal IMO, but I am a carpenter.
I like the bookshelves idea, especially since it is a office.

[bchbum189]

Eh, not really fond of the closet idea, as I like to be able to look at the tank from its sides inside of the office. Boxing it all in would take away that ability, or atleast make it uncomfortable.

The bar idea is great, however, we have already planned all of that to go in the game room area upstairs, sink and all. Having 2 bars installed into the house might be a little odd for most people, unless they are serious drinkers haha. So the utility sink really would have to be removable. I guess it isnt hard to cap the piping off in the wall and patch over it?

[melev]

Correct. Plumbing can be completely hidden. You should be sure to tell the next buyers where it is though, as they may put a nail or screw in that area thinking it should only be sheetrock.

When I was trim carpenter, I was shooting down the baseboard in a hallway. The other side of the wall was the bedroom. Water started weeping out of the wall, to my shock. The plumbing shouldn't have been there as it was an interior wall. My boss just took it in stride, but the company we worked for tried to place blame on us/me. Rediculous. Apparently some plumbing was improperly placed before the slab was poured (or maybe a change of mind on someone's part) and it was merely hidden. They'd not even put the metal deflection plates to protect the copper. Idiots.