Huge Renovation Project? (long post)

16 years ago

I inherited my parents' house a couple of years ago when my mother passed away. It was built in 1918 and frankly, it hasn't had much (competently) done to it since then. It's a 3-bed, 1-bath 1.5 story, with all original woodwork and hardwood floors. Basically, due to water damage, most if not all of the house will need to be gutted -- old plaster taken out, new drywall and probably a lot of wiring. The kitchen basically does not exist right now, it's a small room with five -- FIVE -- doorways in it and no counters/cabinets. The central air/heat does not run to the upstairs and the whole place is badly insulated at best. Buying a new house is not an option right now, and since I grew up there, I know it's livable... I'd like to start tackling the house's problems room/section by room/section over a period of years.

To say that I'm on a budget would be a huge understatement. I need to get this all done as cheaply as possible, using as much "sweat equity" as possible, and I'm not really in the market for a $200k vanity restoration project. I'd like to be able to live in my family home without wanting to hurt myself, and I'd also like to be able to sell it someday without having to give the "buyer" $50 to take it off my hands!

The upstairs only half exists -- there are two bedrooms, each opening off the stairway/hallway. The smaller room is already gutted, the larger is not but can easily get that way. I plan to do the upstairs first because most of that can be done by myself, my boyfriend, and friend/relatives. I don't think it will be too expensive, will it? What seems logical to me right now is:

- finish tearing up all plaster upstairs (myself)

- call in an electrician to re-do the wiring (contracted)

- put in insulation (myself)

- put a closet in each bedroom! (myself)

- maybe run ducts for the heat/CA upstairs? Anyone know how feasible/expensive that would be?

- possibly put a 1/2-bath directly above the downstairs bathroom, off the larger room. I don't know what kind of costs that would entail though, even if I did everything but the essential plumbing/wiring myself.

- hang/finish drywall (myself)

- install carpet throughout upstairs (contracted, using cheapest/nicest possible carpet)

With the upstairs done, the biggest problem areas become the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room. They are all in the same part of the house (where the staircase opens out to, as well).

The bathroom has what appears to be particleboard sub-flooring which needs to be taken out due to water damage, a horrible-looking tub/shower combo that my father did God-knows-what to, and there is quite possibly mold behind the paneling. Since I'm okay with where all of the fixtures actually are, it seems feasible to just tear everything out, put in new sub-flooring (assuming the joists are okay), insulate and drywall, then install new fixtures. That again seems almost deceptively easy and quite possibly not very expensive. What am I missing here? How bad will this actually be?

I'm really not prepared to look at the kitchen yet. It needs to be done, and very badly, but I know that it's going to be the most expensive and complicated part of the job, so it can wait. Even if I use stock counters and cabinets, and stain/paint them myself, it's going to be horrible... I'd like to eliminate one of the doorways (from the laundry room to the kitchen), since the laundry already connects to the porch, which in turn connects to the kitchen. Maybe I should even turn the laundry room and porch into one larger room. In fact, that might be the most "do-able" project after the upstairs... gutting those two rooms, making them into one larger room, and again insulating and drywalling.

Anyway, what bothers me about the kitchen is a) the lack of available space and b) the layout. Here's a sketch I did in MSPaint:

{{gwi:2067892}}

I guess technically the fixtures are in a triangle... of sorts... I don't really like it, but maybe putting the counters/cabinets in will make all the difference. From what I've read, moving the plumbing and such would be extremely expensive, is that right?

That's all I have the energy to think about right now. Any advice/experiences/thoughts?

Thanks!

Rachael.

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Comments (4)

stacylu
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you're doing much of it yourself you need to prioritize your to-do list... it is much too overwhelming to see everything at once.

That being said, if your kitchen is the biggest concern you have I think that you can make it work. We are nearly finished with our kitchen using Ikea cabinets and are thrilled with the quality and the help we received from www.ikeafans.com. There are some very talented kitchen designers there who were immensely helpful. Every kitchen has a way to make it functional.

Best of luck to you!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikeafans
kec01
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You've mentioned water damage - did any of it come in through the roof? That would be the first thing I'd deal with. If not, I think your plan is pretty reasonable.

I would encourage you to do one upstairs room at a time after you get the electric sorted out. Getting one place that's clean and organized will be your "escape to" room where you can regroup and restore your sanity. Also, if you do one room at a time, you'll be able to have accomplishments along the way - "it's done and I did it". Restoration is process where one deserves to get that pat on the back.

Since you know you'll be undertaking the entire house, keep your eyes peeled to Craig's List for things like kitchen cabinets, light fixtures, tubs, sinks etc. Also, if you have salvage stores near you, become a regular visitor/shopper. Grabbing things that others are throwing out is another low priced source for home items - ie dumpster diving/trash picking - nothing to be ashamed of. There are alot of ways to find good quality items at a low price.

