Two of the most dust-laden projects we've undertaken were to take the "popcorn" off the ceiling and to take up ceramic tile from the floor. (That last one required a JACK HAMMER!!)

I'm sure you're right about re-finishing the floors although I've heard some places do it with a lot less dust than others. The fireplaces, too.

I can't see the A/C being a big deal, mess-wise.

The floors. Everything else can be done while you're there, but floor refinishing is hugely disruptive once the house is furnished.

My first two repairs before I moved in would be the floors and paint.

But for your list I would do the floors and if you need to install a central a/c with ducts, than I would do that before you move, especially if you live in warm area.
My brother had central a/c install (never had central a/c)
with ducts and all. What a MESS!!!

He had to live in the basement until it was install.

Good Luck with your decision.

Maria

Since some of your projects are going to require knocking out and rebuilding walls, I'd try and get that done first. The sheetrock dust is something that I wouldn't want to live thru again - and I've done it twice - it's terrible awful the pits! I'd also get the floors done as it's dusty and where do you move all the stuff to?

Painting isn't that messy, removing caibnets isn't bad.

That's my thoughts!

Depending on the flow of you house, the floors. In my last house, we did living room drywall, painted and refinished (sanded and polyurethaned) the floors before we moved in. This was a small 1500 sq ft house that had three rooms downstairs. The upstairs was only accessible from the living room. Whenever I rescreened the floors afterwards, I did it and then we promptly left on vacation. The upstairs we redid while living there. The sanding made a mess, but we could still live in the house while it was going on. The other tough one in that house was the bathroom renovation. It was a 1 1/2 bath house, so while we were never without a toilet taking showers elsewhere got really old really fast.

In the home I currently live in the flow of the house is such that whatever is being worked on does not interfere with everyday living. We had floors installed and site finished. It amazed me how well the dust is vacuumed into the sander how. It wasnt that way when I redid floors myself all those years ago.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart as we are closing on a house purchase next week and plan to have some work done before moving in. Here is what I would like to have done:

1. Repainting several rooms and painting lots of built in cabinets (currently stained).

2. Change cab pulls and hinges.

3. Take out carpet in family room, master bedroom and master bath and replace with wood (tile in bath).

4. Add recessed lighting several places

5. Remove flourescent lighting in kitchen.

6. Replace a few ceiling fans

7. Convert 3 windows in master bedroom to french doors going out side.

8. Re-do tub/shower area (they are separate and OK but I would like a larger shower and there is room to extend).

9. Remove flourescent lighting above vanity and put in something else.

10. Extend utility room (adding to back of house)

11. Replace doors with glass with more secure doors.

12. Reface brick fireplace with dry stack stone

13. Open up between kitchen and dining room (i.e. take out top half of wall). Rearrange cooktop and refrigerator area. Add island to kitchen.

14. Replace laminate workspace in hobby room with something else.

15. Replace tile in kitchen/foyer.

16. Replace 4 1/2 ft fencing with 6 ft fencing.

What we are actually doing on the list before moving in:

1. Repainting several rooms and painting lots of built in cabinets (currently stained). - Yes. This will be much easier and cheaper to do before moving in and is not all that expensive. We are cutting back and not doing as much in some areas as I would live as we are deferring other work in those area. We decided not to piecemeal the family room for example.

2. Change cab pulls and hinges. - Still doing this since the painting won't look good without it.

3. Take out carpet in family room, master bedroom and master bath and replace with wood (tile in bath). - Deferring this one. This would be easier to do without us there. But it is only 3 rooms and can be done later. And, this is an over $10,000 item so it really makes a difference on the budget to defer this a year or two. Also carpet is not to my taste but is in good condition. Had it been in poor condition I would feel differently.

4. Add recessed lighting several places. - Not very expensive and important to my enjoyment.

5. Remove flourescent lighting in kitchen. - Not expensive so will probably do this.

6. Replace a few ceiling fans. - Mostly moving around.

7. Convert 3 windows in master bedroom to french doors going out side. - Deferring. This can be done later.

8. Re-do tub/shower area (they are separate and OK but I would like a larger shower and there is room to extend). - Deferring. It is in good condition now, just not exactly what I want.

9. Remove flourescent lighting above vanity and put in something else. - Doing this. Not expensive and I really don't like how it looks.

10. Extend utility room (adding to back of house) - Maybe some day...

11. Replace doors with glass with more secure doors. - Important. I would like to defer but I want to get new locks (instead of just rekeying). Sellers have single deadbolts on glass doors and I don't feel secure with that.

12. Reface brick fireplace with dry stack stone - Probably will defer. Would like to do it now but makes sense to do it when we do the flooring. SO deferring flooring means deferring this.

13. Open up between kitchen and dining room (i.e. take out top half of wall). Rearrange cooktop and refrigerator area. Add island to kitchen. - Later. This is a huge project because it also likely means new appliances and new granite.

14. Replace laminate workspace in hobby room with something else. - Not sure. Logically it makes sense to do it now but I'm not sure exactly what I want so I may defer it.

15. Replace tile in kitchen/foyer. - Defer. The current tile is nice and fairly recent just not a color that I personally like. But it isn't objectionable so I will wait on this (probably for years).