ACK! Help, I need advice fast!

I'm looking at buying a used Stuppy Greenhouse. Here's the info I have so far.....35(?)' x120', fans, heaters, cooling wall, timers, frame.....everything is included except the poly!
It was used to grow hydroponic tomatoes, but the poly was ripped off in a hurricane a few years ago (maybe 5?) It's sat there since because the folks are getting unable to do it anymore.
I'm pretty new to greenhouses, and I'm not familiar with this brand.
The guy says he paid $17,500 for it as a kit 20 years ago.
Now for the price $2,000 for all.
Anybody??? Good deal? not? should I try to negotiate more?
I need to get back to him soon..........please help me!!

I helped move in a situation like this many years ago,and found that it would have been better to have bought new,than to remove the mess,and resurrect it.You say the poly is distroyed.are the heaters and fans still in good working order.these are not simple issues,neither is relaying the foundation.How far are you going to move it,questions like these are in order.I don't mean to sound critical about this,but the experiance I had was unforgetable.Mike

Mike, we'll have to disassemble it and move it about 1 1/2 miles. As far as the owner knows, the equipment is all fully functioning.I will of course have it tested before I decide....
as for laying the foundation, I'm not putting it on concrete. This is for hobby use in my backyard. I'll lay gravel as a floor.
I have enough manpower to do the labor, and I have a friend who can run the power for me.
I don't mind the questions...you'll just make me think things through more, and that's a good thing, right?

It's more than a steal at $2,000....just make sure all the framing, bows, etc are still in good shape/working order...and you can contact Stuppy directly and they would be more than willing to help you out should you need any help or advice, they should be able to get you a copy of the greenhouse plans in case you need a little direction there while putting it back together.

I have two stuppy GH's and the people have been wonderful to work with. And the GH's they sell are great! You can contact them here: http://www.stuppy.com

Ed

Thanks! I'm going to contact the owner and have him meet me at the greenhouse to test everything IF they still have power running to it.
I'll go from there.......but I'm guessing that it's a pretty good deal.
I appreciate the information.

It could go either way. Removing the hoops might not be a big deal if they are only bolted to their anchors. (The anchors may be set in concrete, those will be the hardest to get out.) If the hoops themselves are anchored in concrete, you'll never get them out w/out damaging them.

Also, if the plastic blew off 5 yrs ago, that means the fans, electrical fittings, and heater(s) have been exposed to rains and weather...I seriously doubt they will be worth much if so.

I'm pulling for ya though...surely there is something salvageable. And, by the way, most folks selling things have an "asking price" and a "selling price"...if you see too much wrong, dicker. Then end-result selling price will be much less than the asking price...and remember, there is time involved in not only taking it down, but moving it, then re-installing it, replacing damaged pieces, fans, heaters, etc. Just a thought!

Shoe.

This has sidewalls 6 or 8 feet that are in concrete. I'm thinking I can just cut them off at the bottom. I may lose a bit of height, but it should still be high enough. Hmmm, in retrospect, I may be wrong, maybe they ARE bolted down. I'll recheck tomorrow.
I agree about the difference in asking price and actual selling price. That's part of why I want to check the electricals together. If they don't work, or need work, it could be a major negotiating tool.I'm also taking cash.....that may sway him, huh? lol

I'm crossing my fingers though cause if they DO work, it's a great deal, right? And even if not....I may get the frame only for a lot less.

Well, if the sidewalls are 6-8 feet, and they need to possibly be cut off, you'll have to remember that they'll need to be reinstalled for support according to your local or state building codes for GH's...if you have anything like this in your area. I'm thinking mine are about 3-4 feet in ground here. So just some more thought to give yourself.

planting_nut, I love your thinking! ("I'm also taking cash.....that may sway him, huh?") Yes, Cash sways!

My g-house...I put 3 ft anchor posts in the ground, secured in concrete. The hoops then slid down into those anchor posts. I had to bolt them so the winds wouldn't raise them out (and yes, the winds would certainly do that).
Hopefully, those hoops will be in the anchors and you can just slide them out and not lose any height. (How high is it anyway? At the peak.)

I think you are on the right track checking out all your angles. If anything, you could use half the g-house AS a g-house and use part of it as a shadehouse (put shade cloth over it) during the hot months. You'd have the best of both worlds then.

Best of luck to ya! Best of All to you and yours!
Keep us posted. (Pretty exciting, eh!?)

Shoe.

Wonderful news! Here's what does work....all the fans, both modine heaters, most of the thermostats.
Here's what doesn't work.....one of the thermostats needs replaced, the emitters (no problem, I'm not going hydroponic)....the pump for the cool cell panel. the panel itself is in great shape. Oh, the small, recirculating fans are shot too, but that's minor.
The sidewalls are 6' and are are set in concrete, but the overall height is 12'+, so I can work with that.
At present I have a 1000 square foot greenhouse, so I do have a bit of experience. I learned a LOT from my first one. Mainly that I wanted a bigger one! lol

I've already got that one sold so that will help offset the cost of the new one.
THANK YOU to all who offered advice and/or encouragement.

Too find out if it's a good deal you'll need to price out what it costs to buy new. Start at $2000 and then add in your time to tear down, move and then reconstruct. If it's still cheaper it's probably a good deal.

Also find out how deep the sidewall poles need to be imbedded in the conrcete. If they need to be imbedded 24 inches, to keep it from blowing away, the sidewalls will only be 4 feet. That is a lot of stooping when working near the wall.


jb

I just called Stuppy....the frame alone is $5,044.20 plus tax, shipping, etc.
Adding all the other equipment is just a big bonus.
To address the sidewall issue, This is my plan. I'm going to sink pipes 2 feet in concrete. The sidewall pipes will then slide snugly over these pipes and be bolted all the way through. That should secure it. Am I overlooking something here?
My zoning requirements are meager. The only stipulation is that a greenhouse structure be located more than 5 feet from the home.
Hubby's retired, so funds are limited but we have plenty of time (and help), so that becomes a moot point in my figures.
I appreciate all the advice and information.

That sounds pretty good to me.

Nice find. Good luck.

kb

Yay! Go for it! Ya done good. (And by all means, be sure to get the cooling coil...a pump to operate it can be as little as $45!)

Depending on the diameter of the hoops, you may want to buy anchor pipe large enough to insert the hoops into them, not over them. This will give you much more "anchoring ability". And yes, as you said, drill holes and bolt them together (hoops and anchors).

Congrats. I think you did good! Happy for ya!

Shoe.

I'm happy for you too,my luck was the worst case situation. Mike