You've just started an old house journey. It will be frustrating and rewarding at the same time. You'll probably suffer from "is this ever going to end?" Take time off if you need to - the work's not going anywhere. Just remember that it will get done. And when others offer help, be sure to say "yes"!
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Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Cawaps, I agree about the style clashing, but since I just bought this light fixture a few months ago, I'm sort of wondering if I shouldn't just get a faucet that will go with it. Along with my fears about the faucet being overkill, it feels like throwing money down the drain to get rid of the light. I'm kicking myself for not thinking it through better when we bought it. Actually beekeeperswife, I like your suggestion of just doing a recessed light over the sink. We are also currently debating whether to have a ceiling fan in the kitchen... I don't want one because I think it will look cluttered, but we really need it because the heat registers on on the ceiling, and if we don't run the fan in reverse in the winter, all the heat stays up above our heads while we shiver down below! If I don't have a pendant above the sink at all, the fan probably won't look bad... maybe I can recoup some of the loss by selling the light fixture on craigslist. Cottonpenny and Angie, that's a good point that I hadn't thought of - if the faucet looks totally out of place once I see it in person, I can always return it and pick something more low-key.
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steve_o
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Since you've asked, I will hard try not to douse your enthusiasm. But here are some things to consider:

- You don't say if you have any bankroll now. If not, and the house value can support it, you could borrow the couple hundred grand you think you'll need. But paying that back over ten years will cost you about $2200 a month (at current rates). Over 20 years it still will cost you $1400 a month. That's not walking-around money for most people.
- And that's if a couple hundred grand is all you need. You didn't mention the roof or windows. You didn't mention the furnace/AC. There will be some items (appliances, flooring) that will just plain wear out over the next several years.
- A major renovation like this almost surely will require you to bring the house up to current code, which could incur costs you haven't even thought of yet for things like porch railings or basement-stair heights.
- You don't say where your income comes from, but if you're a 40-hour-a-week type, you'll be renovating after work and the dishes and the laundry. Ditto for anyone helping you, and it likely won't be the priority for them that it is for you. Consider that this lack of availability could drag out this project for quite some time.
- Finally, as many people in the Kitchens forum here will tell you, "camping out" loses its novelty after a couple of months. Living among the ruins and the tools for years takes a toll. After a while you may not even see the ladder in the corner and the unstained millwork. That doesn't get rid of it any faster.

BTW, I speak as someone who planned to do a mere update of my entire house (paint, flooring, light fixtures, some minor electrical work, etc.) around my full-time job and finally ended up hiring a handyman to finish the work after I had not gotten around to it for more than a year. You're asking a lot of yourself. You should think really hard about your goals and what you're willing to sacrifice for them.
chompskyd
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You can do it if it's something you really want to do! We are doing something similar -- right down to upstairs which is only two bedrooms and an icky kitchen. It is tough, dirty, exhausting work, so I recommend only taking it on as a labor of love. If you don't enjoy working on things like this, it gets old fast.

So, let's see...

The Good Things:
-It's very satisfying to complete something yourself, whether it's tearing down a wall, wiring an outlet, or painting a room.
-You can do things how you want them done.
-You learn a lot.
-You feel satisfaction by figuring things out on your own. I fixed our water heater the other day by myself, which is not something a lot of people will attempt. That sort of thing builds confidence.
-Other people will start asking you questions about home repairs. I think that's a "good thing"... ?
-Physical labor makes you sleep well.
-It's an adventure.

The Bad Things:
-It is very tough to live in a construction zone for an extended period of time. It's hard to relax with all of the work staring you in the face.
-You have to make a lot of decisions. That can be enjoyable, but it is draining. (I work full-time as well.)
-We've lost friends over it. They don't want to come over because the house makes them uncomfortable. The house is clean, but they just see mess. Yes, apparently not real friends to begin with, but still, hurtful to realize.
-Your back will hurt a lot. :)
-Sometimes you feel like life is passing you by. This is partly because you sink so much time into the place, but also because you have to do without some things. For example, we don't have a working fireplace right now. One of my favorite things to do is sit by the fireplace with a good book on a chilly fall night. I don't get to do that right now, and it's easy to think "I could sell this place and buy a new one with a fireplace." Luckily those moods don't last too long.

Advice:
-You'll hear people say it takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you expect. Very true.
-I'd start with roofing and siding before you do anything on the interior (if the roofing and siding need work). I'd also make sure you don't have a mouse problem (we did) or a termite problem (we didn't). Then, the first project we did was make a nice shower. It's a little slice of heaven when you are tired and sweaty. We sleep in the entryway, often eat on our laps, but by golly we do have a nice shower!
-Do "mental health" projects. For example, last March, after a long winter and a bout with the flu, I painted my icky kitchen bright green. It's obnoxiously cheery, and I need that right now, even though the kitchen is not officially the part of the house we're working on.

Anyway, good luck, whatever you decide.

Huge Renovation Project? (long post)

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stacylu

kec01

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