The Truth About 398 Ardendale Drive, Daly CIty, CA

398 Ardendale Drive, Daly City, CA 94014

Well, my wife and I are on week 4 of searching for a house in the San Francisco Bay Area. Previously, we have bid on three houses (two in SF and one in San Mateo), but have been very far off the mark of the winning bid. Our last house – in Daly City – the bid was accepted, only to find out during our contingency period that the house had numerous issues. 

The remodel work at 398 Ardendale Drive, Daly City, CA, can be described as incomplete and inconsistent quality throughout, at best. Look closely and you'll find unfinished cabinetry, loose connections, splotchy paint jobs, unsealed bathroom fixtures, broken drawers, and more. And that's just the inside of the house!

All told, the house needs a minimum of $90,000 in repairs with a maximum estimate of nearly $120,000. 

My hope, with sharing this, is that future buyers won't need to waste dozens of hours of their lives to do due diligence on this house.

ROOF OF 398 ARDENDALE DRIVE, DALY CITY, CA 

Amongst the most prominent issues was the roof, which had been described as a minor issue, only needing a "refoaming", but bringing in licensed contractors, we were told that nobody uses foam anymore and that it will soon be illegal. In fact, the roof had numerous leaks and issues in its current state, that even if foam were still used, it would be impossible without a complete roof replacement. 

Total cost for a new roof: $27,100. Work details below from the licensed roof contractor.

ELECTRICAL WORK NEEDED FOR 398 ARDENDALE DRIVE, DALY CITY, CA

Original 1963 Murray 100-amp panel has severe rust throughout including on breakers. Multi-source feed (solar + utility + generator) into a corroded aging panel is a safety hazard. Breakers may not trip correctly.

Exterior meter enclosure has exposed raw wood framing, no weatherproofing, and multiple conduits in poor condition exposed to marine layer moisture.

Original 1963 knob-and-tube wiring present at main panel. Most insurers will not cover homes with active knob-and-tube wiring, and it is a fire risk.

Total cost: $36,396

INSPECTION REPORT FOR INSIDE "REMODEL" AND OUTSIDE 398 ARDENDALE DRIVE, DALY CITY, CA

As a first-time single family home prospective buyer, I have been very thorough and diligent with my research and I have taken the time to document the issues I discovered during our contingency period. I am no longer in an agreement to purchase 398 Ardendale Drive, but I hope that if anyone finds this and wants to save themselves time, they can use this to their advantage. There's a link to my public Google sheets here.

Here's what it generally looks like, with pictures. 

Good luck in your housing search! 

Kevin